Storage Container Rental and Sales in Philadelphia

Rowhouse streets and the truck

Philadelphia is rowhouses and narrow blocks, with alleys behind them. That decides most container jobs before anyone talks about price. A tilt bed truck needs a straight run of about twice the box length, and a firm, level spot to set it down, and a typical Philadelphia block gives you neither. A commercial lot in Northeast Philadelphia or on the edge of the city by the airport is easy. A residential street in South Philly is not.

If you are doing a renovation on a rowhouse, the box probably goes on the street or the sidewalk, and that is a permit question for the city. Check before you order, and ask the provider whether they handle the paperwork. A small unit, ten or twenty feet, is often the only thing that fits.

Alleys and one-way blocks are another obstacle. The driver has to approach the spot, and some blocks cannot be entered from the end a truck needs. Tell the provider which way the street runs, and whether parked cars can be cleared. A no-parking sign posted a day ahead is often the difference between a successful delivery and a failed one.

What the port means

The Port of Philadelphia on the Delaware River handles cargo, and so does the broader port system around Camden and Chester. That keeps some used container supply nearby, so buyers here usually have more choices than people in cities with no port at all. It is not the supply of Newark or Los Angeles, and prices reflect that. Buying a used wind and watertight unit is often the better deal for anything over a year.

Ask each provider where the box is coming from. A unit sitting in a yard near the river is a short trip to Port Richmond or the Navy Yard. A unit coming from farther out costs more to deliver.

Camden, across the Ben Franklin Bridge and other crossings, is in New Jersey, which means a different state's rules and a different provider pool. A box set in Camden may come from a Jersey yard, and one set in Philadelphia may come from Pennsylvania. Ask which side of the river the provider works.

Freeze, thaw, and a damp river city

The weather does the damage. Winters freeze and thaw repeatedly, and summers are humid. Near the river the ground stays damp too. All of that produces condensation inside a closed container. For records or inventory, ask about vents or insulation, or bring a dehumidifier. Block the corners off the ground so the floor stays dry.

Rust follows water. Ask about the grade and whether the doors seal, and when you buy used, look at photos of the actual unit.

Old city buildings leak, and a container in a basement lot or a courtyard that floods can get wet from underneath. Put it on gravel or blocking, and avoid the low corner of the lot.

Who uses them here

Construction and renovation make up most of it, from the old rowhouse blocks to the large projects along the Delaware. The universities and the hospital systems in West Philadelphia and Center City run constant building and lab projects, and they use containers for staging and for storing equipment between phases. Retail in Center City and the shopping areas in the suburbs rent boxes in the fall.

Restaurants and bars, which fill the city, rent a unit during a remodel. Event companies working at the stadiums and at the waterfront use containers for gear. Schools use them over the summer. Across the river, Camden has industrial yards and a lot of waterfront redevelopment, and Chester and Norristown have light industrial and contractors who rent boxes for job sites.

A forty foot box fits at the Navy Yard and on the shipping lots near the river. Cranes and port trucks share those streets, so ask for a driver who knows them.

Permits and the city

Expect the city to want approval for anything that sits in the public right of way, and expect it to take time. On private property with permitted building work, ask whether the same permit stretches to the box. In the suburbs, rules vary by township and borough, so ask the local office. If you rent a property, ask the landlord.

Neighborhood groups in Philadelphia are active, and a box that sits on a block for months can draw questions. If your project will run long, tell the neighbors and put a contact sign on the box.

What to put in your request

Tell the provider the block and the width of the street, and say whether wires or trees hang overhead. Photos beat descriptions. Ask whether the delivery is on a fixed date or a window, and what the provider does if the truck cannot get in. Some will charge for a failed delivery, and you should know that up front.

Compare the pickup line as carefully as the rent. A box that is easy to place is not always easy to remove.

In the suburbs, such as Norristown, delivery is easier. Lots are larger, and trucks have room. Contractors there often rent several boxes at a time for a single project. If you are in Chester, near the river and the old industrial yards, expect some site prep, because ground can be fill and uneven.

Looking for a different city? Here are some nearby.

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