Determining the ideal pallet rack height is important to maximize your warehouse space. There are a number of details you should know to find the optimum height. The higher you go, the more vertical space you are using, which saves money since you are paying for all that space anyway. You might as well use it!
The most obvious item to know is your ceiling height. You also need to keep in mind any sprinklers or hanging lights that could be an obstruction. A rule of thumb is to make your pallet rack as high as your forklift can reach. Since most forklifts can reach up to 188 inches (15’8”), most people ask for 16 ft tall pallet rack.
Some other things to keep in mind when determining how high you can go is the height of the loads. Remember that you need six inches of clearance on top of each load to allow the forklift to lift it up. The face size of the beams are a factor, and the fact that uprights can only be adjusted every two inches will be a factor as well.
If you have a space with tall ceilings, you might want to splurge on a more expensive forklift that can reach higher. In the long run, that money will come back to you when you can store more inventory vertically.
Contact us to get help with warehouse design, and with any questions you may have.
