How Much Does Boat Storage Cost?
Boat storage can cost anywhere from about $50 per month for basic outdoor parking to $800+ per month for large enclosed storage, depending on the size of your boat and trailer, where you store it, and whether you want it indoors or outside.
At Storage Kings in Fargo and Bismarck, outdoor options are approximately $50–$100 per month, while large enclosed spaces suitable for many boats and trailers generally start around $375 per month and increase based on size and storage type.
For boat owners in North Dakota, especially those looking for winter storage, price is only part of the decision. You also need to decide whether you want your boat parked outside or completely enclosed and out of direct exposure to winter weather.
Storage Kings also offers month-to-month rentals at all of our facilities, giving boat owners the flexibility to store for the season or keep their space longer without committing to a long-term rental agreement.
Remember: you're storing the trailer too. The total length of a boat and trailer can be considerably longer than the advertised length of the boat itself.
If you're also wondering how much does a storage unit cost for the size you need, you can find pricing and availability by location and compare current Storage Kings options.
All prices in this article are estimated Storage Kings pricing based on location and unit type. Actual rates and promotions may change.
Boat Storage Cost Per Month
Your boat storage cost per month depends primarily on whether you choose outdoor or enclosed storage and how much space your boat and trailer require.
Outdoor parking is the most economical option. At Storage Kings Bismarck, outdoor parking is approximately $50 per month, while a concrete parking pad is approximately $70 per month.
At Storage Kings Fargo, a concrete parking pad is approximately $100 per month.
Bismarck Outdoor Parking
Approximately $50/month
Bismarck Concrete Pad
Approximately $70/month
Fargo Concrete Pad
Approximately $100/month
If you want your boat indoors, you'll need a much larger enclosed space.
For many boats on trailers, 14x40 and 14x50 units are good sizes to start comparing.
In Bismarck, estimated pricing for these large enclosed units is approximately $375–$450 per month.
In Fargo, estimated pricing for 14x40 and 14x50 drive-up storage is approximately $425–$495 per month.
Storage Kings Fargo also offers extra-large 18x50 storage in approximately the $735–$825 monthly range, depending on the specific unit and storage type.
The difference in price is substantial because you're comparing two very different products. One gives you a dedicated place to park the boat outside. The other gives you hundreds of square feet of private enclosed storage.
What Size Storage Unit Do You Need for a Boat?
Don't choose a storage unit based only on the advertised length of your boat.
A 20-foot boat does not necessarily fit in a 20-foot-deep space.
The trailer tongue extends beyond the front of the boat. An outboard motor, swim platform, jack plate, or other equipment may extend beyond the back.
That means a 20-foot fishing boat could have a boat-and-trailer combination several feet longer than the boat itself.
Before choosing enclosed boat storage, measure the entire setup.
Measure these three dimensions:
- Overall length: From the front of the trailer tongue to the farthest point at the rear.
- Overall width: At the widest point of the boat or trailer.
- Overall height: From the ground to the highest fixed point, including towers or other equipment that won't be lowered or removed.
Then compare those measurements with the actual dimensions and overhead-door opening of the storage unit.
For many larger boats and trailers, we'd recommend starting your search around 14x40 or larger rather than trying to squeeze the boat into a traditional household storage unit.
Winter Boat Storage Cost
For North Dakota boat owners, winter boat storage cost is often an important part of the decision.
Once the lakes freeze and boating season ends, you may need somewhere to keep your boat for several months.
If you stored your boat for six months, for example:
- $100 per month = approximately $600 for six months
- $425 per month = approximately $2,550 for six months
- $495 per month = approximately $2,970 for six months
That's a major difference. But so is the way the boat is being stored.
Outdoor storage leaves the boat outside throughout the winter. Enclosed storage puts the boat and trailer inside a dedicated space and out of direct exposure to snow, ice, wind, hail, and sun.
For someone with a smaller or older fishing boat, the additional cost of enclosed storage may not make sense.
For someone who has invested significantly in a newer wake boat, pontoon, fishing boat, or other recreational boat, keeping it completely indoors may be worth the additional monthly expense.
You don't have to decide upfront that you're renting for exactly six months. Storage Kings offers month-to-month rentals at all of our facilities, so you can rent based on how long you actually need the space.
Indoor Boat Storage Cost
Indoor boat storage at Storage Kings generally means renting a large enclosed storage unit capable of accommodating the boat and its trailer.
14x40
Approximately 560 square feet
14x50
Approximately 700 square feet
18x50
Approximately 900 square feet
In Bismarck, estimated pricing for large 14x40 and 14x50 enclosed options is approximately $375–$450 per month.
At Storage Kings Fargo, estimated pricing for 14x40 and 14x50 drive-up storage is approximately $425–$495 per month.
For significantly larger boats and trailers, Fargo's 18x50 units provide approximately 900 square feet, with estimated pricing around $735–$825 per month, depending on the specific unit and storage type.
With enclosed storage, you're paying for considerably more than a parking spot. You can put the entire boat and trailer indoors and may also have room for approved boating gear, life jackets, covers, fishing equipment, water toys, and other belongings.
For boat owners who want their investment indoors during a North Dakota winter, that can be an important difference.
Outdoor Boat Storage Cost
If your biggest priority is keeping the monthly cost down, outdoor parking is usually the place to start.
At Storage Kings Bismarck, estimated pricing is approximately $50 per month for outdoor parking or $70 per month for a concrete pad.
At Storage Kings Fargo, a concrete parking pad is approximately $100 per month.
For a boat owner with a quality cover who is comfortable keeping the boat outside, outdoor storage can save a significant amount of money compared with renting a large enclosed unit.
It can also solve a simple problem: getting the boat and trailer out of your driveway or garage while keeping it accessible when you need it.
The tradeoff is straightforward: your boat stays outside.
For North Dakota boat owners planning to leave a boat in storage throughout the winter, that's something to weigh against the additional cost of enclosed storage.
Boat Storage in Fargo, ND
Storage Kings Fargo gives boat owners several options depending on how much space and protection they want.
If you want to keep costs lower, a concrete outdoor parking pad is approximately $100 per month.
If you want to move the boat indoors, Fargo offers large drive-up storage including:
- 14x40 — approximately 560 sq. ft.
- 14x50 — approximately 700 sq. ft.
- 18x50 — approximately 900 sq. ft.
Estimated pricing for Fargo's 14x40 and 14x50 drive-up storage is approximately $425–$495 per month.
For larger boat-and-trailer combinations, Fargo's 18x50 units provide approximately 900 square feet, with estimated pricing around $735–$825 per month, depending on the specific unit and storage type.
You can learn more about Storage Kings Fargo or compare our Boat & RV Storage options.
Drive-Through Boat Storage in Fargo
Anyone who regularly backs a boat trailer understands why extra maneuvering room matters.
Storage Kings Fargo offers large drive-through storage options including:
18x55 Drive-Through
Approximately 990 square feet
Estimated price: approximately $825/month
24x50 Drive-Through
Approximately 1,200 square feet
The advantage isn't just the additional square footage. It's the ability to enter through one side of the unit and exit through the other.
That can make storing and retrieving a large boat and trailer much easier than repeatedly backing the entire setup through an overhead door.
Pull in. Unhook. Store your boat indoors. When it's time to get back on the water, hook up and pull out.
For larger fishing boats, pontoons, wake boats, and other substantial boat-and-trailer combinations, that convenience can be a major reason to consider drive-through storage.
Is Indoor Boat Storage Worth the Extra Cost?
It depends on the boat and what matters to you.
If you have a modest fishing boat and primarily need somewhere affordable to park it, $50–$100 per month for outdoor storage may be exactly what you need.
If you've invested significantly in a newer boat, your priorities may be different.
A wake boat, pontoon, premium fishing boat, or other higher-value recreational boat can represent a substantial investment. In that situation, spending approximately $425–$495 per month for large enclosed Fargo storage may be easier to justify.
Enclosed storage keeps your boat and trailer out of direct exposure to:
- Snow
- Ice
- Hail
- Wind
- Sun
You're also getting hundreds of square feet of private enclosed storage rather than simply renting a parking space.
How Much Does It Cost to Store a Boat at a Marina?
Marina storage can be another option, particularly if you want to keep your boat close to the lake or use additional marina services.
Marina pricing can work differently from traditional storage. Costs may depend on the boat's length, whether it's stored indoors or outdoors, the length of the storage season, and whether additional services are included.
Storage Kings works differently. You're renting a dedicated storage space on a month-to-month basis.
Outdoor options at Storage Kings are approximately $50–$100 per month, depending on the location and parking type. Large enclosed options generally begin around $375 per month and increase based on size, location, and features.
Don't compare only one advertised number. Look at the total cost for the months you need storage, whether the boat will be indoors or outdoors, how much space you're getting, how easily you can access it, and whether additional marina services or fees are included.
Should You Store Your Boat Near the Lake or Near Home?
Keeping your boat at a marina near your favorite lake can certainly be convenient. But it isn't the only way to think about boat storage.
If you regularly visit different lakes, keeping the boat close to one particular lake may actually limit some of that convenience.
For Fargo-area boat owners, storing closer to home means you can hook up the boat and decide where you're going that weekend.
Head east toward Minnesota lakes one weekend. Pick a different destination the next. When the trip is over, bring the boat back to your storage space.
That can be especially appealing for owners who want one storage location throughout the year rather than choosing storage based around a single lake.
What Does Boat Storage Cost for an Entire Winter?
Because Storage Kings offers month-to-month rentals, you can choose how long you actually need your storage space.
But using six months as an example makes the different options easy to compare.
- $50/month outdoor parking = about $300 for six months
- $70/month concrete pad = about $420 for six months
- $100/month Fargo concrete pad = about $600 for six months
- $375/month enclosed storage = about $2,250 for six months
- $425/month enclosed storage = about $2,550 for six months
- $450/month enclosed storage = about $2,700 for six months
- $495/month enclosed storage = about $2,970 for six months
These examples don't mean you have to rent for six months.
All Storage Kings facilities offer month-to-month rentals, so if you need five months, seven months, or decide to keep your space longer, you have that flexibility.
The examples simply show how dramatically the total winter boat storage cost can change depending on whether you choose outdoor or enclosed storage.
These examples use estimated monthly rates and don't account for promotions, rate changes, or other applicable charges.
Do You Have to Sign a Long-Term Contract for Boat Storage?
No. Storage Kings offers month-to-month rentals at all of our facilities.
That's particularly useful for boat owners because storage needs often follow the seasons.
Maybe you want your boat stored from the end of boating season until spring. Maybe you want to keep it indoors during the winter and bring it home during the summer. Or maybe you discover that having your garage or driveway back is worth keeping the storage space year-round.
Month-to-month rental gives you flexibility. Choose storage based on how long you actually need it rather than committing to a long-term contract just because you need somewhere to keep your boat for the winter.
Which Boat Storage Option Is Right for You?
If price is the priority, outdoor parking is generally the most economical option.
If you want the boat and trailer completely indoors, start by looking at a 14x40, 14x50, or larger enclosed unit.
If you have a larger boat-and-trailer combination, Fargo's 18x50 options provide considerably more room.
And if backing a large trailer into an enclosed unit is something you'd rather avoid, take a close look at Fargo's 18x55 and 24x50 drive-through storage.
Whatever you choose, measure the complete boat-and-trailer combination first.
Don't measure a 22-foot boat and assume you need 22 feet of storage. Measure from the front of the trailer tongue to the farthest point at the back, along with the total width and height.
Find Boat Storage in Fargo, ND
If you're looking for boat storage in Fargo, Storage Kings gives you options ranging from economical outdoor parking to extra-large enclosed drive-through storage.
A Fargo concrete parking pad is approximately $100 per month.
Large 14x40 and 14x50 enclosed drive-up storage is approximately $425–$495 per month.
For larger boat-and-trailer combinations, Storage Kings Fargo offers 18x50 storage as well as 18x55 and 24x50 drive-through units.
And because Storage Kings offers month-to-month rentals at all of our facilities, you have the flexibility to store your boat for the winter or keep your space longer if it works for you.
Start with the boat you actually own.
Measure your complete boat-and-trailer combination, decide whether you want outdoor or enclosed storage, and compare those measurements with the Storage Kings options that fit your needs.
Explore our Boat & RV Storage options, learn more about Storage Kings Fargo , or find pricing and availability by location .
All prices listed are estimated Storage Kings pricing for the locations and unit types discussed. Actual rental rates and promotions may change.
Find the Right Storage Unit
Compare current Storage Kings availability and find the size and storage type that fits what you need to store.
