Constructing Your Self Storage Steel Building From the Ground Up

Have you considered getting into self storage, butstorage units will be. Though you've probably
are unsure of where to start? Maybe you'vealready determined the best mix of unit type and
done some research on the industry and whilesize during the initial phase, now you need the
you're convinced you could make a self storagearchitect to put it all in a design plan. Design plans
steel building profitable, you're not entirely sureinclude the actual site plan as well as landscape
where to build, or who to get to help you build it.design, civil engineering, architectural engineering,
Like any other business, self storage requires a lotMEPs (e.g., electrical and plumbing drawings) and
of research upfront before you can decide if it'sstructural engineering.
right for you.Each plan usually requires a specialist to design it.
Step 1: Should you build a self storage steelFor example, a civil engineer has to handle the civil
building? If so, where?engineering design plan because he would be
It would benefit you to hire an expert to help youfamiliar with policies and restrictions on land use.
assess if you should build a self storage building,This is the guy who is responsible for watershed,
and if so, where. If you've already got a locationzoning and placing utilities, to name a few.
in mind, an expert can help you find out what toStep 3: Constructing your building
build and what to charge. This also known as theOnce you've completed the design phase, it's time
"feasibility" phase, where you analyze everythingto move on to the construction phase. This is
about the project: the true start-up costs, thetypically where a general contractor comes in. A
anticipated income, the market, potential locationsgeneral contractor will be responsible for
for construction, demographics, proximity ofcoordinating the construction and providing quality
competition, what customers are likely to pay,control. The contractor may provide labor and
and what kind of self storage will appeal to themmaterials, or he may hire subcontractors. He's also
most, just to name a few.responsible for establishing a timeline of the
You'll also have to take into consideration cityconstruction.
fees, county fee, state fees, jurisdictional feesYou should be particularly careful when choosing a
and other miscellaneous fees that you may havegeneral contractor or construction crew for your
to spend before you can even begin construction.self storage steel building. You want to make sure
That's not counting what you'll have to pay forthat you get somebody that carries insurance and
the land, site work (tying in to existing sewer,has extensive experience in erecting self storage
water, electric and gas lines, importing andsteel buildings. They should also be professional,
exporting fill, soil conditions, rock excavation, etc.),which means that they sweep out the units and
design and construction.clean up once the job's done.
This phase can give you a good idea of the bareThere's a lot that goes into constructing your self
minimum you'll be spending to get your selfstorage steel and metal buildings, but the cost of
storage steel buildings up and running. If you andtime and money can be well worth it in the long
the expert determine that the anticipated incomerun. Self storage has been the fastest-growing
for your self storage building will be worth thearea of commercial real estate in the U.S. for the
start-up costs, then you'll be ready to move onpast 30 years, and only 10 percent of U.S.
to the design phase.households use self storage. That's 9 out of 10
Step 2: Designing how your self storage steelhouseholds that still don't use it, and if you get in
building will lookon the game, some of them could be your future
Design isn't just about drawing a square on acustomers.
piece of paper and marking off where the self