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Shipping containers come in a handful of standard sizes: 10ft, 20ft, 40ft and 45ft, plus small 8ft units. All of them are 8 feet wide, and most come in standard or high cube height. This guide helps you choose the right size for storage, a workshop, an office or a home.
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From compact 10ft units to 40ft high cubes, with starting prices from current inventory at US depots. Pick a size and vetted local suppliers send delivered quotes for your ZIP code.
Depot prices updated October 2026Compact and easy to place in tight spaces. Ideal for tools, garden gear and small business storage.
Structurally sound, wind and watertight and fit for shipping. A safe all round choice for storage and job sites.
One foot taller inside. The usual base for tiny homes, workshops and tall equipment.
Twice the floor space of a 20ft at a lower price per square foot. Great for business stock and farm storage.
Extra foot of height for racking and bulky goods, at used container prices.
As-new high cube with clean paint and floors. The first choice for container homes, offices and long term use.
Starting prices at the depot, based on current inventory at major US container depots. Delivery, sales tax and local fees are extra and depend on your ZIP code. Your supplier confirms the final price in your quote.
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| Size | Outside (L x W x H) | Floor space inside | Holds about | Typical uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10ft | 10ft x 8ft x 8ft 6in | about 70 sq ft | 4 US pallets, one room of furniture | Tools, garden gear, small business stock |
| 20ft standard | 20ft x 8ft x 8ft 6in | about 150 sq ft | 9 US pallets, the contents of a 1 to 2 bedroom home | Home and jobsite storage, workshops, small offices |
| 20ft high cube | 20ft x 8ft x 9ft 6in | about 150 sq ft | Same floor as a 20ft, one foot more height | Tiny homes, offices, tall equipment |
| 40ft standard | 40ft x 8ft x 8ft 6in | about 300 sq ft | 20 US pallets, the contents of a 3 to 4 bedroom home | Farm and business storage, vehicles |
| 40ft high cube | 40ft x 8ft x 9ft 6in | about 300 sq ft | Same floor as a 40ft, one foot more height | Container homes, large workshops, bulky goods |
| 45ft high cube | 45ft x 8ft x 9ft 6in | about 340 sq ft | The most floor space of any ISO container | Long items, maximum storage |
Floor space is the inside floor, rounded. For inside measurements, door openings, tare weights and cubic capacity, see our guide to shipping container dimensions.
Measure the largest items, count pallets or furniture, and leave room for an aisle if you need to reach everything. As a rule of thumb, a 20ft container holds the contents of a one or two bedroom home and a 40ft the contents of a three or four bedroom home. A car fits in a 20ft, but with little room to open the doors. For palletized goods, see how many pallets fit in a shipping container.
The container has to reach your site and fit on it. A tilt bed delivery needs about 60 feet of straight clearance for a 20ft and about 100 feet for a 40ft, plus room in front for the doors to swing open. On tight lots, a 10ft or 20ft is often the only size that works. Our guide to shipping container delivery explains what the truck needs.
A 40ft container gives twice the floor space of a 20ft but does not cost twice as much. At US depots today, a used cargo worthy 20ft starts at about $1,045 and a used cargo worthy 40ft at about $1,395. Delivery for a 40ft costs a little more, but per square foot the 40ft almost always wins if you have the space. Current figures for every size are on our shipping container prices page.
A high cube is one foot taller, 9ft 6in instead of 8ft 6in outside, which adds about 13 percent more volume. Choose a high cube for anything people will stand, live or work in, and for tall goods. For plain storage, a standard container is enough and costs a little less. Our guide to standard vs high cube containers compares both in detail.
Two 20ft containers cost more than one 40ft, but they can be placed separately, fit through tighter access and give you two sets of doors. If you choose a 40ft and want to reach the back easily, ask for a double door container with doors at both ends.
| Use | Usual size | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Home storage and decluttering | 10ft or 20ft | Fits a driveway or backyard and holds one or two rooms, up to a small home |
| Moving or renovation storage | 20ft | Holds the contents of a one or two bedroom home |
| Construction site storage | 20ft or 40ft | 20ft for tools and materials, 40ft for larger sites |
| Farm and ranch storage | 40ft | Feed, equipment and vehicles at the best value per square foot |
| Workshop | 20ft or 40ft high cube | Room for benches and a taller ceiling |
| Office | 10ft, 20ft or 40ft high cube | One desk, two to four people, or a small team |
| Container home or ADU | 40ft high cube | About 300 sq ft inside per container with full ceiling height |
| Swimming pool | 20ft or 40ft | A plunge pool or a narrow lap pool |
| Garden shed | 8ft, 10ft or 20ft | Small yards take 8ft or 10ft, 20ft is the most popular shed size |
8ft containers are the smallest common size and suit narrow side yards and small business premises. 10ft containers are mostly built new for storage or cut down from 20ft units, because they are rarely used in shipping.
45ft high cubes are the longest ISO containers and come up for sale in some port cities. 53ft domestic containers are 8ft 6in wide and are used by US rail and trucking companies. They occasionally become available for storage, but need even more delivery space.
Specialty containers come in the same sizes, such as refrigerated containers for cold storage and open side containers with full-length doors.
shipping-containers.com is a marketplace, not a dealer or a builder. Send one request with your ZIP code and the containers you need, and vetted local suppliers respond with delivered prices. One request, multiple quotes, no fees. Browse shipping containers for sale to compare grades, or tell us what you need and get quotes for the right size.
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Answer a few quick questions about what you need to store or build, and vetted suppliers near you send delivered quotes.
Blog
Measuring, delivery, pallets and modifications explained by Andy.
How New York handles shipping container homes: the 2025 Uniform Code, NYC ancillary dwelling units, container laws in Buffalo, Sweden and Coxsackie, Adirondack Park review, septic and modular approval.
How California handles shipping container homes: the 2025 state codes, the LADBS conversion bulletin, San Diego rules, state ADU law, HCD approval for factory-built units and counties that allow containers only for storage.
How Washington handles shipping container homes: the 2021 state codes, Pierce, King and Ferndale container rules, the two-ADU state law, the energy code wall U-factor and the L&I factory-assembled program.
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FAQs
In global shipping, 40ft high cubes and 20ft standard containers are the most common. For buyers in the US, 20ft and 40ft containers are the easiest to find and the best value.
All standard ISO shipping containers are 8 feet wide outside, from 10ft to 45ft. Only the 53ft domestic containers used on US rail and trucks are wider, at 8ft 6in.
A 20ft container fits one car, though there is little room to open the doors inside. A 40ft fits two cars, or one car plus storage.
No. In the same grade, a 40ft usually costs only somewhat more than a 20ft, which makes it the better value per square foot if your site has room for it.
Yes. 8ft and 6ft containers are built for storage, mostly new. They cost more per square foot but fit where a larger container cannot be delivered.
Tell Andy what you want to store or build, and get a straight recommendation on size, height and grade from someone with 15+ years in containers.
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External size 20ft: 20 ft × 8 ft × 8 ft 6 in (6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m), length × width × height
