Used Container Questions, Answered Honestly

A used shipping container is a corten-steel ISO box that previously moved cargo across oceans. After 5–15 years of trade duty, units retire and become available for sale - ideal as the structural shell for a workshop, ADU, or storage build.

With a touch-up coat of paint every few years, expect 25+ years of useful life. The dry Front Range climate is actually friendlier to corten than coastal humidity.

Yes - corten boxes are designed to stack nine high loaded. For livable builds we usually limit to two stories and add an engineered connection at the corner castings.

Reusing a retired box keeps roughly 7,000 lbs of steel out of the smelter. Most builders count it as one of the greenest framing decisions available.

One-Trip units are effectively new - they've made a single overseas voyage. Anything older falls into Cargo Worthy, Wind & Water Tight, or As-Is grades.

Yes, by appointment Monday–Friday 8am–5pm MT and Saturdays on request. Email us and we'll set a time so a yard hand can walk you through the rows.

Aurora yard pricing runs roughly $1,200 (20ft WWT) to $4,100 (40ft High Cube One-Trip). Delivery is priced separately based on your ZIP.

Send your ZIP, project type, and preferred size/grade through the quote form. We'll send back a written quote with the container price, delivery cost, and Colorado sales tax broken out.

We work with a third-party financing partner that handles 12–60 month terms. Ask when you're quoting and we'll share contact info.

ACH bank transfer, wire transfer, business or cashier's check, and major credit cards (3% processing fee on cards).

Always. Walk the yard, climb in, kick the floor planks. We'll never sell you a unit sight-unseen if you'd rather see it first.

Our 30-day walk-away covers exactly that. We'll swap it or refund inside 30 days, no scripts.

Cargo Worthy (CW) has passed a structural CSC inspection - it can legally cross oceans again. Wind & Water Tight (WWT) keeps weather out but has retired from shipping duty. CW costs more but is the right call for anything livable.

A container that made exactly one voyage from the factory in Asia carrying cargo to North America, then was retired for sale. Paint is fresh, floor is clean, gaskets are new.

Only if you've patched corten before and you're using it for fence panels, wind breaks, or rough storage. Don't put As-Is under finished construction.

A 20ft High Cube is the comfortable pick - 146 sq ft of floor with 8' ceilings after insulation. A 20ft Standard works but feels tight once finishes go in.

A 40ft High Cube is the go-to. You end up with roughly 280 sq ft of livable floor and 8' ceilings, enough for a one-bedroom layout with kitchen and bath.

For anything insulated and finished, yes. Standard 8'6" containers leave you with about 7' ceilings after insulation - fine for storage, cramped for living.

A tilt-bed truck drives onto your property, raises the bed, and slides the box off onto your pad. The driver can position it within a few inches of your marks.

Plan on roughly 75 ft of straight approach for a 40-footer and 60 ft for a 20-footer, plus overhead clearance of about 14 ft. If your access is tight, we'll switch to a flatbed and crane combo.

3–7 business days for most Front-Range addresses, from Boulder to Castle Rock. Long-haul deliveries take a few days more depending on routing.

Local within 25 miles of Aurora is a flat $150. Beyond that, mileage tiers kick in. The calculator on this site gives a live estimate.

Not strictly. Most owners drop containers onto level gravel, railroad ties, or pre-cast pier blocks at each corner. Permitted builds typically call for engineered footings.

Up to about 8% grade we can usually manage with a tilt-bed. Steeper than that and we'll spec a crane drop instead.

For anything occupied, wired, or plumbed - yes, just like a stick-frame build. Both Adams and Arapahoe county allow container ADUs on most residential parcels. We can refer you to plan-runners who've shepherded container projects through Aurora's review desk.

4–10 weeks for a typical Front Range ADU - windows and doors cut, insulation sprayed, electrical and plumbing run, interior finished. DIYers tend toward the longer end, contractors toward the shorter.

Closed-cell spray foam against the corten interior. It bonds directly to the steel, hits R-13 per inch, and acts as a vapor barrier. Costs more upfront than batts but takes less framing depth.

Yes - a plasma cutter or angle grinder handles corten. For openings wider than about 8 feet you'll want to add a steel header to maintain rigidity.

Standard residential windows and doors install fine once you weld in a sub-frame. Many owners use slider patio doors as a wide opening to a deck.

For unmodified containers used as storage, no. For permitted living spaces with large openings, multi-unit configurations, or stacked builds - yes, the city will require stamped plans.

We invoice once your quote is accepted. ACH or wire transfers are no-fee. Credit cards carry a 3% processing fee. Payment is due before the truck rolls.

Every used unit comes with a 30-day walk-away - if it doesn't match the grade we promised, we'll swap it or refund. One-Trip stock carries an extended structural warranty.

Yes, Colorado state and local sales tax apply unless you have a valid resale certificate. The quote breaks out tax as a line item.

Cargo Worthy units carry a current CSC plate showing the inspection date. For One-Trip stock we can email factory documentation on request.

Cancellations before the truck is scheduled are no-charge. Once the unit is loaded and dispatched, a delivery fee may apply.