Shipping container prices vary from under $1,000 for an as-is unit to over $9,000 for a new 40ft high cube. The right price for your needs depends on four variables: size, condition grade, location, and timing. Here's how each one affects what you pay — and what a fair price looks like right now.
Quick reference: current prices by size
10ft
$1,500–$3,500
Used to one-trip
20ft
$1,200–$5,500
AS-IS to one-trip
40ft
$1,800–$8,500
AS-IS to HC one-trip
Delivery
$300–$2,000
Adds to every purchase
In this guide
Full price table: all sizes and grades
| Size | AS-IS | WWT | CWO | One-trip | High cube premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10ft | $800–$1,400 | $1,000–$2,000 | $1,500–$2,800 | $2,500–$3,500 | +$200–$400 |
| 20ft standard | $700–$1,800 | $1,200–$2,200 | $1,800–$3,200 | $3,500–$5,500 | +$300–$800 |
| 20ft high cube | $1,000–$2,200 | $1,500–$2,800 | $2,100–$3,800 | $4,000–$6,000 | |
| 40ft standard | $1,000–$2,500 | $1,800–$3,200 | $2,500–$4,500 | $5,000–$8,000 | +$400–$1,000 |
| 40ft high cube | $1,400–$3,000 | $2,200–$3,800 | $3,000–$5,200 | $5,500–$9,000 |
All prices exclude delivery. See delivery costs below. Prices reflect 2024–2025 US market conditions.
What do the grade labels mean?
AS-IS: sold as found, no guarantee. WWT: wind and water tight, keeps weather out. CWO: cargo worthy, certified structurally sound and weathertight. One-trip: used once from factory to US, functionally new. See the full grade guide for detail.
Delivery costs — don't skip this
Delivery is always separate and always significant. It's the line item most first-time buyers underestimate, and in some locations it can approach the cost of the container itself.
Near a major depot
$200–$500
Within 50 miles of a port city or large container depot. Most competitive pricing for both the container and transport.
Regional distance
$500–$1,200
50–250 miles from a depot. Delivery represents a meaningful fraction of total cost — factor it in before comparing supplier prices.
Inland or remote
$1,000–$2,000+
250+ miles from the nearest depot. In truly remote areas, delivery can equal or exceed the container price on smaller units.
The delivery method also affects cost. Standard tilt-bed (roll-off) delivery is the cheapest. If your site requires a crane for placement — because of limited access, obstacles, or stacking — add $800–$2,500 for crane service on top of the base delivery fee.
Always confirm delivery is included in the quote
Container prices are almost always quoted without delivery. When comparing suppliers, make sure you're comparing the delivered price to your site — not just the container price at the depot.
What drives price differences
-
High impact
Your distance from a depot
The largest variable outside your control. Being 200 miles from the nearest major depot can add $800–$1,500 to the total cost compared to a buyer near a port city.
-
High impact
Condition grade
One-trip containers cost 2–3× more than WWT containers in the same size. The grade you need depends on your use — for pure storage, WWT is often fine.
-
High impact
Global shipping demand
Container prices track global trade. When ocean freight demand surges (as in 2021), used container prices spiked 50–80% above normal. In slower markets they soften. The 2025 market is more normalized.
-
Medium impact
Local supplier competition
Port cities have many suppliers competing for business — prices are sharper. Inland markets with one or two suppliers have less pressure to compete on price.
-
Medium impact
Size
A 40ft costs roughly 50–80% more than a 20ft in the same grade, but delivers twice the interior space — making it significantly better value per square foot.
-
Low impact
Standard vs high cube
High cube containers add $300–$1,000 to the purchase price. For living spaces, offices, and conversions, the extra ceiling height is almost always worth it.
-
No impact
Container color
Color is purely cosmetic and has no effect on price. Don't pay more for a specific color — you can paint any container.
How prices have changed
Container prices go through significant cycles tied to global trade volumes. Understanding recent history helps set expectations for whether current prices are high or low relative to the long-term baseline.
| Period | 20ft used price (CWO) | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–2019 | $1,400–$2,200 | Normal market, stable pricing |
| 2020 (early) | $1,200–$1,900 | COVID slowdown briefly depressed prices |
| 2021–2022 | $3,000–$6,000 | Global shipping disruption, extreme demand spike |
| 2023 | $2,000–$3,500 | Normalizing as supply chain pressures eased |
| 2024–2025 | $1,800–$3,200 | Near-normal market conditions |
The 2021–2022 spike was an anomaly driven by global supply chain disruption. Current pricing is closer to historical norms, though still somewhat above pre-pandemic levels due to ongoing supply chain recalibration and infrastructure costs.
How to know if you're getting a fair price
The most reliable way to assess a quote is to get three of them from different suppliers for the exact same spec: same size, same grade, same delivery zip code. Prices should cluster within 10–20% of each other. An outlier 30%+ below the others usually means a lower grade than quoted, unknown damage, or hidden fees.
Things worth confirming before accepting any quote:
- Does the price include delivery, or is that separate?
- What specific grade is the container — CWO or just "used"?
- Is this a specific unit you can inspect, or a generic depot container?
- Does the price include a crane if your site needs one for placement?
- What's the return policy if the container arrives with undisclosed damage?
Compare prices from local suppliers
Shipped.com aggregates available inventory from suppliers across the US — you can filter by size, grade, and location to see what the actual market looks like near you, including all-in delivery pricing.