CANNON STORAGE SYSTEMS, INC.
          SETTING THE STANDARDS FOR QUALITY

 

Things To Know Before You Build

 

Research your market area

 

Try to determine what size storage units are most popular in the area of your proposed self storage facility. Also consider if you are located near a college or university, some smaller units should be made available. If located near a lake or river, boat & RV storage should also be considered.

 

Determine an optimum layout

 

A good yield for a self storage facility should be approximately 18,000 sq. ft. to 20,000 sq. ft. of storage per acre of usable land. Building setback areas and easements cannot be built upon but can however have paved surfaces. All drives should have storage buildings along both sides to make maximum use of these drives. Also consider if you want an onsite office and whether you want it to be a stand-alone structure or incorporated into one of your proposed storage buildings.

 

Do your homework on local codes and regulations

 

Before investing a lot of money, be sure that what you intend to build will be approved by your local government.

 

Items of importance to be approached:

 

A. Determine allowable locations for entrance drives onto existing streets.

B. Existing building setbacks and easements on property.

C. Minimum drive widths.

D. Maximum allowable square footage in a single building before a firewall is required.

E. Minimum distance between buildings before a firewall is required.

F. Minimum distance from property line to storage building before a firewall is required.

G. Fire fighting water supply lines and fire hydrant requirements.

H. Is a secondary entrance to your facility required for fire fighting equipment access.

I. Is a screening fence at property line required.

J. Is the property zoned correctly for a self storage facility. If not, can it be rezoned.

K. Landscaping requirements.

L. Type of exterior wall finish required for your buildings.

M. Number of regular and handicap parking spaces required

 

The best way to answer the questions above is to have a preliminary plan for your project prepared to submit to your local government for review. Cannon Storage Systems, Inc. can prepare such a preliminary plan for you at no cost. A complete set of Civil Plans along with the Building Structural, Foundation & Electrical plans will eventually be required to obtain a building permit.

 

Determine your overall costs

 

The following items should be considered when calculating the overall construction cost of your self storage facility.

 

A. Land survey if required.

B. Civil Engineering fees for project plans required for submittal to your local building and planning officials. Buildings purchased from Cannon Storage Systems, Inc. are provided with building structural plans sealed by an engineer licensed in your state, at no additional cost. Cannon Storage Systems, Inc. can provide turn-key services, thus providing construction management & all plans required.

C. Site Grading.

D. Utilities such as:

     • Water (Public supply for office & fire fighting supply line with fire hydrants).

     • Sewer (Office & any public accessible rest rooms provided on site).

     • Gas (If gas operated HVAC systems are being used).

E. Construction cost for office. If office is to be incorporated into one of the storage buildings, Cannon Storage Systems, Inc. will provide exterior wall framing, roof, gutters & downspouts as part of the storage building. Office will then need to be finished out by others.

F. On-site lighting.

G. HVAC & associated electrical costs for climate control storage buildings. Climate control buildings purchased from Cannon Storage Systems, Inc. are provided with double paneled, insulated climate control walls & insulated roof ready to install HVAC systems.

H. On-site security to include:

     • Cameras

     • Recording Equipment

     • Key code access pads and motorized entry gate

     • Computer Hardware

     • Computer Software

     • Alarm systems

I. Pavement for drives and facility entrances

J. Concrete building slab foundations

K. Fencing

L. Landscaping

M. Signage

N. Permit fees and any other fees required by your local government

 

Total costs for a self storage facility should run about $40.00 to $43.00 per square foot of storage. This however depends on local code and regulation requirements. We hope this guide will help you in your self storage facility venture. Please allow Cannon Storage Systems, Inc. the opportunity to submit to you our cost proposal for your self storage facility.

 

Thank you for your interest in our company and hope to hear from you soon.

 

Cannon Storage Systems, Inc.

1-888-500-3299