Terrahills builds self storage facilities across Ontario: single-storey drive-up buildings, multi-storey climate-controlled facilities, conversions of existing retail and industrial buildings, and boat and RV storage. The same non-combustible steel structure and metal envelope as our industrial work, laid out for the number that decides a storage project: net rentable square feet.
A self storage facility is a steel building whose economics are set by efficiency. Revenue is earned on net rentable area, so every corridor, stair, elevator lobby and drive aisle is space the owner pays to build and cannot rent. The design work that matters happens before the frame is ordered: the unit mix the local market will absorb, the corridor and partition layout that turns gross area into rentable area, the loading and elevator positions that let a tenant move a sofa to the third floor without a queue, and the building spacing on a drive-up site.
Ontario adds its own conditions. Snow drifts between closely spaced drive-up buildings and against taller neighbours, so roof loads and building spacing are designed together, and drive aisles have to be wide enough to plough without damaging doors. Unheated drive-up buildings need their foundations and slabs protected against frost. Climate-controlled space needs heating and dehumidification sized for the envelope, not an afterthought. And many municipal zoning by-laws do not name self storage at all, so whether a site permits it, and whether development charges are levied at the industrial or commercial rate, is confirmed before the land is committed.
We carry the whole facility under one contract: site and zoning feasibility, approvals and servicing, foundations, pre-engineered steel structure and envelope, interior partition and door systems, freight elevators, and the gate, camera and access control package that opens the office on day one. The Ramara Industrial Park, our own 100,000 sq ft multi-unit steel development in Simcoe County, is the same delivery: phased multi-unit steel buildings taken from raw land through servicing to occupancy.
The Ramara Industrial Park (100,000 sq ft, our own multi-unit steel development in Simcoe County) is the closest proof: phased multi-unit buildings taken from raw land through zoning, servicing, structure and envelope to occupancy under one contract.
Six stages, one contract
The same delivery model as every Terrahills project (land, approvals, servicing, structure, envelope, handover) applied to what a self storage building actually requires.
Confirm the zoning permits self storage (many by-laws do not name it), the development charge rate the municipality will apply, access and visibility from the road, and servicing, before the land is committed.
Unit sizes the local market will absorb, corridor and partition layout for the highest net rentable ratio, building spacing on drive-up sites, and elevator and loading positions on multi-storey facilities.
Rezoning or minor variance where needed, site plan approval, stormwater for large paved areas, and fire route and hydrant layout, carried as one track against the steel lead time.
Frost-protected foundations and slabs for unheated drive-up buildings, pre-engineered steel frames designed for Ontario snow and drift loads, and structural floors for multi-storey facilities.
Metal roof and wall envelope, insulation and dehumidification in climate-controlled space, interior partition systems, roll-up and swing doors, and the sprinkler system the building classification requires.
Perimeter fencing and gates, keypad and app access control, cameras and lighting, paving and signage, commissioned so the rental office can open the day the occupancy permit is issued.
Before you commit to a design
Self Storage cost bands, Ontario 2026
| Building type | Hard cost, $ / sq ft | Basis | What moves it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-storey drive-up | $70 – $120 | Indicative 2026 Ontario range | Building count and spacing, roll-up door count, paving, snow and drift loads |
| Multi-storey climate-controlled | $160 – $260 | Indicative 2026 Ontario range | Storeys, freight elevators, sprinklers, heating and dehumidification, covered loading |
| Conversion of an existing building | $50 – $120 | Indicative 2026 Ontario range | Existing structure and slab, sprinkler upgrade, mezzanine floors, new openings and loading |
Hard costs per gross square foot only. Land, servicing, development charges, the partition and door package on conversions, and soft costs sit outside these bands. Storage returns are measured per net rentable square foot, so a Class C estimate against your unit mix and site is the number to plan on.
Questions clients ask about self storage construction
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