Guide · Building
Shipping Container Shed
Yuri Kan Checked against 25 of 88 published sheets Updated
A shipping container makes a ready-made shed: a 20 ft box gives 13.9 m² (149 ft²) of floor and 33.2 m³ (1,172 ft³) of steel-secure, rodent-proof storage, the inside as most published sheets print it, for $1,300–2,800 used — $94–202 per m² of floor, walls, roof and lockable door included. A 10 ft unit (6.7 m² / 72 ft², $2,500–3,700) suits tight yards but costs more than a cargo-worthy 20 ft ($1,700–2,800). Fit-out maths: 0.6 m deep racking down both walls leaves a 1.152 m centre aisle in the 2.352 m inside width. The two setup essentials are a level base — a compacted gravel pad is sufficient — and ventilation, because a sealed steel box condenses moisture onto stored goods (“container rain”).
As a shed, the container’s pitch is blunt: more secure than any timber building, watertight from day one, delivered finished in an afternoon. The catch list is equally short: it looks like a container, it needs a ventilation plan, and below 20 ft the economics stop working.
The working dimensions: a 20 ft box is 5.898 × 2.352 × 2.393 m inside (13.9 m², 33.2 m³) behind a 2.340 × 2.280 m door; a 10 ft is 2.831 × 2.350 m (6.7 m², 15.9 m³). General storage sizing across the range is in the storage container guide — this page is specifically about the backyard-shed use case.
The numbers in this chart
| Size | m² | ft² |
|---|---|---|
| 10 ft container | 6.7 | 72 |
| 20 ft container | 13.9 | 149 |
| 40 ft container | 28.3 | 305 |
| 40 ft high cube container | 28.3 | 305 |
| 45 ft high cube container | 31.9 | 343 |
| 48 ft container | 36.2 | 390 |
| 53 ft container | 40.3 | 434 |
Checked : the figures in this chart against 41 of 88 published sheets from 26 lines, lessors, makers and rail and road operators: those that print these figures. A sheet agrees within ±5 mm, or ±2 % for a mass and ±1 % for a volume; a maximum gross is a rating and must be the same. Every figure and its sources
10 ft vs 20 ft as a shed: why the 20 ft is the default
The 20 ft is the default for one economic reason: 10 ft containers are not mass-produced. Most are cut down from 20 ft units, and the fabrication makes them cost $2,500–3,700 used against $1,300–2,800 for a full 20 ft.
You pay more for half the space. A 10 ft earns its place only where the yard physically cannot host 6 m of steel, or where towing it in on a trailer matters. A 10 ft’s 1,300 kg tare is a heavy but feasible trailer load; a 20 ft at 2,230 kg needs a truck.
For garden-tool duty, grade can go low: wind-and-water-tight ($1,300–2,300 for a 20 ft) is precisely the shed spec — dry and lockable, no shipping certification you will never use. What to check before paying is in the buying guide.
Checked : the outside sizes of the ISO boxes (of the 10 ft, its length and width) set by ISO 668, read in IS 6566:2001, GOST R 51876-2008 and GOST R 53350-2009; every other figure against 25 published sheets of 23 lines, lessors and makers. A sheet agrees within ±5 mm, or ±2 % for a mass and ±1 % for a volume; a maximum gross is a rating and must be the same. Every figure and its sources
Shelving a 20 ft shed: the racking plan and the aisle it leaves
The 2.352 m inside width supports exactly one rational racking plan: 0.6 m deep shelving down both long walls, leaving a 2.352 − 1.2 = 1.152 m centre aisle — comfortable for a person with a box, workable for a wheelbarrow.
- Deeper 0.75 m industrial racking on both sides pinches the aisle to 0.852 m; one-side-only is the fix.
- A 20 ft so fitted carries ~11.8 linear metres of racking (two walls of 5.898 m) or 24–35 m of shelf at 2–3 levels.
- Long items go on top, under ceiling headroom of 2.393 m.
Two load facts complete the plan.
- The 28 mm plywood floor — as 3 independent documents print it (Dongguan Southern CIMC Logistics Equipment Manufacture Co., Ltd., National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Ministry of Earth Sciences, India and Shipped.com Corporation) — takes point loads a wood shed floor never could: engine stands, machine tools, stacked cement. See container flooring for ratings.
- The corrugated steel walls take self-drilling screws for hanging rails and brackets directly into the corrugation crests. There are no studs to find, but seal each penetration against rust.
Condensation: the one problem to engineer away
The container shed’s single failure mode is water from the inside. Steel tracks the night sky. On clear nights the roof cools below the dew point of the humid air inside, and moisture condenses on the ceiling and drips onto whatever is stored — “container rain”.
Damp lawnmowers, firewood or cardboard boxes load the air with the very moisture that returns as drips; tools rust, fabrics mildew.
The fix is airflow, and it is cheap: four or more louvred vents (fitted low on one wall and high on the opposite wall for cross-stack convection), or a wind-driven turbine vent on the roof. Add three habits and the problem disappears:
- don’t seal wet equipment in;
- keep cardboard off the floor, on the racking;
- drop moisture absorbers in for winter.
The dew-point physics and vent sizing are in the ventilation guide.
Ground prep for a container shed: a gravel pad, no concrete
A shed container needs no concrete. Strip vegetation, lay and compact a bed of crushed gravel a little larger than the container’s footprint, and screed it level. The pad costs $300–1,500 for a 20 ft by builders’ and dealers’ published ranges (no standard sets its depth), and is DIY-able in a weekend.
The pad drains rain away from the bottom rails (parking steel on damp soil is how floors rot from below) and spreads the load. On soft ground, add concrete pavers or railway sleepers under the four corner castings, where nearly all of the weight — 2.2 t of box plus the contents — concentrates.
Full base options, including when piers are worth it, are in the foundation guide. Delivery needs a straight tilt-bed approach of about 18 m (60 ft), as two dealers’ delivery pages print it — see the moving guide.
Is a container cheaper than building a shed?
At 20 ft size, often yes — and the sum is short enough to check against a local quote. The delivered numbers: used 20 ft container (wind-and-water-tight to cargo-worthy) ≈ $1,300–2,800 + $300–1,500 pad + $400–800 delivery = $2,000–5,100 for 13.9 m², i.e. $144–368/m² all-in, for walls, roof, floor and a lockable door.
Set that against a builder’s quote for a stick-built wood shed of the same floor area, materials and labour together. A comparable prefab metal building has a lighter shell and needs an anchoring kit. The container arrives storage-ready the same afternoon, with 1.6–2.0 mm steel wall panels (as builders’ and buyers’ specifications print them) and a lockable door no wood shed matches.
The honest flip side is that at small sizes the container loses:
- a $2,500–3,700 10 ft usually costs more than a garden shed kit of its 6.7 m² of floor;
- a container cannot be sited tight against a fence in pieces (it needs its crane/tilt-bed approach);
- HOAs and some zoning codes reject the aesthetic outright;
- a wood shed can be built to any footprint, while containers come in exactly two.
The break-even rule of thumb: need ≥10 m² of secure storage and have delivery access — container; need <8 m² or must match the house — build.
Frequently asked questions
Is a shipping container cheaper than building a shed?
At 20 ft size, often yes: $2,000–5,100 all-in (used box + gravel pad + delivery) for 13.9 m² (149 ft²) of floor ≈ $144–368/m², walls, roof, floor and lockable door included — set it against a local quote for a built shed of the same floor, and the container arrives finished. Below ~8 m² the answer flips: a 10 ft container costs more than a cargo-worthy 20 ft ($2,500–3,700 against $1,700–2,800), and a small shed kit is usually the cheaper route.
How much does a container shed cost?
A used wind-and-water-tight 20 ft runs $1,300–2,300 and a cargo-worthy one $1,700–2,800, by dealers’ published prices; add $400–800 delivery and $300–1,500 for a gravel pad. A 10 ft, if you truly need the small footprint, runs $2,500–3,700. Vents are a small extra on top.
Does a container shed need a foundation?
No concrete is needed: a compacted, levelled gravel pad, $300–1,500 for a 20 ft by builders’ and dealers’ published ranges, is sufficient and doubles as drainage. On soft ground put pavers or sleepers under the four corner castings, which carry nearly all the weight — 2.2 t of box plus the contents. What matters is level: a twisted box makes its own doors stiff.
Will my tools rust inside a container?
Only if you seal it. An unvented steel box condenses moisture on cold nights (“container rain”) and drips it back on the contents. Four louvred vents placed low/high on opposite walls, dry goods in, and moisture absorbers over winter keep the interior rust-free.
How long will a container shed last?
Longer than its life at sea, with minimal care: the lessor Triton writes a dry box off after 13 years in its leasing fleet (its 2023 annual report), and a box parked as a shed is spared the handling, racking and salt spray that wear it there. The Corten shell outlives any timber shed; the wear items are the door gaskets (replaceable) and the paint at dents and cut edges (touch up with zinc primer). Keep the roof draining and the bottom rails off wet soil.
Do I need a permit for a container shed?
Often not, sometimes yes. Many US jurisdictions exempt small accessory structures below a floor-area limit each sets for itself — whether a 10 ft (72 ft²) or a 20 ft (149 ft²) falls under it depends on that local number — and rules diverge sharply on containers specifically; HOAs frequently prohibit them on sight. One phone call to the local building department before ordering settles it.
How much fits in a 20 ft shed container?
A 20 ft shed holds 33.2 m³ (1,172 ft³), per all 18 sheets — about a one-to-two-bedroom home’s contents, or in shed terms: ride-on mower, two bikes, full racking down both walls (24–35 shelf-metres at 0.6 m depth) and a 1.152 m aisle to walk in. The 2.280 m door height admits anything a garden owns.
Can I put shelves on container walls?
Yes — self-drilling screws or bolts go straight into the corrugation crests, no studs needed; the steel carries rails, brackets and French cleats anywhere along the wall. Seal each penetration with sealant or use rivnuts to keep rust out. Freestanding racking works too and leaves the shell unpierced.