What is the difference between a standard container and a high cube?

About 300mm of height. A standard unit is 2.59m externally and roughly 2.39m inside; a high cube is 2.90m externally and roughly 2.69m inside. The footprint is identical. That 300mm decides whether a lined container feels like a room or a corridor, and whether a pallet goes on a second tier.

How much floor space does a container actually need?

Allow at least 300mm clear on every side beyond the external dimensions so you can walk around it, paint it and let air move. Allow considerably more at the door end — the doors swing through 270 degrees and you want room to open them fully and to stand a trolley or a ute tailgate in front of them.

How heavy is an empty container?

Roughly 1.3 tonnes for a 10ft, 2.2 tonnes for a 20ft and 3.8 tonnes for a 40ft, give or take with age and build. That is the empty weight — what matters for the ground is the loaded weight, which is why pads under the four corner castings are not optional on soft ground.

Will a 20ft fit through a standard gate?

The container itself is 2.44m wide, but the truck delivering it is wider and needs room to manoeuvre. A three-metre gateway is workable in a straight line and difficult on a turn. Measure the tightest point rather than the widest, and send a photograph of it.

Reference

Shipping container dimensions

External and internal measurements, door openings and volumes for every size we supply — plus the numbers that actually matter when you are working out whether one fits.

Sizes 10ft · 20ft · 40ftStandard height 2.59m externalHigh cube 2.90m external

§ 01

Every size, side by side

External and internal dimensions, standard height
Size	External	Internal	Door opening	Volume
10ft Containers	2.99m × 2.44m × 2.59m	2.83m × 2.35m × 2.39m	2.34m × 2.28m	16m³
20ft Containers	6.06m × 2.44m × 2.59m	5.90m × 2.35m × 2.39m	2.34m × 2.28m	33.2m³
40ft Containers	12.19m × 2.44m × 2.59m	12.03m × 2.35m × 2.39m	2.34m × 2.28m	67.7m³

Dimensions are nominal and vary slightly between manufacturers and build years. Where a measurement is critical — a doorway, a slab, a shed bay — ring and we will measure the specific unit rather than quote the catalogue.

§ 02

High cube against standard

The height difference, stated plainly
Measurement	Standard	High cube
External height	2.59m	2.90m
Internal height	2.39m	2.69m
Internal height once lined	~2.20m	~2.50m

The footprint does not change. Only the height does, and it changes what the box is useful for far more than 310 millimetres sounds like it should.

§ 03

Space to allow around it

Sides and backAt least 300mm clear beyond the external dimensions, so you can walk around it, paint it and let air move behind it. A container hard against a fence rusts where you cannot see it.

The door endConsiderably more. Cargo doors swing through 270 degrees and you want room to open them fully, plus space to stand a trolley, a pallet or a ute tailgate in front of them. This is the single most common regret about a placement.

AboveEnough clearance for the delivery vehicle to raise its bed, which is far more than the container's own height. Overhead is what stops more deliveries around here than width does.

§ 04

Dimension questions

What is the difference between a standard container and a high cube?: About 300mm of height. A standard unit is 2.59m externally and roughly 2.39m inside; a high cube is 2.90m externally and roughly 2.69m inside. The footprint is identical. That 300mm decides whether a lined container feels like a room or a corridor, and whether a pallet goes on a second tier.
How much floor space does a container actually need?: Allow at least 300mm clear on every side beyond the external dimensions so you can walk around it, paint it and let air move. Allow considerably more at the door end — the doors swing through 270 degrees and you want room to open them fully and to stand a trolley or a ute tailgate in front of them.
How heavy is an empty container?: Roughly 1.3 tonnes for a 10ft, 2.2 tonnes for a 20ft and 3.8 tonnes for a 40ft, give or take with age and build. That is the empty weight — what matters for the ground is the loaded weight, which is why pads under the four corner castings are not optional on soft ground.
Will a 20ft fit through a standard gate?: The container itself is 2.44m wide, but the truck delivering it is wider and needs room to manoeuvre. A three-metre gateway is workable in a straight line and difficult on a turn. Measure the tightest point rather than the widest, and send a photograph of it.

No-obligation quote

Need to know if it will fit?

Send the measurement that worries you and a photograph of the space. We will tell you honestly, including when the answer is a smaller unit.