10ft Shipping Containers for Sale in NZ
A 10ft container holds about the contents of a one bedroom flat on a footprint of roughly 3 by 2.4 metres. It keeps the full-size cargo doors of a 20ft, fits where a bigger truck cannot reach, and is available new, one-trip and for hire across New Zealand.
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| Specification | Metric | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| External length x width x height | 2.99 x 2.44 x 2.59 m | same width and height as a 20ft |
| Internal length x width x height | about 2.83 x 2.35 x 2.39 m | cut-downs can be a few centimetres shorter |
| Door opening, width x height | about 2.34 x 2.28 m | full-size cargo doors |
| Internal floor area | about 6.7 m² | roughly half the floor of a 20ft |
| Internal volume | about 15.9 m³ | a 20ft holds about 33.2 m³ |
| Empty (tare) weight | about 1.2 to 1.5 tonnes | check the plate or ask the supplier |
| External footprint | about 7.3 m² | under the 10 m² small building threshold |
How 10ft containers are made
Shipping lines rarely use 10ft containers for ocean freight, so most 10ft units sold in New Zealand are built new for storage or cut down from a 20ft. A cut-down keeps the original doors and has a new end wall welded in. A new build is made at 10ft length in the factory and usually looks cleaner at the seams. Both versions normally keep the standard 2.44 metre width and 2.59 metre height, so a 10ft has the same full-size doors as a 20ft. That is the main practical difference from a new-build 8ft mini container, which is narrower and lower.
A 10ft is not exactly half of a 20ft. It is about 2.99 metres long outside against 6.06 metres, and the doors and end frame use up a larger share of the length, so you get about 6.7 m² of floor rather than 7 m². If your contents are close to that limit, compare a 20ft shipping container, which often costs about the same new.
Typical uses
What New Zealanders use 10ft containers for
Household storage during a move or renovation
A 10ft holds the furniture and boxes from a one bedroom flat, or the overflow from a garage while a kitchen or bathroom is being rebuilt. Parked on the driveway, it keeps everything dry and locked beside the house instead of in a storage unit across town. Our home storage guide covers packing, ventilation and placement on a residential section.
Small site office or lunch room
With a personnel door, a window, lining and power, a 10ft becomes a compact site office or smoko room for a small crew. Suppliers sell these ready-modified: one NZ supplier’s clearance page listed a 10ft site office at $4,590 + GST in August 2026. Once people work inside, building consent and electrical certification come into play, so describe the use when you request quotes.
Garage, gear and workshop overflow
Kayaks, bikes, a ride-on mower, camping gear and power tools all fit in a 10ft with shelving along one wall. A roller door on the side or end makes daily access easier than swinging cargo doors. See container modifications for doors, windows, vents and shelving.
10ft container prices in NZ
The Shipping-Containers.co.nz NZ price index, October 2026, recorded seven new or one-trip 10ft units, including cut-downs, with a median asking price of $4,995 incl. GST ($4,343 excl. GST). The range ran from $4,200 to $6,095 incl. GST, and the highest prices were on webshop and Central Otago listings. None included delivery. For comparison, a NZ supplier’s published June 2017 price guide put a new 10ft at $3,800 to $4,200 excl. GST, so today’s median sits slightly above that range.
Small containers are rarely cheap per square metre. A new 20ft had a median of $4,830 incl. GST in the same index, so if your site can take a 20ft, you usually get twice the floor for the same money. Modified 10ft units cost more but not always by much: one Cromwell seller listed a new 10ft at $5,450 and the same size with a roller door at $5,695, both incl. GST.
Hire is an option for short jobs. One national hire company published $3.73 a day excl. GST for a 10ft, about $113 a month, with a 12-month minimum. Current figures for every size are on the NZ price index.
New or one-trip
Best for visible spots and long life
Most 10ft containers sold in New Zealand are new builds or one-trip cut-downs, so a new unit is the normal choice. Expect clean paint in your choice of colour, tight door seals and a dry floor. On a cut-down, check the welds at the new end wall are continuous and painted.
Used
Rare, so inspect carefully
Used 10ft units turn up occasionally, often ex-hire stock. Look for a straight roof without water-holding dents, dry plywood floors, doors that close without force and rust only on the surface. Our buying checklist covers what to check before you pay a deposit.
Delivery and placement
Planning delivery for a 10ft
Trucks that can place a 10ft
A 10ft weighs about 1.2 to 1.5 tonnes empty, so a HIAB crane truck can lift it over a fence, a hedge or a parked car onto a pad. A tilt tray can also slide it off the back where there is a straight, firm run-off. The truck needs about 3.5 to 4 metres of access width, firm ground for its stabiliser legs and clear air above the lift. Our delivery guide lists what to measure before delivery day.
Placement and consent
Set the container on four level pads or sleepers under the corner castings with a slight fall to the doors. At about 7.3 m² outside, a 10ft is under the 10 m² limit for small detached buildings in Schedule 1 of the Building Act, and building.govt.nz confirms that limit has had no boundary setback since 23 October 2025. The exemption excludes sanitary facilities and has conditions on sleeping use, and district plan rules still apply. Read our consent guide before you fit one out.
Get 10ft container quotes for your address
Tell us whether you want plain storage or a roller door or office fit-out, your preferred colour and how a truck reaches the spot. Suppliers who cover your area reply directly.
Get a free quoteFAQ
10ft containers: common questions
A typical 10ft container is 2.99 metres long, 2.44 metres wide and 2.59 metres high outside. Inside it measures about 2.83 by 2.35 by 2.39 metres, giving about 6.7 m² of floor and 15.9 m³ of space. The door opening is about 2.34 metres wide and 2.28 metres high. Cut-downs can vary by a few centimetres, so check the supplier’s figures if the fit is tight.
Yes. A 3m shipping container for sale is a 10ft unit listed in metres. Most 10ft containers are 2.991 metres long outside, so sellers round them to 3m. Because many 10ft units are built new rather than cut down, check the door size and floor on the actual unit.
In October 2026, new and one-trip 10ft containers had a median asking price of $4,995 incl. GST, with listings from $4,200 to $6,095 incl. GST. Prices exclude delivery, which suppliers quote per address. A new 20ft had a slightly lower median of $4,830 incl. GST, so compare both sizes before you decide.
Not usually for storage. Councils such as Invercargill City Council and Grey District treat placing a container as not building work, and an unmodified container on pads or sleepers needs no building consent. Fitting it out for people to work or sleep in, adding plumbing or fixing it to a foundation can change that. District plan rules on yards and screening still apply on your section.
About 1.2 to 1.5 tonnes empty, depending on whether it is a new build or a cut-down and on the floor and door fittings. That is light enough for most HIAB trucks to lift at a reasonable reach. If you plan to move it later with your own tractor or forklift, ask the supplier for the exact tare weight and whether the unit has forklift pockets.
Yes, some suppliers hire 10ft units, although fewer publish rates than for 20ft containers. One national hire company listed $3.73 a day excl. GST in 2026, about $113 a month, with a 12-month minimum term, plus delivery and collection. Compare that with buying, because a new 10ft costs around $5,000 incl. GST. Our container hire page covers terms and delivery fees.