A standard 20ft shipping container measures about 6.06m long, 2.44m wide and 2.59m high on the outside (19ft 11in by 8ft by 8ft 6in). Inside, it gives you about 5.90m by 2.35m of floor and 2.39m of height, roughly 33 cubic metres of space.
Standard 20ft container sizes
These are the typical figures for a standard steel 20ft “dry” container, as published by a container leasing company. They’re approximate, and individual containers can vary a little.
| Measurement | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Outside length | 6,058mm | 19ft 11in |
| Outside width | 2,438mm | 8ft 0in |
| Outside height | 2,591mm | 8ft 6in |
| Inside length | 5,898mm | 19ft 4in |
| Inside width | 2,352mm | 7ft 9in |
| Inside height | 2,393mm | 7ft 10in |
| Door opening width | 2,340mm | 7ft 8in |
| Door opening height | 2,280mm | 7ft 6in |
| Space inside | 33.2 cubic metres | about 1,170 cubic feet |
The inside is a few inches smaller each way than the outside, and the door opening is a little smaller again. That opening is the number to check for tall or wide furniture, such as a wardrobe carried upright.
What fits in one
Our 20ft containers are 160 sq ft units (20ft by 8ft), and one can comfortably hold the contents of a three-bedroom home, or a 7.5-tonne lorry load. That makes a 20ft container a good fit for a whole-house move, a renovation, or bulky business equipment.
Renting a 20ft container from us
Our storage containers are at Chipping Norton, Shipston-on-Stour and Warminster, so ask us which sizes are free at the site you’d like. They’re drive-up, so you can park beside the doors and load straight from your van, and you can get to them between 6am and 10pm, seven days a week. At Chipping Norton and Shipston-on-Stour, our containers are insulated to help stop condensation.
If a tight fit matters, measure your longest item, your tallest item standing up, and the widest thing that has to go through the door, then call us with those figures and we’ll help you check the fit in the container you’d be renting. Working out the space people need is what our team does every day, and if a 20ft container isn’t right, we can talk you through the other units at your site.
To see today’s price, get a price online or call us on 0800 2545585.
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