New, used & refurbished containers for sale in San Diego
San Diego’s construction, biotech, and warehouse sectors run on reliable on-site storage, and we have served San Diego County since 2010 with new, used, and refurbished containers delivered across Escondido, La Jolla, Chula Vista, and the surrounding area.
Whether you’re managing a construction project in Escondido, a biotech lab expansion in La Jolla, or secure warehouse storage in Chula Vista, we deliver 20ft, 40ft, and specialty units, all wind and water tight with sound floors and sealing doors. Modifications are done in our own shop — doors, vents, insulation, lighting, power, and shelving — and we will tell you honestly what a container can and cannot do for your job before you order.
With over sixteen years in the San Diego market we understand local delivery logistics, placement constraints, and zoning. Same-day quotes, and delivery across the county typically within 3–7 business days.
Watertight roof, hole-free floors, sealing doors — inspected before dispatch.
Our drivers, our tilt-bed trucks, San Diego in 3–7 business days.
Customer reviews
Real reviews from our Google Business Profile & Facebook. Read our Google reviews →
On the way back from picking up parts we finally stopped by since we drive past it a lot. Solid spot — the guy working was super helpful and got us in and out quick with the container we needed. Prices seemed fair compared to what everyone else charges online.
A Google UserWorked over a weekend to get us a modified shipping container ahead of schedule at a reasonable price. This company is the best!
Byron Young
Container sizes for sale in San Diego
Every unit available one trip / new or used. Real external dimensions shown.
Compact, easy to place, ideal for tight lots and tool storage.
9’10” L × 8’0″ W × 8’6″ HOne trip / new · UsedView details
Same small footprint, a foot more headroom inside.
9’10” L × 8’0″ W × 9’6″ HOne trip / new · UsedView details
The workhorse — the most-ordered size for storage and job sites.
20’0″ L × 8’0″ W × 8’6″ HOne trip / new · UsedView details
Extra interior height on the most popular footprint.
20’0″ L × 8’0″ W × 9’6″ HOne trip / new · UsedView details
Double the length, same footprint width — maximum storage per dollar.
40’0″ L × 8’0″ W × 8’6″ HOne trip / new · UsedView details
A foot taller inside — the go-to for container homes and offices.
40’0″ L × 8’0″ W × 9’6″ HOne trip / new · UsedView details
The longest standard box — most volume in a single unit.
45’0″ L × 8’0″ W × 9’6″ HOne trip / new · UsedView details
Reefers, open-side, open-top and other specialty units — tell us what the job needs.
Refrigerated · open-side · open-topOne trip / new · UsedView detailsNot sure which size?
Tell us the job and we’ll recommend the right container and condition — no pressure, no obligation.
Where you can put a container in San Diego
San Diego treats a container as a building, not as a piece of furniture. Development Services Information Bulletin 149, “Cargo Containers,” is the governing document, and its first requirement surprises most buyers.
| Rule | What the city requires |
|---|---|
| Permit | A building permit is required for cargo container installations. The only stated exception is stage sets at permitted special events |
| Dimensions | Containers must stay standard — “their original manufactured physical dimensions shall not be altered” |
| Stacking | Not allowed on the single-level pathway. Multi-level installations require full structural calculations and a foundation system |
| Foundation | Required whenever the container is stacked, used residentially, or supplied with electrical, water, gas or sewer. A single container on level grade with no utilities does not need one |
| Utilities | Allowed, but require separate electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits |
| Occupancy | Permitted — the bulletin covers residential groups R-1, R-2 and R-3 as well as B, M, S and U |
| Code | Must comply with CBC Chapter 31, Section 3115. Residential containers require fire sprinklers unless exempted |
| Container on the street | Separate Public Right-of-Way Permit (IB-718). At least 3 working days notice, valid up to 7 days, $87.68 per week, tow-away signs posted 72 hours ahead |
San Diego is one of the few cities in the state that openly contemplates people living in containers — IB-149 lists residential occupancy groups. That is the upside of treating them as buildings. The downside is that a permit is required even for a simple storage box on level ground.
Do not skip the building permit because the container is “just storage.” IB-149 does not carve out an exception for that. If you want to be certain before you buy, call Development Services with your parcel. The bulletin is silent on setbacks and screening, so those come from your zone rather than from the container rules.
Container delivery in San Diego
San Diego is a long way south and the roads change character several times on the way in. Where the container is going matters more than the mileage.
- Port and Barrio Logan industrial areas — the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal is a 96-acre working cargo facility and the streets around it were built for exactly this. Easy deliveries.
- Otay Mesa and the border logistics corridor — wide, level, purpose-built. Straightforward.
- Canyon-edge neighbourhoods — San Diego is cut through with canyons, and the streets that follow them are narrow with steep driveways. A 40ft tilt-bed often cannot turn in. Twenty-foot containers succeed far more often here.
- Older coastal neighbourhoods — alleys, mature trees and low service drops. Worth a photo from the street looking in.
- North County rural parcels — unpaved approach roads and soft decomposed granite. Tell us the surface of the last quarter mile.
You need roughly 60 feet of straight clear run for a 20ft and 100–120 feet for a 40ft, plus 14 feet of overhead clearance the whole way in. Our full container delivery guide covers site prep, the three ways a container comes off a truck, and the eight things that most often go wrong on the day.
Delivery is quoted to your address before you commit. Send photos of the route in and the drop spot — on a canyon street that photo decides the whole job.
Container solutions for San Diego
Secure tool and material storage from downtown builds to North County developments — dropped right where the crew works.
High-cube boxes built out as backyard studios and accessory dwelling units for San Diego’s tight housing market.
Retail pop-ups, event bars, and turnkey site offices — modified, delivered, and ready to open.
Temperature-controlled units for restaurants, growers, and biotech that need reliable cold on site.
San Diego container questions, answered
+How can I buy a shipping container in San Diego, California?
+What is the typical delivery time to San Diego?
+How much are shipping containers in San Diego?
+Can I build a container home or ADU in San Diego?
+Do shipping containers need to be vented?
+Do I need a permit to place a shipping container in San Diego?
+How much room do you need to deliver a 40ft container?
+Do you deliver outside the city to Escondido, Chula Vista, La Mesa and Vista?
We also deliver to: Anaheim, Irvine and Riverside. We also serve buyers across the rest of the state — see every city on our shipping containers for sale in California page.
Ready to get your container in San Diego?
Get a free quote today — priced by us, delivered by us, on our own fleet.
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