What’s the Total Cost to Rent a Storage Container?

While renting a storage container usually starts around $150 per month, there are additional delivery and pick-up costs associated with renting a steel storage container. In most cases the round-trip shipping charges are included with the first invoice and customers are required to pay for delivery, pick-up, and the first month’s rent prior to their storage container delivery being scheduled. Our company also has a three-month minimum rental period, and even if a customer calls their storage container off rent early, they’ll still be charged for at least three rental periods.

Delivery and pick-up charges can vary based on distance, with the low end starting around $150 each way ($300 round-trip shipping charges). Assuming a monthly rental rate of $150, your first invoice would be $450 + tax ($150 delivery, $150 pick-up, and $150 first month’s rent). Delivery charges can be highly variable based on the time we estimate it will take a truck to get your container to you, so initial invoices can be significantly more for higher cost deliveries.

Our containers are always delivered by professional CDL drivers using the proper tilt bed style equipment. Many of our competitors will cut corners to save money on delivery, but we find it’s extremely important to work with professional drivers to ensure delivery goes smoothly on your storage container rental.

Our company does not charge any additional fees for storage container rentals. After the one-time cost of delivery and pick-up is paid with the first invoice, customers will only pay the monthly rental rate (plus tax, when applicable). While many of our competitors will add additional fees like a “Loss Waiver” or other charges, with Western Container Sales the price you’re quoted is the price you’ll pay every month

There are also a lot of container rental companies that bill on a 28-day rental cycle, which adds a hidden cost of a 13th payment every 12 months. Western Container Sales & Rentals bills on a monthly basis, so you don’t have the hidden fee of an extra rental payment every year.

Storage container rentals should be worry free, and we guarantee your storage container won’t leak. It’s extremely uncommon for a steel storage container to need repairs, but sometimes small leaks do happen over time or door seals need replacing. If your rented container is in need of repair, we’ll send a service technician to your site or bring you a replacement container if the repair requires us to bring it back to the depot. The customer is never responsible for storage container repairs while a container is on rent, but if the container is purchased any repairs beyond the warranty period will be the customer’s responsibility.

Customers should inspect their rental container regularly, ideally at least once per month, to ensure there aren’t any issues that need to be addressed. While the container is always covered, the contents inside the container are not, so we encourage customers to protect themselves by inspecting their container regularly. Opening the doors for a few hours can go a long way to preventing condensation or other issues inside the container.

In most cases there is no permit required to have a storage container at your location, however we encourage customers to check local requirements in their area prior to ordering a storage container. If your container is delivered and you’re notified by your city that it needs to be removed, you’ll still be charged the three-month minimum rental period even if the container is picked up early.

If you’re placing the storage container on the street, we’ll need a copy of your obstruction permit prior to delivery. We cannot deliver a container on public property (such as streets or parks) without proper permits provided to our office ahead of delivery.

In most cases sales tax is required on your monthly container rental payment, and in some places your delivery and pick-up charges will also be subject to sales tax. If your company is tax exempt (such as a non-profit or government entity) we’ll need a copy of your tax exemption certificate prior to removing sales tax from your monthly rental invoices. Unfortunately, we cannot refund past tax payments, so please make sure to provide us with your tax-exempt form prior to placing your order.

Resale certificates are not applicable for rentals unless the customer is re-renting the container to another party. If you’re subleasing your container to your customer, we’ll need some additional information prior to delivery as well as to be added to your certificate of insurance.

Agricultural exemptions are not applicable for storage container rentals, so unfortunately, we won’t be able to remove sales tax with an Ag Exemption.