Purchasing vs. Leasing a Shipping Container: Which Option is Right for You?

With so many people opting to use shipping containers for storage and other purposes these days, the first question that likely comes to mind is whether to lease or buy a unit.

Sometimes the answer is obvious. For example, if you’re moving and need a temporary place to store furniture for a few months, you’d want to lease. But in other circumstances, the most economical choice may not be clear.

Here, we’d like to provide some pros and cons of both options and break down some of the costs to help you determine which option makes the most sense for you.

Upfront Costs

Whether you choose to lease or purchase a unit from Okie Containers LLC, it’s important to know there are upfront costs with both options. These fees mainly revolve around delivery (as well as pick-up for leases).

If purchasing a container, you’ll have the container cost, of course, plus the delivery fee. The delivery fee can vary depending on how far you live from our home base of Porter, OK. If you’re within 50 miles, the delivery fee is $300. For every mile over that, there will be an added $5 per mile.

If you’re needing specialized placement of your container with our Container Mule (such as in a tight spot our truck and trailer can’t reach or placement inside a large building) there will be an additional fee of $200.

If you’re leasing a container from Okie Containers, there will be an upfront delivery fee of $200 and an upfront pick-up fee of $200 ($400 total). Also keep in mind, we only lease our units within 40 miles of Porter, OK.

Below you’ll find our lease options and prices:

(* Prices subject to change due to fuel and other related costs—always call or message us for the most up-to-date pricing.)

So if you’re in our lease delivery area and only need a container for a few months, leasing is clearly the more economical option. However, if you’re planning to use your container for several years, you may want to consider purchasing one instead.

Owning vs. Leasing

If you’re wanting to modify your shipping container in any way, such as painting, cutting windows, or turning it into an office or workshop, you’ll need to purchase the unit, as we don’t allow modifications to be made to our leased units. The benefit of owning a container vs. leasing is that you can make improvements, and when you’re finished with the container, you may be able to resell it for more than the original cost.

On the other hand, leasing is probably the way to go if you don’t want to worry about maintenance or repairs of the container. When your finished with the unit, simply call Okie Containers and we’ll come pick it up.

Which Option is More Economical for You?

If you’re still undecided about whether to go with leasing or purchasing a shipping container, let’s do some math to evaluate costs:

If you’re leasing a new 20 ft container from Okie Containers for one year at $125* per month, the total cost would be $1900* (including delivery and pick-up fees). If you were to purchase that same container, the cost would be $3400*. As you can see, leasing is the more affordable option here.

However, if you were wanting to keep that same container for three years, leasing it would cost you $4900*, which is definitely more expensive than purchasing it.

(* Prices subject to change due to fuel and other related costs—always call or message us for the most up-to-date pricing.)

Again, if you choose to purchase a container, you can resell it once you’re finished with it and recoup some of your money. If an unmodified unit has been well maintained, it’s common to get 40-70% of your initial cost back.

Whether you choose to lease or purchase a shipping container will depend on your specific needs, as well as how long you’re wanting to keep the container. Hopefully, the above information will help make your decision a little easier though.

If you’re in the Tulsa or Muskogee metro or surrounding areas, give us a call (918-500-1978) and we will get you set up!