Building Types
36x40 Steel Storage Building
- Width
- 36 ft
- Length
- 40 ft
- Floor area
- 1,440 sq ft
- Perimeter
- 152 ft
Example
Example Configuration
Quick dimensions
At a Glance
Width
36 ft across the gable end.
Length
40 ft along the sidewall.
Floor area
1,440 sq ft of clear floor.
Eave height
14 ft at the sidewall on the stored profile.
Use
How a 36×40 Storage Building May Be Used
RV and boat storage
Interior partitions follow the frame bays, which sets the practical unit sizes.
Self storage
Drive aisles and door widths determine what can be moved in and out.
General storage
Door type and hardware are specified for the contents being stored.
Configuration
How This Building Is Configured
Steel buildings configured for personal, RV, boat or self-storage use.
Configuration summary
| Building type | Storage Building |
|---|---|
| Footprint | 36 ft × 40 ft |
| Floor area | 1,440 sq ft |
| Eave height | 14 ft |
Planning
Footprint & Space Planning
Footprint
Width and length are chosen together: width is usually fixed by what has to fit side by side, length by how many bays are needed.
Height
Eave height affects door options, storage height and how open the interior feels.
Access
Where vehicles and people enter changes the whole interior layout, so access is settled before anything else.
Doors and openings
Opening width, height and position are specified with the supplier; they affect the frame and the wall bracing.
Site
Slope, drainage, access for delivery and erection, and the foundation are confirmed for the actual property.
Expansion
Extending along the length is usually simpler than changing the width later, which is worth deciding up front.
Access
Doors & Access Considerations
Opening width
Across a 36 ft gable end, the practical opening width is limited by the frame and confirmed with the supplier.
Opening height
A 14 ft eave sets the ceiling on door height before any frame change.
Drive-through
Matching openings at both ends avoid reversing, at the cost of usable wall.
Similar sizes
Other Sizes for a Storage Building
36′ × 20′
720 sq ft
36′ × 60′
2,160 sq ft
26′ × 40′
1,040 sq ft
Related
Related Building Types
Example configuration — for planning purposes only.
FAQ
Common Questions
36 ft × 40 ft is 1,440 square feet of floor area before any interior partitions.
Length is usually adjusted in bay increments, and width is a larger design change. Both are confirmed with the supplier for the final design.
Site preparation, foundation and erection are commonly quoted separately from the building package. Confirm the scope of any quote you receive.
Compare nearby sizes
Related footprints for this building type
Each page works through one footprint for one building type.
Overview
A 36x40 storage building planned as a single-aisle machinery store with everything reachable from one run
This page is ordered around the apron, because oversize storage is a manoeuvring problem before it is a capacity one.
3 machine positions fit across the 36-foot width with only 0 feet left over, which is a tight fit: the width is fully committed and nothing can be widened later without moving a wall.
What distinguishes 36x40 is depth behaviour: 1 row along 40 feet after 12 feet of circulation, with 6 feet unaccounted for at the end of the run. Where the building sits on the site changes how much of this floor is genuinely reachable.
A 36 by 40 footprint is a near-square plan: 1,440 sq ft enclosed by 152 ft of wall, at a 1.1:1 length-to-width proportion. Along its 40 ft dimension it takes 1 run of machine positions at 22 ft, leaving 18 ft over — the 18 ft is where the argument about this size actually happens. A narrow enclosed store answers one question honestly: retrieval. With a single aisle, every machine either faces the aisle or is behind something, and pretending otherwise is how a store that looked efficient on paper becomes a morning of shuffling. Density here is capped by access, and that cap is a feature rather than a failure. Cold steel and still air over dormant machinery invite condensation, which is a specification question rather than a layout one.
This footprint is planned as a single-aisle machinery store with everything reachable from one run. At 1.11:1 the plan is close enough to square that neither width nor depth is doing the arguing; what decides the layout here is where the openings go, because no proportion is forcing a direction on the floor. Spent as a square 38 by 38 instead, the same 1,440 sq ft would stand 2 machine positions across rather than 2, and would trade this plan's length for parallel access. That is the width-against-depth decision this footprint has already made. At this scale the building is usually operated by one or two people who know where everything is, so the plan can be loose and the doors matter more than the divisions. Machines come in nose-first and leave in reverse, or the other way round, and the store should pick one convention and be planned for it. Mixing conventions in a single aisle is what causes the awkward three-point turns that mark the floor. A store planned around the largest machine wastes area on all the others unless the positions are graded.
Areas, perimeter, roof area, ridge height, slab volume and the machine position counts on this page are computed from the stored 36x40 record and this platform's planning module for the storage building category.
Openings
Openings for 3 machine positions across
At 36 feet the gable will not comfortably take one opening per machine position: 3 positions with 0 feet spare leaves too little wall for piers. A single wider opening, or a sidewall opening, is the workable route. Rows that cannot be entered independently end up used as one long space.
One end opening usually serves a single-aisle store, and its width is set by the widest machine with its mirrors and any mounted attachment. Attachments left on a machine are a recurring reason a stated door width proves inadequate in use.
Framed-opening sizes, headers and the structure around them are engineered for the specific building. Confirm every opening with the door supplier and the building manufacturer before ordering.
Height
Interior height for a 36x40 storage building
Across a 36-foot span the 3:12 pitch adds 4.5 feet between eave and ridge. The centreline measures 18.5 feet; anything parked or stacked near a wall lives with the 14-foot eave. Judge the plan by what has to happen on the worst day of the year, not on an average one.
Height on a 36 ft span is a separate decision from the 40 ft length, and it is the span that sets the frame's behavior. Raising the eave over 1,440 sq ft affects every bay along the 40 ft dimension, so the test is whether machine retrieval planning genuinely needs the extra clear height or only the floor area.
Insulation here is usually about condensation on the underside of the roof rather than about comfort.
Clear height below purlins, bracing and lighting is lower than the eave height. The usable figure comes from the manufacturer's framing for the selected building.
Allocation
Dividing the floor for a single-aisle machinery store with everything reachable from one run
The access model this building could equally be arranged for is a lay-up store for machinery that will stand still for months: there is no preparation strip, so machines go into deep positions as they come off the field and come out needing work. Dividing the 1,440 sq ft by the 12 by 22 ft machine position gives roughly 2 positions before circulation is deducted a second time for cross movement. Whether the plan keeps 2 or drops to 1 comes back to the question this footprint is really answering: can each machine be driven out without first moving another one?
Treating the last 6 feet as a room is the recurring planning error at 36x40: there is no attachment wall, so attachments occupy floor that a machine could have used and are moved every time one is retrieved. Snow, wind and site exposure change what this shape costs to build long before the interior plan does.
Width is fully committed at 36x40. With 0 feet spare, wall storage and passing room compete with the machine positions directly. Fire separation, egress and occupancy are determined for the specific building and can reshape this plan entirely.
At 1.11:1 the plan is close enough to square that neither width nor depth is doing the arguing; what decides the layout here is where the openings go, because no proportion is forcing a direction on the floor. Spent as a square 38 by 38 instead, the same 1,440 sq ft would stand 2 machine positions across rather than 2, and would trade this plan's length for parallel access. That is the width-against-depth decision this footprint has already made. At this scale the building is usually operated by one or two people who know where everything is, so the plan can be loose and the doors matter more than the divisions. Machines come in nose-first and leave in reverse, or the other way round, and the store should pick one convention and be planned for it. Mixing conventions in a single aisle is what causes the awkward three-point turns that mark the floor. A store planned around the largest machine wastes area on all the others unless the positions are graded. That movement pattern, not the 1,440-square-foot total, is what decides whether the leftover 6 feet is useful here.
Usable area
How the 1,440 square feet divides at 36x40
Computed machine position fit for a 36x40 storage building
| Measure | Computed at this footprint |
|---|---|
| Machine positions across the 36-foot width | 3 at a 12-foot module |
| Leftover width | 0 ft (0 sq ft as a full-length strip) |
| Rows along the 40-foot length | 1 at a 22-foot module after 12 ft of circulation |
| Leftover depth | 6 ft (216 sq ft across the width) |
| Total machine positions | 3 |
| Share of floor committed | 55% |
Module footprint used here is 12 by 22 feet, this platform's planning module for a storage building. It is not a code minimum or an engineered clearance.
Example allocation of the 40-foot length — planning model, not survey data
| Zone | Length along the building | Computed area |
|---|---|---|
| Storage or unit area | 27.2 ft | 979 sq ft |
| Aisles and access | 9.6 ft | 346 sq ft |
| Office and utility | 3.2 ft | 115 sq ft |
Shares applied to the stored 40-foot length; areas computed against the 36-foot width.
Module footprints and allocation shares come from this platform's use typology and are published as example planning models. They are not recommendations and do not describe a majority of projects.
Configurations
Configuring 3 machine positions at 36x40
At 20-foot nominal bays the structure works with the layout instead of against it: one machine position per bay line, walls free of awkward half-positions. The mezzanine that is added afterwards is the change order that reprices the frame.
A single row means nothing is trapped: every position faces the opening directly, which is this footprint's advantage over a deeper building of the same width. Storage expands until it meets a wall, so give it a wall on purpose.
Extension is cheapest along the 40 ft dimension, where each added bay repeats work already framed; widening past 36 ft is a different frame rather than a longer one. Growing to 36 by 62 adds a 2th run of machine positions — useful if the constraint is machine positions rather than the 18 ft already spare at the far end.
Configured as a single-aisle machinery store with everything reachable from one run, 36x40 is judged on whether the 3 machine positions it holds match the operation, and on whether the 0 feet of spare width leaves the route this mode depends on.
- Does the work need two parked lanes with a walking gap between them, or one lane and a deep work zone, or does it need a second lane that this 36-foot span cannot give?
- Is the 40-foot length being bought for depth, or for the repeated bays — three or four repeated frame bays, which sets a clear grain for partitions and rack lines?
- What stacking height do you plan, and does the building allow placing the top item?
- How wide does the retrieval aisle need to be for the handling equipment you use?
Bay division shown here is a planning module computed from the stored length. Actual bay spacing is set by the manufacturer's frame design for the building.
Comparison
What changes at adjacent footprints
Computed comparison of nearby footprints for a storage building
| Footprint | Floor area | Machine positions |
|---|---|---|
| 12x20 | 240 sq ft | 0 (1 x 0) |
| 12x24 | 288 sq ft | 0 (1 x 0) |
| 16x20 | 320 sq ft | 0 (1 x 0) |
| 12x30 | 360 sq ft | 0 (0 x 0) |
| 16x24 | 384 sq ft | 0 (1 x 0) |
Areas computed from each stored size record; machine position counts computed with the same 12 by 22 foot planning module.
- 12x20 moves the count from 3 to 0 machine positions (1 across by 0 deep), which is the reason to choose between them.
- 12x24 moves the count from 3 to 0 machine positions (1 across by 0 deep), which is the reason to choose between them.
- 16x20 moves the count from 3 to 0 machine positions (1 across by 0 deep), which is the reason to choose between them.
Nearby footprints read for a storage building: exact change in area and in planning machine positions
| Footprint | Area Δ | % Δ | Machine positions at that footprint | What changes for this use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30x50 | +60 sq ft | +4.2% | 2 (2 x 1) | −1 machine position on the same planning module. |
| 40x40 | +160 sq ft | +11.1% | 0 (2 x 0) | −3 machine positions on the same planning module. |
| 32x40 | −160 sq ft | −11.1% | 2 (2 x 1) | −1 machine position on the same planning module. |
| 36x48 | +288 sq ft | +20% | 2 (2 x 1) | −1 machine position on the same planning module. |
Areas are arithmetic on two stored size records; machine position counts use this platform's 12 by 22 foot planning module and are not a capacity statement.
Because this footprint is planned as a single-aisle machinery store with everything reachable from one run, the useful next reads are different from the ones a differently shaped storage building suggests: machine retrieval planning, attachment storage, single-aisle store layout.
Visualization
Reading the 36x40 footprint as a storage building
FAQ
Questions about 36x40 storage building projects
Not enough for a planned room at this footprint: there is no attachment wall, so attachments occupy floor that a machine could have used and are moved every time one is retrieved.
Reserving 12 ft across the 36 ft dimension for movement leaves 24 ft of working width, which takes 2 machine positions at 12 ft. Along 40 ft it takes 1 runs at 22 ft. That is 2 positions out of 1,440 sq ft, and the remainder is circulation, walls and the margin every plan needs. Whether that count is enough depends on can each machine be driven out without first moving another one. These are planning figures computed from the footprint, not a quoted layout.
It depends on stacking or racking height plus the clearance needed to place the top item. The stored configuration computes to 18.5 feet at the ridge, but the eave is the number that governs anything standing near a wall.
One machine deep if any machine may be needed at short notice. Two-deep positions raise capacity and lower availability, which is a legitimate trade only where the back machine is genuinely seasonal.
3 machine positions fit across the 36-foot width with only 0 feet left over, which is a tight fit: the width is fully committed and nothing can be widened later without moving a wall. Those counts use a 12 by 22 foot planning module with 12 feet allowed for circulation, so a different module changes the answer.
Methodology
How this page was produced
Sources and methodology
Find Steel Buildings dimensional records
Find Steel Buildings · Primary platform dataset · Tier 1 — code authority, standards body, primary dataset or manufacturer engineering
Supports: Stored nominal width, length, eave height, roof pitch and slab thickness for this subject.
International Building Code and International Residential Code
International Code Council · Model code · Tier 1 — code authority, standards body, primary dataset or manufacturer engineering
Supports: The framework of adopted codes and local amendments that decides permitting, separation and opening requirements. Cited as the governing framework, never as a local requirement.
- Dimensional figures: Width, length, eave height, roof pitch and nominal slab thickness come from this platform's stored record for the subject. Floor area, perimeter, wall area, roof area, ridge height and slab volume are computed from those inputs rather than transcribed.
- Machine position fit: Counts, leftover strips and per-module areas are computed from the stored 36x40 record against this platform's 12 by 22 foot planning module for the storage building category, with 12 feet allowed for circulation. The module is editorial planning typology, not a code minimum or an engineered clearance.
- Allocation model: Zone shares come from this platform's use typology for storage and warehousing and are applied arithmetically to the stored 40-foot length.
- Allocation and layout models: Layout splits are arithmetic on the stored footprint, published as example allocation models. They are not survey findings and do not describe what buyers most often choose.
- Clearance and opening guidance: Clearance and opening statements are planning guidance. Final dimensions depend on the selected door system, header detail and the manufacturer's engineering for the building.
Methodology notes
- Prices: No price figure appears on this page. Cost data is published on this platform only with a documented inclusion basis, a collection date and a named source.
Cost drivers
Quantities that move the estimate at 36x40
Quantities, not prices, are publishable here: roof cladding runs 1,484 square feet — 3% above the 1,440-square-foot floor at a 3:12 pitch — with 17.8 cubic yards of nominal slab beneath it. Circulation width is the first thing surrendered under pressure and the first thing missed afterwards.
In a store of this shape, the door and the floor carry the estimate. Machines arrive dirty and heavy, so slab specification and a fall to somewhere sensible matter more than any interior finish.
- clear height for stacking
- opening size against the largest stored item
- condensation control under the roof
- the apron and surface at the door
Drawn to scale
Plans and dimensions
Every drawing below is generated from the exact dimensions for this building, so proportions and areas are accurate.
Continue your research
Related planning topics
Background reading on the questions this page raises. None of these pages sells anything.
Compare 36x40 storage building configurations
Review the allocation models for this footprint side by side, then estimate the configuration you intend to build.