"Storage units Durango" turns up a mixed bag of results because the term covers two genuinely different services: a rented unit you drive to, and a container that gets delivered to you. Which one is right depends less on how much stuff you have and more on what you're doing with it — a downsizing move needs one thing, a construction site needs another, and a ranch property outside city limits needs something else again. Here's how to sort it out before you sign anything.
Self-storage units: the default, and when it's the right one
A traditional self-storage facility is what most people picture — a gated lot of roll-up doors, month-to-month or annual leases, sizes running from a small 5x5 closet up to a 10x30 that fits a house's worth of furniture. It's the right call for seasonal rotation (skis in summer, camping gear in winter), a downsizing move where you need six months to sort through what's staying, or overflow from an apartment that came with a coat closet instead of a garage.
The trade-off is access. You drive to the unit, which is fine for things you grab twice a year and mildly annoying for anything you need daily. Climate control matters for electronics, photos, or anything wood or leather; it matters less for skis, patio furniture, or a snowblower. Most facilities offer both climate-controlled and standard units at different price points, so it's worth asking what you're actually paying extra for before defaulting to the pricier option.
Portable storage containers: a different tool
A steel container is a different animal. No driving to your stuff — the container drives to you. It lands in the driveway, on the job site, out in the back pasture, and it stays there, locked, for as long as the project runs. Sizes run 8 feet to 40. Rent it, buy it, or rent-to-own it, depending on whether the need is a season or a decade.
This is the right tool when the stuff needs to stay close and locked, not filed away across town. A few situations where that matters:
- Construction sites. Tools, materials, and equipment that would otherwise ride back and forth in a truck bed every day. A locked container on-site saves the drive and the theft risk of leaving gear out overnight.
- Ranch and acreage properties. A lot of La Plata County sits outside city limits, often without an existing outbuilding. A container becomes an instant, weatherproof shed for feed, tools, and equipment without a construction project of its own.
- Moving and renovations. Staging a container in the driveway during a kitchen remodel or a slow-motion move beats a storage unit you have to load, drive to, and unload twice.
- Business overflow. Retail inventory, seasonal equipment, or anything a shop doesn't have room for indoors — a container in the back lot solves it without leasing more square footage.
- Estate and downsizing moves. Clearing out a family property often means sorting through decades of belongings on a timeline nobody wants rushed. A container on-site lets you sort at your own pace instead of paying for truck trips to a facility across town for every load.
What to actually ask about delivery
Durango's mountain roads and long, unpaved driveways make container delivery a real logistics question, not a formality. Before booking, ask specifically about:
- Truck access. A container delivery truck needs room to maneuver. A long, narrow, or steep driveway may need to be scouted ahead of time, not discovered on delivery day.
- Placement surface. A container needs reasonably level, solid ground. Soft dirt, deep snow, or a steep grade can turn a straightforward drop into a delay.
- Winter timing. If you're outside city limits and the access road isn't plowed and maintained, ask how the company handles winter deliveries before you need one in January.
- Permits. City limits and unincorporated La Plata County have different rules about a container sitting on a property long-term versus for a defined construction period. Ask the provider what they've run into before. A company with local experience will already know the answer.
What it actually costs
Pricing on both sides moves with demand and inventory, so treat any number here as a starting point for the conversation, not a quote. In general terms, a small self-storage unit runs cheaper month-to-month than a delivered container, but a container often wins on total cost for a defined project once you factor in the fuel and hours spent driving back and forth to a facility. Ask both types of provider for a written quote before comparing — a self-storage lease and a container rental agreement aren't structured the same way, and the real comparison is total cost over the length of time you actually need the space.
Rent, buy, or rent-to-own
Container providers typically offer all three, and which one makes sense depends on the timeline. Renting suits a defined project — a build, a remodel, a move with an end date. Buying makes sense if the need is permanent, like a standing shed replacement on a ranch property. Rent-to-own splits the difference: you get the container now, and monthly payments build toward ownership instead of disappearing as a straight rental cost. It's worth asking any provider you call which options they actually offer, since not every company runs all three.
Hercules Containers: Durango's on-site option
Hercules Storage Containers has handled the delivery side of this since 2011, working out of a yard at 281 S Skylane Dr Unit C. They stock steel containers from 8 feet to 40, available to rent, buy, or rent-to-own, and deliver to construction sites, ranch properties, and residential moves across the Four Corners — including the kind of long gravel driveway that makes a delivery company's life harder. They'll also relocate a container that's already on your property if a project's timeline changes, and rent-to-own is an option worth asking about if the container is going to stay put for the long haul rather than for a single project. For anything that needs to sit on-site rather than across town, they're the local name to call before comparing a storage-unit quote. Reach them at (970) 385-8597 or through herculescontainers.com.
Self-storage options if a unit is the better fit
If your situation is closer to a straightforward move or seasonal rotation, Durango has several established self-storage facilities worth a call. Armadillo Storage, out on CO-3, and Cubby Hole Storage on Florida Road are both traditional unit facilities with a range of sizes. Coyote Storage on South Camino Del Rio and Durango Storage Units on Main Ave round out the local options if the first two don't have what you need. Durango Moving And Storage combines the two services if you need help with the move itself, not just a place to put things afterward. Call ahead during the summer moving rush — June through August is when availability tightens across every storage option in town, container or unit.
Making the call
If it's seasonal gear or a slow-motion move, book a self-storage unit and don't overthink it. If it's a construction site, a ranch, or anything that needs to stay locked and on-site, a container from a company like Hercules solves a problem a storage unit can't. If you're relocating to Durango entirely, the moving to Durango guide covers the wider checklist, and hiring a plumber, electrician, or contractor rounds out the home-services side of a move. Either way, the sooner you figure out which category your situation falls into, the less time you'll waste driving back and forth to move things twice.