A 20x40 storage unit is 800 square feet — 20 feet wide by 40 feet deep. With an 8-foot ceiling that's 6,400 cubic feet; with a 16-foot ceiling, 12,800 cubic feet. It's roughly a four-car garage, and it's a size people usually go looking for when they're storing an RV, a boat with a tow vehicle, or running a small business out of the space.

20x40 storage unit dimensions and square footage

Width	20 feet (240 inches)
Depth	40 feet (480 inches)
Floor area	800 square feet
Typical ceiling height	10 to 16 feet at vehicle-focused facilities
Cubic feet	6,400 (8-ft ceiling) to 12,800 (16-ft ceiling)
Closest everyday comparison	A four-car garage, two cars wide and two deep

How many square feet is a 20x40?

800 square feet: 20 times 40. That's four 10x20 units, or a 20x20 doubled in depth.

How many cubic feet is a 20x40 storage unit?

Ceiling height	Cubic feet
8 feet	6,400 cubic feet
10 feet	8,000 cubic feet
12 feet	9,600 cubic feet
16 feet	12,800 cubic feet

What fits in a 20x40 storage unit?

• An RV in the mid-30-foot range — a travel trailer, fifth wheel, or motorhome up to about 36 to 37 feet overall, hitch included, as long as it clears the door. Most motorhomes run 10 to 13 feet tall, so the door height matters as much as the depth.
• Two cars side by side, plus a boat — or four cars, two wide and two deep, if you don't need to get the back ones out often.
• A boat and its tow vehicle — the truck and the trailer parked side by side.
• A contractor's setup — a work truck, an equipment trailer, and shelving for materials.
• Business inventory — 30 or more pallets on the floor, and far more with racking under a tall ceiling.

Measure the rig, not the brochure

Listed RV and boat lengths usually leave things out. Before you pick a unit, measure:

• Overall length — from the tip of the hitch or tongue to the back bumper, ladder, or outboard motor. On a trailer boat, this can be 4 to 6 feet more than the boat's listed length.
• Overall height — to the top of the A/C unit, antenna, or tower, not the roofline.
• Width with slide-outs in and mirrors out.

Then add at least 2 to 3 feet of length so the door closes with room to spare.

How a 20x40 compares to other sizes

Unit size	Square feet	Roughly holds
20x20	400 sq ft	Two cars side by side
20x30	600 sq ft	Two cars plus gear, or a camper up to about 27 feet
20x40	800 sq ft	An RV up to about 37 feet, or two cars plus a boat
20x50	1,000 sq ft	An RV up to about 45 feet, or several vehicles

Does Elite have a 20x40?

No, we don't rent a 20x40. Elite's units are all 20 feet wide, and the two sizes on either side of a 20x40 are the 20x30 (600 square feet) and the 20x50 (1,000 square feet). In practice:

• If your rig is under about 27 feet overall, or you're storing two cars and gear, the 20x30 does the job for less.
• If it's in the 30- to 45-foot range, the 20x50 gives you room to walk around it and still close the door.

Every Elite unit is enclosed and drive-up with 16-foot ceilings, 12- to 14-foot roll-up doors, concrete floors, and 120-volt outlets. There's also a free dump station on site. Units run up to 2,220 square feet if you need more. See oversized vehicle storage, boat storage, or large storage units in Bakersfield.

Frequently asked questions about 20x40 storage units

How big is a 20x40 storage unit?

20 feet wide by 40 feet deep, or 800 square feet. Cubic feet ranges from 6,400 with an 8-foot ceiling to 12,800 with a 16-foot ceiling.

What size RV fits in a 20x40 storage unit?

Generally an RV up to about 36 or 37 feet overall, including the hitch, with enough door height to clear the roof and A/C. Longer rigs need a deeper unit.

How many cars fit in a 20x40?

Four, parked two wide and two deep. Two side by side if you want easy access and room for other things.

Is a 20x40 storage unit the same as a 40-foot shipping container?

No. A 40-foot container is only about 8 feet wide, roughly 320 square feet. A 20x40 unit has two and a half times the floor.

Does Elite rent 20x40 units?

No. The closest Elite sizes are the 20x30 and the 20x50. Measure your longest item end to end and add 3 feet: under 30 feet, the 20x30 works; longer, go to the 20x50. The size calculator does this math for you.

Find your size

Run the Bakersfield storage size calculator, see the current move-in special, or reserve online. If you'd rather talk it through, contact us.