Resources / FAQ
The Honest FAQ.
The actual questions we get in our inbox every week, with the answers we’d give over a cup of coffee. If yours isn’t here, email us — we’ll add it for the next person.
Tell us what you need
Same form on every page. Same human inbox. We answer every inquiry — promise.
How much is a used IBC tote?
Used 275-gallon caged composite IBCs from IBC Denver run between $79 and $189 depending on grade (A, B or C) and reconditioning level. Reconditioned, hot-washed and certified totes start at $189. New totes start around $385. Volume discounts kick in at 10+ totes.
Do you ship outside Colorado?
Yes — we serve 38 lower-48 states with a mix of our own fleet and a vetted broker network. Our home regions (the Mountain West and Southwest) get same-week service. The Northeast and Plains states are slower but available.
Are reconditioned IBC totes food-safe?
Yes, when documented. Our food-grade reconditioning process includes a 165°F caustic hot-wash, triple potable-water rinse, food-spec sanitization, and a Certificate of Conformance. The tote ships with a one-page Birth Certificate listing prior contents and inspector name.
Why don’t you have a phone number?
Two reasons. First, technical quotes for tanks should be in writing so nothing gets misheard. Second, phones are how robocallers find small companies and we’re too small to staff a call screener. We answer every email by hand, usually inside one business day.
How does the buy-back program work?
Email us a count of empty totes, your address, and a note on what they last contained. We quote per-tote pricing and freight in writing. If you accept, we arrange a free pickup, you forklift the totes onto our truck, and we ACH-pay you within seven days. Or take 15% extra in store credit.
What can I store in an IBC?
Almost any non-pressurized, non-volatile liquid up to about 1.9 specific gravity — water, fertilizer, soap, syrup, edible oil, glycerin, antifreeze, latex emulsions, food concentrates and most industrial liquids. Avoid concentrated oxidizers, strong solvents, gasoline, and anything that needs UN-rated hazmat packaging.
Can I stack filled IBC totes?
Yes — 275 and 330-gallon caged composite totes are rated for two-high stacking when filled, provided the bottom tote is on a level surface and the top tote is centered on the bottom one. Above 330 gallons, stack single-layer only.
How long does an IBC tote last?
A well-cared-for caged composite IBC will live 8 to 12 years and survive 3 to 5 hot-wash reconditioning cycles. Stainless IBCs routinely last 25 to 30 years. The pallet is usually the first thing to go on a wood-pallet tote — that’s why we offer plastic and composite swap-outs.
Do you recycle dead totes?
Yes. Our end-of-life recycling service strips cages for scrap steel, granulates HDPE bottles into pellet, refurbishes pallets if reusable (or grinds them for mulch), and issues a Certificate of Recycling for every tote that goes through. Zero landfill.
Can I modify an IBC?
Yes — we have a custom modifications bay that does cuts, welded fittings, valve swaps, sight gauges, heaters, branding wraps, and structural changes. We won’t modify totes for pressurized service or hazardous waste storage.
What sizes do you carry?
In caged composite: 120, 180, 275, 330, 360, 450 and 550 gallon. In stainless: 110, 180, 350, 550 and 793 gallon. Almost everyone wants the 275, and that’s usually the right answer.
How fast is reconditioning turnaround?
Three business days from intake to ship for standard orders. Larger batches (50+ totes) run on a 7–10 day cadence. Rush jobs are sometimes possible — ask in your inquiry email.
Where are you located?
2498 W 2nd Avenue, Denver, CO 80223 — a stone’s throw from the South Platte and right in the middle of the Front Range industrial corridor. Reconditioning bays, the team, and the office cat all live on site.
What hours are you open?
Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain Time. Closed weekends so the team can rest. Email is monitored slightly outside those hours but we don’t guarantee replies overnight.
How do I pay?
Credit card for orders under $5,000. ACH bank transfer for anything larger. We invoice on Net-30 for established customers. We don’t accept crypto, and we will gently push back on personal checks for first-time orders.
Can I tour your facility?
Yes — walk-ins are welcome any weekday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mountain Time. If you want a guided tour of the reconditioning bay or to inspect specific totes, email us the day before so we can have things ready. We have hosted customer audits, third-party sustainability certifiers, and one informal FDA visit. We are happy to walk you through the operation.
Do you offer a warranty on your totes?
Reconditioned totes carry a 60-day warranty against leak failures and other defects we should have caught at inspection. Used totes (Grade A, B, C) are sold as-is but we have an unwritten "no questions asked" return policy if a tote leaks on arrival. New totes from our partner manufacturer carry a one-year warranty against material defects. Stainless tanks are sold with a 90-day inspection warranty.
What if my purchasing department needs special documentation?
Tell us in the inquiry. We can provide W-9 forms, certificates of insurance, vendor onboarding paperwork, ISO certifications (we do not hold them but we can attest to compliance with the relevant ASTM standards), wash logs, chain-of-custody records, and Certificates of Recycling. We have responded to onboarding requests from Fortune 500 companies and from one-person construction outfits with the same patience and the same documentation depth.
How do I know which size tote to order?
For most applications, the answer is 275-gallon caged composite. About 70% of our orders are 275s. The 330-gallon size is the right answer when you need 20% more volume in the same footprint and you can handle the extra height and weight. Above 330, you should be considering whether a fixed tank installation would be more economical. Below 275, drums are usually the better answer.
Do you do international shipping?
No. We are domestic-only — lower 48 states. Cross-border shipping to Canada or Mexico requires customs paperwork and bonded freight that we do not currently handle. If you need international shipping, we can refer you to a freight forwarder who works with bulk packaging.
What happens if my tote arrives damaged?
Photograph the damage immediately, before unloading if possible, and email us. We will arrange a replacement at our cost. Damage in transit is rare (about 1 in 600 shipments) but it happens. We carry freight insurance on every shipment we route, so the cost of replacement is covered without an argument.
Can you provide samples before I commit to a large order?
Yes. For orders over 50 totes, we will ship you a single sample tote at our cost so you can inspect, test, and confirm the spec before placing the full order. The sample is the same grade and condition as the production order would be.
Do you have any totes in stock right now or is everything built to order?
We have hundreds of used and reconditioned totes in stock at our Denver yard at any given time, ready to ship. Stainless inventory is smaller (typically 12-30 units in stock). New totes are built to order from our partner manufacturer with about 18 days of lead time. Custom modifications are scheduled into the bay separately and run 10-14 business days.
What is the most unusual order you have ever filled?
Probably the 240-tote bulk order from a fertilizer co-op in southeastern Colorado that wanted every tote painted bright orange and stamped with their logo. We executed that across three weeks with three trailer drops and a custom paint partner. A close second was the saltwater shrimp tank conversion for a customer in New Mexico — we have done five of those, each one slightly different.
Question not answered above?
Send it to us in writing through the form on this page. We answer every email by hand inside one business day, and if your question is interesting enough we will add it to this FAQ for the next person who asks. Most of the entries above started life as a customer question, and several were emails we received the same week we published.
Things we tend to get asked over email that have not yet made the FAQ: very specific chemistry compatibility questions ("can I store sodium thiosulfate at 32% in a 304 stainless?"), pricing questions about specific volumes ("what would 47 reconditioned 275s shipped to Reno cost?"), buy-back inquiries from facilities clearing out a back lot, and the occasional aspirational question from a hobbyist who has just discovered IBC totes and wants to know if they should buy six. The answer to almost all of these is "send us a message and we will tell you in writing."
Common email patterns we see
- The first-time inquiry — usually 4-6 sentences asking about a specific application. We answer with a quote, two or three options, photos, and a freight number. Average reply time: 38 minutes.
- The rush request — "I need 12 totes by Friday." We tell them honestly whether we can hit the deadline. We say no about half the time, and the customers who get a "no" appreciate the honesty more than the customers who get a "yes" but a missed deadline.
- The chemistry question — usually a sentence or two asking whether a specific content is compatible with a specific tote material. We answer in writing with the relevant compatibility data and our recommendation.
- The buy-back inquiry — a few sentences and a count of empty totes. We respond with a per-tote price, freight options, and a pickup window.
- The "I have a weird project" email — these are our favorite kind of email and we answer them with the most enthusiasm. They usually become custom modifications jobs and they almost always become long-term customer relationships.