Storage Containers in Washington, DC and the Suburbs

Three jurisdictions, three sets of rules

The Washington region is not one market, and a box that is routine in Rockville can be a headache in Washington proper. It is the District plus Maryland and Northern Virginia, and each has its own approach to a steel box. A container on a construction site in Rockville is a permit conversation with one office. A container in a driveway in Alexandria is a different conversation with a different office, and the District has its own process for anything in public space.

Because of that, the first call is not to a provider. It is to the local government or the property manager. Ask what applies to your address, then ask providers whether they know the rules in that jurisdiction. Some do the paperwork, and some leave it to you.

A government town with construction everywhere

Federal agencies and the contractors around them fill the offices, and more of them need storage than you would guess. Records and equipment end up in containers during a move, and so do temporary build-outs for tenants in federal-leased buildings. Security matters here, so many buyers ask for lock boxes and for a box that sits behind a fence. Ask the provider about door hardware before you decide.

Construction is the other half. Fairfax and Alexandria have development projects. Gaithersburg and Rockville have life science and office work along the I-270 corridor, and the University of Maryland campus in College Park runs steady renovations. Laurel and Bowie have warehouses and light industrial parks, and contractors on homes near Greenbelt use boxes in side yards.

Embassies and nonprofits in the District also rent boxes, usually for short stints during renovations or events. Downtown event season, with parades and big conferences, means street closures, so a delivery that works in July may fail in the week of a large event.

Dense core, tight streets

In the District, a container is tough to place. Rowhouse blocks have narrow streets and permit parking, and a truck that needs twice the box length in a straight line often cannot get it. If you can, a ten or twenty foot box is the practical choice. A forty foot box is a job site item, not a rowhouse item.

Public space permits can take time, so ask early. If a building has a loading dock or an alley, that is usually the best spot, but check with the property manager about height and hours. In the suburbs the problem is different: long driveways and mature trees. Look overhead for branches and wires before the truck arrives.

Prince George's County, which holds Bowie, Laurel, College Park, and Greenbelt, usually has more room per site than the District. Montgomery County, including Rockville and Gaithersburg, has office parks and big retail lots where a forty foot box fits fine. Fairfax and Alexandria sit between, with older neighborhoods that are tight and newer ones that are not.

No port in town, but Baltimore is close

Washington has no container port of its own, so used boxes come overland. The Port of Baltimore is not far, and many providers here pull their stock from Baltimore and from rail yards. Because of that, prices follow freight more than they do in a coastal metro. Compare more than one quote, and ask where the unit comes from.

For buyers, wind and watertight is a good middle grade. For a project that will run more than a year, a used box often beats rent. For anything short, rent and let the provider handle the pickup.

Gaithersburg and Rockville deliveries are shorter from yards along I-270, and Laurel and Bowie deliveries are shorter from yards on the Baltimore side of the metro. Alexandria and Fairfax providers come from Northern Virginia yards, often along I-95.

Humid summers, cold winters

Washington weather means condensation. Hot, wet summers and freezing winters make a box sweat. Vents and insulation help, and for records or electronics, a dehumidifier is worth it. Block the box off the ground so the floor does not sit in a puddle, and ask about the paint, since rust starts at the corners.

Records storage is a special case here, because agencies and firms keep paper longer than they should. If a file box is going into a steel unit, put it on pallets, leave space around the walls, and check the box every month. Paper does not forgive a damp spring.

What to ask a provider

Ask about the grade, the doors, the floor, and photos of the actual unit. Ask where the yard is, because a provider in Bowie reaches Greenbelt and Laurel quickly, while a delivery to Fairfax from the same yard means the beltway, and traffic. Get the delivery window in writing.

Expect more questions from providers here than in most places, and treat that as a good sign.

Ask whether the provider can deliver after hours. Government buildings and many office towers limit truck traffic during the day, and an early morning or weekend delivery avoids a fight with the loading dock manager.

Ask for a certificate of insurance if you are on federal or contractor property, since security offices often require one before a truck gets through the gate. Providers who work around government buildings know this and will send it without a fight.

Looking for a different city? Here are some nearby.

Other Washington business topics.