📦 Storage Unit Size Calculator
Add up the estimated cubic footage of your belongings by room to get a recommended storage unit size.
Volume in, unit size out
Every room row is added up, and the first unit on the ladder whose capacity reaches that total is the recommendation. Each capacity is the floor area times five cubic feet:
| Unit | Floor area | Capacity used here |
|---|---|---|
| 5×5 | 25 sq ft | 125 cu ft |
| 5×10 | 50 sq ft | 250 cu ft |
| 10×10 | 100 sq ft | 500 cu ft |
| 10×15 | 150 sq ft | 750 cu ft |
| 10×20 | 200 sq ft | 1,000 cu ft |
| 10×30 | 300 sq ft | 1,500 cu ft |
The starting rooms, a 250 cu ft living room and a 150 cu ft bedroom, total 400 and land on the 10×10. Above 1,500 cu ft the tool stops recommending and says multiple units are needed.
Estimating each room
Multiply length by width by height in feet, for one item at a time, and round up. Useful anchors:
- A medium carton, 18 × 18 × 16 in, is 3 cu ft. Thirty of them is 90 cu ft.
- A three-seat sofa at roughly 7 × 3 × 3 ft is 63 cu ft.
- A queen mattress and base, about 5 × 6.7 × 1.5 ft, is 50 cu ft.
Frequently asked questions
What size storage unit do I need for a 2 bedroom apartment?
Add the rooms up first. A living room, two bedrooms and a kitchen commonly total 550 to 700 cu ft, which puts you in a 10×15.
Why does a 10×10 unit only count as 500 cubic feet?
Because the ladder rates it at five cubic feet per square foot rather than the full eight foot height. Boxes to the ceiling with no walkway would be 800, and almost nobody loads a unit that way.
Can I fit a car in a storage unit?
A 10×20 is the usual drive-in size for a sedan, and its 1,000 cu ft rating here would be swallowed whole. Measure the door width as well as the unit; that is what stops most vehicles.