Boat Storage Rate

I’m throwing around the idea of storing my 17.5′ fiberglass fishing boat and 24′ tritoon at a boat storage company instead of in our own pole buildings to save space for other stuff.

What is a pretty standard rate per foot for this type of storage? Keep in mind this is in the Lake City MN area, not the metro. The place I got a quote for was $17 a foot and they’d let me put the fishing boat in as late as Thanksgiving and pull it out March 1. I don’t like the idea of not fishing the river from Thanksgiving until March, but with our growing family I won’t be out much in the Winter regardless.

I asked my wife about this as I read your post, she’s been dabbling in renting some of our own shed space out so she’s done a lot of looking around. She said she sees a lot of places in the $10-$15 per foot range on a 6-month rent. So your 17.5-footer would cost you $175 for 6 months. Not sure if that’s for pole sheds or nicer indoor storage.

I get mine shrink wrapped with outdoor storage for $12 a ft

This place is heated to 40 degrees and is used for nothing but boat storage. The two main buildings are only a few years old.

When they measure footage, it’s not just the boat but furthest points while on a trailer. So my 24′ tritoon will be right around 30’…or basically $500 to store for 6.5 months. This seems spendy but it’s a nice locally owned place that’s always full and has been in the business a long time.

I store my 17.5 inside for 39 a month, and my duck boat which is 14ft for 19 bucks. 24 hour access

buckybadger wrote:

This place is heated to 40 degrees and is used for nothing but boat storage. The two main buildings are only a few years old.

When they measure footage, it’s not just the boat but furthest points while on a trailer. So my 24′ tritoon will be right around 30’…or basically $500 to store for 6.5 months. This seems spendy but it’s a nice locally owned place that’s always full and has been in the business a long time.

I store my 18 foot boat indoors at a storage facility an hour north of the metro and I pay 190 bucks for 6 months. Its not heated but its secured, indoors, concrete floor, and safe with controlled access. The caveat is that I have to declare a 3 day window at drop off time in October for spring pick up starting April 1. If there’s a blizzard, tough. If we get a really early spring, I can’t get it early. They store the boats in there based on removal date. I assume its to save space too. I’m fine with their policy because I really have no interest in “winter” type fishing.

I have done the outdoor shrink wrap storage thing before and it actually costed me more to do that. Plus storing it indoors is always going to be better than outside any time of year.

gim wrote:

I have done the outdoor shrink wrap storage thing before and it actually costed me more to do that. Plus storing it indoors is always going to be better than outside any time of year

Is that the case though? Indoor sounds better but in the winter mice are indoors. Any worry of rodent issues storing indoors? I always felt like storing outside would reduce that chance

crappie55369 wrote:

Is that the case though? Indoor sounds better but in the winter mice are indoors. Any worry of rodent issues storing indoors? I always felt like storing outside would reduce that chance

Depends on the indoor storage location I guess. A concrete floor greatly reduces the mice whereas a dirt or gravel floor/ground doesn’t. Outdoor storage exposes a boat to the elements even if its shrink wrapped. Mice will attempt to enter anything they can, even an outdoor shrink wrapped boat. I just don’t like the idea of my boat sitting outside for months on end exposed to the rain, wind, sun, snow, and bitter cold. Personal preference I guess.

I guess I have the hook up on my place, it would sure suck not being able to come and go as I please especially paying big bucks.

I think for the size of the pontoon, it’s better to just shrinkwrap and find a cheaper outdoor storage space. The only downside to outside is that the trailer gets the elements. Tires are exposed to the sun, etc.

Personally, I would have a hard time paying $500 for storage every year, especially when you are paying even more than that for two boats.

I, too, worry about mice. Fixing wire issues could cost you quite a bit, depending on where all they did their damage.

If I had a little more time and a little extra money I’d use the storage business as a side gig. Last fall we moved to a place with a shed we’re not going to need all of (just for off-season items such as boat, zero turn, snowblower, etc.) so my wife has been posting online about renting space for storage and gotten a lot of interest. There’s one couple from the metro (we live closer to Red Wing) that will be bringing two boats I believe and several others. Someone has a car they use in the summer but store in the winter. I think some Minnesota people enjoy what they have in the nicer months but want it stored in the winter.

Same for self-storage; I don’t know the ins and outs but that seems like it would be worth it. I’m surprised the amount of people I know who have a storage unit. I think the housing market lately has helped too, I know a lot of people who have rented a unit for a few months just to free up space in their houses when they put them on the market and then not have to move the stuff in right away.

We as a society seem to have more things than space so I feel like there will always be a market for that.

gim wrote:

. A concrete floor greatly reduces the mice whereas a dirt or gravel floor/ground doesn’t.

Ya but dirt and gravel are a lot better for your tires.

If they have traps or a company come in with traps, there shouldn’t be an issue with mice.

Check with your insurance agent about doing off site storage.
Also be checking into the insurance of your storage facility.

For the past 15 years I’ve stored my boat at a private farm in a large barn about 10 miles from Cloquet. For my 18.5 foot boat last year it was $114. Had to have it in by Oct 31, and out as soon as they could get the snow cleared from in front of the barn.
They stopped doing the storage deal this spring, so I had to find a new home.
For this winter I will be storing it at the Carlton County Fairgrounds, in a concrete floored barn. They measure end to end, so I had to pay for 23′ of space, and it’s running me $275. Still pretty reasonable, and I can put it in as late as Thanksgiving and get it out as soon as the barns opened up.
So about $12 per foot which still isnt too bad.
I was getting a great deal with the other folks. I would swap out the sleds on a trailer for the boat year-round, and paid $214 for the full 12 month rental.

mark-bruzek wrote:

Check with your insurance agent about doing off site storage

Good reminder, I am required to notify my insurance when I store or pick up my boat within 72 hours.

queenswake wrote:

I think for the size of the pontoon, it’s better to just shrinkwrap and find a cheaper outdoor storage space. The only downside to outside is that the trailer gets the elements. Tires are exposed to the sun, etc.

Tire covers help save your tires. Park them up in a chunk of 2 x 6 and then throw a tarp on the exposed trailer.

If your parking on a dirt floor always put a piece of wood under the tires. Been through that before and had rims, lug nuts rust like crazy.

I store my 36′ 5th wheel in a neighbors barn for $100/month.

Coletrain27 wrote:

If your parking on a dirt floor always put a piece of wood under the tires. Been through that before and had rims, lug nuts rust like crazy.

How does this help?

crappie55369 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Coletrain27 wrote:</div>
If your parking on a dirt floor always put a piece of wood under the tires. Been through that before and had rims, lug nuts rust like crazy.

How does this help?

I was told the tires absorb the moisture from the dirt.
No idea if it’s true. But I do it to my sled trailer that sits in the woods most the days and never had a issue

crappie55369 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Coletrain27 wrote:</div>
If your parking on a dirt floor always put a piece of wood under the tires. Been through that before and had rims, lug nuts rust like crazy.

How does this help?

im not sure how it happens but i can tell you from experience it does haha. i usually park my trailer tires on some scrap pieces of plywood or some scrap 2×6 boards

For the first time last winter, I stored my 18′ bass boat in a local farmer’s barn. It spent Dec-Apr in there for $125 cash. It’s $25/month with a $125 minimum. I cannot access it once it’s in there because they pack the boots in tight. April 1st is the earliest pickup date. The boat came back dusty but there was no damage or evidence of rodents. I’ll most certainly be doing this again. It was nice having that bigger garage stall free so in the winter, I could just back the ATV trailer in the slot that the boat sits in now.

As far as parking surface, I used to park on concrete blocks when my boat had to sit outside. How is wood less damp than the sand of a dry storage barn? Dry wood soaks up moisture, that why it’s hard to light if it’s old.

I put a little Vaseline on lug nuts once a year to prevent rust. They stay tight, but they’re easy to get off.

Bass Thumb wrote:

For the first time last winter, I stored my 18′ bass boat in a local farmer’s barn. It spent Dec-Apr in there for $125 cash. It’s $25/month with a $125 minimum. I cannot access it once it’s in there because they pack the boots in tight. April 1st is the earliest pickup date. The boat came back dusty but there was no damage or evidence of rodents. I’ll most certainly be doing this again. It was nice having that bigger garage stall free so in the winter, I could just back the ATV trailer in the slot that the boat sits in now.

As far as parking surface, I used to park on concrete blocks when my boat had to sit outside. How is wood less damp than the sand of a dry storage barn? Dry wood soaks up moisture, that why it’s hard to light if it’s old.

I put a little Vaseline on lug nuts once a year to prevent rust. They stay tight, but they’re easy to get off.

im sure every situation in every shed is different. the one i park in is a dirt floor and collects moisture

Coletrain27 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>crappie55369 wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Coletrain27 wrote:</div>
If your parking on a dirt floor always put a piece of wood under the tires. Been through that before and had rims, lug nuts rust like crazy.

How does this help?

im not sure how it happens but i can tell you from experience it does haha. i usually park my trailer tires on some scrap pieces of plywood or some scrap 2×6 boards

Interesting. ill probably start doing this. If it helps great! if not nothing lost

Bucky-your season goes from March to Thanksgiving-cool.

BT wrote,

I put a little Vaseline on lug nuts once a year to prevent rust. They stay tight, but they’re easy to get off.
[/quote]

What I do, regardless what kind of wheel is on the trailer, is put solid chrome lug nuts on the studs.
They are closed on the end so no rust gets on the exposed threads.

I pay $200 / winter for a 26ft Tritoon with a solid tongue and the same for a 19-6 Lund w/ a swing tongue. It is a flat $200 cash / unit on a dirt floor machine shed.
I load them both up with Tomcat pellets and bait blocks.
In around Thanksgiving and out May 1st. Once they pull a rig out to get a different one out in the spring it stays in the yard.