Accessibility and Parking

No matter the business you plan to run, whether it is storage, distribution or some form of manufacturing, you, or someone else, will need to be able to easily access the building with a myriad of vehicles. For storage, an average parking lot may be sufficient, as you will mostly be dealing with customers’ vehicles, the largest of which may be a moving van or box truck. For distribution and manufacturing, however, there will need to be enough room to maneuver a semi, as well as any loading and unloading equipment.

Zoning Regulations

Most properties have restrictions set on them by the city, especially when it comes to unconventional use. Will the zoning for a particular property allow for your intended use? Electricity and Power. Knowing whether a property has electricity may seem obvious, but knowing whether a property has power sufficient for your business’ needs is an important factor. For example, those looking to enter into manufacturing will need to know whether or not 3-phase power will be available, as much of their equipment will run off of it. Having the building evaluated by an electrician or an electrical engineer will tell you how much power you will have available to you, and whether or not it will be enough.

Maintenance and Operating Expenses

Both you and the landlord will be responsible for different expenses. Most often, industrial spaces like warehouses will require you to pay for a portion of things like taxes, insurance and property upkeep. Be sure to review the lease and talk with the landlord in order to figure out exactly what each of you will be responsible for. Additionally, ensure that everything you will be paying for are things you actually should be paying for, as things like parking lot maintenance typically is up to the landlord.

Usable Space/Square Footage

The size of a warehouse is certainly a deciding factor when choosing which one to lease, however, different landlords may use different methods in order to calculate it. This can range from measuring outside the walls, to inside the walls, to approximating from blueprints, and doesn’t always take unusable space into account, such as space filled with utility equipment. Ideally, you only want to pay for the space that you will be using, so working that out with the landlord should be part of the consideration in no signing a lease

Floor Load Limitations

Storage, distribution and manufacturing all require some form of heavy equipment, and flooring can only handle so much weight. Determine the weight of the equipment you’ll be using and compare it to the load limitations of the floor of the warehouse, the value of which should be available through the landlord.

HVAC

Typically, warehouses won’t come with HVAC units pre-installed, and if they do, the unit was likely left there by a previous tenant. To avoid the potential problems of a neglected HVAC system, negotiate an HVAC maintenance contract with the landlord on the condition they have it inspected and repaired first.

Expansion Options

If you want to be able to expand your business later on, you will first need to have the option to do so. In addition to this, speak with the landlord to find out if any other tenants have the option to expand, and to where. If another tenant has the option to expand into the space you’ll be leasing, negotiate to have the landlord move you at no expense, should the need arise.