New Jersey 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.

As of October 14, 2026, a 20ft Wind and Water Tight container starts at $2,173 delivered in Newark, and a 40ft Wind and Water Tight container starts at $2,385 delivered in Newark. Jersey City and Trenton have the same two starting prices.

It depends on the size, the use and the lot. The state code exempts garden-type utility sheds and similar structures from a construction permit for building work when they are 200 square feet or less, 10 feet or less in height, accessory to buildings of Group R-2, R-3, R-4 or R-5 and without a water, gas, oil or sewer connection (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14(b)8). Those groups include homes and apartment buildings. A 20ft container covers 160 square feet and a 40ft covers 320. Electrical work still needs a permit. The local construction official decides whether a container counts as a similar structure.

Yes. Zoning approval comes from the town and is separate from the construction permit, so ask the zoning office of the town where the container will sit. Jersey City's Construction Code office, for example, states that zoning approval is required for all shed installations.

Only with a street permit where the town allows one, so plan on private property. Jersey City requires a permit from its Division of Engineering, Traffic and Transportation for any object that can block the street or a parking lane, and Trenton's ordinance bars temporary outdoor storage containers, the kind that are picked up again, from the public right-of-way.

Not among the three cities with published prices. As of October 14, 2026, Newark (0.5 miles from Container One's Newark depot), Jersey City (10.9 miles) and Trenton (57.7 miles) have the same delivered price for every size and grade except the 40ft one-trip, which is lowest in Trenton, the farthest of the three from Newark. The 40ft one-trip for Newark and Trenton is priced from Container One's Baltimore depot rather than its Newark depot. Your quote is priced for your own address.

As of October 14, 2026, a 40ft high cube costs no more than a standard 40ft of the same grade in Newark, Jersey City and Trenton, the three cities with published prices. A 40ft high cube in Wind and Water Tight grade starts at $2,332 delivered in Newark, below the $2,385 starting price for a standard 40ft Wind and Water Tight delivered in Newark.

The state Department of Community Affairs (Bulletin 22-1) puts Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem and Union counties in climate zone 4A. Bergen, Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties are in zone 5A. The zone sets the insulation the energy code requires for a heated or cooled container.

The 2024 International Building Code and International Residential Code, New Jersey editions, took effect on August 17, 2026, according to the Department of Community Affairs. The energy code since that date is the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code for low-rise residential buildings, such as a house, and ASHRAE 90.1-2022 for an office or other commercial building. For six months after August 17, 2026, an applicant may submit a complete permit application to be reviewed under the codes in force before that date (N.J.A.C. 5:23-1.6(a)). The local construction official reviews the plans and issues the permit.

Container One arranges delivery through local carriers, and its Delivery/Dispatch department contacts you to schedule a date and time. Timing depends on your location, when payment is received, the weather and other factors.

Ask the Office of Planning and Zoning at 973-733-6333 before you order, because two parts of Newark's zoning code apply. One lists portable storage units, which include shipping containers used for on-site storage, as a permitted accessory use in the R-1 to R-6 zones, with a 180-day limit. Chapter 22 bars shipping containers left more than 30 days in those zones.

• 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: New Jersey's humid summers and cold winters can cause moist air to condense on cold steel inside a closed container.

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.

New Jersey sites range from filled former marshland near Newark Bay and the Meadowlands to rocky glacial ground in the northern hills and sandy soil in Middlesex and Monmouth counties. Filled or wet ground can settle unevenly, so each corner needs firm, level and drained support.

For temporary placement: Set the container on firm, level support under all four corner castings, such as compacted gravel, concrete pads or sound timbers, with the ground sloped so water drains away from the doors.

For permanent placement or a conversion: A design professional designs the foundation, anchoring and frost protection for the soil and the use, and the construction official approves them with the permit.

Frost depth: New Jersey's one- and two-family dwelling subcode (N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21) sets it at 3 feet in Mercer and Middlesex counties and every county to the north, and 2 feet 6 inches in Monmouth and Burlington counties and the counties to the south. The same subcode exempts some freestanding minor storage buildings from frost protection: up to 400 square feet for buildings not framed with wood or light-gauge steel studs, with an eave height of 10 feet or less. Ask the construction official whether a container on your lot qualifies.

On a paved city lot in Newark, Jersey City or Elizabeth, pads under the four corners keep the container level and spread its weight. On a sloped lot in Hunterdon, Sussex or Warren County, grade a level spot first, or build up the supports at the low corners.

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.