A warehouse either fits your operation or it does not, and the difference lives in a handful of physical numbers. Get these wrong and the racking will not fit, the trucks will not turn, or the floor will crack. This is the tenant's glossary of the specs that matter, with the numbers to look for in modern versus older stock.
A warehouse either fits your operation or it does not, and the difference lives in a handful of physical numbers. Get these wrong and the racking will not fit, the trucks will not turn, or the floor will crack. This is the tenant's glossary of the specs that matter, with the numbers to look for in modern versus older stock.
Height, doors and floor
Clear height — The usable internal height measured to the lowest obstruction (haunch, sprinkler, duct) - not the roof apex. Modern big-box targets 10-12 m; older or urban units are 6-8 m. Every extra metre lets you rack higher and lowers cost per pallet stored.
Dock doors (docks) — Raised loading doors served by dock levellers for HGVs to load at trailer-bed height. A busy distribution unit wants roughly one dock per 1,000 m²; slow-moving storage needs fewer.
Dock leveller — The adjustable platform that bridges the gap and height difference between the dock and the trailer. Check capacity and condition - worn levellers slow every load.
Level access door — A ground-level drive-in door (no dock) for vans, forklifts or oversized loads. Flex and smaller units rely on these; big-box wants both docks and at least one level door.
Floor loading — The weight the slab carries, in kN/m² or tonnes/m². Modern logistics floors are about 50 kN/m² (5 tonnes/m²). Heavy racking legs, mezzanines or dense stock need this verified against your racking plan.
Floor flatness — How level the slab is (measured to standards such as FM2). High-bay racking and narrow-aisle trucks demand very flat floors; an uneven older slab may rule out tall racking.
Structure, power and safety
Column grid — The spacing of the roof-support columns (for example 12 m × 24 m). A wider grid means fewer columns interrupting your racking layout and truck routes. Always overlay the grid on your racking plan.
Power / amperage — The electrical supply available, in kVA or amps, and whether it is three-phase. Automation, chargers, chillers and MHE need serious power; upgrading the grid connection can take 3-9 months, so check early.
Sprinklers / ESFR — The fire suppression system. ESFR (Early Suppression, Fast Response) sprinklers are the logistics standard and are often required by insurers for high racking; without them your storage height may be capped.
Yard depth — The distance from the dock to the far edge of the yard. HGVs need enough depth to reverse onto docks and turn; too shallow a yard (under ~35 m for artics) chokes loading no matter how many docks there are.
HGV turning circle — Whether an articulated lorry can enter, manoeuvre onto a dock and leave without shunting. Tight sites and shared estates often fail here - test it with your actual vehicles.
Cross-dock — A building layout with docks on two opposite sides so goods flow in one side and straight out the other, with minimal storage. Used for high-throughput transhipment; most storage warehouses are single-sided instead.
Modern vs older stock, at a glance
What to expect by building age
Clear height - modern big-box — 10-12 m
Clear height - older / urban — 6-8 m
Dock ratio - busy distribution — ~1 per 1,000 m²
Floor loading - modern logistics — ~50 kN/m² (5 t/m²)
Yard depth - artic HGVs — ~35 m or more
Verify every one of these on site with the tape measure and your racking plan - advertised specs are often the apex height or the best-case dock count. If the numbers do not match your operation, no amount of rent negotiation fixes it. Our pre-signing checklist turns this glossary into a walk-round list.
