Self-Storage Construction in Amarillo

Rows of single-story doors, a rental office at the gate and a lot of paving: that is a self-storage project, and it is the paving and the dirt that decide most of the cost. The buildings themselves are simple. The site is not, especially in a plains market where wind crosses open ground, soils swell and shrink and the nearest storm drain may be a playa lake.

We build drive-up unit buildings, climate-controlled multi-story buildings, conversions of existing warehouses and retail boxes, and the office and gate systems that go with them. Investors and commercial real estate developers come to us with a parcel and a pro forma. We help them find out early whether the parcel will support the unit count that the pro forma needs.

Growth gives owners a reason to look. The City of Amarillo approved nearly $3 million in July 2026 for about 14,000 feet of 12-inch water pipe near North Western Street and West Hastings Avenue, to support northwest growth of more than 1,000 new homes and multiple businesses. Housing growth draws storage, and utilities draw development.

A drive-up storage building is usually a pre-engineered metal building on a concrete slab, with roll-up doors facing the drive aisle. We erect those buildings in rows, with a paved aisle width that fits moving trucks and a fire lane the fire code allows. Climate-controlled buildings are one or more stories, with an interior corridor, elevators or ramps and mechanical systems that hold temperature through a plains summer and a cold snap.

The office, gate, fence, lighting and camera system are part of the build. Many owners also want a small retail area for boxes and locks and a space for an on-site manager. If a parcel is large, we build in phases so the first rows open while the remaining pad stays raw. For metal-frame structure, see pre-engineered metal buildings.

Cost per rentable square foot depends on four things: pad and paving, door and wall package, mechanical for climate-controlled space and the site's drainage and detention. Paving is the sleeper. A large site may have more concrete or asphalt than building, and a wrong guess on the subgrade becomes a failed aisle in three years.

Drainage is the other. Randall County's floodplain office requires a Floodplain Development Permit before construction can begin, with a Class A permit for development outside the mapped 100-year floodplain and a Class B permit for development partly or fully within it. Randall County's 2023 subdivision regulations also state that the county will not maintain retention and detention facilities, so a perpetual entity such as an owners' association has to. We put those obligations into your budget and your operating plan.

We begin with a feasibility review before design money is spent. That review covers zoning, utilities, floodplain status, soil conditions, access and the platting path. We look at the lot's boundaries against the county or city drainage requirements and check whether utilities are close enough to serve the building.

Then we build a unit mix budget. We test the number of buildings, aisle widths and phases against the site. If the lot will hold 100,000 rentable square feet but the market wants 70,000 in the first phase, we plan the second phase so that utilities, paving and detention are sized for the whole site but built in stages. This is where mass grading and site development and utilities come in as part of the plan, not as afterthoughts.

Storage work lends itself to close trade management. We handle slab and foundation concrete, building erection coordination, door installation and the paving and curbs that give the site its shape. When we manage those trades closely, we also control the schedule, and a storage facility earns nothing until the first row opens.

For slabs, we plan pours around wind and heat, finish them to a flatness the door vendor accepts and cut joints on time. Soil prep gets the same care. Where caliche sits close to the surface, a site needs rock excavation for utilities and footings. The Kimberson soil series description, which covers the Southern High Plains of western Texas, gives depth to indurated caliche of 4 to 20 inches. We bring a geotechnical report into every estimate so footing and trench costs are real.

A storage building is long, low and fully exposed. Metal panels and roll-up doors take wind pressure, and doors are the weak point if they are not rated for the design load. We check door ratings against the wind speed in the engineer's drawings, and we specify fasteners that hold in thin metal. A record 83 mph gust at the Amarillo airport in 2025 is a good reminder of what the plains can do.

Access is the other point. A site needs a safe entry, enough stacking room for moving trucks and turn lanes where traffic requires. TxDOT or the city may need to approve a driveway, and that review can take longer than design. We start those conversations as soon as the site is under contract, and we keep the owner informed of status and options.

Location choices differ across the metro. Parcels on I-40 west of the city, near Bushland, sit on the plains with long views and plenty of wind, while parcels in town are closer to renters but cost more per acre. Owners who plan to hand a finished facility to property management firms should also review the self-storage facility category, since management software, gates and lighting are easier to install during construction than afterward.

Share the parcel, your unit goal and your timeline. We will check floodplain, utilities and soil, then give you a unit count and a first budget.

How many units can I fit on my parcel?

That depends on setbacks, drainage, fire lanes and the aisle width your design requires. We sketch a site plan before you close and test the unit count against those limits. The plan also shows how phases can be built without tearing up the first phase.

Do I need a plat before I build outside the city limits?

In Randall County, outside Amarillo and Canyon, the county's 2023 subdivision regulations make it unlawful to subdivide land or sell building lots without an approved plat. Divisions into parts greater than 10 acres with access and no public improvement dedicated are exempt. Your parcel's history matters, so we check it with the county before design.

Who maintains the detention pond on my site?

On land under Randall County's rules, the county will not maintain retention and detention facilities. A perpetual entity, such as an owners' association, must. For a single-owner storage site, that means the owner keeps it clean and functional.

Is climate-controlled storage worth the added cost?

Often yes in a place with hot summers and cold snaps, but the demand depends on location and rates. Climate-controlled buildings cost more per square foot, so we price a mixed project and show the difference between buildings.

Can you convert an old retail or warehouse building to storage?

Usually, if the structure and slab are good. We check clear height, column spacing, fire protection and floor levelness. Conversions can open faster than new construction, but demising walls and doors need careful planning.