20ft container · 1 TEU · the base unit of shipping
20ft Shipping Containers for Sale
Compare 20ft shipping containers and conex boxes — standard and high cube, new and used — then get matched with verified suppliers near you. Real specs, honest pricing, and free quotes with no obligation.
20ft standard · 8'6" tall
Start here
Is a 20ft right — or are you about to overpay for space you can't use?
The 20ft is the most-bought container in the country, but it isn't automatically the right answer. Three quick checks before you spend a dollar.
Choose 20ft when…
You need secure storage for a 1–2 car garage's worth of gear, a jobsite lockup, a small workshop, or a heavy/dense load. It drops in one piece on most driveways and farm lots.
Size up to 40ft when…
You're storing long items (lumber, kayaks, vehicles) or want roughly double the floor for only ~25–30% more — but only if your lot can take a 60ft+ truck and a longer pad.
Size down to 10ft when…
You have a tight side-yard or alley, only need a shed-sized lockup, and want the easiest possible placement. You'll pay more per cubic foot, though.
A 20ft and a 40ft share the same 30,480 kg (67,200 lb) maximum gross weight. With dense cargo — machinery, tools, tile, aggregate — you'll hit the weight ceiling long before you fill a 40ft. For heavy loads, a 20ft is often the smarter buy, not just the cheaper one. Compare 10ft vs 20ft vs 40ft →
To scale
What a 20ft actually holds
Exterior, interior and the all-important door opening. The door gap — not the box — is what decides whether your widest item fits.
- Exterior (L × W × H)20'0" × 8'0" × 8'6"
- Interior (L × W × H)~19'4" × 7'8" × 7'10"
- Door opening (W × H)~7'8" × 7'5"
- Internal volume~1,170 ft³ (33 m³)
- Tare (empty) weight~5,070 lb (2.3 t)
- Max gross weight67,200 lb (30.5 t)
- Standard pallets10–11 on the floor
Standard vs. 20ft High Cube — one foot that's worth paying for (sometimes)
A high cube is exactly the same footprint but a foot taller (9'6" vs 8'6"). On a 20ft that extra foot is rarer and costs a little more — worth it only if you need the vertical room.
most gear & stacked totes
racking, pallet-jacks, conversions
The decision that sets your price
Grade decoder: what you're really buying at each price
"New" and "used" barely describe it. These four grades are the language every supplier uses — and the single biggest lever on what you pay. Prices are typical U.S. container ranges for 2026, before delivery.
What it is
Built overseas, loaded once for the trip to the U.S., then sold. Clean paint, intact marine-ply floor, square doors, little to no rust — effectively new.
Best for · watch-outs
Best for: backyard offices, retail/pop-up builds, anything you'll modify, cut or want to look sharp.
Premium grade — often only ~$1,000–$1,500 more than a used box. Confirm it's truly one-trip, not "refurbished."
What it is
Inspected and certified structurally sound enough to be stacked and shipped internationally. Expect dings, surface rust and honest wear, but guaranteed wind- and watertight.
Best for · watch-outs
Best for: long-term storage, export, conversions on a budget, anywhere structure matters more than looks.
For export you'll need a current CSC plate / survey — confirm the certification date before buying.
What it is
Guaranteed to keep wind and water out, but not certified for ocean cargo. Same steel, more character. The most popular grade for people who just need dry, secure space.
Best for · watch-outs
Best for: on-site storage you'll never ship overseas — tools, equipment, inventory, seasonal gear.
Floors can have soft spots from delamination. If you'll drive a forklift inside, step up to CW for a solid floor.
What it is
Sold with no condition guarantee. May have dents, heavy rust, even holes or a damaged door. Often a unit that wasn't economical to repair or couldn't be inspected.
Best for · watch-outs
Best for: covered/dry storage of items that don't mind a leak, or a cheap base for a heavy rebuild.
Never buy As-Is sight-unseen. If a "WWT-priced" box is being sold As-Is, that's a red flag — see below.
If you'll never put the box on a ship, WWT gives you the same weatherproofing as CW for less. Pay the CW premium only when you need a certified, solid-floor unit or plan to export. Get a delivered price for your ZIP and grade →
2026 numbers
What it really costs — container, delivery, and the line items people forget
Most sellers quote the box and add delivery separately, sometimes at the very end. Here's the whole picture so nothing surprises you at checkout.
| Grade (20ft standard) | Typical container price* | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| One-Trip / "new" | ~$2,800–$5,000 | Offices, retail, conversions, clean look |
| Cargo-Worthy (CW) | ~$1,400–$3,000 | Export, long-term storage, solid floor |
| Wind & Water Tight | ~$1,225–$2,500 | Everyday secure, dry storage |
| As-Is | ~$500–$1,500 | Rough storage or a rebuild base |
| 20ft High Cube | Add ~$150–$400 over standard | Vertical clearance, racking |
*U.S. container price ranges before delivery, 2026 market. Used 20ft units commonly run about $1,225–$3,000 and one-trip units start near $2,800; delivered totals for used boxes often land around $2,500–$3,500. Your price moves with depot proximity and steel prices. (Sources: Container Sales Group, ShipMate+, Pelican Containers, Container One — 2026.)
Delivery: the second invoice
Plan for roughly $150–$1,550 depending on distance. Many yards charge a base fee plus mileage (e.g. ~$250 + ~$5/mile). A tilt-bed (roll-off) truck sets it on the ground for you; a flatbed is cheaper but you must provide a forklift or crane to offload.
The line items people forget
Site prep (gravel, railroad ties or concrete piers), sales tax where applicable, a lock box for security, and any modifications — which always cost more on a rusty box than on clean one-trip steel. Budget these in from the start.
Free tool · pick size, grade, ZIP and access for an instant range.
Before you pay
The 10-point pre-purchase inspection
Whether you walk the yard yourself or send someone, check these before money changes hands. Tap each item as you confirm it. A surveyor's report runs about $100–$200 and can save you thousands.
If you can't inspect in person, buy from a supplier who'll send photos of the specific unit and put the grade on the invoice — and prefer one with a verified track record. See how we score suppliers →
Get the drop right the first time
Delivery & site prep — the part buyers underestimate most
The single most common delivery failure is space. A truck needs far more clearance than the container itself. Plan the path and the pad before you book.
- Clear a straight, firm path
A tilt-bed needs to back in straight and tip the bed up. Plan ~60 ft of straight clearance with room behind to tilt — not just a 20 ft parking spot.
- Level the ground & set a foundation
Put the four corners on railroad ties, concrete blocks or piers on level ground. This keeps doors square and air moving under the floor so it doesn't rot.
- Check overhead & surface
No low wires, branches or eaves over the drop zone. Avoid soft grass or fresh asphalt — the truck and box are heavy and will sink or scar.
- Decide door orientation up front
Tell the driver which way the doors should face. Repositioning a placed 20ft is a real hassle, so get it right on the drop.
Buy safely
Container scams are real — here's what they look like
The container world has a persistent fraud problem: fake listings, "too cheap" boxes, and deposits for units that never arrive. If you see these, slow down.
A "$700 cargo-worthy 20ft delivered" is bait. Real CW boxes don't sell at As-Is prices.
No card, no invoice, "pay a deposit to hold it." Untraceable payment is the scammer's tell.
A real supplier has a yard you can name, call and ideally visit. Stock photos and a free email address aren't a business.
If they can't send photos of the specific box (with its number) or put the grade in writing, walk away.
Why ContainerMondo
Skip the guesswork — get matched with verified suppliers
We don't sell or deliver containers. We connect you with suppliers we've verified, so you can compare real quotes for your 20ft instead of cold-calling yards and hoping.
- Suppliers verified for a real business, inventory and track record
- Compare quotes side by side — grade, price and delivery
- Coverage in all 50 states, free and no obligation
20ft buyer questions
Frequently asked
Used 20ft boxes commonly run about $1,225–$3,000 before delivery, depending on grade and how close you are to a depot. Wind & Water Tight units sit at the low end, Cargo-Worthy in the middle, and one-trip (near-new) units typically start around $2,800. Delivery is usually separate — roughly $150–$1,550 by distance.
Cargo-Worthy is inspected and certified sound enough to be shipped overseas, so it can be exported. Wind & Water Tight is only guaranteed to keep wind and water out — great for storage, but not export-certified. If you'll never put it on a ship, WWT gives you the same weatherproofing for less money.
A standard 20ft is about 20'0" long, 8'0" wide and 8'6" tall outside, with roughly 1,170 cubic feet inside. The door opening — the number that decides what fits — is about 7'8" wide by 7'5" tall. A 20ft high cube is the same footprint but a foot taller at 9'6".
A tilt-bed truck sets the box on the ground but needs a long, straight, clear path — plan for about 60 ft of straight clearance plus room to tilt, on firm level ground, with nothing overhead. A flatbed is cheaper but you'll need your own forklift or crane to offload.
For weatherproof storage of tools or equipment, used WWT or CW is just as tough and far cheaper. For a backyard office, retail build or any conversion where looks and clean steel for cutting matter, a one-trip container is usually worth the extra.
Both share the same 30,480 kg maximum gross weight, so with dense cargo you'll hit the weight limit before filling a 40ft. For machinery, tools or aggregate — and on a tight lot — a 20ft is usually the better call.
No. ContainerMondo is a connector platform — we match you with verified suppliers and help you compare quotes. The supplier you choose handles the sale, payment and delivery directly.
Ready to price your 20ft?
Tell us what you need and compare free, no-obligation quotes from verified suppliers near you.
Compare Free QuotesContainerMondo connects buyers with verified shipping container suppliers across the U.S. We don't sell, own or deliver containers, and prices shown are general 2026 market ranges for guidance — your supplier quote is what counts.