Article takeaways
- Drive-up storage units are ground-level units with roll-up doors, allowing vehicles to pull directly up to ground-level units and eliminating the need for elevators, dollies, or long hallways.
- Drive-up units are typically outdoor first-floor storage units that lack climate control, making them ideal for items that aren’t vulnerable to temperature and humidity fluctuations.
- Drive-up units are typically larger garage-style units ideal for bulky items like vehicles, heavy equipment, tools, and seasonal decorations compared to indoor units.
- Drive-up access offers faster loading/unloading times and shorter hauling distances, making it perfect for contractors, event planners, landscapers, and people who are in the process of moving.
- Storage.com’s storage locator tool allows you to search by zip code, using amenity filters, making it easy to find a drive-up storage unit near you and instantly reserve it online.
Storage units are set up in a variety of ways, all with their pros and cons. Lots of modern, energy-efficient, or climate-controlled storage units are indoors to guard against the elements.
You can often score a second or even third-story self-storage unit for a cheaper price, which may be ideal depending on what you’re storing.
But you’ll have to rely on elevator access points and moving assistance equipment like dollies and flatbed carts for moving anything large or heavy.
That’s where drive-up storage can be helpful. If you’re storing heavy machinery or large items you need to take in and out often, you simply pull your vehicle right up to the door of your very own ground-level storage unit.
Again, there are benefits to all various types of storage – with drive-up storage, the primary benefits are easy access and your own personal loading zone. But there are also downsides to drive-up storage and to indoor storage or climate-controlled storage units as well.
This guide will explore the benefits and drawbacks of drive-up storage, explain common and ideal use cases, and compare it to other types of storage. We’ll also reveal how Storage.com can help you find a unit in your area that has exactly the features you’re looking for, no matter what they are.
But first, let’s answer the most obvious question in more detail: exactly what is drive-up storage?
What is Drive-Up Storage?
Drive-up storage units are storage units you can pull your car right up to. Drive-up storage units are typically located outside on the ground level and have a parking spot in front of them that serves as a private loading zone. Roll-up, garage-style doors provide easy access.
Are Drive-Up Storage Units Safe?
Drive-up storage units are typically safe and secure, despite their convenient outdoor-accessible locations. Storage facilities usually offer security features like gated lots with perimeter alarms and 24-hour surveillance cameras.
That said, in terms of protecting items that are vulnerable to damage from extreme temperatures and humidity, drive-up units are not the safest choice. Due to their outdoor nature, these units are more ideal for bulky and non-sensitive items. Items that may need indoor, climate-controlled storage include:
- Wooden Furniture
- Leather Furniture
- Electronics
- Artwork
- Antiques and Collectibles
- Musical Instruments
- Wine
- Clothing
- Books and Comics
- Photographs
- Mattresses
- Business Documents and Inventory
What Are the Benefits of Drive-Up Storage?
Drive-up outdoor units offer easy access. Renters enjoy wide lanes leading directly to their own ground-level unit, roll-up doors for a quick and painless unloading process, and spacious outdoor units that accommodate items of all sizes.
Let’s take a closer look at these key benefits of drive-up storage:
Get in and out faster
What’s better than saving time? With drive-up outdoor storage units, you can skip the twists and turns of a large indoor facility. At most indoor facilities, you will pay more for ground-level units. That’s because, let’s face it, hauling your belongings up and down elevators can be a drag. But with drive-up units, you can pull your car right up to the door and start unloading without hassle or delay.
Less hauling
Easy access at ground level means shorter distances to haul heavy boxes, furniture, or equipment. Not only does drive-up access make loading and unloading a less dramatic task, but you’re also less likely to injure yourself or damage your cherished items on those tight corners. The shortest distance between two points is, in fact, a straight line, and with drive-up storage, it’s a straight shot from your trunk to the unit.
More affordable
Drive-up first-floor storage units are typically no frills. This is great news if you’re hoping to keep costs low. Why pay for amenities like climate control and in-unit electrical outlets if you don’t need them? If all you’re looking for is a safe, but easily accessible space to store goods that are not sensitive to temperature, drive-up storage units may be your most affordable option.
Accommodates large equipment
While you can expect a range of sizes for both drive-up and inside storage, drive-up units tend to be larger. If you’re only hoping to store a few file boxes, this might not be a selling point. But for those of you looking to store larger items like vehicles, heavy equipment, and tools in an outdoor storage space resembling a small garage, drive-up storage could be the ideal storage option.
What is the Difference Between First Floor Storage and Drive-Up Access?
First-floor storage units typically refer to ground-level indoor units that still require parking in an outdoor parking lot and walking to the unit. Drive-up access means pulling your vehicle directly to the unit door via a dedicated parking spot that provides immediate loading access.
Indoor first-floor storage units may offer a climate-controlled environment, but require the use of carts to load and unload heavy items.
What’s the Difference Between Drive-Up Storage and Indoor Storage
Not sure whether drive-up storage is the right fit for you? Check out the guide below for a straightforward comparison of key differences between drive-up and inside storage units. We will look at key factors like amenities, security, price, and more to help you make the most informed decision for your self-storage rental needs!
Want a deeper dive into the difference between drive-up and first-floor access units? Explore our comparison guide for additional insights.
| Factor | Drive-up Storage | Indoor Storage Units |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Drive-up units are on the ground level and are accessed by wide lanes that can accommodate vehicles as large as campers. Vehicles can pull directly up to the unit, making loading and unloading a breeze. | Renters will usually pay a higher price for ground-level storage at an indoor facility. Accessing indoor units often means parking the car, grabbing a cart, bringing it back to the vehicle, then navigating up elevators and down hallways to the unit. |
| Amenities | Limited amenities may be available at some drive-up facilities, but if you need to maintain a constant temperature, plug things in, or drop things off anonymously, inside storage will be a better fit. | Indoor units offer more amenities than drive-up units. If your items are more sensitive, or if you plan to use the space as a workshop or office space, these amenities might come in handy. |
| Climate Control | Most drive-up units do not offer climate-controlled storage. When the doors to these units open, items are exposed directly to the outside air. You should not expect insulated walls, heat, or air conditioning at a drive-up storage unit. | Climate control requires electricity and indoor storage. This amenity is one of the key differentiators offered by inside storage facilities. If you need climate control, your best bet is to search for indoor storage. |
| Security | While both types of storage offer secure grounds and surveillance cameras, drive-up units may have fewer supplementary security measures in place. While some indoor units have limited access hours as a safety precaution, drive-up storage can usually be accessed around the clock. | Enhanced surveillance systems, limited access hours, on-site managers, and other measures make inside storage the best choice if security is a top concern. |
| Price | Drive-up storage units are usually less expensive than indoor facilities because they have lower infrastructure costs, making them a great choice if budget is one of your main considerations (and your items can withstand temperature fluctuations). | Inside units come in a range of sizes, but are usually more expensive than drive-up units because of the amenities available at these facilities. Keep in mind that storage unit pricing varies depending on location. |
| Size | Typically, unit sizes at outdoor facilities have larger storage spaces than indoor facilities. Some drive-up facilities cater specifically to storing vehicles, such as truck trailers, boats, and RVs. | Indoor units often have less storage space, making them less attractive for renters hoping to store oversized items like furniture, campers, and other vehicles. |
What Does Indoor Drive-Up Mean For a Storage Unit?
An indoor drive-up unit is also called drive-thru storage. These facilities have indoor driving lanes, some allowing you to park right next to your unit to load and unload. If you see unit listings that advertise climate-controlled drive-up storage, they probably mean an indoor drive-up unit.
Regardless of whether they offer a climate-controlled environment, indoor drive-up units are ideal for loading or unloading your unit during severe weather.
Can I Use a Storage Unit as a Garage?
Lots of tenants use drive-up units as a garage. Drive-up units function like a garage, with roll-up doors and ground-level access. Collectors, hobbyists, and mechanics often use these units for car, truck, motorcycle, dirt bike, jet ski, boat, and snowmobile storage. Some even maintain their vehicles inside the units, using the ample space for shelving units, tools, and materials.
Who Should Use Drive-up Storage?
Drive-up storage units are ideal for event planners, contractors, campers, boat and RV owners, downsizers, people moving or decluttering, landscapers, holiday decor enthusiasts, and car collectors.
Anyone needing easy access to bulky items, heavy equipment, or vehicles can benefit from direct vehicle-to-unit loading and unloading, as drive-up access eliminates the need to haul your heavy items down hallways and up elevators.
To help you visualize the types of people and businesses that benefit from drive-up storage, we’ve put together a list of common use cases:
Event planners
Event planners often need quick access to bulky items like tents, tables, and decorations. Drive-up storage provides the convenience of loading and unloading large equipment directly from vehicles, saving them both time and energy.
Contractors
Contractors benefit from using drive-up units to store heavy equipment, tools, and materials. The ability to load directly from the unit to the truck gets contractors to job sites faster, and makes unloading at the end of a project much easier than navigating the longer distances of an indoor unit.
Campers and outdoor enthusiasts
Campers and outdoor enthusiasts often own gear like tents, kayaks, and bikes. Drive-up storage allows them to easily access and transport these bulky items before heading out for adventures, without the need to haul items down hallways or use elevators.
Boat or RV owners
Not everyone has the driveway space to store their boats and RVs during the winter months. Many facilities cater to this demographic, offering tailored amenities like dry-dock storage, pull-through accessibility, and 110 Volt electrical outlets.
Downsizers
People downsizing their homes often need to store large furniture or excess belongings until they donate or pass them along. Drive-up storage offers convenient access for loading and unloading, making it easier to gradually sort or retrieve items as they transition to a smaller living space.
People who are moving
For individuals in the process of moving, drive-up storage offers easy access to furniture, boxes, and household goods. The ability to load and unload directly from a vehicle minimizes the physical effort and time spent, which is especially helpful when moving in stages.
Landscapers
Landscapers often store large tools, such as lawnmowers and trimmers, and seasonal supplies like mulch. Drive-up storage units allow them to quickly load and transport equipment to job sites throughout the year.
Holiday decor enthusiasts
Holiday items like Christmas trees, inflatables, and string lights take up massive amounts of space! Many people are now choosing drive-up storage for these larger seasonal items. This eliminates the need to take up a whole basement with boxes of decor, making them easily accessible at a drive-up storage unit when the season comes around!
Car collectors
Vehicle storage is a popular option for drive-up units because cars and motorcycles typically do not need climate control, and let’s face it – you need to be able to literally drive your vehicle into the unit. Some collectors choose to work on their vehicles inside the unit, taking advantage of ample space for tools and materials (while not cluttering up the garage at home!)
Is Drive-Up Storage for You? How Storage.com Can Help You Find Your Ideal Storage Unit Type
Does one of these categories sound like you? Or perhaps there is a different reason behind your search for easily-accessible self-storage. Setting up a mobile gym? Gathering supplies to survive a natural disaster? Clearing out canvases from your in-home art studio? If so, or if you just want to rent a unit that is super easy to access, you might be in the market for a drive-up storage solution.
But not all storage units are created equal. How do you find a drive-up storage unit near you? And what if you need one of those fancy drive-thru units that offer the best of both worlds – climate control and an indoor driving lane?
How can you be sure the drive-up storage unit you’re renting has all the security features you need?
That’s where we come in. Enter your zip code into our storage unit locator tool. We’ll limit your search results using our signature amenity filter, based on your selected choices. Storage.commakes finding a unit as easy as searching by zip code, comparing your options, and reserving online or by phone. Make your search stress-free. Visit and use Storage.com to find drive-up storage units near you today!
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