Wind & watertight (WWT) — from $915
An older container that still seals completely: no leaks, solid floor, working doors. What you give up is appearance. Expect surface rust, dents, patched paint and a unit that has clearly worked for a living. Structurally it does the job; it just will not look pretty doing it.
Buy WWT when: the container is going behind a building, on a jobsite, or anywhere appearance genuinely does not matter and budget does.
Used cargo-worthy (CW) — from $1,095
Certified structurally sound enough to be loaded on a ship, wind and watertight, and backed by our 5-year structural warranty. This is the workhorse grade and what most Houston buyers should choose. It looks used but respectable, and it will outlast almost any use you put it to on land.
Buy cargo-worthy when: this is ordinary storage, jobsite lockup or business inventory — which is to say, most of the time.
New one-trip — from $2,250
Built overseas, loaded once for the voyage to the U.S., then sold. It arrives looking essentially factory-new, usually in a single clean paint color, and carries our 20-year structural warranty. You are paying for appearance and remaining service life.
Buy one-trip when: customers or neighbors will see it, you are converting it into an office or studio, or you want the longest possible life from the purchase.
Price comparison in Houston
| Grade | 20ft | 40ft | 40ft HC | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind & watertight | $915 | Call | Call | No leaks guaranteed |
| Used cargo-worthy | $1,095 | $1,465 | $1,555 | 5-year structural |
| New one-trip | $2,250 | Call | $3,480 | 20-year structural |
What to inspect on any used container
- Floor — marine plywood should be solid underfoot with no soft spots or holes.
- Roof — standing water pools where a panel has been dented; look for daylight from inside with the doors closed.
- Door gaskets — the rubber seals are what make it watertight. Cracked or missing gasket is the most common leak source.
- Door operation — all four locking rods should swing freely. A rack in the frame shows up here first.
- Rust — surface rust is cosmetic and normal. Rust you can push a screwdriver through is not.
Because you pay at delivery with us, you get to run this checklist with the container sitting in front of you and the driver still on-site — not from a photo before you have wired money.
Ready to get a container on-site? Ironwood stocks 20ft, 40ft and high-cube containers in Houston with delivery in as little as 24 hours — and you pay at delivery, never before. Call (713) 519-0879 or request a quote.
Straight answers
Questions
Which container grade is best value?
Used cargo-worthy for most buyers. It carries a 5-year structural warranty at roughly half the price of a new one-trip unit.
Is a wind-and-watertight container actually watertight?
Yes — that is what the grade certifies. It seals against wind and rain; what it lacks is cosmetic condition.
What does one-trip mean?
The container was manufactured overseas, loaded with cargo for a single voyage to the U.S., then sold. Structurally it is new.
Do used containers come with a warranty?
Our used cargo-worthy containers carry a 5-year structural warranty. New one-trip containers carry 20 years.
Keep reading
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Every CONEX size sold in Houston — 10ft, 20ft, 40ft and 40ft high-cube — with real interior dimensions, capacity and what each is actually good for.
Houston Permits, HOA & Regulations
Who to call before you put a container on your property in Houston — city, county, HOA and flood plain rules.
How to Avoid Container Scams
The warning signs of a fake container listing, and the one habit that closes off almost every version of this scam.
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