Storage container rental cost — monthly prices, delivery, deposits and terms

The monthly rate answers only part of the storage problem. A superintendent, homeowner or ranch manager also needs to know which box fits the pad, how long it must stay and what delivery adds. JOLT rents four sizes from its Gypsum yard, beginning with a 10 ft container at $225/mo. The practical estimate combines that rent with a deposit, two truck legs and two recurring percentages, then matches the box to the materials and access available on site.

What does a storage container cost per month by size?

Monthly rent runs from $225/mo for the 10 ft box to $425/mo for the 40 ft high-cube. The 10, 12 and 20 ft choices have a 1-month minimum, while the 40 ft choice starts with a 3-month commitment.

How we built this table: Each row comes directly from JOLT's catalog for monthly rent, minimum term and included container features.

The rent per square foot tells a different story than the rent per month. The 12 ft box costs more per month than the 20 ft and far more per square foot, because its price buys the man door and window, not floor; the 40 ft high-cube is the lowest rate per square foot in the fleet and the only box with a 3-month minimum.

Monthly storage rent per square foot and per linear foot, computed from the published prices and each box's external footprint

Storage box	Monthly rent	External footprint	Rent per sq ft per month	Rent per linear ft per month
20 ft storage container	Monthly rent$295	External footprint20 ft by 8 ft, 160 sq ft	Rent per sq ft per month$1.84	Rent per linear ft per month$14.75
40 ft storage container	Monthly rent$425	External footprint40 ft by 8 ft, 320 sq ft	Rent per sq ft per month$1.33	Rent per linear ft per month$10.63
12 ft storage container	Monthly rent$325	External footprint12 ft by 8 ft, 96 sq ft	Rent per sq ft per month$3.39	Rent per linear ft per month$27.08
10 ft storage container	Monthly rent$225	External footprint10 ft by 8 ft, 80 sq ft	Rent per sq ft per month$2.81	Rent per linear ft per month$22.50

How we built this table: Each rate divides the catalog's monthly rent by the box's external footprint (its ISO length times the 8 ft width) or by its length, rounded to the cent, so a price change moves every figure.

The 10 ft box uses the smallest footprint

The 10 ft storage container has an external footprint of 80 sq ft, based on its 10 ft length and 8 ft width. It gives half the floor area of a 20 ft box and sits where a 20 ft will not fit. The long side has a walk-in man door and barred window, while cargo doors remain on the end.

That layout suits a small tool room where daily access matters more than long uninterrupted floor space. A residential driveway, compact service court or constrained job entrance may accept the short box when the larger truck placement area is unavailable. Its rent is $225/mo, and its reservation deposit is $350.

The 12 ft box charges for access, not more floor

The 12 ft storage container has a 96 sq ft external footprint. It is the tight-site box with a man door and one barred window on the long side, plus cargo doors at the end. That combination works as a walk-in tool crib where people enter repeatedly without opening the cargo end.

The 12 ft rate of $325/mo is higher than the 20 ft rate even though the box has less floor area. The premium is for the man door and window configuration, not extra space. Choose it for the entry arrangement or a pad where 20 ft will not work, rather than treating it as the low-cost middle size.

The 20 ft box is plain one-trip storage

The 20 ft storage container rents for $295/mo on a 1-month minimum. It is a one-trip ISO container at standard height, with cargo doors, four lock bars and a welded lockbox. It has no windows and no separate personnel door.

Its 20 ft by 8 ft external footprint covers 160 sq ft. Published capacity is about 1,170 cu ft, and the empty unit weighs about 4,850 lb. Those figures help compare space and site support without pretending every irregular tool or pallet fills the interior perfectly.

The 40 ft high-cube doubles the floor

The 40 ft storage container rents for $425/mo and has a 3-month minimum. This one-trip high-cube is 9 ft 6 in tall, with cargo doors and a welded lockbox. Its 40 ft by 8 ft external footprint covers 320 sq ft, twice the floor area of a 20 ft box.

Published capacity is about 2,690 cu ft, and empty weight is about 8,600 lb. The high-cube height and longer floor suit bulky project inventory, but the larger box also requires more approach room and a site that supports the unit and contents. Its reservation deposit is $750.

What does the first invoice look like?

A 20 ft box going to a Zone A address begins with a $350 reservation deposit, $400 delivery and $295/mo month 1 rent. The deposit credits the first invoice; the pickup leg comes at the end, and the two percentages recur against rent plus recurring upgrades.

A Zone A example by invoice timing

How we built this table: We ordered the published deposit, Zone A legs, rent and recurring rates by when each line appears.

The damage waiver is 12% of rent plus recurring upgrades. A customer may instead provide a refundable deposit equal to 1 month of rent and a certificate of insurance meeting section 10 of the Rental Agreement Terms. The waiver itself is governed by section 12.

The environmental fee is 5% of the same base and does not compound on the waiver. One-time delivery, pickup, reservation deposit, relocation and BRAND lines do not enter that percentage base. Applicable sales tax is separate.

Rent totals before delivery and percentages

How we built this table: Each amount multiplies the catalog monthly rent by the stated term and excludes deposits, truck legs, percentages and tax.

The 1-month column is a valid rent term only for the three smaller sizes. A 40 ft customer owes the full 3-month minimum even when pickup is requested earlier. At 12 months, the opening rent has completed a year but has not yet passed the anniversary when the escalator begins.

Which grade of container are you renting?

JOLT's 20 ft and 40 ft storage boxes are one-trip containers, meaning each made one loaded voyage from the factory before joining the fleet. Handling marks can still be present, so one-trip describes shipping history rather than a promise of an untouched exterior.

One-trip is a history, not a condition guarantee

The one-trip definition separates voyage count from appearance. A unit can have crane, shipyard or transport marks after that single loaded trip. The useful comparison is whether clean condition and remaining service life matter more than finding the lowest used-market grade.

The one-trip versus used comparison explains why grade can move a market price. Newer doors, seals and surfaces generally command more than a box sold with years of freight service, while cosmetic history can lower the used price. JOLT does not describe its rental fleet as cargo-worthy, WWT or as-is.

Used-container trade grades mean different things

Cargo-worthy is a used-trade description for a container considered fit to carry cargo after inspection. Wind-and-watertight, often shortened to WWT, describes a used box represented as resisting weather but not necessarily approved for international freight. As-is means the buyer accepts its present condition without the seller promising a repair standard.

Those labels are not interchangeable, and none should be read as a building-code or structural rating. The waterproof container answer covers the practical distinction between keeping ordinary weather out and guaranteeing against every leak or site condition. A rental customer should report any leak and keep the box clear of snow and debris.

For containers subject to the federal cargo-container safety system, 49 CFR Part 452, including sections 452.1 and 452.3, sets periodic examination requirements and examination elements. The same part addresses marking the next examination date near the safety approval plate. That international-service framework does not turn a parked rental box into a rated building.

What fits in each size?

The four external footprints are 80 sq ft, 96 sq ft, 160 sq ft and 320 sq ft from smallest to largest. Actual usefulness depends on door access, aisle space and the shape of what is stored, so floor area is a better first comparison than an invented item count.

Match the access pattern before the volume

The 10 ft box fits a compact set of tools, repair supplies or seasonal ranch gear where the short pad is decisive. Its side man door helps when someone enters daily, while the end cargo doors remain available for loading larger pieces. It is not simply a cut-rate substitute for every 20 ft use.

The 12 ft box works as a walk-in tool crib because the catalog pairs its man door with one barred window. Its 96 sq ft footprint offers more floor than the 10 ft without requiring a 20 ft-long placement. A resort loading court or tight urban lot may favor that access even though the monthly rate exceeds the 20 ft rate.

The 20 ft box holds about 1,170 cu ft behind an interior of about 19 ft 3 in by 7 ft 8 in. A standard 48 by 40 in pallet covers about 13 sq ft of floor, so even with no aisle that interior takes fewer than a dozen pallets; treat that as layout arithmetic, not a loading promise. Tool chests, finish materials or a small framing package rarely use every cubic foot as neatly.

The 40 ft high-cube provides about 2,690 cu ft and twice the 20 ft floor area. It is the size for a broad framing package, larger finish inventory or a ranch's feed and tack when keeping categories separated matters. The 3-month minimum makes it a season or project decision rather than a quick overflow box.

Leave a safe aisle and stable stacks

Packing to the door can make the published volume meaningless because the next needed item becomes inaccessible. Keep frequently used tools near the working entrance, reserve an aisle and separate materials that could damage one another. Heavy items belong where they can be handled without unstable overhead stacks.

For construction work, OSHA 29 CFR 1926.250(a)(1) and 1926.250(a)(3) require tiered materials to be secured against sliding, falling or collapse and aisles to remain clear for safe movement. That rule supports a practical loading plan: count usable access space, not just the container's full cubic volume.

What does delivery add?

Delivery adds $400 to $1,200 each way in Colorado Zones A–E, and pickup is a second leg at the same zone fee. Zone F delivery is $1,795, pickup is quoted in writing before delivery and every Zone F rental has a 12-month minimum.

The job address sets both truck legs

The delivery-zone table assigns the fee from the job address, not the billing address. Vail is Zone B — $550 each way, while Denver is Zone E — $1,200 each way. One container delivered and later retrieved creates two priced trips in Zones A–E.

A separate trip or extra unit is not absorbed into the first line. If the placement changes after delivery, customers may not move the box themselves under section 5.5 of the Rental Agreement Terms. An approved same-site move uses the $450 relocation line.

The truck, the pad and the approach

JOLT sets a storage container with a tilt-bed or flatbed truck, not a crane. The driver backs the far end of the box to the far end of the placement, raises the bed and pulls forward as the container slides down onto the pad, so the approach has to be a straight line with room for the truck to keep rolling, and the raised near end of the box rises higher than the parked box before it settles. That is why the clearance is measured in truck lengths rather than box lengths, and why a low service drop, a tree limb or a canopy over the pad can stop a delivery that looked fine from the ground.

The customer supplies a firm, level and well-drained surface capable of supporting the unit under section 5. The same section calls for about 70 ft of straight-line clearance for a 20 ft unit and about 100 ft for a 40 ft unit, plus adequate overhead clearance, road width, turning radius and grade; JOLT publishes no single overhead number, so anything above the pad goes into the reservation notes. Utilities must be located and marked, and permits remain the customer's responsibility.

The delivery-space answer helps compare those approach lengths with a gate, bend or loading area. The container foundation answer separates a prepared rental pad from a permanent engineered foundation. For steep grades, narrow roads and winter access, use the mountain delivery guide.

The jobsite setup checklist puts the same run and pad on a printable delivery-day list, with the fence, office and sanitation placed around them.

Empty weight also belongs in the site decision. A 20 ft box weighs about 4,850 lb empty, and the 40 ft high-cube weighs about 8,600 lb empty; the 20 ft weight answer provides the published baseline. Contents add load, so the customer's surface must support the placed unit rather than only the empty shell.

Colorado's commercial vehicle chain law has a must-carry season from September 1 through May 31. Mountain weather and road restrictions can therefore affect scheduling, but they do not create an unpublished delivery surcharge. Pad readiness and clear access remain separate customer obligations.

Should you rent month to month or for a season?

The 10, 12 and 20 ft sizes start at 1 month, while the 40 ft starts at 3 months; all continue month to month afterward. Pickup needs at least 15 days' written notice, so the scheduled end should be reviewed before the materials leave the box.

Minimum term and pickup timing

Rent is due for the complete minimum even if the customer finishes early. After that term, billing continues until JOLT retrieves the container following written pickup notice under section 3 of the Rental Agreement Terms. Rent does not stop merely because the box has been emptied.

The standard delivery window is 2–4 weeks. A reservation can be cancelled without charge when written notice arrives more than 14 days before the first day of that window under section 2. JOLT Express applies only to the Base 20 ft office and is not available for storage containers.

At each 12-month anniversary, rent increases 5%. A 12-month rental reaches the anniversary at its end, while a longer rental should include the adjusted rate after that point. A Zone F rental begins with a 12-month minimum even when the selected storage SKU normally has a shorter term.

Security and identification choices

The 20 ft container has four cargo-door lock bars and a welded lockbox. The 40 ft high-cube has cargo doors with a welded lockbox. The catalog does not list those lockbox features for the 10 ft or 12 ft boxes, so do not assume identical door hardware across all four sizes.

WATCH adds a solar LTE panoramic camera, motion alerts and cloud clips for $129/mo. It can be added to a storage container, and the WATCH page explains the recurring line. The customer remains responsible for notices, signage and consents required for recording at the site under section 13.

BRAND adds a customer logo in removable vinyl on 2 sides for $450. It identifies the rented unit without allowing the customer to paint, cut, drill or otherwise alter it. Customers planning repeated long-term storage can compare ownership instead, but JOLT does not sell storage containers; start with the used container buying answer.

How do you estimate your own total?

Select one of four sizes, a term from 1 to 12 months, the delivery zone and an optional WATCH upgrade. The calculator applies the correct minimum, deposit, two truck legs for Zones A–E and the 12% and 5% recurring rates.

How to read the totals

The monthly line combines rent and any selected WATCH charge before applying the two recurring percentages. The first invoice includes the outbound delivery leg and credits the reservation deposit. The term estimate includes pickup at the end, while a Zone F pickup remains a written quote.

Check whether the selected term satisfies the container minimum and the zone minimum. A 1-month selection works for 10, 12 or 20 ft in Zones A–E, but not for the 40 ft or any Zone F placement. Sales tax depends on the job address and remains outside the displayed estimate.

What to do with the number

Take the selected size, zone and delivery week to the reservation process. Compare the fit against the 20 ft product page before committing to a larger pad or a smaller access pattern. The published rent and zone lines will match the catalog used by the reservation flow.

If the approach, surface or zone cannot be settled from the site information, call 970-279-1015 with the job address. Have the gate width, straight approach and intended placement available for that conversation. A clear 10-minute site review is more useful than choosing a box by monthly rent alone.