Considerations When Installing a Storage Building on Your Property

If you own a piece of property, you may decide that you want to build something on it. Usually, you need the right permissions to do so. If you live somewhere very remote, then building often becomes much easier.

Maybe you want to build a structure that your family can enjoy for storage purposes. Perhaps you’re erecting a building that you’ll use more for business. Maybe you’re using it for the manufacturing and storage of physical products that you can then ship to willing distributors.

You can buy a prefabricated metal storage building if you like, or you can erect the building yourself. Either way, you will need to think about a few things before you start. We’ll talk about some of them right now.

Do You Have Permission to Build?

Unless you live out in the middle of nowhere, you need to get permission to build a structure for storage. Usually, you can learn how to get the right permission by going on the official website of the city, village, or town where you live.

Often, you will need to fill out a form. It will contain information like what you’ll use the building for, its size, and where exactly you’ll build it on your property. You must usually pay for a building permit as well. They seldom cost very much.

You may also need to have someone representing the local government come and look at the building once you’ve completed it. They will usually just give it a quick once-over to make sure that it’s structurally sound.

Then, they will either approve it or require that you make adjustments. If the building doesn’t seem structurally sound, you might not get approval. Most times, though, it’s not an issue.

Do You Want to Buy the Building Prefabricated or Put It Together Yourself?

You can erect a storage building from scratch or buy a kit and follow the directions. When you’re trying to decide which option makes more sense, you should think about whether you have any useful DIY skills.

Have you ever built anything like this before, or do you struggle with tools? Some people have an aptitude for DIY projects, but others do not care for them so much.

If you buy a prefabricated storage building, that won’t require any construction. You can just buy the building and have a company deliver it. Usually, Home Depot will do that for you for a nominal charge. You can ask Lowes to do it as well.

If you buy a kit, you might also contact a handyperson and have them put the building together if you don’t trust your DIY skills or don’t have the proper tools. Putting the structure together yourself can save you some money, but if you don’t like tackling these sorts of projects on your own, you might not mind paying a little more to have someone do it.

Do You Have the Proper Dimensions for the Building?

You should also think about how much space the building will take up. If you’re designing the storage building from scratch, then you can draw up the blueprints and take a look at how much space you have in your backyard or wherever else you plan to erect it.

If you plan to buy a prefabricated building, you can find out its dimensions by looking on the website of the company that manufactures it. You can also call the store that carries it and ask them about the dimensions if you can’t find them on the site.

If you know how much space your new storage building will take up, then you can check the property you plan to build on to make sure you have enough room. Measuring carefully ensures you can install or erect the building with no issues once it arrives.

What Can You Legally Store There?

You should also think about what you legally can and can’t store in that building. You can probably find that out by visiting your local city, village, or town’s website.

You probably already know that storing something like clothing in boxes won’t cause any issues. However, if you’re storing explosives or potentially caustic chemicals, then you might get in some trouble with your local government if they find out about it.

If they ask you what you’re storing there when you apply to get the permit you need, tell them the truth. They might send someone later to check on the building once you erect it, and you don’t want to cause any problems with the local policymakers that will attract further scrutiny.

Do You Want the Building to Feature Some Security Measures?

You should also think about what security measures you will put in place to protect your new storage building, if applicable. If you live somewhere remote, then you might not feel like you need any major security features.

However, maybe you live somewhere densely populated. You know you often have people around, either driving past, walking by on the sidewalk, etc.

If you suspect there’s criminality in your area, or you know that’s the case from seeing the local crime stats rise, then you probably want to have robust security measures for your storage building, even if you’re not storing anything particularly valuable there. Presumably, you still want people to stay off your property.

You might install smart locks on the door of your storage building that you can control with an app on your smartphone. You can get these types of security features without spending very much in 2025.

You can also add some battery-operated security cameras. They do not cost as much as the hard-wired kind, though you could certainly get some of them as well. You might also add some motion-activated security lights.

This combination should keep anyone away who you don’t know. With the right security measures up and running, you should be able to use your new storage facility with confidence.