If you’re sizing up a shipping container for storage, transport, or a build, the dimensions are only half the question. The other half is whether the container will fit on your block, whether your gear will fit through the doors, whether the delivery truck can get in, and whether your council needs to know about it. This guide covers all of that in one place, written for Australian buyers.
You can use the headings to jump straight to what you need. If you already know your size and you’re ready to go, browse our containers for sale or hire a container here.
Standard Shipping Container Sizes at a Glance
Shipping containers built to ISO standards have consistent external footprints worldwide. Width is fixed at 2.44 metres (8 feet). The two lengths Australian buyers see most often are 20 feet and 40 feet. Each comes in a standard height (2.59 m external) or a high cube height (2.89 m external), with high cube giving you 30 cm more headroom inside.
Bionic stocks 20 ft and 40 ft containers in both standard and high cube. The summary below covers what we sell and hire.
| Container | External (L x W x H) | Internal (L x W x H) | Door (W x H) | Volume | Tare | Max Payload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft Standard | 6.06 x 2.44 x 2.59 m | 5.90 x 2.35 x 2.39 m | 2.34 x 2.28 m | 33 m³ | 2,120 kg | 28,360 kg |
| 20 ft High Cube | 6.06 x 2.44 x 2.89 m | 5.90 x 2.35 x 2.70 m | 2.34 x 2.58 m | 37 m³ | 2,315 kg | 28,165 kg |
| 40 ft Standard | 12.19 x 2.44 x 2.59 m | 12.03 x 2.35 x 2.39 m | 2.34 x 2.28 m | 67 m³ | 3,490 kg | 26,990 kg |
| 40 ft High Cube | 12.19 x 2.44 x 2.89 m | 12.03 x 2.35 x 2.70 m | 2.34 x 2.58 m | 76 m³ | 4,670 kg | 29,330 kg |
20 ft Shipping Container Dimensions
The 20 ft is the workhorse of the industry and the size most Australian buyers end up with. It fits on most residential and commercial blocks, accommodates the contents of a typical two to three bedroom house, and is small enough to transport on a single tilt-tray or sideloader truck.
| INTERNAL | EXTERNAL | WEIGHT | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length (mm) | 5,898 | Length (mm) | 6,058 | Tare (kg) | 2,120 |
| Width (mm) | 2,352 | Width (mm) | 2,438 | Payload (kg) | 28,360 |
| Height (mm) | 2,390 | Height (mm) | 2,591 | MGW (kg) | 30,480 |
A 20 ft holds around ten Australian standard pallets at single height, a sedan plus general storage, or a small workshop’s worth of tools and gear. It fits across two standard car spaces with room to swing the doors. For most Australian residential blocks, it’s the right starting point.
See our 20 ft stock or hire a 20 ft on site.
20 ft High Cube Shipping Container Dimensions
A 20 ft high cube has the same footprint as a 20 ft standard but adds 30 cm of internal height. That extra headroom is the difference between a useable conversion and a cramped one, and it’s the reason most container homes, offices and gyms are built from high cubes.
| INTERNAL | EXTERNAL | WEIGHT | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length (mm) | 5,898 | Length (mm) | 6,058 | Tare (kg) | 2,315 |
| Width (mm) | 2,352 | Width (mm) | 2,438 | Payload (kg) | 28,165 |
| Height (mm) | 2,700 | Height (mm) | 2,896 | MGW (kg) | 30,480 |
For storage of tall items (gym equipment, racking, four-wheel drives with roof racks, palletised stock stacked above 2.2 metres), the high cube earns its keep on the first load. Volume jumps from 33 cubic metres on a standard to roughly 37 on a high cube.
Browse our 20 ft high cube stock or contact us for a quote.
40 ft Shipping Container Dimensions
The 40 ft container doubles your length without changing the footprint width. It’s the default choice for builders, landscapers and trades who need real on-site capacity, for long-distance moves where doubling up on 20 fts isn’t practical, and for any business storing palletised stock at scale.
| INTERNAL | EXTERNAL | WEIGHT | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length (mm) | 12,032 | Length (mm) | 12,192 | Tare (kg) | 3,490 |
| Width (mm) | 2,352 | Width (mm) | 2,438 | Payload (kg) | 26,990 |
| Height (mm) | 2,393 | Height (mm) | 2,591 | MGW (kg) | 30,480 |
A 40 ft will swallow a four bedroom house including most major appliances, a full vehicle plus a workshop’s worth of belongings, or roughly twenty Australian standard pallets. The catch is access. A 40 ft delivered by tilt-tray needs roughly twenty metres of straight run from the truck’s resting position to the container’s final spot, plus enough vertical clearance and turning room to get the truck in. Most suburban driveways won’t accommodate that, which is why a lot of customers split into two 20 fts or run the 40 ft to a yard for indoor storage instead.
Request a 40 ft quote or look at 40 ft container hire.
40 ft High Cube Shipping Container Dimensions
The 40 ft high cube is the largest container Bionic stocks and the most popular size for full-scale storage, freight and conversion projects. Same footprint as a 40 ft standard, with an extra 30 cm of height inside.
| INTERNAL | EXTERNAL | WEIGHT | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length (mm) | 12,032 | Length (mm) | 12,192 | Tare (kg) | 4,670 |
| Width (mm) | 2,350 | Width (mm) | 2,438 | Payload (kg) | 29,330 |
| Height (mm) | 2,695 | Height (mm) | 2,896 | MGW (kg) | 34,000 |
Volume comes in around 76 cubic metres on a 40 ft high cube, the biggest shipping container most Australian businesses will ever load. Useful for tall freight, palletised stock stacked high, plant and equipment with vertical clearance needs, and any conversion job where finished ceiling height matters.
See our 40 ft high cube stock.
High Cube vs Standard: Which Should You Choose?
The footprint is identical, the doors fit the same locks, and the price difference is modest. The decision comes down to what’s going inside.
Choose high cube when you’re converting the container into a habitable or working space (homes, offices, gyms, granny flats), when freight is stacked above 2.2 metres, or when you’re storing four-wheel drives with roof racks, plant equipment, or tall industrial gear. The extra 30 cm of internal height is what makes those jobs work.
Choose standard for general residential storage, household furniture, archive boxes, tools, and anything under two metres tall. They’re more common on the second-hand market, which means cleaner stock at better prices.
The rule we give customers: if you’re going to live, work, or stand up in it, choose high cube. If you’re going to load it with furniture and lock the doors, standard is fine.
The Door Opening Trap (And Why It Matters)
This is the dimension that catches more buyers than any other. The internal width of a standard container is 2.35 metres. The door opening is narrower at 2.34 metres, and that’s before the door swing eats into the working clearance.
When you measure your largest item and add a finger of tolerance, check it against the door opening, not the internal width. A 2.30 m wide pallet of stock might clear the interior on paper but jam at the door frame. A 2.20 m wide cabinet still needs space for the people moving it.
Door height changes too. Standard containers give you 2.28 m of door clearance. High cube containers give you 2.58 m. That extra 30 cm of height is what lets you wheel a forklift mast in, or move a tall fridge upright, or load a stacked pallet without breaking the load down.
Door swing is the other half of the trap. Marine container doors swing past 270 degrees when there’s nothing in the way, but most installations end up with limited swing because the container is placed against a fence, slab, or another container. Leave at least 1.2 metres of clear space at the door end if you’ll be loading and unloading regularly.
Shipping Container Weights, Tare, Payload and Australian Transport Rules
Three weights matter on a container, and most buyers only learn the difference when they hit a problem. Tare is the empty container itself. Payload is the maximum cargo weight allowed inside. Maximum gross weight (MGW) is the two combined.
A 20 ft standard tares around 2,120 kg with an MGW of 30,480 kg, leaving about 28,360 kg of payload on paper. A 40 ft standard tares around 3,490 kg with the same MGW. Those are the limits on the container itself.
The catch is that road transport in Australia caps you well below container limits in most cases. The combined weight of the prime mover, the trailer and the loaded container has to comply with limits set by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator. Sideloader trailers typically max out around 23 to 24 tonnes of container weight. Skeletal trailers run a bit higher. Tilt-trays handle smaller loads but with much better access for tight residential sites.
If you’re moving a loaded container by road, you’ll also need to provide a Container Weight Declaration under the Heavy Vehicle National Law for any freight container weighing over 2 tonnes gross. The transport operator needs the declaration before they’ll lift the container onto a truck.
For most customers, the practical takeaway is that the container’s structural payload is rarely your limit. The truck’s legal weight on a public road is. Talk to your transport provider about realistic payloads before you load up. Bionic’s tilt-tray and towing service can advise on what’s realistic for your delivery and pickup.
How Many Australian Pallets Fit in a Shipping Container?
Australia uses a 1165 mm by 1165 mm standard pallet, which is square and slightly larger than the European 1200 by 800 mm pallet most overseas guides reference. The fit is genuinely different.
A 20 ft container holds ten Australian standard pallets at single height, arranged two wide and five long. The pallets sit nose to tail with minor clearance against the side walls. A 40 ft holds twenty pallets in the same arrangement, doubled.
Stacking lifts the count substantially. If your goods will tolerate a second pallet on top, you double your effective capacity. The variables are pallet weight (you can’t exceed payload), product fragility, and the height of the load on each pallet. Stacked pallets to 2.2 metres fit a standard container. Stacked pallets to 2.5 metres need a high cube.
Loading order matters for transport. Heaviest pallets go closer to the door end, which centres the load over the trailer axles and keeps the container’s centre of gravity manageable. If you’re shipping internationally, the freight forwarder will usually want the centre of gravity certified, especially for 40 ft loads.
If you’re not sure how much you have to store, our storage calculator gives a fast estimate based on common household and commercial items.
Site Prep and Delivery Access
A container is only useful when it’s actually on site. Most failed deliveries come down to one of four issues: not enough straight run for the truck, not enough vertical clearance, ground that won’t bear the weight, or doors with nowhere to swing.
For straight run, plan on roughly 18 metres for a tilt-tray delivering a 20 ft, and longer for a 40 ft. The truck needs that distance to slide the container off the bed without lifting. Sideloaders need less depth but more sky. Crane trucks (HIAB) need the most overhead room of all.
Vertical clearance needs to be 4.3 metres minimum, with 4.6 metres being comfortable. The hazards we see most often are powerlines crossing driveways, low awnings on garages, and overhanging trees. Common Australian species worth checking include jacaranda, poinciana and tipuana. They look fine until you put a tilt-tray under one.
Ground bearing is underrated. Containers don’t need a slab, but they do need the four corner castings to land on something solid. Soft fill, recently irrigated lawn, and unsealed clay after wet weather will all let the container settle unevenly. A few hardwood sleepers under each corner is the simplest fix and what we’d recommend on most residential sites.
Door swing space is the last check. Leave at least 1.2 metres clear at the door end. If you can’t, plan to have the container placed with the doors facing your access route, not the fence.
If you’re not sure your site will work, send us photos and a rough sketch and we’ll talk you through it before you book. Contact us here.
Council Approval and Planning Rules in Australia
Shipping container approval rules vary by state, by local council and by how long the container stays on site. Always confirm with your local council before placing a container on residential land. The notes below are a national overview, not a substitute for council advice.
For temporary placement during a build or renovation, most Australian councils permit a shipping container on residential land for a limited period without approval. The exact timeframe is set locally and ranges from weeks to a few months. Check your council’s website or call them before you commit.
For permanent placement, a shipping container is generally treated as a Class 10a non-habitable structure under the National Construction Code. That usually means you need building approval before placing the container, and you’ll need to meet setback, height and overlay requirements that apply to your zone. Flood, bushfire, heritage and character overlays change what’s allowed, particularly in regional Queensland, the NSW Hunter and along Victorian coastal strips.
Conversions are a different matter. If you’re turning a container into a granny flat, secondary dwelling, office or studio that someone will work or sleep in, you’re typically looking at both development approval and building approval. Engage a private certifier early. Some states (notably Queensland and NSW) have specific secondary dwelling pathways that can simplify the process if your land qualifies.
The shortest path for most homeowners is to use a container for short-term site storage during renovations or moves, where the rules are typically relaxed. That’s what container hire is designed for. If you’re planning permanent placement or a conversion, talk to your council before you order.
Container Conversions: How Much Headroom Do You Actually Get?
If you’re converting a container into a habitable or working space, the dimensions you start with are not the dimensions you end up with. Understanding that gap is what separates a comfortable conversion from a cramped one.
A standard container starts with 2.39 metres of internal height. By the time you’ve added a 50 mm subfloor with insulation, ceiling battens, insulation and lining, you’re sitting around 2.10 to 2.20 metres of finished ceiling. That’s liveable, but tight under door frames, ceiling fans, and pendant lights.
A high cube starts at 2.70 metres. The same fit-out leaves you around 2.40 to 2.50 metres of finished height. That’s a noticeable difference. For container homes, high cube is effectively the default for that reason.
Width loses around 50 to 75 millimetres per side once you add wall framing and lining. Useable internal width drops from 2.35 metres to about 2.20 metres. That matters for furniture, particularly tall wardrobes and standard 600 mm appliances that get tight against finished walls.
The corner castings, fork pockets and lashing rings are useful anchors during fit-out. Plan the layout around them rather than trying to remove them. Cutting windows, doors and removing wall sections all affect the container’s structural rating, so engage a structural engineer and a licensed builder before any major modifications. Our high cube containers for sale are popular with conversion builders for exactly that reason.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is a 20 ft shipping container?
A 20 ft shipping container measures 6.058 m long by 2.438 m wide by 2.591 m high externally. Internally you get 5.898 m of length, 2.352 m of width and 2.39 m of height, which is around 33 cubic metres of useable storage volume.
How big is a 40 ft shipping container?
A 40 ft shipping container measures 12.192 m long by 2.438 m wide by 2.591 m high externally (or 2.896 m high for a high cube). Internally that gives you about 67 cubic metres on a standard, or 76 cubic metres on a high cube.
What’s the difference between a standard and high cube container?
A high cube container is 30 centimetres taller than a standard container, with the same footprint. Internal height goes from 2.39 m to 2.70 m. Choose high cube for conversions, tall freight, or any cargo stacked above two metres.
How much does a shipping container weigh?
A 20 ft standard container has a tare weight of around 2,120 kg empty, with maximum payload around 28,360 kg. A 40 ft standard tares around 3,490 kg empty with payload around 26,990 kg. Australian transport rules typically cap loaded weights below those figures.
How many pallets fit in a 20 ft shipping container?
A 20 ft holds ten Australian standard pallets (1165 mm by 1165 mm) at single height, arranged two wide and five long. Stacking pallets two high doubles your effective capacity if the goods and the payload allow it.
Will a 40 ft container fit on a standard residential block?
A 40 ft container fits most residential blocks at 12.19 m long by 2.44 m wide, but the bigger question is delivery access. Tilt-tray delivery needs around twenty metres of straight run plus 4.3 m of vertical clearance. Many suburban driveways can’t accommodate that, in which case two 20 fts work better.
Do I need council approval for a shipping container in Australia?
For temporary placement during a build or renovation, most councils allow containers on residential land for a limited period without approval. For permanent placement or conversions, building approval is usually required. Rules vary by state and council, so confirm locally before placing.
Can I convert a shipping container into a home or granny flat?
Yes, but it requires both development approval and building approval in most Australian councils, plus structural engineering for any modifications that affect the container’s load-bearing rating. Choose a high cube for the headroom, and engage a private certifier early.
What’s the difference between internal dimensions and door opening dimensions?
Internal dimensions are the full inside of the container. Door opening dimensions are the gap you actually load through, which is slightly narrower and shorter. Always check your largest item against the door opening, not the internal width.
How much clearance does a delivery truck need?
A tilt-tray delivering a 20 ft needs around 18 metres of straight run, 3 metres of width clearance, and 4.3 metres of vertical clearance. A 40 ft needs more on all counts. Powerlines, awnings and overhanging trees are the most common obstacles on Australian residential blocks.
Can a shipping container be moved once it’s on site?
Yes. With a tilt-tray, sideloader or crane truck, the container can be lifted and relocated. The site needs the same access on the way out as it did on the way in. Bionic’s tilt-tray and towing service can quote on container moves.
Are shipping container dimensions the same worldwide?
Yes for ISO-certified containers, which follow international standards on length, width, height and corner casting positions. Non-ISO containers (some military and custom-fabricated units) can vary, so always confirm dimensions before you commit.
Get the Right Container for Your Site
Container dimensions are standardised, but the decisions around them are not. Door clearance, transport rules, council approval and conversion headroom all turn small differences in size into big differences in outcome. The right answer depends on your block, your load and how long the container is staying.
Bionic Storage stocks 20 ft and 40 ft containers in standard and high cube, with delivery and pickup across South East Queensland and beyond by tilt-tray. We’re based at Landsborough on the Sunshine Coast.
Ready to move? Browse containers for sale, hire a container, or contact us for a delivery quote. If you’re not sure what size you need, the storage calculator is the fastest way to find out.
