If your business involves shipping products, you will need a warehouse. Whether you rent your space or work with a third-party logistics company, each property will have its unique infrastructure. Before touring a warehouse, it is essential to understand your budget, ideal location, size, and layout requirements.
Once you know your specific needs, here is a list of questions to ask when touring a warehouse:
What is the zoning?
The building you select should be zoned for your use. If not, you may incur additional costs, like a manufacturing permit, when applying for a zoning change.
Is electrical power available?
If your business involves manufacturing, you may require a 3-phase power supply. Confirm with the landlord that the facility can provide sufficient power to avoid transformer or amperage issues, or hire an electrical engineer to evaluate the building.
What is the clearance height?
If your operations involve stacking equipment or products, find the clearance limits. Warehouse heights vary from 18-25 feet.
What type of loading is available?
Identify if the building has dock-high loading or grade level. Even if the space has dock-high loading, confirm if it is big enough to accommodate your truck delivery requirements, like an 18-wheeler truck.
What are the operating costs?
Operating costs typically involve taxes, maintenance, and insurance. Understand what the property owner will be paying for and your responsibilities.
Does the facility provide heating, venting, and air-conditioning?
Most warehouses do not include HVAC facilities. You may have to install the HVAC units if you need these facilities. If the property already consists of an HVAC unit, get it inspected by a certified HVAC technician before taking the system’s responsibility.
How is the parking area?
Ensure that the landlord is responsible for maintaining and repairing the parking lot and that there is good security in parking your trucks overnight.
These questions are meant to scratch the surface when touring a warehouse space. It is recommended that the space be thoroughly evaluated and that specific information be gathered before leasing or buying a warehouse / industrial building.
Hi! We’re Josh and Jolene Baijot, the creators of this website. We’re also commercial real estate brokers in Bellingham, Washington. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. We appreciate your time spent on this site. You can connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, or contact us through this website.
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