If you're trying to picture what fits in a 20ft container, start with the numbers: about 1,170 cubic feet on a floor of roughly 150 square feet. In everyday terms that's the contents of a one-car garage, a tightly packed two-bedroom apartment, nine standard pallets (ten only with a mixed layout), or one compact car with a few feet to spare at the door. What catches people out is usually the width. There's about 7 ft 8 in between the walls, which is narrower than a single garage bay.
Below are five typical loads laid out on that floor, with the arithmetic. Counts are approximate, so measure your biggest items before you buy.
The 20ft container in plain numbers
| Measurement | 20ft standard (typical) |
|---|---|
| Inside length | about 19 ft 4 in (232 in) |
| Inside width | about 7 ft 8 in (92 in) |
| Inside height | about 7 ft 10 in (94 in) |
| Door opening | about 7 ft 8 in wide x 7 ft 5 in high (92 x 89 in) |
| Floor area | about 150 sq ft |
| Volume | about 1,170 cu ft |
| Payload rating | about 62,000 lb on a typical box, far more than any load below |
That width has consequences. A 4 x 8 sheet of plywood won't lie flat across the width (96 in into 92 in), but it lies flat lengthwise or stands on edge. A 20 ft board won't lie flat at all, with 232 in of floor against 240 in of board, while 16 ft and 18 ft stock will. The 20ft container page has the full spec, and the dimension chart covers every size.
Load one: a two-bedroom apartment
Movers commonly estimate a two-bedroom apartment at roughly 800 to 1,000 cu ft packed tight. The container gives you about 1,170, so it fits with something like 15 to 30 percent to spare if you stack to the ceiling.
A typical load, approximate:
- Queen bed, with the mattress and box spring on edge along one wall (80 x 60 in, roughly 1.5 ft thick together)
- Sofa (an 84 in sofa fits across the width with 8 in to spare), armchair, coffee table
- Dining table and four chairs, legs off, chairs nested
- Refrigerator (about 30 x 32 x 68 in), washer and dryer (about 27 x 30 x 38 in each)
- Two dressers, two nightstands, a desk, two bookcases, two bikes
- 50 to 60 medium moving boxes at about 3 cu ft each, stacked four high (64 in)
Load appliances and heavy furniture first against the far wall, mattresses on edge down one side, boxes in tiers in the middle, and whatever you'll need first nearest the doors. The storage containers page has more on using a container for storage.
Load two: a car or UTV plus tools
A compact or mid-size sedan is roughly 175 to 195 in long and 70 to 74 in wide without mirrors. In a 232 in box that leaves 37 to 57 in at the door end, enough for a rolling tool chest and a shelf of fluids, and 9 to 11 in each side of the car. That isn't enough to open a car door, so you climb out through a window or hatch. Fitting a car inside covers which cars make it.
A side-by-side UTV fits better. At roughly 120 to 144 in long and 60 to 64 in wide, it leaves 88 to 112 in (7 to 9 ft) behind it for a bench and a wall of shelving. Two quads at about 85 in long go nose to tail with 62 in left over, but they won't sit side by side, because two 48 in wide machines need 96 in and you have 92.
Load three: 9 or 10 pallets of stock
Standard 48 x 40 in pallets go in two rows, one with the 48 in side across the box and one with the 40 in side across, 88 in together in a 92 in box. Down the 232 in length that gives 5 pallets in the shallow row and 4 in the deep one, so 9 single-stacked. A tenth fits only with a mixed layout: turn the last pallet in the shallow row, then add a fifth to the deep row turned the other way, which fills the 232 in with no slack. Plan on 9, especially if your pallets overhang.
With 94 in of ceiling and an 89 in door, pallets under about 40 in tall can stack two high, so 18 pallets of cased goods fit (20 with the mixed layout). Weight is rarely the limit. Even 20 pallets at a ton each is 40,000 lb, well under a payload of about 62,000 lb. Pallet counts by size runs the same math for a 40 and a high cube.
Load four: a workshop with benches and shelving
Picture a 24 in deep bench down one long wall and 18 in deep shelving down the other, which leaves a 50 in aisle. Keep about 36 in clear at the door end for getting in and out, and the 232 in walls give you:
- One 16 ft run of bench (192 in) with drawers underneath
- Four 48 in wide shelving units, 72 in tall, on the opposite wall, with 22 in above them for lights
- Pegboard above the bench, with 58 in of wall above a 36 in bench
It's a one-person shop. For a table saw with outfeed support, or a car and a bench, you're into a 40ft, and the which size you need guide draws that line.
Load five: farm supplies and feed
Feed in 50 lb bags measures roughly 28 x 16 x 6 in, about 1.5 cu ft, and a pallet of 40 bags weighs a ton. Nine pallets of feed is 360 bags and 18,000 lb, with floor capacity to spare. The practical limit is getting it in, since pallets go through the door one at a time by forklift or pallet jack.
Small square hay bales at about 14 x 18 x 36 in stack 5 across the width, 6 deep and 6 high, roughly 180 bales and 9,000 lb at 50 lb each. Store only dry, fully cured hay, and leave a gap at the top so air can move. Mixed loads are more common: a pallet of feed, mineral tubs, bundles of 6 ft T-posts along one wall, wire rolls and a quad by the doors. A closed steel box keeps rodents out of feed far better than most wooden sheds.
What does not fit
- A full-size crew cab pickup. At roughly 230 to 245 in long against 232 in inside, and 79 to 82 in wide, it either won't let the doors close or won't let you out.
- Two vehicles of any kind side by side, including two quads.
- A 4 x 8 sheet laid flat across the width, or a 20 ft board laid flat.
- A car plus a usable workshop. You get one or the other in a 20, and both in a 40.
Frequently asked questions
How much fits in a 20 foot container?
It holds about 1,170 cu ft over 150 sq ft of floor. That's the contents of a one-car garage or a two-bedroom apartment, 9 standard pallets single-stacked (10 only with a mixed layout) or 18 double-stacked, or one compact car.
Can a car fit in a 20ft shipping container?
Most compacts, sedans and small SUVs fit by length and height, with roughly 9 to 11 in to spare each side once the mirrors are folded. You can't open the car doors inside, so you exit through a window or hatch, or choose a 40ft with a side door.
How many boxes fit in a 20ft container?
If it held nothing else, it would take roughly 300 to 350 medium moving boxes (18 x 18 x 16 in, about 3 cu ft each). The volume divides out to 390, but boxes never pack perfectly. A real household load with furniture usually carries 50 to 80 boxes in the gaps.
Is a 20ft container big enough for a 3-bedroom house?
Rarely. A furnished three-bedroom home with garage contents often runs 1,500 to 2,000 cu ft packed, which is a 40ft. The boxed belongings alone can fit in a 20.
Once you know a 20 is the right size, tell us your ZIP and we'll quote a 20ft for your site with one delivered price, usually within 1 to 2 business hours.
