Will It All Fit? What Actually Goes Into a 5x8, 8x12, 8x16, and 8x20

"What size do I need?" is the question we answer most, and dimensions are almost never a useful reply. Nobody thinks in square feet. People think in couches, mattresses, and how many trips it took last time.

So instead of a chart, here's what we actually watch go into each container — real loads from real Southern California jobs. Find the one closest to your pile.

If you want the technical rundown on footprints and door clearances, our storage container sizes guide covers that. This one is about stuff.

The 5x8: One Room, or One Project

Think of the 5x8 as a large walk-in closet you can park.

A typical 5x8 load: a queen mattress and frame, a dresser, two nightstands, a loveseat or a couple of armchairs, a TV, eight to twelve medium boxes, and a bike or two. That's a studio apartment, or one bedroom cleared out for new flooring.

It's also the size most decluttering projects need. Nobody clearing a garage in Inglewood needs a 40-foot box — they need a place to put the holiday bins and the treadmill for six weeks.

Right for: studios, single rooms, garage clear-outs, seasonal gear, a small business's off-season stock.

The 8x12: A One-Bedroom, Comfortably

Add three feet of width and four of length and the math changes a lot — you can now stand full-size furniture upright and still walk a lane down the middle.

A typical 8x12 load: a full living room set (sofa, chair, coffee table, TV stand), a complete bedroom, a small dining table with four chairs, a washer and dryer, and 20 to 30 boxes.

This is the size we send to most one-bedroom apartment moves on the Westside and in Long Beach, and to kitchen remodels where the cabinets, the island, and the appliances all need to be somewhere for six weeks.

Right for: one-bedroom homes, kitchen and bath remodels, apartment-to-apartment moves, mid-size office relocations.

The 8x16: The One Most People Need

Two-thirds of our residential rentals are 8x16s, and it's the size we discount — 50% off the first month, on this size only.

A typical 8x16 load: the full contents of a two- or three-bedroom house. Sectional, dining set for six, two to three bedrooms of furniture, a full-size refrigerator, washer and dryer, patio furniture, tools and yard equipment, and 50 to 70 boxes.

On the job-site side, an 8x16 swallows a framing crew's tools, materials, and a job box with room to work inside it.

The honest reason we push this size: the number one complaint in portable storage is running out of room on loading day with a truck you no longer have. The gap between an 8x12 and an 8x16 is $80 a month at your place. Running short costs a second rental and a second day.

Right for: 2–3 bedroom homes, whole-home renovations, staging a house for sale, contractor job sites, most business overflow.

The 8x20: Whole House, Nothing Left Behind

The 8x20 is for the four-bedroom in Torrance with a garage that's been filling up since 2009.

A typical 8x20 load: everything in the 8x16 list, plus a second living area, a home gym or piano, a workshop's worth of tools, and the garage. Roughly 90 to 110 boxes alongside the furniture.

Commercially, it's the size for a restaurant build-out, a retailer's seasonal inventory, or a contractor staging materials for a multi-month project.

Right for: 4+ bedroom homes, estate cleanouts, large commercial projects, anything involving a full garage.

Three Rules That Beat Any Size Chart

• Count furniture, not boxes. Boxes stack and fill gaps. It's the sofa, the mattresses, and the appliances that set the size.
• Measure the garage, not the house. The garage is always more than people estimate, and it's always the last thing loaded.
• When you're between two sizes, take the bigger one. Especially if the bigger one is the 8x16.

Packing method matters too — a well-loaded container holds noticeably more than one filled in a hurry. Our guide on how to pack a storage container is worth ten minutes before load day.

Still Not Sure? That's a 60-Second Phone Call

Tell us the number of bedrooms, whether the garage is coming, and the two or three biggest items. We size hundreds of these a month across the South Bay and the rest of Southern California, and we'll tell you the size we'd actually send — including when the smaller, cheaper one is enough.

Call 310-515-9122 and a real person answers, or get a quote online. Next-day delivery across LA, Orange, Riverside, and Ventura Counties.