Ohio Shipping Container FAQ

Delivery requires the following straight, unobstructed space:

• 20ft container: 110 feet of straight clearance from the drop point
• 40ft container: 130 feet of straight clearance from the drop point

The truck needs at least 15 ft of height to drive, at least 22 ft of height along the entire unloading path, and at least 10 ft of width. Low utility lines, tree limbs and roof overhangs can stop a delivery. If you are unsure, describe the approach when you ask for a quote.

Watch a delivery: container delivery video.

Warranty runs by grade: one-trip units carry a 10 year structural and 10 year no-leak warranty, cargo worthy and wind and water tight units carry a 5 year structural and 5 year no-leak warranty, and economy units carry a 1 year roof leak warranty. The warranty travels with the grade you buy, so if warranty length matters to you it is worth comparing grades before you compare prices.

We sell containers. We do not rent them. Rent-to-own runs through a third-party partner, My Container Rental, and spreads the payments until you own the container. Our rent vs buy guide walks through when each path makes sense.

As of October 14, 2026, a 20ft Wind and Water Tight container starts at $1,988 delivered in Toledo, $2,200 delivered in Columbus and $2,332 delivered in Cleveland. A 40ft Wind and Water Tight container starts at $2,491 delivered in Toledo.

It depends on the city, village, township or county that covers the address and on how you use the container. The Residential Code of Ohio exempts from approval a one-story detached storage shed with no more than 200 square feet of floor area, and a 20ft container covers about 160 square feet. The local building official decides whether a container counts as a shed, and zoning rules apply either way.

Among downtown Columbus, Cleveland and Toledo on October 14, 2026, Toledo had the lowest delivered price for every grade of the standard 20ft and 40ft containers, and Columbus had the lowest for every grade of the 40ft high cube.

Container One's Delivery/Dispatch department contacts you to schedule a date and time. There is no fixed delivery window, because timing depends on your location, when payment is received, the weather and other factors.

Yes, where local zoning allows it. The Ohio Board of Building Standards explains that its rules do not apply to a building that serves the farming on the land where it stands, unless the building is used in retail trade. A township zoning inspector can certify a building for agricultural use. Ask the township or county zoning office how it will treat your container.

It can. In the snowbelt south and east of Lake Erie, heavy lake-effect snow can close a driveway quickly, so clear the route, the turn into the property and the landing spot before the truck arrives.

Yes. Columbus City Code section 3332.289 lists shipping containers among the items that may not be left in a residentially zoned yard. Cleveland section 337.231 allows a permitted container up to 20 feet long on residential property for up to 30 consecutive days a year, or longer during an active building permit. Toledo requires a Certificate of Zoning Compliance for every residential accessory building, and a building permit with plan review for one larger than 200 square feet. Ask the Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commission whether a container counts as one.

In the county table of the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code, which Ohio's residential energy rules are based on, Adams, Brown, Clermont, Gallia, Hamilton, Lawrence, Pike, Scioto and Washington counties are Zone 4A, and the rest of Ohio is Zone 5A. Ohio adopted that code with state amendments, so ask the local building department what insulation a conditioned container needs.

In Cleveland, a container on residential property must be in good condition, free from rust and peeling paint. Buyers generally cannot pick a specific used container, so a One-Trip unit, which is almost brand new, is the surest way to meet that standard. Where local rules allow a container at a home and set no condition standard, Wind and Water Tight is a practical grade for dry storage.

Yes, once the design and any required approvals are in place. A workshop beside a house is an accessory structure under the Residential Code of Ohio. An office for a business falls under the Ohio Building Code, and its plans go to the certified local building department or, where none is certified, to the state's Division of Industrial Compliance. Zoning applies to both. Describe the use when you ask for a quote.

• One-trip: made one loaded ocean crossing. Clean floors, intact paint, close to new.
• Cargo worthy: can pass a marine survey to be re-certified for shipping. Structurally sound, cosmetically used.
• Wind and water tight (WWT): inspected to confirm the doors seal, there are no holes, and the interior stays dry. Surface rust, paint wear and minor dents are normal.
• Economy: the lowest grade we sell. Weathered, and priced accordingly.

For a grade-by-grade walkthrough, see the container condition guide.

It depends on what the container is for. If it is going to be seen, lived in, or converted, the clean interior and intact paint save real work later and the 10 year structural and 10 year no-leak warranty is the longest available. If it is going behind a shed to hold equipment, a wind and water tight unit does the same job for less.

We offer 20ft standard, 40ft standard and 40ft high cube containers, plus modified containers and refrigerated units in 20ft and 40ft.

Personnel doors, roll-up doors, windows, vents, partition walls, electrical packages with outlets and a service panel, LED lighting, insulation, spray foam, A/C units with heat, shelving, interior wall panels and vinyl flooring. Insulation and HVAC choices depend on the climate the box will sit in: Ohio is heating dominated, with cold winters and warm, humid summers, so a conditioned container needs a continuous, air-sealed insulation layer and a moisture plan for both seasons.

A reefer has a refrigeration unit built into one end. It runs on a 480V 3-phase supply, or a compatible generator where 3-phase power is not available. The walls are insulated as part of the original build.

Most of Ohio sits on glacial till, a dense mix of clay, sand and stones. Much of the northwest has slow-draining clay, and the southeast hills have thin soil over bedrock on steep slopes. In every region the same spot can be firm in August and soft after a thaw, so the landing area needs drainage and firm bearing under each corner.

For temporary placement: Set the container on firm, level bearing under all four corner castings, such as compacted gravel, a concrete pad or sound treated timbers, on ground that drains. Keep the floor clear of standing water and the doors square.

For permanent placement or a conversion: Have a qualified design professional specify the foundation, anchoring and drainage, and ask the local building department what it requires. A driveway or an existing slab is not automatically built for the loads at a container's corners.

Frost depth: Ask the building department that serves the address for the required frost depth before you plan a permanent foundation.

On flat ground around Columbus and across western Ohio, choose a landing spot where water drains away. In the northwest, a gravel pad built up above the clay keeps the corners dry. In the southeast hills, a landing spot on a slope has to be cut or built up until it is level.

Place the container on flat, level ground. Clear debris, rocks and brush from the placement area, confirm the straight space the delivery truck needs, and check for overhead lines and limbs. If the delivery truck gets stuck, you are responsible for getting it out or having it towed. Container One does not move the container once it is placed.

The box itself is corrugated Corten steel. The lock is the weak point, so use a hidden shackle lock, sometimes called a puck lock, inside a lockbox welded over the handle. Container One sells a lock box that covers the padlock as a separate accessory.

The recurring signs are a price far under the market, payment demanded by wire transfer or crypto, no verifiable business identity or contact route, and pressure to decide today. A real dealer will give you a phone number, answer questions before payment, and put the quote in writing.