Garages become cluttered. Job sites have $40,000 in tools hidden under a tarp. Shops need somewhere dry to store inventory. Remodels dig out half a house and don’t know what to do with it. Self-storage units are always far away, which requires renting a truck twice. Sheds leak, rust, and get broken into. Until someone hands you a pen and points at a steel shipping container. Now you know. They’re wind- and watertight. They’re built to travel across oceans. You can lock them up. They don’t rain on you. And you can park them right where you need them.
After you realize containers are a great solution, though, the next question comes quickly. Do you rent that thing, or buy it outright?
It’s an honest money question. But the correct answer relates less to containers overall than to how you want to use this particular container. If you’re a contractor seeking temporary storage while you build a home for eight months, you’ll have different considerations than someone who wants a permanent workshop in their back pasture.
Ok, let’s start with a little terminology to clear some stuff up. “Shipping container” “storage container” “cargo container” and “conex box” are ALL referring to the exact same thing. A durable corrugated steel container designed to meet international shipping standards. In Texas, you will happily hear all of these terms used interchangeably by sellers and renters alike. None of them is a euphemism for “something else.”
If a guy quotes you price on a 20ft conex container, and another guy quotes you a price for a 20ft storage container, those two guys are talking about the same box.
When does it make sense to rent that box? When does it make sense to buy? Here are a few rules of thumb that decide the answer in most cases.
Steel Box Containers both sells and rents containers all over Central Texas, so we see this question from both sides every week. We also have happily told customers to rent when renting is the best decision for their budget.
The Case for Renting a Shipping Container
People rent more often than they realize. When your need has an end date, renting beats buying every time.
Renting lets you keep your money
Containers don’t come cheap. Purchasing one means a four- or five-figure investment. Renting a container still means monthly payments, plus delivery charges. What you get for that money is secure, weatherproof storage you can place right on-site without diverting money from the family budget or your business account.
This can make all the difference to a contractor. Funds you would have otherwise spent on a container can stay in your budget for materials, payroll, and that next competitive project bid. For the weekend warrior homeowner in the midst of a remodel, it can mean not having an unexpected expense on top of everything else.
A solution with an end date
Rentals were made for temporary situations. Some of our most popular by far are:
- Construction & contracting job sites. Tools, fixtures, copper, materials stored behind a steel door on site for the duration of the project. No daily trips to and from your shop. No tarp. No tailgate theft worries.
- Seasonal retail inventory overflow. Holiday inventory, spring nursery inventory overflow, pop-up shop inventory, equipment used seasonally. Rent seasonal space for the months you need it and return when you’re finished.
- House remodeling and moving. Empty out rooms being remodeled, keep furniture out of dust/dirt from your driveway, and load at your own pace instead of racing with a moving truck schedule.
- Events and festivals. Lockable storage for materials, stage equipment, vendor supplies for the duration of the event.
When you are done, it leaves
This is the part many people don’t consider until the project is over. An empty shipping container weighs 4,000 – 9,000 pounds. It isn’t something you drag around behind your truck with your buddies when the job is over.
When you rent it, it isn’t your issue. Steel Box drops it off, sits it down level using a forklift, and comes back to lift it up when your project is complete.You never have to worry about reselling it, shipping it back or that big ol’ steel box cluttering up your property wondering what to do with itself.
Maintenance is on us
Roofs seal around doors, hinges, surface rust, general structural wear and tear. If it’s on a rental, that falls on the rental company. Drop it off, pick it up, lock it up, and leave it with us. If there are any structural repairs to be made, we take care of that for you.
Rentals are also great if you want to try out a size. Many of our customers will rent a 20ft to find out what they need, realize they actually wanted a 40ft long term, and purchase the proper size when they buy again!
The Case for Buying a Shipping Container
Buy if the need is permanent, or if you’d like to modify the container at all.
The break-even point
Rent long enough, and you will spend more money on rent than you would have paid buying the container outright. That’s it. That’s the math.
While local market rates vary, that break-even point exists everywhere—typically falling somewhere between year 1 and year 2 of continual renting. Every dollar you spend after that line is crossed is pure expense with no asset to show for it.
The question you need to ask is: is this project-based, or is this permanent? If you think you’ll still need this space in 3 years, buying a container turns what would be an expense into an asset. Simply ask us to do the math for your specific situation before you make a decision. It only takes about five minutes on the phone.
If you want to modify it, you can
This is really where buying outpaces renting. And where Steel Box shines.
When you purchase a container from us, you can do whatever you want with it. We offer modifications in-house.
- Roll-up doors and personnel doors for easy daily access
- Windows, vents, and skylights
- Insulation, HVAC pre-wiring, and full climate control
- Electrical wiring, outlets, and interior lighting
- Shelving, workbenches, and interior framing
- Custom paint to match your shop, your brand, or your HOA
Want to turn a conex box into a portable office, woodworking shop, gym, tack room, tiny house, or retail storefront? Permanent. Permanent modifications to a container that will NEVER occur to one you’re going to send back. Check out our custom containers page for details or our shipping container offices page if you’re thinking office build.
It holds its value
Shipping containers are a unique purchase in that they won’t plummet in value the second you drive away. They’re made out of steel. They can last 50+ years with minimal maintenance. Containers trade actively all across Texas.
If you outgrow your need for it in five years, you haven’t wasted your money. You sell the container and get back a significant portion of what you originally spent. This greatly reduces the effective cost of the years you used it.
No clock and no contracts
Ownership means there are no lease renewal dates to think about. No rental contract you need to extend. And no letter from your provider telling you that your monthly rate just went up 10%. The container stays on your land for as long as you need it there. Under your conditions. That level of assurance is valuable to anyone putting something permanent on their property.
Things to think about when deciding
Four primary things factor into this decision for most people.
1. Length of Stay
Rent if you can state the month you will move out. Buy if you can’t, or if the answer is “never”. Details are negotiable.
2. Size
We offer three sizes. Choose wisely, as only one delivery charge applies.
| Size | Floor space | Typical fit | Common uses |
| 20ft standard | About 150 sq ft | Contents of 3–4 rooms | Driveways, tight lots, job sites, apartment transitions, seasonal overflow |
| 40ft standard | Over 300 sq ft | Contents of 7–8 rooms | Full home moves, business inventory, large renovations, industrial storage |
| High cube | Same footprint, one extra foot of height | Tall and bulky loads | Equipment, stacked pallets, vehicles, anything that will not clear a standard ceiling |
A 20ft container will fit in most driveway spaces. You will need some room for a truck to back into when delivering a 40ft container. If you need that extra foot of headroom and don’t want to take up any more space, then a high cube is the way to go.
Still confused? Let us know what you are storing, and we will figure out what size you need.
3. Condition
Containers are graded by condition. Different boxes are appropriate for different projects.
One trip containers have only made a single voyage fully loaded from the factory. They have clean paint, tight seals, and maybe just a few marks from handling. Every one of ours is inspected to IICL standards so if you need your container perfect for cosmetically sensitive installations like offices, storefronts, or anywhere the container will be seen from the street level, or for modifications like cutting windows and doors, this is where to start your search.
Used containers have spent years crisscrossing the oceans. They arrive with dings in the paint, patch jobs, and surface rust. But they are still waterproof, structurally sound, and much less expensive than one-trip containers. If you are building a back lot toolbox or something for the jobsite, chances are a used container will be your best dollar spent. Click here to browse used containers and get an idea of what “good used condition” actually looks like.
When you buy, you pick the condition and appearance you want. Rental grades are based on the “shape” of the containers on the yard that week.
Rent vs. buy at a glance
| Renting | Buying | |
| Upfront cost | Low: monthly rate plus delivery | Full purchase price |
| Best for | Projects with an end date | Permanent needs |
| Modifications | Limited (doors, vents, basic add-ons) | Unlimited: offices, workshops, HVAC, electrical |
| Maintenance | Handled by Steel Box | Owner’s responsibility |
| Removal | We pick it up | Yours to keep, move, or sell |
| Long-run cost | Climbs every month | One-time, with resale value later |
Still Not Sure? Let’s Talk It Through
Rent vs Buy: What do I do? It all boils down to three questions: How long will you need it? What is your budget looking like currently? And finally, do you wish to modify it? Short-term project, low on funds, nothing special? Rent. Long-term need, or customization like doors, windows, power, air conditioning? Buy.
Steel Box Containers is proud to be locally owned and operated out of Garfield, Texas. Just outside of Austin. We sell, rent, deliver, and modify containers. We do our modification work in-house instead of outsourcing. You’ll deal with the same people from start to finish, and they’ll deliver the container to your property.
One phone call. That is all it should take to determine your best option.
