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Storing a tradesperson’s equipment: the checklist
Updated 17 October 2026 · 5-minute read
The garage is overflowing, the van doubles as a warehouse, and the commercial premises cost too much for what they hold. A drive-up container is often the simplest answer. Here is how to choose one, how to organise it and what it can hold.
1. List what is sitting in the van
Count in pallets and linear metres rather than m²: a loaded pallet (120 × 80 × 150 cm) is 1.5 m³, a shelving unit 1 m wide and 2 m high holds 1 m³ of usable space, a dismantled mobile scaffold tower takes 0.8 m³. A 7 m² half container takes one pallet plus two shelving units and leaves room to move around; a 20 ft container takes two to three pallets plus the heavy tools.
2. Check what is allowed
Yes
- Power tools and hand tools
- Dry materials: sheet materials, tiles, wood flooring, insulation, cables, pipework
- Scaffolding, ladders, props, cement mixer
- Stock of parts, consumables, PPE
- Archives, job files, samples
No
- Fuel and jerrycans, gas bottles, charged blowtorches
- Paints, solvents, adhesives, aerosols in quantity, products classed as hazardous
- Loose lithium batteries, site waste
- Any activity in the unit: no workshop, no cutting
The full list is in the terms and conditions. If you are unsure about a product, ask us before bringing it in.
3. Organise the container like a small shop
- Metal shelving along both walls (40 to 60 cm deep), with a 1 m central aisle: you can reach everything without moving anything.
- Heavy at the bottom, frequent at the front: what you grab every morning near the door, reserve stock at the back.
- Labelled bins by job or by type of part; a photo of the layout on your phone saves wasted trips.
- Pallets or battens on the floor for materials, never straight on the floor or against the wall (5 cm air gap, see the damp guide).
- A moisture absorber, to be replaced every two to three months, especially for screws, fixings and tools.
4. Compare with renting premises
| Box Flambère 20 ft container | Small business unit (30 m²) in west Toulouse | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly rent | Published early 2027 | Depends on the local market, excluding service charges and property tax |
| Commitment | Monthly (1-month minimum), 15 days’ notice | French 9-year commercial lease (‘3-6-9’) or short-term lease of 1 to 3 years |
| Security deposit, fees | €0 | Often 2 to 3 months’ rent + agency fees |
| Access | 24/7, van at the door | Depends on the lease and the area |
| Taxes and maintenance | Included | Property tax (taxe foncière), premises insurance and maintenance paid by the tenant |
| Room to grow | A second container when you need it | Moving premises |
5. Think about tax
The container rent is a deductible expense, invoiced excluding VAT, with the VAT recoverable. You receive an invoice every month in your customer area, ready to pass on to your accountant. There is no property tax for you to pay on the container; for the CFE (local business tax) and the exact accounting treatment of this off-site storage, ask your accountant for advice.