Shipping Containers for Sale and Rent in Des Moines, IA
New and used 20ft, 40ft and 40ft high cube containers delivered across the Des Moines area. Your container ships from the yard nearest to you, with one delivered price and one point of contact.
Buying a container in the Des Moines area
Des Moines weather asks a lot of a steel box. FEMA's National Risk Index puts the Des Moines area in the top tenth of US counties for how often tornado events occur per square mile, and in the top quarter for strong wind events, so where you set the container and how you latch it matter. Walk your site first and pick a firm, level pad with a clear run for the truck. Cold shapes the other half of the plan. Cold wave events here rank in the top quarter of US counties, and big temperature swings drive condensation inside a sealed box. Decide on vents and a moisture absorber before delivery, and check that the doors will swing clear of drifts and parked cars.
Our containers come in 20ft, 40ft and 40ft high cube sizes, new (one-trip) or used. When you ask for a price, we match the size and grade you want to the yard closest to your ZIP code, so your container travels the shortest distance, and send you one delivered price. You deal with one person from quote to drop-off.
Tilt-bed or flatbed delivery
Most people choose tilt-bed delivery: the truck tilts its bed and slides the container straight onto your pad, so you need no equipment. If you have a forklift or crane on site, we can send the container on a flatbed instead and you unload it. How delivery works.
Storage, jobsites and more in Des Moines
Des Moines has about 2,400 residents per square mile of land, a mostly suburban pattern, so many homes have room beside a driveway for a container. The common uses in this region are home storage during a move or renovation, garage overflow and seasonal storage, and jobsite storage for builders.
Each one starts with the same question: how much floor space you need and how often you will walk in and out. Sort your list into what must stay dry and what only needs to stay out of the weather, then match that to a size.
Beyond Des Moines: nearby towns
Customers in Pleasant Hill, Windsor Heights, Norwalk, Altoona, West Des Moines, Urbandale, Clive and Johnston can request a delivered price the same way: send your ZIP code with a note on the size and grade you want, and you get one delivered price back.
Local conditions to plan for in Des Moines
FEMA's National Risk Index puts the Des Moines area in the top tenth of US counties for how often tornado events occur per square mile. Set the container on a firm, level pad and keep the doors latched.
The same index puts this area in the top tenth of US counties for how often inland flooding events occur per square mile. Keep the box off low spots and drainage paths so water does not pool under it.
Cold wave events rank in the top quarter of US counties. Big temperature swings drive condensation, so fit vents and add a moisture absorber.
Strong wind events also rank in the top quarter. Place the container on level ground, away from loose debris and branches.
Local conditions to plan for
Freeze-thaw and snow
Frozen ground heaves and settles. A compacted, well-drained gravel pad keeps the container level so the doors keep closing properly. Avoid scheduling delivery on soft spring-thaw ground.
Humidity and condensation
Warm, humid air condenses on cool steel. Roof or wall vents, a few moisture absorbers and keeping stored things off the floor on pallets protect what is inside.
Placement rules
Rules for containers on private property are set by your city or county, and sometimes your HOA or deed restrictions. Some places treat a container like a shed; others have rules on size, placement, screening or how long it can stay. Check with your local planning or zoning office before delivery. See container rules in Iowa for what we found on official state sites.
Sizes we deliver around Des Moines
- 20ft standard container: 20' L x 8' W x 8'6" H
- 40ft standard container: 40' L x 8' W x 8'6" H
- 40ft high cube container: 40' L x 8' W x 9'6" H
- 10ft container: 10' L x 8' W x 8'6" H (availability varies, ask us)
Your price in the Des Moines area
Container prices move with the size and grade you pick, what is in stock at the yard nearest to you and the distance to your site. Tell us your ZIP code and how to reach you, and you'll see the delivered price for your exact address. We usually reply within 1-2 business hours.
- Container and delivery in one price
- Tilt-bed (set on the ground) or flatbed (you unload)
- Nothing is ordered until you approve it
Delivery checklist
- A straight, clear approach: roughly 60 to 100 ft for a 20ft, 100 to 150 ft for a 40ft
- About 12 ft of width, and no low wires or branches overhead
- Firm, level ground at the drop spot, ideally gravel or blocks
How delivery works · Site prep
Renting instead of buying
Need storage for a few months, a move or a job in the Des Moines area? We also rent containers by the month, delivered by tilt-bed and picked up when you're done. Rentals are quote-based: ask for a rental quote with your ZIP code and we'll confirm availability with it.
Tell us your ZIP code and what you need, and you'll get the delivered price for your address.
Get your priceQuestions people ask
What container grade should I choose?
Pick by how the box will look and work, not just by cost. New one-trip looks close to new. Cargo-worthy is used but was judged structurally fit to carry cargo when inspected. Wind and watertight is cosmetically worn but sealed against wind and rain when inspected. All three keep things dry.
Is a high cube container worth it?
A 40ft high cube gives you an extra foot of interior height over a standard 40ft, at 9'6" outside versus 8'6". It earns its place when you stack shelving, store tall equipment or plan to work inside. If you are storing boxed goods at floor level, a standard height box does the job.
What is the difference between a 20ft and a 40ft container?
Length, mainly. A 20ft fits tighter spots, usually has forklift pockets and is easier to lift off a flatbed. A 40ft holds roughly twice the floor space, and most 40ft units need a crane rather than a forklift.
Get your price in the Des Moines area
Start with your ZIP code. A real person checks stock at the yard nearest to you and sends the price for your container delivered to your site. We usually reply within 1-2 business hours.