Shipping container sizes

Here at Gap Containers, we’re committed to providing the best possible service for our customers. Our goal is to ensure you identify the ideal container size for your needs. And to help with your purchase, here we’ve created a detailed conversion chart for some of the main shipping container sizes.

These include 20ft container dimensions and 40ft container dimensions – which tend to be the most popular – as well as dimensions for 10ft and 30ft structures. External and internal measurements are listed in both imperial and metric units and given for both standard and high cube containers.

Please note, the container dimensions provided are as accurate as possible – but they are just an approximate indication. The exact size of a container can vary depending on the manufacturer. Therefore, it’s important to use these measurements as a guide only.

If you’d like further guidance on which container size is best for you, please don’t hesitate to contact our team. Either give us a call on 0870 240 9405 or send an email to sales@gapcontainers.co.uk. We’re always happy to help and, after a quick chat, we’ll be able to point you in the right direction.

 

Standard external container dimensions

 

Shipping container dimensions are standardised for shipping purposes. They can be of different lengths and heights. But to conform with ISO regulations, they must be 8ft (2.44m) wide – allowing them to be stacked together safely onboard cargo vessels, cranes, and other modes of transport.

Here we detail the standard length, width and height of the four most popular container sizes:

Imperial measurements

Container Length	10ft	20ft	30ft	40ft
Container Width	8ft	8ft	8ft	8ft
Container Height:
» Standard	8ft 6ins	8ft 6ins	8ft 6ins	8ft 6ins
» High cube	9ft 6ins	9ft 6ins	9ft 6ins	9ft 6ins

Metric measurements

Container Length	3.05m	6.06m	9.12m	12.19m
Container Width	2.44m	2.44m	2.44m	2.44m
Container Height:
» Standard	2.59m	2.59m	2.59m	2.59m
» High cube	2.89m	2.89m	2.89m	2.89m

Standard internal container dimensions

All of our shipping containers are made from corrugated steel. This corrugation has a depth of around 1 inch (25mm) and, therefore, slightly affects the internal width and length of the structure.

The doors and floor of the container also impact its interior measurements. And although they don’t make a huge difference, it’s still worth taking this into account when selecting the ideal container dimensions for your needs.

Here we list the internal length, width, height, end door aperture width and height, floor area, cubic capacity, and weight of the four most popular container sizes (10ft, 20ft, 30ft, and 40ft).

Imperial measurements

Internal Length	9ft 2ins	19ft 3ins	29ft 4ins	39ft 4ins
Internal Width	7ft 7ins	7ft 7ins	7ft 7ins	7ft 7ins
Internal Height:
» Standard	7ft 9ins	7ft 9ins	7ft 9ins	7ft 9ins
» High cube	8ft 9ins	8ft 9ins	8ft 9ins	8ft 9ins
End Door Aperture Width	as req.	7ft 6ins	7ft 6ins	7ft 6ins
End Door Aperture Height:
» Standard	as req.	7ft 5ins	7ft 5ins	7ft 5ins
» High cube	as req.	8ft 5ins	8ft 5ins	8ft 5ins
Floor area	72sq ft	150sq ft	227sq ft	305sq ft
Cubic capacity:
» Standard	560cu ft	1160cu ft	1760cu ft	2360cu ft
» High cube	630cu ft	1310cu ft	1985cu ft	2660cu ft
Weight	1.5 tons	2.4 tons	3.2 tons	4 tons

Metric measurements

Internal Length	2.80m	5.87m	8.93m	12.00m
Internal Width	2.33m	2.33m	2.33m	2.33m
Internal Height:
» Standard	2.35m	2.35m	2.35m	2.35m
» High cube	2.65m	2.65m	2.65m	2.65m
End Door Aperture Width:	as req.	2.28m	2.28m	2.28m
End Door Aperture Height:
» Standard	as req.	2.26m	2.26m	2.26m
» High cube	as req.	2.56m	2.56m	2.56m
Floor area	6.69m2	13.93m2	21.09m2	28.33m2
Cubic capacity:
» Standard	15.89m3	32.85m3	49.84m3	66.83m3
» High cube	17.84m3	37.09m3	56.21m3	75.32m3
Weight	1.52 tonnes	2.44 tonnes	3.25 tonnes	4.06 tonnes

Need a bespoke shipping container size?

The shipping container sizes outlined above are those we have in stock as standard, particularly 20ft and 40ft structures. But as a leading supplier, we appreciate – these standard dimensions are not suitable for everyone. And therefore, we also offer a bespoke shipping container service.

We can manufacture a shipping container to meet your exact size requirements, from 6ft to 40ft and everything in between. Whether you’re looking for a small shipping container for personal storage purposes or a large shipping container for a particularly bulky item. Our in-house experts will build the perfect container size for your needs, bespoke to order, for a highly competitive price.

Just call us on 0870 240 9405 to discuss your requirements with a member of the team.