Used Shipping Containers for Sale: Prices and Grades

Used Shipping Containers for Sale: Grades, Prices and What to Inspect

Most people shopping used shipping containers for sale want one thing: a dry, lockable steel box at a fair price. You might need it for farm equipment, business inventory, or tools on a job site. Maybe it is the starting point for an office or cabin. Either way, the grade you pick decides both the price and what shows up on the truck.

This page is for the buyer. It explains the grades, gives prices by size and grade, and shows where used shipping containers for sale come from. It also covers what to inspect, how delivery works, what the ground needs, and when renting beats buying. Full price detail lives on our shipping container prices guide.

Shipping Container Grades: One Trip, IICL, Cargo Worthy, WWT and As-Is

Sellers sort used shipping containers for sale into grades, and the grade matters more than the paint color or the listing photo. Two containers of the same size can differ by a thousand dollars or more. The difference is condition. Here is what each grade means in plain terms.

One trip. A one trip shipping container was built overseas, loaded once, and shipped to North America. It is sold as new. Expect clean walls, tight doors and a sound floor, with a few scuffs from loading.

IICL or multi-trip. This is a newer used container graded to the condition standard of the container leasing industry. The name comes from the Institute of International Container Lessors, the trade association for companies that lease marine containers. It sets industry standards and certifies container inspectors. An IICL unit is the best of the used grades.

Cargo worthy. A cargo worthy container has been inspected and certified as fit to carry cargo. It usually shows dents, faded paint and some surface rust. The certification is about structure, not looks. Buy this grade if you might ever ship goods in it.

Wind and watertight (WWT). A WWT container is sealed against wind and rain but is not certified for shipping. For stationary storage, that is often all you need. It is the grade many storage buyers settle on.

As-is. An as-is container is sold in whatever condition it is in, with no promise about leaks, floors or doors. It is the cheapest box on the lot. It is also the one most likely to need repairs.

Used Shipping Container Prices by Size and Grade

The table shows what this site publishes for used shipping containers for sale, plus new one trip units. Your quote will move with local supply, condition within the grade, and the distance to your site. Delivery is extra in every row.

A 40ft high cube is about a foot taller than a standard 40ft. A used high cube runs $2,200 to $3,800, and a new one runs $4,000 to $7,000. The extra height matters most for conversions and tall equipment. If a used shipping container for sale is priced well below these ranges, ask why before you pay.

Other sizes exist. A 10ft or 45ft unit, a refrigerated box, or a container with doors at both ends is quoted by size, condition and location. Used shipping containers for sale in those sizes are harder to find, so compare more than one quote. For size-by-size detail, see our 20ft shipping container cost and 40ft shipping container cost pages.

Where Used Shipping Containers for Sale Come From

Most used shipping containers for sale on the domestic market spent their working life in ocean or rail service. Shipping lines and leasing companies retire them as they age. From there they reach buyers through a few kinds of sellers.

Depots and container yards near ports and inland rail hubs hold the most stock. Prices there can be lower, but you may pay more to haul the box home. Dealers and resellers buy from depots, grade the units, and handle delivery. Rental and portable storage companies sometimes sell older units from their rental fleets, often listed as used storage containers for sale. Online marketplaces and auctions list private and surplus boxes, often as-is and often sight unseen.

No seller type is always the best deal. What matters is whether the seller will put the grade in writing and let you see the actual unit. When you compare used shipping containers for sale from different sellers, ask the same questions of each.

A seller who answers all six clearly is usually worth a slightly higher price. A seller who will only quote stock photos is asking you to take the risk.

How to Inspect a Used Shipping Container Before You Pay

Most used shipping containers for sale are listed with a photo or two of a box with a long history. Before you pay, walk the unit or get recent photos of every area below. Bring a flashlight. Have someone close the doors while you stand inside, and look for daylight.

Doors and seals. Both doors should swing fully, close flush and lock without forcing the bars. Check the rubber gaskets for cracks, tears or gaps. A door that binds can mean a damaged frame, not just a stiff hinge.

Floor. Most containers have wood floors laid over steel crossmembers. Walk the whole floor and feel for soft spots. Look for delamination, holes and heavy staining. A floor is expensive to replace, so price that in.

Roof. Dents in the roof collect standing water. Over time, that water rusts through the thin steel. Look up from inside for pinholes of light, and check any patched spots.

Rust. Surface rust is normal on used steel. It can be wire-brushed and painted. Rust through is different. Push on flaky areas, especially at the bottom rails, corners and door frame. If steel crumbles or a screwdriver goes in, that section needs a welded repair.

Frame and corners. The corner posts and rails carry the load. Look for cracks, bends and heavy corrosion at the corner castings. A racked frame will keep the doors from closing properly.

The CSC plate. Containers approved for international transport carry a safety approval plate, often called the CSC plate. Under federal container examination rules, owners must have approved containers examined on a schedule. The owner then marks the date of the next required examination on or near the plate. A container under an approved continuous examination program carries an "ACEP" marking instead.

Those examinations include a detailed visual check for cracks, failures, corrosion and missing or deteriorated fasteners. So if you are buying cargo worthy to ship goods, check the plate and the marked date. Ask for the certificate. For storage only, an expired date matters less than what your own inspection finds.

Delivery and the Ground Your Container Sits On

Delivery on a purchase runs $300 to $2,500+, mostly by distance from the nearest depot. Short local hauls sit at the low end. Rural sites far from a depot sit at the high end. Listings for used shipping containers for sale often leave delivery out, so get the delivered price before comparing two sellers.

Most used shipping containers for sale are delivered on a tilt-bed truck that slides the box off the back. That truck needs a long, straight, clear approach and open space overhead. Trees, power lines, soft lawns and tight gates can all stop a delivery. Ask the supplier exactly how much room their truck needs, then walk the route yourself.

The container needs a firm, level base. Common choices are concrete blocks or treated timbers under the corners, a compacted gravel pad, or a concrete slab for permanent placement. Keep the steel off bare soil so the underside does not sit wet. A level box also keeps its doors lined up.

Permits and Zoning for a Container on Your Property

A shipping container is not a building until you use it as one. Placing one on your land for storage still usually needs local zoning approval, and often a permit. Rules vary by city and county. Some limit where a container can sit, how long it stays, or how it must look. Call your planning department before you shop used shipping containers for sale.

Once you convert a container into an office, cabin or workshop, it is treated as a structure. The International Code Council's G5 guideline for shipping containers repurposed as buildings was written for exactly this. It helps local officials, owners, builders and engineers assess how to design, review and approve containers as a building element.

The guideline notes that local and state rules can lag behind how fast container reuse is growing. In most states, containers used in construction fall under a statewide modular building program or the agency that approves buildings. Some states allow modified containers only after a structural evaluation, and others prohibit them or set exceptions. For general permit steps, see our metal building permits and codes guide.

Renting vs Buying a Used Shipping Container

If you only need storage for a few months, renting can cost less than buying. A rental runs $75 to $200 a month for a 20ft and $100 to $300 a month for a 40ft. Rental delivery costs $150 to $500, and pickup at the end costs about the same.

Here is a plain example with a 20ft container. Renting at $150 a month for 12 months is $1,800. Add $300 for delivery and $300 for pickup, and the year costs $2,400. Buying a cargo worthy 20ft at $2,000 with $500 delivery costs $2,500. After a year, the renter has spent $2,400 and owns nothing, while the buyer owns the box.

The longer you need it, the more buying wins. For storage lasting well past a year, used shipping containers for sale often cost less than renting. Short projects favor renting. Our storage container rental cost guide runs the full rent vs buy math. If a business is buying, ask your tax adviser how to treat the purchase. IRS Publication 946 explains how business property is depreciated.

Buying for Storage vs Buying for a Conversion

For storage, the budget is simple: the container, delivery and a level base. A wind and watertight or cargo worthy unit is usually enough. Add a lock box and some vents, and you are done.

A conversion is a different project. Cutting doors or windows removes steel the container relies on for strength. Every opening needs framing, and an engineer should decide how to reinforce larger cuts. Insulation, wiring and finishes add far more than the box itself costs. A basic container office conversion runs $10,000 to $20,000 for a 20ft and $18,000 to $30,000 for a 40ft, as our shipping container office guide shows.

Cutting also brings a health risk. OSHA's fact sheet on controlling hazardous fume and gases during welding says oxy-fuel and plasma cutting produce airborne metal fume. It advises cleaning coatings such as paint off surfaces first. It also warns that gases can build up in confined or enclosed spaces, which describes the inside of a container.

Not all used shipping containers for sale suit a conversion. A one trip or IICL unit usually pays for itself in less prep work. Also price a steel building of the same size before you commit. Our shipping container vs metal building comparison shows where each one wins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Buying a used container comes down to three checks. Pick the grade that matches your use, and get it in writing. Inspect the actual unit, and price delivery to your address before you compare sellers. That is how used shipping containers for sale turn into a sound purchase instead of a repair project.

Start by confirming zoning with your local office. Then compare delivered quotes on used shipping containers for sale from more than one seller. The best price is the one for the box you actually inspected.

Related Resources

• Shipping Container Prices by Size and Grade
• 20ft Shipping Container Cost and Specs
• 40ft Shipping Container Cost and Specs
• Storage Container Rental Cost: Rent vs Buy
• Shipping Container vs Metal Building