Office storage is the quiet bargain of the used furniture market. A steel lateral file does not have a mesh back that sags or foam that breaks down. When a corporate office is decommissioned, its cabinets usually leave the building in solid working order, often with only light cosmetic wear. Buying used office storage cabinets means paying for the steel and the drawer slides, not for a showroom markup.
This page walks through the main types of business storage, how to choose between them, what to check on any used cabinet, and how to budget delivery.
The main types of office storage
Lateral files
Wide, shallow drawers that hold letter or legal folders side to side or front to back. Two-drawer laterals fit under windows and double as a credenza or printer stand. Three, four and five-drawer units line walls in file rooms. They are the most common storage piece in corporate liquidations.
Vertical files
Narrow and deep, with drawers that pull straight out. They take less wall width than laterals but need more clearance in front. They work well in narrow rooms and beside desks.
Storage cabinets and towers
Doors instead of drawers, with adjustable shelves. Use them for supplies, binders, marketing materials and anything that is not a hanging folder. Some include a wardrobe section with a coat rod.
Pedestals
Small drawer units that sit under or beside a desk, either mobile on casters or fixed. They give each person a locking drawer and file space without a separate cabinet.
Personal lockers and shelving
Useful for hoteling and shared-desk offices where people need a place to keep a bag and a laptop. Availability varies more than filing storage.
Choosing the right storage
| Storage type | Footprint | Holds | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lateral file | Wide, shallow | Hanging folders, letter or legal | Tall units need anchoring to prevent tipping |
| Vertical file | Narrow, deep | Hanging folders, front to back | Needs clear aisle depth for drawer extension |
| Storage cabinet | Medium, tall | Supplies, binders, boxes | Shelf clips are often lost in moves |
| Mobile pedestal | Small | Personal items, a few files | Check casters and that it fits under your desk |
| Fixed pedestal | Small | Personal items, a few files | Must match your worksurface mounting |
Brand names you may see in storage include Steelcase, Herman Miller, Haworth, Knoll, Allsteel, Teknion, Kimball and AIS. Office Station sells these as an independent reseller, not an authorized dealer.
Used storage cabinet checklist
Run through these checks on any used cabinet, whether you are buying one or fifty.
- Drawer slides. Pull every drawer to full extension. It should glide without grinding, dropping or sticking.
- Interlock. On multi-drawer files, open one drawer and try another. A working interlock blocks the second drawer.
- Locks and keys. Test the lock if a key is present. If not, note whether the lock core is removable and replaceable.
- Hanging file rails. Confirm the rails or bars are present and set for letter or legal, whichever you use.
- Case squareness. A dented or twisted case causes drawers to rub. Look along the top edge for bowing.
- Shelves and clips. On cabinets with doors, count the shelves and clips and check that doors close flush.
- Finish. Scratches on painted steel are cosmetic, but rust spots near the base can signal water exposure.
- Casters. On mobile pedestals, confirm all casters roll and any locking casters hold.
Every cabinet is assigned a condition grade: A like new, B very good, or C good. File rooms and back-of-house storage are great places to save with Grade C, where visible wear does not matter and function is what counts.
Ask about current storage inventory
Pairing storage with workstations
Storage decisions go faster when they are part of the whole floor plan. A two-drawer lateral at the end of a cubicle run creates a shared surface for printers. Pedestals under each worksurface reduce the need for wall files entirely. Free space planning is available, so you can lay out workstations and storage together.
For reference, a 6x6 workstation, furniture only, runs $615 in liquidation grade, $1,245 remanufactured and $1,920 new, excluding electrical, delivery and installation. Liquidation-grade stock can be ready in as little as 72 hours. Build a layout with the used cubicle quote builder, or see the guide to buying used office furniture for how grades and lead times compare.
Delivery
Storage prices exclude delivery. In Greater Phoenix, delivery is $195 in the central zone and $295 across the wider metro. Elsewhere, freight is quoted per project. Heavy steel files are worth delivering with a crew rather than moving yourself, especially when stairs or tight corridors are involved.
Clearing out a file room
If your organization is going paperless, consolidating or moving, your existing storage has resale value. Office Station provides office decommissioning with itemized inventory, nights and weekends crews, freight elevator and dock coordination, and e-waste handling with certificates of data destruction. The written net offer is resale value minus removal cost, delivered within 5 business days of the walkthrough.
Questions about a specific cabinet type or quantity? Email hello@officestation.com.
Average market rate Prices subject to availability and project pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Do used filing cabinets come with keys?
Not always. Keys are easy to lose during a move. Ask about keys for any locking cabinet before you buy. Many commercial cabinets use replaceable lock cores, so a missing key is usually a manageable fix rather than a reason to pass.
Is a lateral file or a vertical file better?
Lateral files are wider and shallower, so they fit along walls and under windows and double as a surface. Vertical files are narrow and deep, so they suit tight spots with room to pull the drawer straight out. Choose based on the wall space you have and the aisle depth in front of it.
Will used storage match my existing furniture?
Corporate storage is often bought in neutral finishes like black, putty, gray and silver, which pair with most workstations. If exact matching matters, send a photo or the finish name of what you have and we will check what is available.
Do manufacturer warranties apply to used storage cabinets?
Generally no. Office Station is an independent reseller, not an authorized dealer, and manufacturer warranties usually do not transfer to pre-owned furniture. Each cabinet is condition graded so you know what you are buying.
What happens to files left in cabinets during a decommission?
Clients should remove records before the crew arrives, and we coordinate the timing with you. Electronic devices go through our e-waste process with certificates of data destruction, and paper records remain your responsibility to retain or shred.
