Baltimore Storage Container Rental and Sales

A port town with rowhouse streets

Baltimore is a working port. Seagirt and Dundalk marine terminals move containers every day, and that makes used boxes easier to find here than in most of the mid-Atlantic. The Port of Baltimore also handles cars and heavy equipment. Supply is good, and the freight on a local purchase is small.

That helps your price, but it does not help your delivery. The city has rowhouse blocks with narrow streets, parked cars on both sides and alleys that are not wide enough for a truck. Fells Point, Federal Hill, Hampden and Canton are all hard to deliver to. A 20 foot container needs a straight run and a level spot, and in much of the city that spot is a commercial lot, a parking area or a construction site, not a street.

Some Baltimore providers sell used containers straight from the port yards and can move a unit to a customer within days. Buyers should find out whether it has been inspected and what its history is.

A rowhouse remodel in Hampden or Highlandtown often turns into a delivery puzzle. The box may have to go in a lot a block away, with materials hauled by hand. If a nearby lot is not available, a rear alley with a good gate or a small crane lift is the fallback.

Who is using containers

Contractors on rehab projects are the steadiest buyers, because Baltimore has a lot of older housing stock and a lot of renovation. Harbor East and Harbor Point have had large developments. Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland medical campuses use containers during construction and moves.

Out in Dundalk and Sparrows Point, the old steel country on the east side, industrial yards use them for parts and tools. Towson, north of the city, has offices and the university, and Glen Burnie, to the south, has a big warehouse district near the airport. Laurel, between Baltimore and Washington, draws on both markets, and providers from either city will quote it.

Restaurants and bars in Fells Point and Canton use containers during remodels, usually in a rear lot. Local schools use them for field equipment. Federal contractors around Fort Meade use them too.

Anne Arundel County, to the south, has marine trades and boat yards, and boat owners buy containers for winter gear. Baltimore County to the north has farms and horse properties.

Weather and condensation

Baltimore summers are humid and winters bring freeze and thaw, so condensation is a real issue. A closed box in July builds heat and moisture. A box in January sweats when it warms. Vents and a bit of airflow reduce it, and pallets or shelving keep goods off the floor.

Hurricane remnants and nor'easters bring heavy rain and sometimes flooding, particularly around the harbor and in low neighborhoods near the water. If your site is in a flood-prone area, put the box on blocks and keep valuables on upper shelves.

Harbor air is damp and a little salty, and it adds rust. In the neighborhoods closest to the water, wash and repaint scratches each year.

Mid-Atlantic humidity means a plain box will smell damp by August. A small solar-powered vent or a pair of roof vents is an inexpensive way to keep air moving, and it costs less than a dehumidifier.

Permits and the city

The City of Baltimore, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County each treat containers differently. Putting a box on a street or in a right of way generally needs a permit, and residential zones may restrict them. Check before you book. If the project already has a building permit, ask your contractor whether the container rides on it.

Landlords and historic district rules matter too. Parts of the city sit in historic districts, and a shipping container on a visible lot may draw attention.

Alley placement is the trickiest issue. Many Baltimore blocks have rear alleys, and a container set in one may block access for neighbors and trash trucks. A neighbor's call to the city is the common way a container ends up on a violation list.

Ask the provider whether their paperwork covers a permit request. Some will handle it for a fee, others will give you the dimensions and leave the rest to you. The City of Baltimore can take a while to process one, so ask before the project is already waiting.

Questions to ask

Ask whether the provider has delivered to your block before, and what truck they will send. A provider that knows rowhouse streets will have a smaller truck and a driver who has worked them. Ask about the delivery window and ask if you must block off parking spaces in advance.

Compare the grade of the box. With a port this close, you can usually see the exact unit before you commit, and you should. Look at the doors first, then the roof.

Ask about the pickup, too. A truck that squeezed into a lot on Tuesday has to squeeze out on a different day, and with a street blocked off, it needs a clear window. Keep your lot clear of cars on pickup day.

If a quote does not tell you where the box is coming from or what shape it is in, ask. In a port city, the good boxes are not hard to find.

Looking for a different city? Here are some nearby.

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