Oops! Don’t Do It Again! Avoid These Blunders When Building a Self-Storage Project

If you’ve ever built a self-storage facility, you may have felt afterward that there were things you could have (should have) done differently. This happens to new and even seasoned developers. Sometimes you make small, correctable errors. Other times, you make a big mistake that can have a long-lasting impact on facility success.

The good news is many self-storage building blunders can be avoided with proper planning. Following is a rundown of faux pas I see on a variety of projects, plus how to avoid them. This advice may prevent you from derailing your next development or adding unnecessary costs.

Blooper 1: Choosing the Wrong Parcel

Selecting a parcel for your self-storage development is one of the most important decisions you’ll make—and a very expensive one if you choose poorly. Buying land that requires a zoning change or conditional-use permit isn’t exactly a mistake, but underestimating the time, money and risk of denial is.

The process can take months or even years and may ultimately fail. Conditional-use permits may take multiple hearings, each delayed by a public notice. If your property requires any wetland remediation or even just a new wetland delineation, this could add months to the process. If you’re foolish enough to buy the land before rezoning, you could be stuck with property on which you can’t build.

Another common mistake is to buy land because its cheap or attempt to use land you already own, even if it doesn’t have the right income potential. Most of costs of developing a self-storage facility (concrete, steel and paving, for example) are the same regardless of location. Land that’s closer to a residential area or on a high-traffic road might cost more but will often provide a better return on investment, as it’ll command higher rents and fill quicker than a site that’s hidden away.

Blooper 2: Investing in Design Work Before You Own the Land

Buying land that requires rezoning or a conditional-use permit before you know for certain that you can get the proper approvals is like putting the cart before the horse. Similarly, you shouldn’t spend money on self-storage design planning until you at least have your property under contract.

The purchase should include a long due-diligence process—ideally a year. As a buyer, you may need to offer a larger, nonrefundable down payment to sweeten the deal and get the seller to agree to the time you require. Keep in mind, they’re paying the property taxes while you work on approvals.

Blooper 3: Neglecting to Hire the Necessary Professionals

Development success hinges upon hiring the right people to help you plan and build your self-storage project. For example, you’ll nearly always need a surveyor and civil engineer to provide a grading plan and design the stormwater systems. If you’re developing a multi-story structure or a single-story building with hallways, you’ll also need an architect to do things like design bathrooms, document egress paths and specify façade materials. They’ll also help coordinate submittals to your city. You might also need a mechanical engineer to design your HVAC and electrical systems.

Without these professionals, getting permitted may be impossible. Grading contractors won’t have plans to work from, building suppliers won’t have accurate site details to guide building design, and bankers won’t have the complete picture they need to fund your project. Not having the right team causes delays and rework.

Blooper 4: Failing to Design for Weather Extremes

In Northern states, it’s important to think about snow and ice while designing a self-storage facility. You need to avoid roof layouts that drop water on the northern face of any building with doors. You need to provide a place for plowed snow so it isn’t in anyone’s way and doesn’t impede drainage in the spring.

Rain and flooding can also be a problem if your site isn’t designed well. During construction, make sure your ditches, storm-sewer grates, driveway grading and culverts are correctly installed. Afterward, make sure nothing gets clogged. Gutters are notorious for this and will force water into storage units. If your site has trees near the buildings, it’s best to avoid gutters entirely.

Wind is an additional factor to consider. Developers with a laser focus on cost sometimes overlook wind ratings, especially if they’re buying self-storage doors independently of their buildings. Your stamped permit plans will state the wind rating on the cover page. Your doors should meet or exceed it.

Blooper 5: Forgetting About Building Codes

Early in your self-storage development process, consult with your local fire marshal or building department to determine if your self-storage project will require sprinklers, firewalls or additional fire hydrants. Fire-suppression and alarm systems can add a significant cost to your project, especially if you need to upgrade water service to the property. Your metal-building supplier can give you guidance based on what they normally see in your area, but requirements can vary greatly from one city to the next. They may also change depending on which code version is followed in your region.

One of the most common reasons for permitting delays in self-storage projects is failure to add units and other features that comply with the American With Disabilities Act (ADA). These requirements will vary by state. In areas with stringent guidelines, it’s important to show ADA-compliant parking and access paths to storage units on your civil engineer’s site plans. Check with your city to understand what’s expected.

Blooper 6: Failing to Plan for Upgrades

Not every self-storage site will have a management office, gate or kiosk during the first phase. If you think you might add them in the future, you must leave proper space, parking and utilities. Once your site is paved and rented, adding underground wiring is difficult.

Think through the possibilities, including whether you might buy adjoining land and grow the business. Laying conduit to support your possible expansion is much easier to do as part of your initial grading. Plan separate conduits for power and data and include a tracer wire so these can be found if or when you need them.

Blooper 7: Overbuilding the Site

If you build too many self-storage units for your market, lease-up will be slow and rates may become depressed or overly discounted. Thorough research of your competitors can prevent this problem. Feasibility consultants or services specializing in construction data can also help you make an informed decision. Also, contact your building department to inquire about open permits and identify other storage projects in the pipeline.

Building a site in phases is another way to reduce the risk of overbuilding. The trick is to find the sweet spot: Each phase brings the expense and hassle of permitting and lending, so you want to build big enough for it to be worth your while but small enough to accommodate your own risk tolerance.

This is just a short list of mistakes that are often made when developing a self-storage facility. The key to avoiding them is educating yourself and working with a great team of professionals. Armed with knowledge and their guidance, you can sidestep these common errors.

Steve Hajewski is regional sales manager for Trachte Building Systems, which designs, manufactures and erects a full line of pre-engineered and customized steel self-storage systems, including single- and multi-story, portable storage, interior partition and corridor, and canopy boat/RV. He’s also a partner of three facilities in Wisconsin and a frequent contributor on Self-Storage Talk, the industry's largest online community. For more information, call 800.356.5824 or email [email protected].

About the Author

Steve Hajewski

Regional Sales Manager, Trachte Building Systems

See more from Steve Hajewski

Late-Breaking Articles

Tenant Insurance/Protection
Tenant-Protection Plans for Self-Storage: What They Are, Features and Benefits, and the Keys to Program Success
Feb 22, 2026
|
4 Min Read
Marketing
Control the Narrative: DIY Marketing to Help You Tell Your Self-Storage Facility Story and Connect With Customers
Feb 21, 2026
|
7 Min Read
Revenue Management
ISS BLOG – Self-Storage Pricing Practices Under Scrutiny: Are the ECRI Chickens Coming Home to Roost?
Feb 20, 2026
|
5 Min Read
Charity and Fundraising
NationWide Self Storage of Canada Raises More Than $11K for Covenant House Vancouver
Feb 20, 2026
|
1 Min Read