New vs used shipping containers
Cost, appearance, expected service life and resale compared, so you can decide whether a one-trip or a used container is the better buy.
The short answer
Buy used if the container is a storage box on a working site and appearance does not matter. Buy one-trip if the container will be seen by customers, converted, insulated, painted, or kept as a long-term asset. Both are structurally sound; you are mostly paying for appearance and remaining service life.
| One-trip / new | Used (CW or WWT) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Highest | Lowest per square foot |
| Appearance | Uniform paint, no dents | Marks, dents, patches, mixed paint |
| Watertight | Yes | Yes, on any unit we grade WWT or better |
| Floor | Original, unmarked | Serviceable, may have stains or repaired sections |
| Door seals | New | Original or replaced, tested to close and seal |
| Typical remaining static life | Decades with basic upkeep | Many years with basic upkeep |
| Best for | Conversions, retail, homes, offices | Yards, farms, sites, general storage |
Where used containers save the most
The saving is largest on the biggest units, because paint and cosmetic finish are a bigger share of a new 40ft price than of a new 10ft price. If you need volume rather than looks, a used 40ft high cube is the cheapest covered, lockable, movable space per cubic foot you can buy.
Where one-trip is worth the premium
- Anything you intend to insulate and line: you do not want to chase leaks afterwards.
- Anything a customer or the public will look at.
- Anything you will cut for windows, doors or shutters — clean steel welds better.
- Anything that has to match an existing painted unit.
Resale
Containers hold value better than most site equipment because the underlying steel has a floor price. A one-trip unit depreciates faster in the first years simply because it stops being new; a used unit that is already fully depreciated tends to resell for close to what you paid, assuming you keep it watertight and do not cut it about.
Either way, the price you see is delivered
Both grades ship free to all 50 states, and both carry the same returns terms. Compare the two on the full catalogue with the condition filter.
Keep reading
Container buying guide
A step-by-step guide to choosing the right container: size, condition grade, doors, site access and what a delivered price should include.
Buying guideCondition grades explained
One-trip, cargo-worthy, wind-and-water-tight, refurbished and as-is: what each grade actually means, how it looks and what it suits.
Buying guideModifications
Personnel doors, roller shutters, windows, insulation, lining and electrics: what can be fabricated, and how our fixed-price quotes work.
Every price on this site includes free delivery to all 50 states. Sales tax is added at checkout based on your delivery state.