Shipping Containers for Sale in Los Angeles–Long Beach, CA
Near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, a used 40ft costs from $1,190, only $180 more than a used 20ft from $1,010, and a new one-trip 20ft runs from $2,040. Two depots of sellers in our network sit at the harbor, in Wilmington and Long Beach. Delivery close to the Wilmington depot is about $450.
Going by the sellers whose prices we track, most containers arrive 3–7 business days after you accept a quote; when and how you pay is up to each seller, so check its quote.
Enter your ZIP code to check that we cover your address. Up to 5 sellers serving it send you their delivered prices after you send your request.
Los Angeles–Long Beach prices
Each “from” price is set 15% below the average of the cheaper half of what the 3 LA-area depots in our network list for that model and grade, container only, or 15% below our national starting price when that’s lower, and is checked monthly. The price you pay, with delivery and sales tax, is the one in the quote you accept from a seller serving the LA area.
| Container | LA, from | National | Depots |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft, used, WWT | $1,010 | $1,400 | 3 |
| 20ft, used, CW | $1,190 | $1,550 | 3 |
| 20ft, new | $2,040 | $2,750 | 2 |
| 20ft high cube, new | $3,150 | $4,620 | 2 |
| 20ft double door, new | $3,060 | $4,100 | 1 |
| 20ft open side, new | $5,020 | $6,750 | 1 |
| 40ft, used, WWT | $1,190 | $1,900 | 3 |
| 40ft, used, CW | $1,360 | $2,060 | 2 |
| 40ft, new | $4,340 | $5,350 | 1 |
| 40ft high cube, used, WWT | $1,400 | $1,980 | 3 |
| 40ft high cube, used, CW | $1,530 | $2,130 | 3 |
| 40ft high cube, new | $3,230 | $3,900 | 2 |
| 40ft high cube double door, new | $4,080 | $4,800 | 1 |
WWT: wind and watertight; CW: cargo worthy; new containers are one-trip. Depots: how many of the LA-area depots in our network listed that model and grade at the last price check. The 10ft, reefers, offices and modified units weren’t listed at these depots at the last price check, and the 40ft high cube open side can’t be matched to one of our two versions, so all of them keep their national starting price: all shipping containers.
Every LA “from” price is below our national starting price, by $360 to $1,730.
To get quotes, open the model page and choose “Get the best price”: up to 5 sellers serving the LA area send you their delivered prices. How we set the prices on this page: price method.
Why a 40ft makes sense here
At these depots the step from 20ft to 40ft is small: a used 40ft in wind and watertight grade is from $1,190, $180 more than the 20ft, and the same price as a cargo worthy 20ft. For roughly twice the floor, about 305 sq ft against 150, that makes the 40ft the better value whenever your lot can take it.
Where LA containers come from
3 verified sellers in our network stock containers in the LA area, two of them at harbor depots: one in Wilmington, beside the Port of Los Angeles, and one in Long Beach. We send your request to as many as 5 sellers serving your address, checking their licensing and insurance first; ask each which depot your model and grade would leave from, since the drive from there sets the delivery fee.
Need a container for a few months rather than for good? Rentals are quoted by ZIP: container rental.
Delivery from the harbor
Close to the Wilmington depot, delivery costs about $450 for either size. Each mile inland adds to it, so an address in the San Fernando Valley, Orange County or the Inland Empire pays more than one in Carson or Torrance.
Delivery figures here are estimates from rates depots publish, about $4–$6 a mile by tilt-bed past the depot area; the fee in the quote you accept is the one you pay. What the truck needs on your lot: site checklist.
Requests from across Los Angeles and Orange counties and the Inland Empire, including Long Beach, Carson, Torrance, Compton, Downey, Pasadena, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Irvine, Riverside, Ontario and San Bernardino, go to sellers that deliver there.
Sales tax: from 7.75% to 11.75% across the area
California’s base rate is 7.25%, and local district taxes push it well above that in Los Angeles County. Between Anaheim and Palmdale, the difference comes to about $174 on a new 40ft at its “from” price. Rates in effect October 1, 2026, per the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration:
| City or area | Rate |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 10.25% |
| Long Beach | 11% |
| Carson | 11% |
| Compton | 11.25% |
| Torrance | 10.75% |
| Lancaster, Palmdale | 11.75% |
| Unincorporated Los Angeles County | 10.25% |
| Anaheim (Orange County) | 7.75% |
| Santa Ana (Orange County) | 9.25% |
| Riverside, Ontario, Fontana, San Bernardino | 8.75% |
Ask each seller to show the sales tax for your delivery address in its quote.
Permits around Los Angeles
Where a container can go is set by the city or county. In the City of Los Angeles, the Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) has two information bulletins on the subject, “Cargo Containers for Incidental Storage” and “Cargo Container Conversion to Building Modules”; ask LADBS which one applies to your lot, and check its zoning. Long Beach, Anaheim and the other cities run their own building and planning counters.
Unincorporated Los Angeles County. The county’s building code manual on cargo containers for incidental storage (January 2015 edition) calls for a miscellaneous permit for each container, after sign-off from Regional Planning and the Fire Department, and allows one container per parcel unless Regional Planning approves more. The container can be up to 40 feet long and 10 feet high and wide, with no wall openings besides the door, so a 40ft high cube qualifies but one with windows cut in doesn’t, and a factory-fitted office falls outside the manual altogether. Ask Public Works whether a newer edition applies to your lot.
Unincorporated San Bernardino County. Its building bulletin for the same use, updated January 1, 2026, asks for an accessory structure permit per lot and keeps containers at least 5 feet from property lines, 10 feet from buildings and out of the front yard setback, unstacked and unconnected to power. Our permit guide lists the questions to bring.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to put a shipping container on my property in California?
It depends on the city or county where the container goes, since they issue the permits: your city’s building department, or the county for unincorporated land. In unincorporated Los Angeles County, for instance, a storage container needs a miscellaneous permit, and one per parcel is the rule unless Regional Planning approves more. Permits around LA.
Is a container home legal in California?
A container can become a building, and LADBS has a bulletin on converting cargo containers into building modules, but a home has to be permitted as a building by your city or county like any other. Check before you buy: sellers here quote the containers, not finished homes. What they cost for a home project: shipping container home cost.
How much does a 20 ft shipping container usually cost in Los Angeles?
In LA, a used 20ft starts from $1,010 in wind and watertight grade and $1,190 cargo worthy, and a new one-trip from $2,040. Delivery comes on top, and so does sales tax, from 7.75% to 11.75% depending on the city.
Sources
Prices: public listings at the 3 LA-area depots of sellers in our network, recorded October 21, 2026; delivery fee near the Wilmington depot from the same day’s published rates.
Sales tax: California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, statewide rate and city and county rates effective October 1, 2026. Permit bulletins: Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, titles as published on its website; County of Los Angeles Public Works, Building Code Manual 106, Article 1 (January 26, 2015); County of San Bernardino Land Use Services, Information Bulletin IB-0002 (updated January 1, 2026). Checked October 23, 2026.