What are the exact dimensions of a 20ft storage container?
| Measurement | Figure |
|---|---|
| External length | 20 ft |
| External width | 8 ft |
| External height | 8 ft 6 in |
| Internal length | 19 ft 4 in |
| Internal width | 7 ft 8 in |
| Internal height | 7 ft 10 in |
| Door opening width | 7 ft 8 in |
| Door opening height | 7 ft 5 in |
| Internal volume | About 1,170 cu ft |
| Floor area | About 148 sq ft |
Those external figures come from ISO 668, the standard that makes every 20 foot box in the world the same size. Internal numbers vary by about an inch between builders because wall thickness and floor build up differ, so measure your longest item and leave a margin rather than working to the exact figure.
The door opening is the number people forget. At 7 feet 8 inches wide and 7 feet 5 inches high it takes a standard pallet easily and a small scissor lift with the platform down, but not a full sheet of plywood carried flat and turned. See 40ft storage containers for the larger box and storage container rental for the whole range.
How much does a 20ft storage container weigh?
Empty, around 4,850 pounds. ISO 668 caps the maximum gross weight, meaning the box plus everything in it, at 30,480 kilograms, about 67,200 pounds, which leaves a rated payload near 62,000 pounds. Nobody loads a static storage container to anything close to that.
The weight matters for two reasons that have nothing to do with shipping:
- It lands on four cast corner fittings made to ISO 1161, not spread across the footprint, so the load concentrates on four small patches
- A tilt bed truck plus a container is a serious axle load on soft ground or on a lot paved last month
We place on asphalt, concrete or compacted gravel, and we carry timber and steel plates for anything softer. Philadelphia clay holds water, and a box that goes down level on a wet lot in March can be out of true by June, at which point the doors stop lining up. The placement guide covers ground conditions in more detail.
What fits inside 1,170 cubic feet?
Enough for most jobs, which is why the 20 foot box is the one we deliver most often. Practical loads:
- A three bedroom rowhouse worth of furniture and boxes, with room to walk down one side
- Tools and materials for a full gut renovation, racked along one wall
- Around 10 to 11 standard pallets on the floor, or double that stacked
- Retail stock for a seasonal pop up
- Landscaping equipment, mowers and a compact machine
What it does not take is anything longer than 19 feet 4 inches, which rules out full lengths of scaffold tube and 20 foot steel. For those you want the 40 foot box.
What does a 20ft container cost to rent in Philadelphia?
Published market bands for this region, reviewed July 2026:
| Line | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Container rental, per month | $100 to $250, typically $125 |
| Delivery and collection | $50 to $150 |
| Repositioning on the same site | Quoted per move |
Those are market ranges rather than a quote. Distance from the yard, term length and how easy the drop is all move the number. Full breakdown on storage container rental cost, and the same distance logic applies to dumpster rental cost.
Delivery clearance on a Philadelphia block
A tilt bed delivering a 20 foot container needs roughly 60 feet of straight, clear run to slide the box off, plus about 15 feet of overhead clearance while the bed is raised. That is the whole delivery problem in this city, and it is why we ask for a photo before we take the booking.
On the narrow rowhouse streets through South Philadelphia, Fishtown, Kensington and Grays Ferry, that run often does not exist and a single parked car finishes the argument. What works instead:
- A vacant lot on the same block
- A driveway with a straight approach and no low wires
- A private lot with written permission from the owner
- A 10 foot box, which needs a far shorter run
Tell us the block, the side of the street and whether there is permit parking on the pole. The suburbs are easier, and we run out to King of Prussia, Norristown and Bensalem among the towns listed on service areas.
20ft office containers and cold storage
A 20 foot ground level office is the same shell with a personnel door, windows, insulation, lighting and a power inlet. Half office and half locked store is the usual split on a site that needs both and has room for one box. If what you want is a proper site office with a bathroom, that is a mobile office trailer rather than a container.
Cold storage containers are a different animal, with a refrigeration unit that needs a continuous power feed. On a site with no service yet that means a generator or a temporary power pole, and it is worth pricing the power before the box. Ask us about specific dates rather than assuming availability, since there are far fewer refrigerated units in circulation than dry ones.
Questions about 20ft storage containers
Is it watertight?A sound container keeps rain out. Condensation is the real problem, so use pallets and leave the vents clear.
Can I lock it with my own padlock?Yes, and we fit a lockbox over the handle on anything going to unfenced ground.
Can it stack on another container?It is built to, through the ISO 1161 corner fittings, but we do not stack rented units on a customer site.
How long can I keep it?As long as you like. Terms past six months usually price below the monthly band, so tell us the real term rather than the optimistic one.
What else goes on the same site?Most of ours land next to construction site services, portable toilet rental, handwashing stations, construction dumpsters and chain link fence panels.
Book a 20ft container
What are the 20ft storage container dimensions?
About 20 feet long, 8 wide, 8.5 tall outside. Interior width is a few inches under 8 feet.
What is the 20ft storage container weight?
Roughly 4,500 to 5,000 pounds empty. That matters for the surface it lands on.
Is 20 foot storage container rental the same as 20ft storage container rental?
Same box. People type 20 ft storage container rental three different ways and mean one container.
Send the address, the term and a photo of the drop point, and we will tell you whether the truck can make it before you commit. Request a quote or contact us. Also read temporary fence rental, light tower rental, renovation units, porta potty rental in Philadelphia, the FAQ and the home page.
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Tell us the address, the dates and the headcount. We size the order and confirm the route.