The 20ft shipping container is the default for a reason. At about 6m long, 2.4m wide and 2.6m tall, it takes the contents of a two- or three-bedroom house, a season of farm kit or a builder’s tool store, and it fits on a rigid crane lorry that can get down most roads. It’s also the size with the most variety. You can buy a battered storage box for under £900 or a new side-opening unit for about £5,000, and both are “a 20ft container”.
That variety is why who you buy from matters. Some sellers stock five versions of the 20ft. Others stock one and quote for the rest. Below are six UK suppliers worth comparing for this specific size, picked on the range they publish, how open they are about price and condition, and what they offer around the box itself. Prices come from their websites on 22 October 2026 and exclude VAT.
Before you compare: what are you actually buying?
Every 20ft shipping container falls into one of a handful of types, and knowing which you need saves a lot of back and forth.
- Standard 20ft: about 33 cubic meters inside, doors at one end. Right for most storage.
- High cube: around 30cm taller. Worth paying for if you’ll line or insulate it, or need headroom for a workshop.
- Tunnel: doors at both ends. Useful for drive-through access or long items.
- Side opening: the whole long side opens. Expensive, but transforms access for pallets and machinery.
Illustrative top views show the main access difference. These are not measured engineering drawings; door configuration and clearance must be confirmed for the chosen unit.
1. Universal Containers: a broad 20ft range with published prices
Irlam, Greater Manchester · Used from £895 · New one-trip from £1,875
Universal Containers publishes prices for at least twelve 20ft models, including standard storage units, specialist configurations and fitted offices. They run from a lower-grade used unit at £895 and a higher-grade used one at £1,525, through a new one-trip at £1,875 and a new high cube at £2,895, up to new full-side-access units at £4,995 and a fitted used office at £6,338. Seeing the prices side by side makes the trade-offs obvious. The jump from used to new is under £1,000, but from standard to side-opening it’s more than £3,000.
Universal Containers’ published starting prices, excluding VAT and delivery, checked on 22 October 2026. Models differ in specification and condition; obtain a written delivered quote.
Its new one-trip containers are described as built to ISO standards in China, with a 27mm marine plywood floor, a factory-fitted lock box and a CSC shipping certificate valid five years from manufacture. Options on the product page include racking, ply lining with 50mm insulation, an anti-condensation coating, basic electrics and railway sleepers to sit it on. The company says it builds over 600 conversions a year at the same site, and offers business finance through Bathgate Business Finance over one to five years, subject to assessment.
Good to know: there’s one site, near the M60 and M62. Buyers in the south or Scotland should get a delivered quote before assuming the list price wins. The website’s FAQ gives different “from” prices from the product listings, so confirm the figure when you order.
2. Portable Space: strong on condition grades and sea-ready stock
Suffolk, with stock in London, Southampton, the Midlands, the north and Scotland · Used from £995 · One-trip from £1,850
Portable Space separates its used 20ft stock into a cheaper wind- and watertight-grade (£995) and a high-grade option (on sale at £1,200 when we checked, normally £1,395). New one-trip units are £1,850 and high cube one-trips £3,500. It says its new containers are plated for shipping and that high-grade used units can be inspected and given a CSC plate before sale, which matters if you actually want to export.
Good to know: it runs its own fleet of crane lorries and delivers to all four UK nations, including Northern Ireland, which not every supplier does.
3. Budget Shipping Containers: the lowest published price
16 depots, delivery hubs including Felixstowe and Birmingham · Used from £875 · One-trip from £1,795
If price is the deciding factor, Budget’s list is the one to beat. A used 20ft from £875, refurbished from £1,400 and one-trip from £1,795, all plus VAT. Used units come with what it calls a minimum 12-month guarantee against leaks, and the one-trip page states a 12-month wind and watertight guarantee. It also publishes its own historic averages, which is a useful sense-check: in late 2025 its used 20ft averaged about £1,050.
Good to know: the cheapest grade is honest storage stock, with dents and surface rust. That’s fine on a farm or building site, less so in a back garden.
4. Containers Direct: the longest published warranty
Depots including London, Southampton, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Felixstowe and Knowsley
Containers Direct didn’t show 20ft prices on the pages we checked, so you’ll need a quote. We include it for two reasons. First, it publishes a 12-month watertight warranty on used 20ft units and a three-year warranty on new ones, which is longer than most. Second, it’s one of the few UK firms building new containers itself, including wider-than-standard units, if a normal 8ft-wide 20ft won’t suit. A lock box is included, and it says it runs discounted weekly crane-lorry delivery runs.
Good to know: it says used 20ft containers are usually repainted free, which can save a few hundred pounds if appearance matters.
5. Container Container: clear prices in the north east
Sadberge, Darlington (A66) · Used from £1,295 · One-trip from £2,095
The national trading name of Parsons Containers lists a guaranteed wind and watertight used 20ft at £1,295, a new one-trip at £2,095 and a one-trip tunnel at £2,795. Those aren’t the lowest prices here, but they’re published clearly, and the depot sits on the A66 within easy reach of Teesside, Durham, North Yorkshire and Cumbria, where choice is thinner.
Good to know: delivery is quoted on request, usually by crane lorry. For buyers in the North East, a short haul can make this the cheapest option in practice.
6. Cleveland Containers: the biggest network
20+ depots across England, Scotland and Wales
Cleveland doesn’t list a fixed 20ft price, because it prices by depot location. Its June 2026 cost guide puts a used 20ft at £1,250 to £2,000 and a new one-trip at £2,000 to £3,000. The size of the network is the real selling point: for a remote postcode, the nearest Cleveland yard may be closer than anyone else’s. It also offers 20ft hire from £15 a week within 50 miles of a depot, with delivery and collection paid up front.
Good to know: its new-container warranty is described differently on different pages, from one year to “up to 60 months”. Ask for it in writing.
Quick comparison
| Supplier | Used 20ft from | New 20ft from | Variants priced online | Stand-out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Containers | £895 | £1,875 | 12+ | Range and in-house conversion |
| Portable Space | £995 | £1,850 | 7 | Grading and plated stock |
| Budget Shipping Containers | £875 | £1,795 | 4 | Lowest published price |
| Containers Direct | Quote | Quote | 0 | 3-year new warranty |
| Container Container | £1,295 | £2,095 | 4 | North east coverage |
| Cleveland Containers | £1,250 (guide) | £2,000 (guide) | 0 | 20+ depots |
Delivery: the part people forget
A 20ft usually arrives on a rigid crane lorry (a HIAB). Universal Containers says it needs about 60ft of clear run for a 20ft drop, and unloading takes 30 to 60 minutes. The lorry needs firm ground; any access over grass must be agreed in advance and depends on the weather. Check overhead cables and trees too. Delivery is almost always extra: one supplier’s published guide puts a 20ft crane-lorry delivery at £200 to £550 plus VAT, depending on distance.
How we chose
We started with UK suppliers that sell 20ft containers directly and compared them on information they publish: the number of 20ft variants with prices, condition grading, guarantees, depot coverage and delivery terms, all checked on 22 October 2026. This is a comparison of what buyers can see before they pick up the phone, not a test of service. Suppliers that only quote on request (such as Containers Direct and Cleveland) were not penalized for that, but we have said so. Prices exclude VAT and change often.
Product and source documents: Universal; Universal 2; Universal 3; Universal 4; Universal 5
