How is storage priced, and what drives the monthly cost?
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It depends on which kind of storage you mean. A self-storage unit is priced by unit size per month, and the cost moves with size, climate control, access and location, and the terms of the rental. A mover’s storage-in-transit on a Georgia move is priced differently: by the weight of your shipment per day, under ceilings set by DPS Maximum Rate Tariff No. 7. To compare the two, convert both to the same period for your actual goods.
Self-storage: the four levers
- Space. Units are sold by size, and the size you need is set by the volume of your goods, not the floor area they cover loose. Pick the smallest unit that holds them.
- Climate control. A conditioned unit costs more than a standard one of the same size. Pay for it when wood, electronics, paper, art, or textiles will sit through a Georgia summer, as covered in climate-controlled or standard storage.
- Access and location. Drive-up and ground-floor units, extended access hours, and facilities close to dense areas can cost more than upper-floor or outlying units.
- Terms. Units can rent month to month or for a set term. Read the agreement for a first-month promotional rate that steps up later, move-in or administrative fees, late fees, and any required insurance or protection plan.
Ask each facility for the full monthly cost of the unit you would actually rent, with fees and insurance, and the rate after any promotion ends.
Storage-in-transit on a Georgia move
When a licensed carrier stores your goods during a Georgia move, Tariff No. 7 caps the charge at:
- $8.40 per 100 pounds for the first day,
- $0.25 per 100 pounds for each day after,
- plus up to 10 percent of the storage charge for valuation, if you chose full value protection.
For a 6,000-pound shipment stored 30 days, the ceiling works out to $504 for the first day plus $435 for the next 29 days, or $939, plus up to $93.90 for valuation. Storage-in-transit can last up to 180 days on a Georgia move, and delivering the goods out of storage is charged as a move from the warehouse. How it works is covered in what storage-in-transit is.
On an interstate move, the mover’s own tariff sets the storage-in-transit price, so ask for it in writing.
Comparing the two
| Question | Self-storage unit | Mover's storage-in-transit |
|---|---|---|
| Priced by | Unit size, per month | Weight, per day (Georgia caps) |
| Who loads and unloads | You, or a crew you pay | The carrier, as part of the move |
| Access to your goods | On the facility's schedule | Generally through the carrier |
| Time limit | The rental agreement | 180 days on a Georgia move |
The cheaper option depends on how long you store and how much your goods weigh, and also on the handling: a self-storage unit means loading in and out yourself or paying for it. The broader differences are covered in a mover’s storage versus a self-storage unit.
Estimating your own cost
- List what you will store, and estimate its volume for a unit size and its weight for a mover’s quote.
- Decide which items need climate control.
- Get a full monthly price from two or three facilities, with fees.
- Get the carrier’s storage-in-transit charge in writing, and on a Georgia move check it against the caps above.
- Project both over the whole stay, not one month, and add the loading and delivery on each side.