Shipping containers Joondalup and Wanneroo.

Established suburbs: driveways, trees and the verge

In Duncraig, Kingsley, Greenwood and Padbury, blocks are mid-sized, with the house set back behind a front lawn and a driveway to a double garage. That usually leaves room for a 20ft along the driveway or across the front setback. The limits are mature verge trees overhanging the crossover and low eaves near the garage, since a tilt-tray raises its deck steeply as the container slides off.

If the verge is the only option, the City of Joondalup expects to be asked about anything placed on it. Give them the size and the dates. Keep the footpath clear and keep the container off any reticulation running under the lawn.

Wangara, Neerabup and business storage

Wangara is the corridor’s main industrial and trade area, packed with trade suppliers, workshops and small warehouse units. Neerabup, further north, has larger industrial lots. In a strata industrial complex, both the strata company and the landlord have a say about containers in shared yards and car bays, so check before ordering.

Businesses moving stock or tools in and out every day want the doors facing where the forklift or ute will work, with a clear apron in front. Each door is a little over a metre wide, so allow at least that much clear space in front of the door end, and plan an aisle inside if the container will be packed deep.

Building in Alkimos, Eglinton and Yanchep

The northern coastal estates are one long construction zone, with builders, landscapers and pool installers working lot after lot. A site container in the wrong place holds up the next trade. Agree the position with the builder: clear of the slab, the crossover and the pool dig, and reachable by the truck once the site is fenced.

The ground up here is coastal sand, often with limestone close to the surface. Sand shifts under concentrated loads, so set solid pads under the corners. Where limestone is exposed, check the spot is reasonably flat, because an uneven base can twist the frame enough that the doors will not close cleanly.

Market gardens and rural-residential lots

Around Wanneroo, Carabooda, Pinjar and Mariginiup there are market gardens, nurseries and larger rural-residential blocks. These businesses use containers for packing materials, irrigation parts, chemicals and small machinery. Access is often along an unsealed track, and a loaded truck can bog in loose sand, particularly where the track has been churned up by other vehicles. Tell us the track surface and send photos from the gate.

If you are storing fertiliser or garden chemicals, ask whether a dangerous-goods container suits the job, and check storage requirements with your supplier or safety adviser.

Clubs and events around Joondalup

Sporting clubs, school events and community festivals around the city centre and the coastal reserves use containers for equipment between seasons. On council reserves the City’s parks team generally needs to agree where a container sits and how the truck crosses the grass. Mention any irrigation lines in the reserve; a truck wheel on a sprinkler head is an easy way to lose a club’s goodwill with the council.

For a short hire, give us the dates you are aiming for. Delivery is confirmed when you order, based on stock at the Fremantle depot and the truck your site needs.

Coastal suburbs from Hillarys to Burns Beach

Closer to the ocean, in Hillarys, Sorrento, Mullaloo, Ocean Reef and Burns Beach, lots are often smaller and homes are built out towards the setbacks, with a double garage taking most of the frontage. Coastal streets also fill with parked cars on summer weekends, when beachgoers take every kerb. Tell us if the truck will need parking cleared to line up.

Salt air off the coast works on steel, so a container staying more than a season is worth checking now and then. Look over the seals and hinges, and touch up any chips in the paint before rust starts.

What to send with your enquiry

Your suburb and which council covers it, the driveway or track surface, and photos of the verge, crossover and placement spot. For a building site, add the lot number and the builder’s contact.