Building self-storage in Utah
Market notes, code considerations, and project examples for design-build self storage Utah owners are putting together right now, from a Utah-based contractor.
Wasatch Structures is headquartered in Bluffdale, Utah and has built self storage facilities across the Wasatch Front, Wasatch Back, and Northern Utah. The notes below capture what we have learned about Salt Lake City self storage construction and the rest of the Utah market specifically, and what we tell every self storage builder Utah developer who asks for a regional perspective.
Utah market characteristics
Utah self storage market dynamics that matter when you are evaluating a project:
- 01Wasatch Front
Salt Lake County, Utah County, Davis County, and Weber County carry most of the market. Many submarkets are at or near saturation, so site-specific demand work is essential. The metro-wide picture does not protect a saturated trade area.
- 02Utah County growth
The Lehi, Saratoga Springs, and Eagle Mountain corridor continues to absorb new supply. Population growth and household formation rates support continued development here.
- 03Wasatch Back
Park City and Heber City are premium-rent markets with constrained supply because of land cost and zoning. Boat and RV storage is particularly underserved.
- 04Southern Utah
St. George, Cedar City, and the Hurricane Valley have absorbed real supply against continued migration. Submarkets vary widely; the regional story does not always apply.
- 05Cost of construction
Utah construction sits middle-of-the-pack for the Mountain West. Steel and labor pricing track Idaho closely and run slightly below Colorado.
Utah-specific code and design notes
Items that affect design and cost when you build in Utah:
- 01Seismic
Most of the Wasatch Front sits in seismic design category D, with portions in E. That drives connection design, foundation requirements, and inspection cost.
- 02Snow load
Wasatch Front lower elevations: 30 to 40 psf is typical. Wasatch Back, Park City, and mountain markets: 80 to 120 psf or more. Design the steel appropriately.
- 03Wind
Generally moderate, with localized exposure issues in canyons and mountain passes.
- 04Frost depth
Frost depths range from 18 inches in St. George to 36 inches or more in mountain markets. Foundation design has to follow.
- 05Water and drainage
High groundwater along the Jordan River corridor and lake-bed soils on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley want site-specific geotech. Skipping this step has consequences.
Utah project examples
Recent Wasatch Structures projects across Utah. Full case studies on the projects page.
- 01700 Block Storage
Multi-story self storage in the Salt Lake metro area.
- 02Tremonton Storage
Boat and RV storage in Northern Utah.
- 03Layton Crossing Boat & RV
Mixed boat, RV, and self storage in Davis County.
- 04Point of the Mountain Storage
Boat and RV storage at the Salt Lake / Utah County line.
- 05SoJo Storage
South Jordan self storage facility.
- 06EZ Storage
Salt Lake County self storage.
Questions
Wasatch Structures is a Utah-based self storage builder Utah developers call early in their site evaluation, working in self storage and commercial steel buildings. We have completed facilities across the Wasatch Front, Wasatch Back, and Northern Utah, including projects in Salt Lake County, Davis County, and Box Elder County. For design-build self storage Utah projects, we are typically engaged before the design is locked in, not after.
Single-story drive-up self storage in Utah generally runs $32 to $52 per rentable square foot for the building shell. Multi-story runs $70 to $108 per rentable square foot. Wasatch Back and mountain markets carry a 10% to 20% premium for snow load and access challenges.
We do. Wasatch Structures is based in Bluffdale, Utah, just south of Salt Lake City, and Salt Lake County is one of our core markets. We handle design, engineering coordination, steel package, erection, and finish work as a single contract.
Most of the Salt Lake Valley sits in seismic design category D, with portions on the west side in category E because of soil conditions. That affects steel connection design, foundation reinforcement, and inspection requirements. Build it to spec, or do not build it.
Yes. The Wasatch Front (Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, and Utah counties) is our home market and where most of our completed projects sit. We handle design-build self storage Utah-wide and travel across the broader Mountain West for the right project.