Pallet Rack Permits: A Checklist to Save You Time and Money

Warehouse Permits

When looking for an industrial property that’s suitable for a warehouse or distribution center, there are several things to keep in mind. You’ll not only want to make sure that the square footage and clear ceiling height will work for your application, but also that you can get occupancy.

To help simplify and organize the pre-lease process, here’s a checklist of what you need in order to get a business license and high-piled storage permit:

Why is all of this information and documentation necessary? In order to apply for a business license to operate your warehouse or distribution center, you’ll need to provide this information to engineers, architects, fire protection professionals, warehouse layout and design specialists, and the governing building department for permitting.

It’s best to have all of these ready before you sign the lease in order to avoid a surprise or delay, as well as the expense of gathering the information yourself. If you have these basic items, the permitting process will usually take 4 to 6 weeks. If you have to gather these items yourself it will add additional weeks and building department frustrations.

Here’s a step-by-step process for getting the permitting needed to occupy and operate a high-piled storage facility:

The Takeaway: Plan for Permitting Before You Lease

Not all areas of the country will require you to provide each of these documents, but as time goes on it’s becoming increasingly common to need all of them. My advice would be to plan for all of the gatherings of information you can and to contact any building authority before signing a lease. I hope this is helpful and saves you time and money in your search for a new warehouse. If you’d like some help along the way, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our Systems Design Specialists have years of experience helping clients transition from the early planning stages to a fully optimized storage facility.