Winter storage pricing for small engine shops: what to charge

It's late October. Your service bay is slowing down. Mower repairs drop from twelve a week to four. You've got three empty bays, a half-empty loft, and a pole barn behind the shop that hasn't seen anything but a forklift since August.

Winter storage is the quietest line item most shops never bother to charge for. The ones that do can pull another $8,000 to $20,000 between Halloween and April without adding a single labor hour.

This is how to price it and how not to get burned.

Why winter storage pricing works for small engine shops

Your fixed costs are already paid. Rent, insurance, lighting, the security system. That bay costs you the same in January with nothing in it as it does in July with three mowers on stands. Storage revenue is mostly margin.

The customer math also works. A homeowner with a $4,500 zero-turn lives in a townhouse with a one-car garage. She has nowhere to put it. She'll pay $35 a month not to drag it to her parents' barn. A landscaper with twelve commercial units has them stacked in a gravel lot all winter, rusting. He'll pay $400 a month for indoor storage that includes a spring tune-up credit.

You already have a relationship with these people. You already know their equipment. You are the obvious storage option in town. Most shops just never ask.

What to charge

Rates vary by region. These are middle-of-the-market numbers for the Midwest and Northeast as of the 2025 season. Adjust 10 to 20 percent up for coastal metros and down for rural.

Unit type	Indoor heated	Indoor unheated	Covered outdoor
Push mower, blower, trimmer	$15/mo	$10/mo	$6/mo
Riding mower (up to 48")	$40/mo	$28/mo	$18/mo
Zero-turn or garden tractor	$50/mo	$35/mo	$22/mo
Commercial ZTR (60"+)	$65/mo	$45/mo	$28/mo
Snowblower (2-stage)	$20/mo	$14/mo	n/a (seasonal)
ATV, go-kart, small outboard	$55/mo	$40/mo	$25/mo
Generator, pressure washer	$20/mo	$14/mo	$10/mo

Charge monthly, not for the season up front. Customers commit more easily when the number is small and they can cancel any time. Shops that bundle for the full six months at a 10 percent discount see better cash flow but fewer signups. Offer both and let the customer pick.

Minimum charge: one month. No pro-rating. A unit dropped off November 28 is billed for November.

What to include and what not to include

The included-versus-extra list is where most shops get confused and end up losing money on service they thought was part of the rate.

Included at every price tier:

• Monthly walk-through of the unit (looks okay, no fluid leaks, no rodent signs)
• Trickle charge on the battery once a month
• Basic covered storage, protected from weather
• Lockup and insurance on the building itself

Not included, bill separately:

• Winterization at intake (fuel stabilizer, oil change, blade sharpening)
• Spring prep (new fuel, tire check, deck leveling, test run)
• Any repair identified during monthly checks
• Damage from rodents or flooding unless your building insurance specifically covers it

One move that works well: offer a "Spring Ready" credit of $30 or $40 applied against the spring prep bill for customers who store through all six months. It sounds like a discount to them and it's really just a reason to bring the unit back to you in March for a $180 tune-up.

The contract

Never take a unit into storage on a handshake. Use a one-page storage contract. It protects both of you.

Must-haves on the contract:

• Customer name, phone, email
• Unit make, model, serial, and condition notes at intake
• Four intake photos (front, rear, both sides)
• Storage location (bay, rack, slot)
• Start date and billing cycle
• Monthly rate and what's included
• Pickup notification requirement (48 hours advance notice)
• Abandonment clause (what happens if they don't pick up or pay)
• Insurance disclosure (what your building covers, what they're responsible for)
• Signature and date

The abandonment clause is the one shops forget. In most states, if a unit sits unpaid for 90 days after written notice, you can sell it to recover your fees. Check your state's specific lien laws. Write the clause to match.

Setting up the physical space

A few practical notes from shops that do this well.

• Number every storage slot with a clear tag: "A-3" or "Loft-12." Match it to the customer's contract.
• Run a monthly walk-through on the first of every month. Snap one photo per unit. Log it.
• Put a battery tender on anything with a battery. A failed battery in April gets blamed on you whether or not it's your fault.
• Keep the storage area separate from the repair shop. Mixing storage and active service causes mistakes.
• Rodent traps every 30 feet. Chewed wiring harnesses are the most common storage insurance claim.

A simple intake flow

1. Customer calls or stops in. Quote the rate for their unit type.
2. They drop off. You do a four-photo intake and write condition notes.
3. Print and sign the contract. Give them a copy.
4. Tag the unit with its slot number.
5. Wheel it to the slot. Connect the battery tender if applicable.
6. Send them a confirmation text with their slot number and the start date.
7. Bill monthly, automatically, on the same day.

That whole flow takes under ten minutes per unit if you've set it up right.

Bottom line

Winter storage pricing for a small engine shop should land around $25 to $50 per month per unit for most residential equipment, higher for commercial. Charge monthly, require a signed contract with an abandonment clause, and offer a spring-prep credit to bring the work back to your bench. A hundred stored units at an average of $32 a month is $19,200 in revenue over six months for work you were mostly going to do anyway.