Moving and storage in Denver: three options and what they cost

Three ways to store during a move

Published storage prices

Only two of the sources we track print a monthly storage figure that applies to a Denver move. They describe different products, so read them side by side rather than as one range.

MoveAdvisor's figure is a general storage band and doesn't say which unit size or what kind of facility. FreightWaves' figure is the charge for keeping a PODS container beyond the first month included with a local move, and it is a national figure. Neither tells you what a 10-by-10 unit near your Denver ZIP costs this month; for that, check two or three facilities' current online rates and ask about move-in specials and the rate after them.

Storage with your mover

When the mover holds your goods, storage is part of the move contract. Colorado's mover statute lists storage among the "accessorial services" a mover must itemize, alongside packing, long carries and waiting time. (C.R.S. 40-10.1-501, read 2026-10-20.) The contract must state the mover's PUC permit number and itemize costs. (C.R.S. 40-10.1-505, read 2026-09-29.)

Ask for these lines in writing before you sign:

• The monthly storage rate and how it's measured (per vault, per pound, per cubic foot).
• Warehouse handling in and out. Unloading at the warehouse and reloading for delivery are often separate charges.
• The second delivery. Delivery from storage to your new home is a second move; ask whether it's billed hourly and at what rate.
• Valuation while in storage. Colorado contracts must offer released value at 60 cents a pound per article or full replacement cost. Ask whether the option you choose covers the storage period too. (4 CCR 723-6-6608, read 2026-09-29.)
• Access. Whether you can retrieve an item before delivery, and the charge for doing it.

The valuation guide works through what 60 cents a pound pays on real items.

Self-storage

A self-storage unit is a rental agreement between you and the facility, not part of the mover's contract. That has two consequences. First, damage while your goods are in the unit isn't the mover's responsibility; check what the facility's agreement says and whether your renters or homeowners policy covers off-site property. Second, the mover is billing you for two extra legs: unloading into the unit and loading back out.

Self-storage makes sense when you need to get at things during the gap, when the gap is long or open-ended, or when you're moving yourself. For a short, fixed gap with a full-service crew, compare it against the mover's own storage price, counting the extra hours.

Climate and altitude

Denver's dry air and cold winters are hard on wood instruments, artwork and electronics stored in unheated space. If you're storing a piano or anything sensitive to temperature, ask whether the unit is climate controlled and what range it holds. See piano and heavy-item moving.

Container storage

FreightWaves prints PODS at about $300–$1,100 for a local move under 50 miles, with one month included, and $149–$359 for each extra month. (FreightWaves Checkpoint, dated 2026-07-10, read 2026-10-20; national figures.) The container can usually stay at your home or go to the company's facility.

Keeping it at home raises the street question. In Denver, anything occupying the street needs DOTI approval; we cover truck permits on the service-area page. Two suburbs publish container rules we have read:

• Broomfield: In Broomfield, a storage container or POD may sit on a public street only with an Engineering Division permit, required when it stays more than 24 hours; the permit lasts up to 30 days (180 with an active building permit). No permit is needed on a driveway or other private property. (Broomfield Engineering, read 2026-10-20.)
• Unincorporated Jefferson County: In unincorporated Jefferson County, a dumpster, roll-off or other container on a public street needs a Temporary Container Placement permit: $50 (plus 2.5% by card), applied for online, with 48 hours allowed for review. It covers county roads only, not cities such as Golden, Lakewood or Arvada. (Jefferson County, read 2026-10-20.)

A driveway avoids street permits but check HOA rules. For the full trade-off, see movers vs moving containers.

Which option fits your gap

For moves leaving Colorado, storage terms sit in the interstate contract; see the long-distance guide.

The handling charges people miss

With storage, the bill grows at each handoff. Count the legs before comparing prices:

1. Load at the old homeThe normal move hours.
2. Unload into storageHourly crew time or a warehouse handling fee.
3. Load out of storageThe same again, later.
4. Deliver and unloadA second move to the new home.

In Colorado, the written estimate must state the total cost and its basis at least 24 hours before the move, and the mover can't charge more than 110 percent of it. (4 CCR 723-6-6608, read 2026-09-29.) Ask that the estimate include every leg, not only the first day. For hourly crew rates, see the cost guide.

Common questions about moving and storage