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Storage Unit Size Guide
How Big Is a 8x20 Storage Unit? Dimensions, What Fits, and Who It's For
A hundred and sixty square feet, close to the footprint of a twenty-foot shipping container. The gap between a 5x20 and a 10x20, and what three extra feet of width buys.
Compare Every Size
- 5x525 sq ft
- 5x1050 sq ft
- 5x1575 sq ft
- 5x20100 sq ft
- 10x10100 sq ft
- 10x15150 sq ft
- 8x20160 sq ft
- 10x20200 sq ft
- 15x20300 sq ft
- 10x30300 sq ft
- 10x35350 sq ft
- 20x20400 sq ft
- 10x40400 sq ft
- 15x30450 sq ft
- 20x25500 sq ft
- 20x40800 sq ft
- 30x401,200 sq ft
Other Space Types
On This Page
- What a 8x20 Storage Unit Actually Is
- What Fits in a 8x20 Storage Unit
- What Does Not Fit in a 8x20 Storage Unit
- Who a 8x20 Storage Unit Is Right For
- How to Know If You Should Size Up or Down
- How to Pack a 8x20 Storage Unit Efficiently
- Climate-Controlled or Standard: Which 8x20 to Choose
- What a 8x20 Storage Unit Costs and How to Think About Value
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reserve an 8x20 Storage Unit Near You
Section 01
What a 8x20 Storage Unit Actually Is
An 8x20 measures 8 feet wide by 20 feet deep: 160 square feet of floor, or a rectangle 96 inches by 240 inches. At the 8-foot minimum ceiling that is 1,280 cubic feet.
Those dimensions will look familiar to anyone who has worked around freight. A standard twenty-foot shipping container is 8 feet wide and 20 feet long, which makes this unit close to a container footprint, and a useful mental picture if you have ever loaded one.
It sits in the gap between a 5x20, which is too narrow for anything wide, and a 10x20, which is the industry default. Three extra feet of width over a 5x20 changes a surprising amount.
The Floor, Drawn to Scale
Looking straight down, here is the floor at true proportion with one layer of 18-inch medium cartons across it. Five fit across the 96-inch width and thirteen run down the 240-inch depth, giving sixty-five per layer.
240 in / 20 ft deep · door on left wall
Sixty-five medium boxes per layer. Five safe layers gives about 325 boxes, if the unit holds nothing else.
The Unit in Three Dimensions
Square footage undersells a unit this size, because what you are renting is volume. Both cutaways below show the same 8x20 at the same scale. The only difference between them is how the boxes are stacked.
Stacked five layers high
One layer on the floor
At this size the gap between those two drawings is enormous. Packing to head height rather than waist height is worth more square footage than most renters would ever pay for.
What Three Extra Feet Buys
At five feet wide you can only reach sideways. At eight you can stack down both walls and still walk between them, and wide items that defeat a 5x20 will go in. It is not enough to turn around carrying something large, but it is enough to stop the unit feeling like a tunnel.
Section 02
What Fits in a 8x20 Storage Unit
A One to Two Bedroom Household
An 8x20 takes a one-bedroom apartment comfortably and a small two-bedroom with careful packing: a mattress set, a sofa, a dining set, a dresser, appliances and 90 to 120 cartons. It holds more than a 10x15 and takes longer items than a 10x10.
Vehicles: Possible, but Tight
Worth being precise here rather than optimistic. Twenty feet of depth takes any passenger car, and 96 inches of width against a vehicle roughly 72 inches wide leaves about a foot on each side. That is enough to squeeze past and not enough to open a door properly.
If a vehicle is the main reason you are renting, a 10x20 gives you a foot and a half each side and costs less frustration. An 8x20 works for a vehicle you are parking and leaving, not one you will be getting in and out of.
Check the Door, Not Just the Floor
Interior dimensions are only half the question. The roll-up door opening is narrower and lower than the unit itself, and at this size it is what actually decides whether a tall vehicle, a van with roof equipment or a trailer will go in. Confirm the door opening at the specific facility before booking anything close to the limits, particularly on height.
Storing a vehicle also carries requirements that storing goods does not: proof of current registration and proof of insurance. Motorised vehicles must be operable and free of leaking fluids. Towable trailers, including travel trailers, fifth wheels, pop-ups and utility trailers, do not need to be operable. Our vehicle storage page has the detail.
Shelving and Long Items
An 8x20 has 56 linear feet of wall. Shelving along both 20-foot walls and the back gives 48 linear feet of run, and at five shelves high that is about 240 linear feet of shelf with a walkable path down the middle. The twenty-foot run takes lumber, ladders, pipe and rolled goods the same way a 5x20 does, with more room to manoeuvre them in.
Section 03
What Does Not Fit in a 8x20 Storage Unit
Where Eight Feet Runs Out
- A vehicle you need to get into. A foot of clearance each side is not a usable door opening.
- Two vehicles, at any length.
- Large sectionals and furniture over about seven feet in more than one dimension.
- Pallet operations. A single row fits; a pallet jack has nowhere to turn.
- A three-bedroom home. One to two bedrooms is the honest ceiling.
- Anything longer than 20 feet, and in practice over about 18.
Vehicles and Prohibited Items
- Vehicles without documentation. Proof of current registration and proof of insurance are required, and motorised vehicles must be operable with no leaking fluids.
- Flammable, combustible or hazardous materials: gasoline, propane, paint, solvents, fireworks, ammunition. This catches out contractors and equipment owners more than anyone, so drain fuel before storing.
- Perishable goods, or anything that attracts pests.
- Living things, including plants and animals.
- Anything illegal or stolen.
- Occupied or operational use. A storage unit is not premises. No working from inside it, no customers, no utilities.
Check the Price Against a 10x20 First
An 8x20 is an unusual size and there are fewer of them. In a lot of markets the gap to a 10x20 is small, and a 10x20 gives you 25 percent more floor, a properly usable vehicle bay and far better availability.
Rent the 8x20 when it is meaningfully cheaper or when it is what is available. If the two are close, take the 10x20.
Our full storage FAQs cover prohibited items in detail, and your rental agreement is the controlling document. At this size, where a unit may hold an entire inventory or a vehicle, read the agreement rather than relying on a general guide, including this one.
Section 04
Who a 8x20 Storage Unit Is Right For
One-Bedroom Households With Long Items
The sweet spot. A full one-bedroom apartment plus the ladders, skis, rods or rolled carpet that a 10x10 cannot take.
Tradespeople Storing Materials and Tools
Twenty feet of run for stock lengths, 240 linear feet of shelf for everything else, and a path between. For a one or two person operation this is often enough.
Anyone Storing a Vehicle Long Term
A car parked and left for a season fits. Just be clear with yourself that you will not be using it while it is in there.
Businesses With Single-Row Inventory
Eight to ten pallet positions in a single row with a path, or considerably more on shelving. Suits an online seller with one or two product lines.
People Who Found This Size Available
Honestly, a common reason. An 8x20 is not a size most people set out to rent, and it is frequently the sensible answer when the standard sizes near you are full.
Section 05
How to Know If You Should Size Up or Down
It Is a Gap Filler, and That Is Fine
An 8x20 sits between two common sizes and competes with both. Work out which one it is actually replacing for you.
An 8x20 Is Right If Any of These Are True
- You need a 20-foot run and some width to work with
- A 5x20 is too narrow for your furniture
- A 10x20 is unavailable or meaningfully more expensive
- You are storing one to two bedrooms plus long items
- A vehicle is going in and being left there
Choose Something Else If Any of These Are True
- You need to get in and out of a stored vehicle, which wants a 10x20
- Nothing you own is longer than 10 feet, which wants a 10x10 or 10x15
- You have a large sectional or wide furniture
- You need pallet movement
- The price gap to a 10x20 is small in your market
Our storage size calculator builds a recommendation from an item-by-item inventory.
Section 06
How to Pack a 8x20 Storage Unit Efficiently
Eight feet is just wide enough for two stacks and a path, which is the layout that makes this size work. Anything else wastes it.
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Plan the Layout Before Anything Arrives
At this size an unplanned load wastes more space than most people rent in total. Decide where vehicles, racking, heavy equipment and boxes go before the first item comes off the truck, and tell whoever is helping.
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Racking Beats Stacking, Decisively
Freestanding shelving or pallet racking along the walls turns floor area into usable volume and keeps everything individually reachable. Above about 300 square feet this is the single highest-return decision you will make.
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Keep a Full-Length Aisle, and a Turning Space
Run a clear path from the door to the back wall, and leave enough room near the door to turn with a hand truck or pallet jack. Losing roughly a third of the floor to access is the correct trade on a unit you will visit.
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Heaviest and Least Needed at the Back
Equipment, appliances and archive stock go furthest from the door. They are also the sturdiest platforms to stack against.
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Build Upward to About 80 Inches
Uniform cartons reach roughly 80 percent volume efficiency against 55 percent for mismatched sizes. On a unit this large that difference is measured in hundreds of cubic feet.
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Prepare Vehicles and Fuel-Powered Equipment First
Drain mowers, generators and power equipment, since fuel is not permitted inside. For a stored vehicle, clean it, inflate the tyres, and disconnect or tend the battery.
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Two Stacks and a Path, Not One Wall and a Void
Build to about 80 inches down both long walls and keep roughly two feet clear between them. It is tempting to fill one side deep and leave the other open; that costs you capacity and access at the same time.
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Photograph Each Zone and Keep the Map
On a rental this size, running for a year or more, a few phone photos taken the day you load will save hours later. Label cartons on the face that points at the aisle.
Our full storage tips guide goes further on protecting furniture and preparing equipment for storage.
Section 07
Climate-Controlled or Standard: Which 8x20 to Choose
We offer 8x20 space in both standard and climate-controlled configurations, though availability varies by location and climate control is less common at this size.
Standard Unit
Enclosed and secure, keeping weather and direct sun off everything inside. Interior temperature tracks the outside temperature, which across much of our footprint means well over 100 degrees in summer and below freezing in winter.
Fine for:
- Vehicles, trailers and towable equipment
- Tools, machinery and contractor materials
- Plastic totes, metal shelving and durable goods
- Lumber, fixtures and non-perishable stock
Climate-Controlled Unit
Temperature-regulated, holding an interior range year round. That protects against the extreme heat and hard freezes that warp wood, crack vinyl, degrade adhesives and damage electronics.
Worth it for:
- Electronics, screens and anything with a battery
- Wood furniture, cabinetry and millwork
- Business records, artwork and instruments
- Products with a temperature-sensitive shelf life
An Honest Limitation Worth Knowing About
Climate control at our facilities means temperature regulation. It does not mean moisture management, and we do not want anyone assuming otherwise on the strength of the name.
Temperature and moisture are two different threats. If you are storing something genuinely moisture-sensitive, such as documents, leather, upholstery, electronics or finished millwork, a temperature-regulated unit addresses one of those and not the other. Handle the second yourself: seal items in airtight containers rather than cardboard, add desiccant inside them, and keep everything off the concrete on pallets or risers. Those steps cost very little and do more for moisture-sensitive goods than any unit type will.
At this size, where a single tenant may be storing an entire inventory, that distinction is worth acting on rather than noting.
More detail is on the climate-controlled storage page.
Section 08
What a 8x20 Storage Unit Costs and How to Think About Value
What a 8x20 costs depends on your market, the specific facility, whether the unit is climate-controlled and what is available when you book. Rather than publish a range that goes stale, we point you at live pricing for the locations near you.
The Cost Logic That Does Not Change
- Larger units cost less per square foot, but the curve flattens at the top of the range. The saving from stepping up is real between small units and much smaller between large ones.
- Availability is the real constraint at this size. There are far fewer of these than there are 10x10s, and they do not come free often. If one is available where you need it, that matters more than a small price difference.
- Compare against commercial rent, not against other units. For a business, the useful comparison is the price per square foot of warehouse or flex space in your market, plus its lease term, deposit and build-out. This is usually not close.
- Two units can beat one. Check a 8x20 against two 5x20 units at the locations near you. One is simpler; two are sometimes cheaper and let you separate what you need from what you do not.
What Is Included, and One Thing We Cannot Do
Every rental includes a free lock, month-to-month terms with no long-term contract, and 24/7 gate access at nearly all locations. A protection plan is required at checkout at all of our facilities. Check first whether your existing business or homeowner policy already extends to goods stored off premises, and read your rental agreement for what the plan does and does not cover.
Our facilities are fully automated and unstaffed. You rent online, your gate code arrives by email and text, and you go straight to the unit. Because nobody is on site, we cannot accept deliveries on your behalf. That matters more at this size than any other, because businesses renting 8x20 space often assume inventory can be shipped straight to the unit. It cannot. If your operation depends on that, this is not the right fit, and it is better to know now. More on how our facilities work is on the why choose 10 Federal Storage page.
How Big Is a 8x20 Storage Unit?, Frequently Asked Questions
An 8x20 is 8 feet wide by 20 feet deep, for 160 square feet of floor. At the 8-foot minimum ceiling that is 1,280 cubic feet. It is close to the footprint of a standard twenty-foot shipping container.
Yes, but tightly. Twenty feet of depth takes any passenger car, and 96 inches of width leaves about a foot each side of a typical vehicle. That is enough to squeeze past and not enough to open a door properly. For a vehicle you will use, a 10x20 is the better choice.
About 325 medium cartons wall to wall, five layers high, with nothing else inside. Leave a walking aisle and the figure is 225 to 230. Alongside a one-bedroom household, plan on 90 to 120.
Yes, comfortably, and it will take a small two-bedroom with careful packing. It holds more than a 10x15 and takes longer items than a 10x10.
A 10x20 gives 25 percent more floor, a properly usable vehicle bay and far better availability. Take the 8x20 when it is meaningfully cheaper or when it is what is available near you.
Eight to ten in a single row with a path beside them. A pallet jack has nowhere to turn in an eight-foot width, so this is not a size to run a palletised operation from.
Between 8 and 10 feet depending on the building. Figures on this page use the 8-foot minimum so they hold everywhere.
Yes. The twenty-foot run takes lumber, ladders, pipe and rolled carpet in standard lengths, with more room to manoeuvre them in than a 5x20 allows.
Shelving along both 20-foot walls and the back gives 48 linear feet of run, and at five shelves high that is about 240 linear feet of shelf with a walkable path down the middle.
It depends what is going in. Choose temperature regulation for electronics, wood furniture, mattresses in long-term storage and documents. A standard unit is fine for tools, lumber and outdoor gear. Our climate-controlled units regulate temperature only, so seal moisture-sensitive items either way.
Reserve an 8x20 Storage Unit Near You
An 8x20 is a gap filler and a good one. Eight feet is wide enough for two stacks and a walking path, and twenty feet takes long materials. A car fits, though with about a foot each side, so it suits a vehicle you are parking and leaving rather than one you will be using.
