diff --git a/azurerm/config.go b/azurerm/config.go
index 1a4f539fd14a..afda37223e9d 100644
--- a/azurerm/config.go
+++ b/azurerm/config.go
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-azurerm/azurerm/internal/services/servicebus"
 	"github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-azurerm/azurerm/internal/services/servicefabric"
 	"github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-azurerm/azurerm/internal/services/signalr"
+	intStor "github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-azurerm/azurerm/internal/services/storage"
 	"github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-azurerm/azurerm/internal/services/trafficmanager"
 	"github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-azurerm/azurerm/utils"
 	"github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-azurerm/version"
@@ -149,6 +150,7 @@ type ArmClient struct {
 	servicebus       *servicebus.Client
 	serviceFabric    *servicefabric.Client
 	signalr          *signalr.Client
+	storage          *intStor.Client
 	trafficManager   *trafficmanager.Client
 
 	// TODO: refactor
@@ -1092,6 +1094,8 @@ func (c *ArmClient) registerStorageClients(endpoint, subscriptionId string, auth
 	usageClient := storage.NewUsagesClientWithBaseURI(endpoint, subscriptionId)
 	c.configureClient(&usageClient.Client, auth)
 	c.storageUsageClient = usageClient
+
+	c.storage = intStor.BuildClient(accountsClient)
 }
 
 func (c *ArmClient) registerStreamAnalyticsClients(endpoint, subscriptionId string, auth autorest.Authorizer) {
diff --git a/azurerm/internal/services/storage/client.go b/azurerm/internal/services/storage/client.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a34c42b78954
--- /dev/null
+++ b/azurerm/internal/services/storage/client.go
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+package storage
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/services/storage/mgmt/2019-04-01/storage"
+	"github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-azurerm/azurerm/helpers/azure"
+	"github.com/terraform-providers/terraform-provider-azurerm/azurerm/internal/authorizers"
+	"github.com/tombuildsstuff/giovanni/storage/2018-11-09/file/directories"
+)
+
+type Client struct {
+	// this is currently unexported since we only use it to look up the account key
+	// we could export/use this in the future - but there's no point it being public
+	// until that time
+	accountsClient storage.AccountsClient
+}
+
+// NOTE: this temporarily diverges from the other clients until we move this client in here
+// once we have this, can take an Options like everything else
+func BuildClient(accountsClient storage.AccountsClient) *Client {
+	return &Client{
+		accountsClient: accountsClient,
+	}
+}
+
+func (client Client) FindResourceGroup(ctx context.Context, accountName string) (*string, error) {
+	accounts, err := client.accountsClient.List(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error listing Storage Accounts (to find Resource Group for %q): %s", accountName, err)
+	}
+
+	if accounts.Value == nil {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	var resourceGroup *string
+	for _, account := range *accounts.Value {
+		if account.Name == nil || account.ID == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if strings.EqualFold(accountName, *account.Name) {
+			id, err := azure.ParseAzureResourceID(*account.ID)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error parsing ID for Storage Account %q: %s", accountName, err)
+			}
+
+			resourceGroup = &id.ResourceGroup
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	return resourceGroup, nil
+}
+
+func (client Client) FileShareClient(ctx context.Context, resourceGroup, accountName string) (*directories.Client, error) {
+	accountKey, err := client.findAccountKey(ctx, resourceGroup, accountName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error retrieving Account Key: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	storageAuth := authorizers.NewSharedKeyLiteAuthorizer(accountName, *accountKey)
+	directoriesClient := directories.New()
+	directoriesClient.Client.Authorizer = storageAuth
+	return &directoriesClient, nil
+}
+
+func (client Client) findAccountKey(ctx context.Context, resourceGroup, accountName string) (*string, error) {
+	props, err := client.accountsClient.ListKeys(ctx, resourceGroup, accountName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error Listing Keys for Storage Account %q (Resource Group %q): %+v", accountName, resourceGroup, err)
+	}
+
+	if props.Keys == nil || len(*props.Keys) == 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Keys were nil for Storage Account %q (Resource Group %q): %+v", accountName, resourceGroup, err)
+	}
+
+	keys := *props.Keys
+	firstKey := keys[0].Value
+	return firstKey, nil
+}
diff --git a/azurerm/internal/services/storage/metadata.go b/azurerm/internal/services/storage/metadata.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1c7357e9b3ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/azurerm/internal/services/storage/metadata.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+package storage
+
+import "github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/schema"
+
+func MetaDataSchema() *schema.Schema {
+	return &schema.Schema{
+		Type:     schema.TypeMap,
+		Optional: true,
+	}
+}
+
+func ExpandMetaData(input map[string]interface{}) map[string]string {
+	output := make(map[string]string, 0)
+
+	for k, v := range input {
+		output[k] = v.(string)
+	}
+
+	return output
+}
+
+func FlattenMetaData(input map[string]string) map[string]interface{} {
+	output := make(map[string]interface{}, 0)
+
+	for k, v := range input {
+		output[k] = v
+	}
+
+	return output
+}