Warehouse Storage Cost Calculator

This tool estimates warehouse storage cost two ways and puts them side by side. For space you lease or operate, it sums the three occupancy components that make up storage cost:

• Base rent (NNN): the per-square-foot lease rate for industrial space in your market
• Operating expenses: common area maintenance, property taxes, and building insurance
• Utilities / energy: power and (for climate, refrigerated, or frozen space) the substantial cost of cooling

It then applies a regional multiplier and a premium for shared/flex sublease space, and compares the result to what the same footprint would cost at a 3PL or public warehouse billed per square foot. That comparison is the single most useful number for deciding whether to hold your own space or outsource storage.

2026 Benchmark Rates

Ambient dry space averages roughly $9.50/sq ft/yr base rent plus ~$3.50 operating expenses and ~$1.20 utilities nationally; climate, refrigerated, and frozen classes cost progressively more, driven largely by energy. 3PL storage averages about $1.55–$3.40/sq ft/month depending on class. Coastal markets run 20–30% above the national mid-point. We update these benchmarks quarterly.

What It Excludes

Self-leased figures are storage occupancy only — they exclude racking, forklifts and other material-handling equipment, and direct labor. The 3PL comparison is storage-only and excludes pick, pack, receiving, and account fees. Use our 3PL Cost Calculator for a fully-loaded fulfillment estimate.