SpareFoot Storage Review (2022)

SpareFoot was founded by Chuck Gordon in 2008. At the time, he was a college student but already saw the utility of having a single marketplace to vet different self-storage facilities. Now based in Austin, Texas, SpareFoot partners with more than 20,000 independent storage companies and facilities across the country and other self-service moving providers. They’ve largely succeeded in making DIY moving more streamlined and accessible. Read on to learn more about:

• SpareFoot’s numerous partners
• Which services you can book through SpareFoot
• What self-storage should realistically cost

Our SpareFoot Review

In our opinion, SpareFoot offers one of the best available interfaces for comparing different storage options in any given locale. With the 20,000-plus local storage partners this provider has across all 50 states, you’re guaranteed to be able to find adequate self-storage assistance through SpareFoot.

This platform operates similarly to many travel sites in that it merely facilitates booking the service in question without soliciting added fees from the user. That SpareFoot provides an easy comparison of self-storage and rental truck companies without requiring credit card numbers or contact information easily enables a smooth booking process with no strings attached. The one drawback to this platform’s operating model is the inaccuracy of some given price points. However, no-obligation booking means you can cancel at any time, whether you find a better deal elsewhere or not.

Pros & Cons of Storing with SpareFoot

Pros

• Expansive network of thousands of storage facilities
• Allows for easy booking for all DIY moving services, including truck rental
• No money is due until you confirm your reservation at the storage facility in question.

Cons

• SpareFoot has no control over quality in its partner companies.
• Storage unit availability posted on Sparefoot.com can occasionally be inaccurate. 

How Much Does SpareFoot Cost?

SpareFoot itself doesn’t cost anything to use. They act as a middle man between customers and big DIY moving and self-storage industry players. Price points are all listed on www.SpareFoot.com but could be outdated or inaccurate. You’ll have to follow up after reserving your units or rental truck.

Here, we’ve included some average rates for reserving storage units and rental trucks of any given size. Bear in mind that these are just averages and do not consider outside factors such as seasonality or unit scarcity.

What Services Does SpareFoot Offer?

SpareFoot acts as a facilitator for the following DIY moving services:

Self-Storage

Self-storage is of particular use if you have a somewhat unconventional moving timeline. If you have a couple of weeks or months between move-out and move-in, storage facilities can be of great use. SpareFoot can provide ready access to facilities with unit sizes ranging from 5’x5′ to 10’x30′. No matter your self-storage need, you’ll be able to find a solution here.

Unit sizes include the following:

• 5’x5′
• 5’x10′
• 10’x10′
• 10’x15′
• 10’x20′
• 10’x30′

Vehicle Storage

SpareFoot partners with many storage facilities with the necessary parking space if you have an extra vehicle, boat, or RV. Similarly, you may have the option of storing your vehicle inside a large enough storage unit within certain facilities. This will depend on your needs and on the policies of your facility of choice.

Moving Truck Rental

At the moment, SpareFoot has a partnership with Penske Truck Rentals. This makes for somewhat limited options if you’re booking your entire DIY move through them. Penske, however, is one of the country’s leading providers of rental trucks and has 850 locations in the U.S.

Portable Storage

SpareFoot partners with many of the top names in mobile storage, including U-Pack, PODS, and ZippyShell. Each of these providers can offer multiple unit sizes to accommodate most moving needs.

Service Area & Availability

SpareFoot has expanded far beyond its roots as a small startup in Austin. It now partners with companies across all 50 states to provide easy access for storage customers in any location. You’ll be able to book with them in the following areas:

How To Schedule With SpareFoot

SpareFoot makes booking verified storage or rental trucks incredibly easy. You won’t have to make an account or fill in any contact information to find self-storage units in your area. Simply typing in your zip code will allow you to access a list of facilities nearby.

You’ll then be able to sort by unit size, proximity, price, and any other metric you can name. SpareFoot even provides its own customer reviews for each storage facility they partner with. Making a new reservation through this marketplace also comes with no fees until you get to your facility of choice and move in.

Reservations are totally risk-free, with free cancellations at any time. You’ll have to put down your name, email address, and phone number to reserve a specific date and unit size, but you will not be required to put down and credit card information. SpareFoot only collects a fee from its storage partners for each verified reservation, so you’ll never have to pay extra to use this service. As hassle-free as it is, here, are a few criteria you should look at when booking with SpareFoot.

• Security: You can usually get a good idea of this from customer reviews. Storage facilities should all have sturdy access gates with cameras and adequate lighting.
• Accessibility: Certain facilities will provide 24-hour access, but not all will be able to provide this. Most storage providers will provide thorough information about this on their websites.
• Pricing: Luckily, SpareFoot makes pricing comparisons fairly easy. They also provide some average pricing information on their website. Be sure to look into pricing and storage contract information before you book.
• Location: You’ll likely want to store your items at a location close to your home for easy access. SpareFoot’s search-by-zip code interface makes it easy to do this.

SpareFoot Customer Reviews

When you book any moving service, looking into customer reviews is a necessary part of the vetting process. After all, you’ll want to be fully aware of the quality of service you’re purchasing. Reviews from BBB, Trustpilot, Google, Yelp, and social media should help you to determine this. Here, we’ve included some actual reviews from SpareFoot customers to give you an idea of what to expect.

Manuel was able to easily store his boat through SpareFoot:

“Great service over the phone; spoke to Noelia at Oakland location, very professional answered my questions, and provided me with the space I needed for my boat, also the price was very reasonable.”

Mara’s storage needs were readily met by their local SpareFoot partner:

“SpareFoot was a pleasure to work with. They were able to help us find the best deal, were patient and informative in answering questions, and made an anxious situation easier to handle. Our representative was terrific.”

Yolanda’s representative went above and beyond to ensure that all job requirements were met:

“Tony Hernandez, an online representative, was fantastic. He really worked hard to give me the best deal and found a better location closer to my home for a lower price! This was my first experience with Square Foot, but I must say it was excellent. Then because I was reserving my unit online, I received the first month free!! It doesn’t get any better than this. I will be recommending this company to everyone I know. Great job, Tony.”

The Good

SpareFoot provides clients with a one-stop shop for most self-service moving needs. Whether you’re in the market for a moving truck rental or long-term self-storage for a large home, this online marketplace provides you with an easy way to evaluate your options in your area.

The Bad

The most common complaints from customers stem from a lack of reliable information regarding storage unit availability in certain locations. When booking storage space through this third-party vendor, it may be worth your time to call ahead to the facility in question to ensure that your reservation is secure. SpareFoot itself is a reputable marketplace, but it cannot ensure the quality of its partners.

House Method Rating Methodology

At House Method, our primary goals are to be a reliable source of information and to be totally transparent to our readers. With that in mind, we’ve developed the following formula to render objective ratings – on a scale of 10 points – for the moving companies we review.

• Transparency (3.0): Communication and being fully straightforward regarding company policies and licensing are incredibly important. A given mover’s willingness to display these, to supply quick quotes, and to provide clearly-worded moving contracts all factor into the three points within this single rating criteria.
• Cost (2.5): A mover’s cost relative to industry averages, as well as accessibility to cost data play a role in the customer experience as much as anything else. We know that being sure of what you’re paying – and being confident that you’re not overpaying – will ultimately make for a positive move. We’ve weighted cost factors accordingly in our ratings.
• Customer Service (2.0): Establishing an easy line of contact with your movers during the booking process or during the move itself is a huge asset for any moving client. The stress of moving, in general, can be greatly eased by knowing you can talk to a licensed professional whenever you need to, which is why we’ve listed this as a key rating category. This is where customer reviews come into play; since the majority of complaints stem from poor customer service, feedback from BBB, Yelp, Google, and other review platforms factor into this criteria.
• Services Offered (1.5): This rates lower on our priority list than many would think, simply due to the fact that many movers provide a similar line of services. However, breadth of service offerings does still vary to a degree.
• Customization Options (1.0): Having the autonomy to fully customize your move should rate highly on any moving checklist. Here, we’ve taken moving package customization ability, as well as pricing for more involved add-ons. Steep pricing for such services can provide something of a soft barrier for clients looking to add to their move, and we’ve taken this into consideration.