# Self-Storage Facilities

## Facility Types

### By Construction
| Type | Description | Cost |
|------|-------------|------|
| Single-story drive-up | Ground level, exterior access | $ |
| Multi-story | Interior corridors, elevator | $$$ |
| Climate-controlled | HVAC, interior | $$$$ |
| Conversion | Adapted from existing building | $$ |
| Portable/Container | Delivered to customer | $ |

### By Location
| Type | Characteristics |
|------|-----------------|
| Urban/Infill | Multi-story, climate, limited land |
| Suburban | Mix of types, larger sites |
| Rural | Drive-up, large sites |
| Mixed-use | Retail/office ground floor |

---

## Unit Mix

### Typical Unit Sizes
| Size | Dimensions | Comparable |
|------|------------|------------|
| 5' × 5' | 25 SF | Closet |
| 5' × 10' | 50 SF | Walk-in closet |
| 10' × 10' | 100 SF | Half garage |
| 10' × 15' | 150 SF | Large bedroom |
| 10' × 20' | 200 SF | 1-car garage |
| 10' × 25' | 250 SF | 1.5-car garage |
| 10' × 30' | 300 SF | 2-car garage |

### Unit Mix Targets
| Size Range | % of Units | % of Revenue |
|------------|------------|--------------|
| Small (< 75 SF) | 20-30% | 15-20% |
| Medium (75-150 SF) | 40-50% | 40-50% |
| Large (150+ SF) | 20-30% | 30-40% |

### Climate-Controlled Mix
| Market | Climate-Controlled % |
|--------|---------------------|
| Southern US | 40-60% |
| Northern US | 25-40% |
| Coastal/Humid | 50-70% |
| Desert/Dry | 20-30% |

---

## Site Planning

### Site Size Requirements
| Net Rentable SF | Site Size (Acres) |
|-----------------|-------------------|
| 30,000 | 1.5-2.0 |
| 50,000 | 2.5-3.5 |
| 75,000 | 3.5-5.0 |
| 100,000 | 5.0-7.0 |

### Coverage and FAR
| Type | Coverage | FAR |
|------|----------|-----|
| Single-story | 40-50% | 0.4-0.5 |
| Multi-story | 50-70% | 1.5-3.0 |
| Urban | 80-100% | 2.0-5.0 |

### Drive Aisle Widths
| Configuration | Width |
|---------------|-------|
| One-way | 12'-15' |
| Two-way | 22'-26' |
| With backing | 26'-30' |
| Fire lane | 20' minimum |

### Building Setbacks
| Element | Typical |
|---------|---------|
| Drive-up buildings | 30'-50' from street |
| Office/retail | 15'-25' from street |
| Perimeter fence | 5'-10' from property line |

---

## Building Design

### Single-Story Drive-Up
| Element | Standard |
|---------|----------|
| Building width | 40'-60' |
| Building length | 100'-300' |
| Clear height | 8'-10' |
| Door width | 3'-9' (small) to 10' (large) |
| Door height | 7'-8' |
| Roof pitch | Low slope or gable |

### Multi-Story
| Element | Standard |
|---------|----------|
| Floor-to-floor | 9'-10' |
| Clear height | 8'-9' |
| Corridor width | 5'-6' |
| Elevator | 5,000 lb capacity |
| Stairs | 44" minimum |

### Column Spacing
| Configuration | Spacing |
|---------------|---------|
| Single-loaded | 10' × 25' |
| Double-loaded | 10' × 50' |
| Triple-loaded | 10' × 75' |

### Construction Types
| System | Application |
|--------|-------------|
| Pre-engineered metal | Single-story, cost-effective |
| Tilt-up concrete | Multi-story, fire rating |
| CMU | Multi-story, urban |
| Steel frame | Multi-story, conversions |

---

## Unit Construction

### Partitions
| Material | Use |
|----------|-----|
| Corrugated metal | Standard interior |
| CMU | Fire separation |
| Chain link | Visibility units |
| Gypsum board | Climate-controlled |

### Doors
| Type | Width | Application |
|------|-------|-------------|
| Roll-up (small) | 3'-4' | Interior units |
| Roll-up (large) | 8'-10' | Drive-up |
| Swing door | 3'-4' | Climate-controlled |
| Sectional | 8'-10' | Commercial |

### Door Heights
| Type | Height |
|------|--------|
| Standard | 7' |
| Drive-up | 8' |
| RV/Boat | 12'-14' |

### Flooring
| Type | Application |
|------|-------------|
| Concrete slab | Standard |
| Sealed concrete | Climate-controlled |
| Epoxy coating | Premium |

---

## Climate Control

### Temperature Ranges
| Season | Set Point |
|--------|-----------|
| Summer | 75-85°F |
| Winter | 55-65°F |
| Year-round | 60-80°F |

### Humidity Control
| Condition | Target |
|-----------|--------|
| Humid climates | < 60% RH |
| Wine storage | 55-75% RH |
| Document storage | 30-40% RH |

### HVAC Systems
| Type | Application |
|------|-------------|
| Packaged rooftop | Small buildings |
| Split systems | Interior corridors |
| Central plant | Large facilities |
| Mini-splits | Zone control |

### Ventilation
| Type | Standard |
|------|----------|
| Non-climate | Natural or exhaust fans |
| Climate-controlled | Mechanical, filtered |
| Hallways | 1 CFM/SF |

---

## Security Systems

### Access Control
| Feature | Standard |
|---------|----------|
| Perimeter fence | 6'-8' chain link |
| Gates | Keypad, card, app |
| Unit doors | Individual locks |
| Hours | 24/7 or limited |

### Surveillance
| Coverage | Cameras |
|----------|---------|
| Perimeter | All entry points |
| Drives/aisles | Every intersection |
| Hallways | Every corridor |
| Office | Transaction areas |
| Retention | 30-90 days |

### Alarms
| Type | Application |
|------|-------------|
| Intrusion | After hours |
| Fire | Required by code |
| Individual unit | Premium option |
| Motion | Common areas |

### Lighting
| Area | Level |
|------|-------|
| Office | 50 FC |
| Exterior drives | 2-5 FC |
| Interior corridors | 20-30 FC |
| Unit interiors | 5-10 FC |
| Perimeter | 1-2 FC |

---

## Office and Retail

### Office Size
| Facility Size | Office |
|---------------|--------|
| 30,000 NRSF | 300-500 SF |
| 50,000 NRSF | 400-700 SF |
| 75,000 NRSF | 500-900 SF |
| 100,000+ NRSF | 700-1,200 SF |

### Office Functions
| Area | Size |
|------|------|
| Reception/sales | 150-250 SF |
| Manager office | 100-150 SF |
| Workroom | 50-100 SF |
| Restroom | 50-75 SF |
| Break area | 50-100 SF |

### Retail Components
| Item | Description |
|------|-------------|
| Locks/supplies | Moving, packing |
| Boxes | Various sizes |
| Truck rental | Coordination |
| Insurance | Tenant coverage |

---

## Vehicle/RV Storage

### Unit Sizes
| Vehicle Type | Size |
|--------------|------|
| Standard car | 10' × 20' |
| SUV/Truck | 10' × 25' |
| RV/Motorhome | 12' × 35'-50' |
| Boat (trailer) | 12' × 25'-40' |
| Motorcycle | 5' × 10' |

### Clearances
| Type | Height |
|------|--------|
| Standard | 10'-12' |
| RV | 14'-16' |
| Boat | 14'-16' |
| Drive aisle | Match door height |

### Covered vs Uncovered
| Type | Protection | Cost |
|------|------------|------|
| Open lot | None | $ |
| Covered (canopy) | Roof only | $$ |
| Enclosed | Full protection | $$$ |

---

## Fire Protection

### Sprinkler Requirements
| Condition | Requirement |
|-----------|-------------|
| Multi-story | Typically required |
| Large single-story | Per code |
| Climate-controlled | Typically required |
| Local codes | Vary widely |

### Fire Separation
| Condition | Rating |
|-----------|--------|
| Between buildings | Per code |
| Stairwells | 1-2 hour |
| Elevator shafts | 1-2 hour |
| Office to storage | 1 hour |

### Fire Department Access
| Element | Standard |
|---------|----------|
| Fire lane | 20' minimum |
| Turning radius | 28' inside |
| Knox box | Required |
| Hydrant spacing | Per code |

---

## Electrical Systems

### Power Requirements
| Area | Load |
|------|------|
| Office | 5-10 W/SF |
| Climate-controlled | 3-5 W/SF |
| Non-climate | 1-2 W/SF |
| Site lighting | Per design |

### Unit Power (Optional)
| Feature | Capacity |
|---------|----------|
| Standard outlet | 15A, 120V |
| Premium outlet | 20A, 120V |
| High-power | 240V available |

### Lighting Controls
| Type | Application |
|------|-------------|
| Timers | Common areas |
| Motion sensors | Hallways, units |
| Daylight sensors | Exterior |
| Manual | Unit lights |

---

## Parking and Loading

### Parking Requirements
| Use | Spaces |
|-----|--------|
| Office visitors | 2-4 |
| Employees | 1-2 |
| Moving truck | 1-2 |
| Accessible | Per code |

### Loading Areas
| Feature | Standard |
|---------|----------|
| Loading dock | 1 per 25,000 SF |
| Drive-up access | Throughout |
| Truck turning | 60' radius |

---

## Development Costs

### Construction Costs (2024)
| Type | $/NRSF |
|------|--------|
| Single-story non-climate | $40-60 |
| Single-story climate | $55-80 |
| Multi-story non-climate | $70-100 |
| Multi-story climate | $90-140 |
| Conversion | $50-100 |

### Land Costs
| Market | $/SF |
|--------|------|
| Rural | $2-8 |
| Suburban | $10-30 |
| Urban | $50-200 |
| Infill | $100-500 |

### Soft Costs
| Item | % of Hard Cost |
|------|----------------|
| Architecture/Engineering | 5-8% |
| Permits/Fees | 2-4% |
| Legal/Accounting | 1-2% |
| Financing | 2-4% |
| Contingency | 5-10% |

---

## Operating Metrics

### Key Performance Indicators
| Metric | Target |
|--------|--------|
| Physical occupancy | 85-95% |
| Economic occupancy | 80-90% |
| Expense ratio | 30-40% |
| NOI margin | 60-70% |

### Revenue Mix
| Source | % of Revenue |
|--------|--------------|
| Unit rent | 85-90% |
| Insurance | 3-5% |
| Retail/supplies | 2-5% |
| Late fees | 2-4% |
| Other | 1-3% |

### Operating Expenses
| Category | % of Revenue |
|----------|--------------|
| Personnel | 10-15% |
| Property tax | 8-12% |
| Insurance | 2-4% |
| Utilities | 3-6% |
| Maintenance | 3-5% |
| Marketing | 2-4% |
| Management | 4-6% |
