20ft vs 40ft Shipping Container: Which Size Do You Need?

The short answer

A 20' container holds roughly the contents of a one-car garage. A 40' holds about twice that for only a few hundred dollars more — so if you have the room for delivery, the 40' is usually the better value per square foot. The catch: a 40' needs about 100 feet of straight clearance for the delivery truck, versus about 60 feet for a 20'.

Size and capacity

A standard 20' is 20' long × 8' wide × 8'6" tall outside, giving you about 1,170 cubic feet inside. A standard 40' doubles the length for about 2,390 cubic feet. A 40' high cube is a foot taller (9'6") — worth it if you're installing shelving, racking, or storing tall equipment.

In practical terms: a 20' fits the contents of a 2–3 bedroom house move or a contractor's tools and materials. A 40' handles a full household, a small business's inventory, or a farm's equipment with room to walk inside.

Will it fit on your property?

The container itself needs a level, firm spot — gravel or packed dirt is fine. But the delivery truck is the real constraint: a tilt-bed truck needs to back in and slide the box off, so measure a straight, clear path from the road. Tight driveways, overhead wires, septic systems and soft lawns are the usual problems.

If your site is tight, a 20' is much easier to place. Not sure? Call us before you order — we'd rather talk it through than have a driver turn around.

Price difference

Used: a 20' runs about $2,300 and a 40' about $2,900. New one-trip: a 20' is about $3,400 and a 40' high cube about $3,999. Delivery costs the same per mile either way, so the bigger box is almost always more storage per dollar.

Our honest recommendation

Measure your delivery path first. If a 40' can get in, buy the 40' — nobody has ever complained about too much storage. If access is tight or you only need garage-sized storage, the 20' is the right call and easier to place exactly where you want it.