What Zoning Is Needed for RV and Boat Storage?

Open Lots, Covered Spaces and Enclosed Units

The type of storage you plan changes how the code sees it. An open gravel or paved lot is usually listed as outdoor storage or vehicle storage. Covered canopies count as structures, so they need building permits and must meet setbacks and height limits. Enclosed garages for RVs and boats are often treated like self-storage units.

Open lots face the most limits, because the stored vehicles are in view. Many commercial zones allow enclosed or covered storage but send open lots to light industrial zones. Indoor dry boat storage is classed as Group S-1 storage under the International Building Code, which affects fire protection for enclosed buildings.

How Many RV Spaces Fit on an Acre

A back-in space for a large motorhome is often laid out around 12 feet wide and 40 to 50 feet deep, with a drive aisle of about 40 feet so drivers can back in. Here's a rough example with 12 by 45 foot spaces on both sides of a 40-foot aisle:

1. One row pair is 45 + 40 + 45 = 130 feet wide.
2. Every 12 feet along that row holds two spaces, so each space uses about 780 square feet including its share of the aisle.
3. An acre is 43,560 square feet, so the gross count is about 55 spaces.
4. After the entrance, gate area, setbacks, landscaping and drainage, many layouts end up nearer 40 to 50 per acre.

Smaller boat trailers fit more per acre, and pull-through spaces fit fewer. The parking lot size calculator helps test other layouts.

What Goes on a Boat and RV Storage Site Plan

The site plan is where most of the city's conditions show up. Expect to show:

• A solid fence, wall or landscaping that screens vehicles from the street and neighbors
• Height limits for stored vehicles near the property line
• The lot surface, whether paving, asphalt millings or gravel, as the code allows
• Stormwater controls for the paved or compacted area
• Gate location with room for a long rig to wait off the street
• Lighting that stays on the property
• Rules against living in, repairing or dumping waste from stored RVs

Storage on Rural and Agricultural Land

Some counties allow RV and boat storage on rural or agricultural land, often with a conditional use permit. It's a common way to earn money from a barn or an unused field near a lake. Other counties forbid it outright, since it's a commercial use. The guide to agricultural zoning explains how these districts handle side businesses.

Storing Your Own RV at Home

Keeping your own boat or RV on your residential lot is a separate question from running a storage business. Many cities limit where it can sit, such as behind the front of the house or on a paved pad, and some limit size or ban living in it. Homeowner association rules can be stricter than the city's. Storing a neighbor's RV for pay usually counts as a business, which residential zones typically don't allow.

Checking a Site

First, search for your city's zoning map and find the district. Then look in the use table for vehicle storage, outdoor storage or recreational vehicle storage, and read the screening standards. Related rules: outdoor storage zoning and the requirements for an RV park, where people stay overnight.