20ft vs 40ft: which container do you need?
Most people need the 20ft — it holds roughly a one-car garage or the contents of a 2-3 bedroom house. Take the 40ft only if you are storing a 4+ bedroom home, pallets, or equipment, and only if your site has about 100 feet of straight clearance for delivery.
Side by side
20ft — 160 sq ft, 20' x 8' x 8'6". Roughly a one-car garage. Whole-home contents, jobsite tools, seasonal inventory. Needs about 60 ft of straight clearance to set down.
40ft — 320 sq ft, 40' x 8' x 8'6". Roughly a two-car garage. Large renovations, equipment, pallet storage. Needs about 100 ft of straight clearance.
The 40 is double the floor space, and across the market it typically costs far less than double, because the truck roll is much the same either way. That makes it look like the obvious buy — but only if you can actually take delivery of it.
Your driveway usually decides it
A 20ft needs about 60 feet of straight clearance to set down. A 40ft needs about 100 feet, and it cannot be turned once it is on the ground.
On a tight lot the 20 is not a compromise, it is the only option. Two 20s also beat one 40 when you want them in different places.
Looking for a container?
Longleaf is not currently renting out or delivering containers, so we cannot quote you a price or schedule a delivery. Tell us what you need and we’ll be in touch about local options — which may mean passing your details to a provider in your area who can service the request. See our privacy policy.
More answers
- What does a storage container actually cost to rent? — The two charges that make up a container rental, and what moves each one.
- How much room do you need for a container delivery? — What delivery day actually requires, and the five things that stop a drop.
- Container on your property vs a storage unit across town — When an on-site container beats a rented unit — and the cases where it does not.
- Do you need a permit for a storage container? — Private property, public street, HOA rules — and who to call before you book.
- Can you put a storage container on grass? — What ground actually works, when to add blocking, and why the truck is the constraint.
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