20ft Shipping Containers for Sale in NZ
The 20 foot container is the size most New Zealanders buy: about 6 metres long, 13.9 m² of floor inside, and easy to deliver to a suburban section or a farm. Compare new, one-trip and second-hand units, current prices incl. GST and what your site needs for delivery.
Backed by the team behind Shipping-Containers.com.au
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| External length x width x height | 6.058 x 2.438 x 2.591 m |
| Internal length x width x height | 5.898 x 2.352 x 2.393 m |
| Door opening, width x height | 2.340 x 2.280 m |
| Internal floor area | 13.9 m² |
| Internal volume | 33.2 m³ |
| Empty (tare) weight | about 2,150 to 2,350 kg |
| Maximum gross weight | 24,000 kg (older units) to 30,480 kg |
| External footprint | about 14.8 m² |
20ft container prices in NZ, October 2026
The 20ft is the only size with enough published NZ prices for solid statistics. The Shipping-Containers.co.nz NZ price index for October 2026 recorded 51 new or one-trip 20ft listings with a median of $4,830 incl. GST ($4,200 excl. GST). The middle half of those listings sat between $4,590 and $5,290 incl. GST. North Island and South Island medians were almost identical at $4,830 and $4,795 incl. GST, but individual towns differed: several sellers in Waikato, Wellington, Hawke’s Bay, Christchurch and Auckland listed new units from about $4,230 to $4,395 incl. GST, while listings in Hastings, Invercargill, Wanaka and one webshop reached $5,395 to $6,325 incl. GST.
Used 20ft containers graded wind and watertight or B grade had a median of $3,680 incl. GST ($3,200 excl. GST), with most between $2,990 and $4,000 incl. GST. As-is units in C or D grade started at $1,495 incl. GST. None of these prices included delivery. Compared with a NZ supplier’s published June 2017 range for a new 20ft of $3,750 to $4,000 excl. GST, today’s median is about 5 to 12% higher. Inbound freight rates rose sharply between April and August 2026 and the NZ dollar sat near US$0.56 in October, both of which push up the landed cost of new containers. Our NZ price index shows the method and every data point, and you can compare with Australian container prices on our sister site.
| Condition | Listings | Range (incl. GST) | Median (incl. GST) | Median (excl. GST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New / one-trip | 51 | $3,990 to $6,325 | $4,830 | $4,200 |
| Used, wind and watertight / B grade | 15 | $2,200 to $5,578 | $3,680 | $3,200 |
| Used as-is, C or D grade | 3 | $1,495 to $3,220 | too few for a median | n/a |
| Hire on your site, per month | 6 published rates | $90 to $276 (GST excl. or not stated) | $145 | n/a |
Typical uses
What a 20ft container is good for
Home storage during a move or renovation
A 20ft holds the furniture and boxes from a typical two or three bedroom house. Parked on the driveway or front lawn, it keeps everything dry and secure while builders work, and it is easier to load than a storage unit across town. Ten standard 1165 mm pallets fit in two rows of five, with only a couple of centimetres to spare across the width. See our home storage guide for placement and packing.
Farms and lifestyle blocks
On farms, a 20ft stores fencing gear, spare parts, calf feed and tools, out of the weather and safe from theft. Two 20ft containers with a roof kit between them make a covered workspace for a tractor or quad bike. The container is small enough for a HIAB to place beside a shed or on a farm track that a 40ft truck could not reach. Chemicals and fuel belong in a purpose-built dangerous goods store.
Workshops, site stores and offices
Builders use 20ft containers as lockable tool stores that move from job to job, and tradies fit them out with benches, shelving, lights and a roller door as a workshop. With insulation, a window and a personnel door, a 20ft becomes a site office. Ask for a 20ft high cube if you need tall racking or plan to line the walls and ceiling.
New or one-trip
Clean steel, longest life
A one-trip 20ft has carried a single load to New Zealand. It arrives with sound paint, tight seals and a dry floor, and you can often choose the colour. Choose new for a visible spot on your section, for conversions, and wherever you want the longest life near the coast. Read about new shipping containers.
Used or second-hand
Lower price, inspect first
A wind and watertight 20ft costs about $1,150 less than a new one at the median. It suits storage where looks do not matter. Grade names differ between sellers, so check the roof for dents that hold water, the floor for soft spots and the door seals in daylight. Our guide to container grades in NZ explains the labels.
Delivery and placement
Getting a 20ft onto your site
HIAB, swinglift or tilt tray
All three NZ delivery methods can handle a 20ft. A HIAB crane truck lifts it over a fence or onto a pad but needs firm ground for its outriggers and a short reach. A swinglift sets it down beside the trailer and needs a long, level strip about 4 to 5 metres wide. A tilt tray slides it off the back and needs a straight run of about twice the container length plus clear height for the raised deck. Plan for at least 3.5 to 4 metres of access width and no power lines overhead. Our HIAB vs swinglift guide compares them, and the delivery guide has a site checklist to send with your quote request.
Foundations and consent
A 20ft rests on its four corner castings. For storage, compacted gravel, concrete pads or treated sleepers under each corner are enough, set with a slight fall to the doors. MBIE accepted in Determination 2014/030 that a container simply placed for storage needs no foundations and is not building work. Formed foundations, services, a fit-out or people living in it bring building consent into play, and district plan rules always apply. See our consent guide.
Compare 20ft quotes for your address
Tell us new or used, the colour if it matters, the delivery address and what the access is like. Suppliers who service your area quote the container and the truck together.
Get a free quoteFAQ
20ft containers: common questions
A standard 20ft container is 6.058 metres long, 2.438 metres wide and 2.591 metres high outside. Inside it is about 5.898 by 2.352 by 2.393 metres, which gives 13.9 m² of floor and 33.2 m³ of space. The doors open to about 2.34 metres wide and 2.28 metres high. A 20ft high cube is 305 mm taller. Figures vary slightly by manufacturer.
Yes. A 6m shipping container for sale in NZ is a 20ft container listed in metres. The exact external length is 6.058 metres, which some sellers round to 6.1m. A 20 foot container from any maker follows the same ISO length, so a 6m, 6.1m and 20ft listing describe the same size.
In October 2026, a new one-trip 20ft had a median asking price of $4,830 incl. GST, with most listings between $4,590 and $5,290 incl. GST. A used wind and watertight 20ft had a median of $3,680 incl. GST, and as-is units started at $1,495 incl. GST. Delivery is extra and quoted per address. Our price guide explains the cost lines in a quote.
An empty 20ft standard container weighs about 2,150 to 2,350 kg, and a 20ft high cube a little more. The exact tare weight is printed on the CSC plate and on the doors. Modern units are rated to a maximum gross weight of 30,480 kg including cargo, older ones to 24,000 kg. Our guide to shipping container weight covers what that means for trucks and foundations.
Most cars fit through the 2.34 metre door and into the 5.9 metre length, but there is little room to open the car doors once inside. Measure the car’s width including mirrors and its length, and allow for wheel chocks and tie-downs if the container will be moved. For a car plus storage, or a workshop around the car, a 40ft gives far more room.
Choose a 20ft if your site is tight, access is limited or the contents fit in about 13.9 m². Choose a 40ft if you need more than that and the truck can get in, because a used 40ft often costs little more than a used 20ft. Our 20ft vs 40ft comparison works through space, price per square metre and delivery.
For storage, usually yes. MBIE and councils such as Invercargill and Grey District treat placing an unmodified container as not building work, so no building consent is needed if it simply sits on pads or sleepers. District plan rules on yards, coverage and visibility from the road still apply. Consent becomes relevant once you add foundations, services or a fit-out, or use it as a sleepout or office.