On-site storage that pays for itself in a season.

A shipping container is the single most efficient way to buy dry, secure storage on your own property. You pay once, it arrives on a truck the following week, and twenty years later it is still standing on the same corner of the lot holding the same inventory, tools, or seasonal equipment it held on day one. The math is hard to argue with: a used 20ft wind-and-watertight box costs less than ten months of typical portable-storage rental and holds roughly 8x the contents of a standard single-stall garage.

Who on-site storage is actually for

Anyone who has used more than three months of portable storage rental is already a candidate. The short list of buyers we deliver to every week:

• Small and mid-size contractors who are tired of renting a portable job-box that gets moved off-site every time the project ends.
• Landscapers, pool companies, and arborists who need a secure off-season home for trailers, blowers, and saws.
• Homeowners with acreage who want their lawn mowers, generators, and power tools dry and locked, but do not want to permit a second garage.
• Small manufacturers and warehousing overflow — the single cheapest square footage you can add outside an existing building.

If you are paying rent for storage today, the container almost always pencils out inside a year.

Sizing: 20ft vs 40ft vs 40ft high-cube

The quiet truth: most buyers think they need a 40ft and actually use less than half of it. A 20ft is almost always the right starter — you can always add a second 20ft later (they stack and pair cleanly).

Grade: WWT, CWO, or one-trip?

For pure storage, you do not need the cosmetic quality of a one-trip container. Wind-and-watertight (WWT) is the standard: the box has finished its ocean life, the doors seal, the roof does not leak, and you save roughly $2,000 versus a one-trip.

• WWT is what 80% of on-site-storage buyers should order. Expect visible surface rust, some dings, and patched paint. None of it affects function.
• CWO (cargo-worthy) is a small step up for about $300–600 more. The container is still certified for another international ocean voyage. Useful if you want the option of shipping it cross-country down the road.
• One-trip / IICL is overkill for pure storage. Only order this if the container will be visible from your house or the street and you care how it looks.

Read our shipping container grades explained deep dive before you decide — it walks through the inspection criteria in plain English.

Cost: what you actually pay

A realistic delivered-price budget for on-site storage, as of this year:

• Container: $2,800–$4,600 for a used 20ft or 40ft WWT delivered in most US metros.
• Ground prep: $0–$300. Four railroad ties or four concrete deck blocks under the corner castings is plenty. Skip the poured concrete pad — it does not help and adds permit risk.
• Security upgrades: $100–$250 for a hardened padlock + lockbox + crossbar kit if it is not already installed. New containers have the lockbox welded on; some used ones do not.
• Ventilation: $150–$400 for two louver vents cut and welded into the side walls. Recommended for any use that stores anything with moisture content (lawn equipment, fertilizer, hay, battery tools).
• Shelving and interior build-out: $300–$1,500 depending on how organized you want to be. A simple 3-tier steel rack system along one long wall doubles your usable storage.

All-in, most on-site-storage buyers land at $3,000–$6,000 for a fully-functional, delivered, shelving-installed unit. Compare that to $275–$400/month of portable storage rental and the payback is typically 9–14 months.

Typical delivery timeline

From the moment you enter your ZIP on our site:

1. Within one business day: we confirm depot stock for the SKU in your ZIP and send you a written delivered quote.
2. 1–3 business days after quote acceptance: we schedule the tilt-bed and call you 24 hours before with the driver name, truck number, and a 2-hour window.
3. Day of delivery: the tilt-bed pulls in, backs up to your chosen spot, tilts, and slides the container off the bed. The whole process takes 15–20 minutes. The driver does not leave until you have confirmed placement.
4. Within a week: you have shelving in, locks installed, and the box is loaded.

Common mistakes we see

• Ordering a 40ft when a 20ft is the right answer. The extra 160 sqft is rarely used. 20ft gives you flexibility and costs $1,500 less.
• Putting it on unprepared soft ground. A container is 5,000–8,000 lbs. On wet clay or sod, it will sink unevenly and the doors will bind within a season. Railroad ties or concrete deck blocks under the corners is a 10-minute fix that saves 10 years of door problems.
• Forgetting ventilation. Condensation inside a sealed metal box is a real problem. Two louver vents at opposite corners is all it takes.
• Not planning for truck access. The tilt-bed needs roughly 80ft of straight clearance and 12–14ft of vertical clearance. Low branches and narrow gates are the single most common reason a delivery gets rescheduled.

Maintenance

The honest answer: almost none. A container is Corten weathering steel designed for 25 years of ocean service. On dry land, expect 30–50 years of serviceable life. Once every 5–7 years, walk the roof, patch any surface rust with a wire brush + rust-converter primer + rattle-can enamel, and re-lubricate the door gaskets with silicone spray. Total annual maintenance cost: roughly $0 on average.