Frequently Asked Questions

Price depends on size, condition grade and current market conditions. Container pricing moves with global steel, freight and currency markets, so figures change through the year.

As a general guide, a used 10ft unit sits at the lower end of the range, while a new one-trip 40ft high cube sits at the upper end. Refrigerated and modified units are priced separately because of their specification.

Delivery is quoted separately unless your Quote states otherwise, since it depends on your distance from our Botany yard and your site access.

Yes, and we encourage it. You're welcome to inspect any container at our Botany yard by appointment before purchase.

If you can't attend in person, we can send you a detailed photo set of the specific unit, including all four sides, the doors, the floor and the interior.

Inspecting before purchase is the single best way to avoid disappointment — particularly with used containers, where cosmetic condition varies within a grade.

Both. We supply homeowners buying a single unit for backyard storage, tradespeople needing a site store, and businesses ordering multiple containers or arranging regular export.

You must be at least 18 years old to purchase. Australian businesses registered for GST should provide their business name and ABN at the time of ordering so it appears correctly on the tax invoice.

Not necessarily. Photographs on our website are representative of the grade and type rather than of a specific unit, unless we state otherwise.

Used containers vary in cosmetic appearance. Two units of the same grade may show different rust patterns, dents or paint markings while both meeting the standard for that grade.

If the exact appearance matters — for example, you want a particular colour, or a unit with minimal surface rust — tell us before you order and we'll photograph specific units for you to choose from.

Container colour is not guaranteed unless it has been specified in writing and agreed in your Quote.

Used containers come in whatever colour their previous shipping line used, and often carry residual logos or stencilling. New one-trip containers are more predictable, but availability of a specific colour varies with stock.

If colour matters, we can repaint a container to your specification as a modification. Ask us for a quote.

We stock containers from 10ft through to 45ft, including:

• 10ft — compact storage, tight sites, small yards
• 20ft — the most popular size; general storage and site use
• 30ft — less common, useful where a 20ft is too small and a 40ft won't fit
• 40ft — large-volume storage, workshops, project sites
• 45ft high cube — maximum internal volume and extra height
• 8ft × 10ft — very small footprint units

We also supply refrigerated containers (reefers), flat pack units, cabins and container pools. Browse them all in our shop.

We grade every container so you know exactly what you're buying:

• New / One-Trip — manufactured recently and used for a single cargo voyage. Minimal wear, best cosmetic condition.
• Cargo Worthy (CW) — structurally sound and certified suitable for international shipping. Cosmetic wear expected.
• Wind & Water Tight (WWT) — sealed against wind and water, suitable for storage. Not certified for sea cargo. Visible wear, rust and repairs.
• As-Is — sold in its current condition, faults included, as specifically described.

A high cube is roughly one foot taller than a standard container of the same length. Everything else — length and width — is the same.

That extra height is useful for tall equipment, pallet stacking, workshop conversions, or anywhere you want more headroom. It also means slightly more overhead clearance is needed on delivery.

Surface rust is normal on used shipping containers and is not a defect. These are industrial goods built from corten steel that have spent years at sea.

The following are expected on a used unit and do not indicate a fault:

• Surface rust, oxidation and paint fade
• Dents, scratches and minor panel deformation
• Patch repairs, weld marks and previous plating
• Residual shipping-line logos, decals and stencilling
• Floor staining or minor gouging
• Odour consistent with previous cargo

What would be a problem is structural rust that compromises the container, or a unit sold as Wind & Water Tight that leaks. Those are covered by your rights under the Australian Consumer Law — see our Refund Policy.

This is condensation, commonly called "container rain", and it is not a leak.

Steel containers heat and cool faster than the air inside them. When warm, humid air meets the cooler steel ceiling, moisture condenses and drips. It's a property of steel boxes, not a defect.

You can reduce it substantially with proper ventilation, desiccant products, insulation, or by not storing damp goods inside. We sell vents as accessories and can fit ventilation as a modification.

We deliver to every Australian state and territory — New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT.

Sydney metropolitan deliveries are handled directly by our transport partners. Interstate and regional deliveries go through licensed freight carriers.

Remote, island and restricted-access locations may attract additional charges, or may not be serviceable. We'll tell you before accepting your order.

Indicative timeframes once payment has cleared and delivery is scheduled:

• Sydney metro — 2 to 5 business days
• Regional NSW — 3 to 10 business days
• Interstate capitals — 5 to 15 business days
• Regional and remote interstate — 10 to 25 business days
• Modified units — add the build time stated in your Quote

These are estimates, not guarantees. Weather, traffic, port congestion and carrier scheduling all affect timing. See our Shipping & Delivery Policy.

Unless your Quote says delivery is included, prices are ex-yard from Botany NSW and delivery is charged separately.

Cost depends on distance from our yard, container size and weight, the delivery method required (tilt-tray, crane or flatbed), site access difficulty, and whether traffic management is needed.

It depends on your site and the container size:

• Tilt-tray / side-loader — the container slides or tilts off the truck onto the ground. Needs clear straight access and run-off space behind the truck.
• Crane / HIAB — the container is lifted and placed precisely. Best for tight sites or elevated placement. Needs overhead clearance and stable ground for outriggers. Costs more.
• Flatbed / semi-trailer — used for interstate freight or multiple units. You provide unloading equipment at the destination unless otherwise arranged.

Yes — collection from our Botany yard is free of charge, by prior appointment.

You'll need a suitable vehicle and any lifting equipment required, and you're responsible for load restraint compliance. We'll load the container onto your vehicle where we can do so safely.

Bring photo identification and proof of purchase. Risk in the container passes to you the moment it's loaded onto your vehicle.

Yard hours: Monday to Friday 8:00am–5:00pm, Saturday 9:00am–1:00pm. Closed Sundays and public holidays.

If our carrier attends and delivery can't be completed safely or lawfully — because the site is inaccessible, nobody is present, overhead clearance is insufficient, or permits aren't in place — the delivery is treated as failed.

A failed delivery fee applies, and re-delivery is charged at full cost. Both are payable before the container is re-dispatched.

To reschedule a confirmed delivery without charge, give us at least 48 hours' notice.

Site preparation is your responsibility, and it's the most common cause of failed deliveries. Before delivery day, make sure you have:

• Level, stable ground that can bear the container and the truck — a loaded truck can exceed 25 tonnes. Avoid soft soil, sand, fresh turf or recent fill.
• Clear access wide enough for a truck and trailer, with turning space.
• Overhead clearance free of power lines, branches, awnings and gutters.
• Run-off space behind the placement point — a tilt-tray needs roughly 1.5× the container length in clear straight space.
• Placement marked on the ground.
• Obstacles removed — vehicles, bins, materials, fencing.
• Underground services identified — pipes, cables, septic tanks, irrigation.
• A responsible adult on site at the agreed time.

Possibly. Rules vary significantly between councils, and depend on how long the container will stay, what you're using it for, and whether it's visible from the street.

Approval or a development application is more likely to be required where the container is:

• Placed permanently or long-term;
• Converted into a habitable space, office or dwelling;
• Visible from a public road;
• Placed on a road, nature strip, footpath or public land (a council permit and traffic management are typically required).

Obtaining any necessary approval is your responsibility. ECS doesn't apply for permits on your behalf, and we're not liable for fines or removal orders arising from placement without approval.

The container needs firm, level ground that won't subside. Concrete, compacted gravel, road base or railway sleepers under the corner castings all work well.

Placing a container on soft, uneven or sloping ground can cause it to twist or rack — which distorts the frame and can jam the doors permanently. Damage caused by unsuitable ground is not covered.

Leaving a small gap under the container for airflow helps reduce condensation and slows corrosion on the underside.

Once the container is placed and the truck departs, repositioning requires a separate paid job — a return visit with the right equipment.

Be certain of the placement before the driver leaves. Mark the position clearly, check the door swing direction, and confirm access for whatever you'll be putting inside.

We modify containers to specification, including:

• Personnel doors, roller doors and windows
• Ventilation and insulation
• Electrical fit-outs, lighting and power points
• Shelving, racking and internal partitions
• Site offices and cabins
• Container pools
• Repainting to your colour

Work begins once you approve the specification in writing and we receive the deposit. Browse our modified containers for examples.

No. Custom-modified containers are made to your order and are not returnable for change of mind. This includes any unit where modification work has commenced, even if incomplete.

Your rights are unaffected if the modified container is faulty or the workmanship isn't of acceptable quality — in that case the Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply in full. See our Return Policy.

Often not. Cutting doors or windows into a container can compromise its structural certification, and modified units may lose their Cargo Worthy status and CSC plate.

If you intend to ship the container by sea after modification, tell us before work begins so we can advise what's possible while retaining certification.

Electrical, plumbing and structural work may require certification, engineering sign-off, or council approval in your jurisdiction — particularly for habitable conversions.

Obtaining these is your responsibility unless we've expressly agreed otherwise in writing. Ask us and we'll tell you what's typically required for the work you're planning.

Yes. We export from Australia to Europe, the United States, Canada and countries across Asia. Our position minutes from Port Botany means we can load and dispatch efficiently.

We arrange the shipping line booking, delivery to the port of departure, Australian export documentation and customs clearance, and marine insurance where requested.

Incoterms® define exactly where our responsibility ends and yours begins. Every export Quote specifies one. The common ones we trade on:

• EXW (Ex Works) — we make the container available at our yard. Everything after that is yours.
• FOB (Free On Board) — we handle transport to the port, export clearance and loading onto the vessel.
• CFR (Cost & Freight) — as FOB, plus sea freight to your destination port.
• CIF (Cost, Insurance & Freight) — as CFR, plus marine insurance to the destination port.

Unsure which suits you? Ask us and we'll explain the practical cost and risk difference for your destination.

Generally no. Containers exported from Australia may be treated as a GST-free supply where the statutory conditions are met — including that the container is exported within 60 days and isn't used or altered in Australia first.

However, GST-free does not mean tax-free. You'll be liable for import duties, taxes and charges in your own country. See our Sales Tax & GST Policy.

Import charges are payable by you, aren't included in our invoice, and are outside our control. Depending on destination they may include customs duty, import VAT or GST, customs brokerage, quarantine and inspection fees, and port and terminal handling charges.

You may also incur demurrage and detention if the container isn't cleared promptly at the destination port.

Transit times are set by shipping lines, not by us, and vary by route, vessel and season. Port congestion, vessel rollovers and schedule changes are all outside our control.

Any transit estimate we give is indicative only. We'll keep you updated on the booking and provide documentation as it becomes available.

Generally no. Once a container is loaded for export or has departed an Australian port, return freight usually exceeds the value of the container itself.

If a genuine fault is identified after arrival, we'll work with you in good faith on a practical remedy — a repair contribution, partial refund or price adjustment — rather than physical return. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law are not affected.

We accept credit and debit cards through our secure checkout, bank transfer (EFT), international wire transfer for export orders, and cryptocurrency (USDT).

Bank transfer is preferred for larger domestic orders and all export transactions. Full details are on our Payment Policy.

A deposit of 30% of the order value reserves your container, commences any modification work, and allows us to book freight.

The balance is payable in full three (3) business days before the scheduled delivery, collection or vessel loading date. Delivery is scheduled only once the full balance has cleared.

It depends on when and why the order is cancelled:

• You cancel before stock is reserved, work begins or freight is booked — refunded in full.
• You cancel after stock is reserved, work has begun or freight is booked — not refundable, because those costs are incurred on your behalf.
• We cancel (stock unavailable, pricing error, export prohibited) — refunded in full.
• Goods are faulty or not as described — refunded; your Australian Consumer Law rights apply.

Refunds on cryptocurrency orders are issued in Australian Dollars by bank transfer, at the AUD value recorded on your invoice at the time payment was received.

We don't refund in cryptocurrency, and we don't refund the market value at the date of refund. You bear the risk of any change in valuation between payment and refund. Network fees and exchange spreads aren't refundable.

You'll need to provide bank account details in your name to receive the refund.

Title passes to you once payment has been received in full and cleared — not before, even if the container is reserved or modified.

Risk passes separately: when the container is loaded onto your vehicle at our yard, when it's delivered to your site, or at the point set by the agreed Incoterm for export orders.

Insure the container from the moment risk passes to you.