What To Know About Warehouse Permitting

Did you know that you need a warehouse permit for using a warehouse? Whether you’ve been in your current warehouse for years and are considering a redesign or you are moving into a new warehouse space entirely, you’ll most likely need a commercial and/or industrial permit to do so legally. 

But don’t worry; you don’t have to figure this out all on your own! At KACO Warehouse Outfitters, we are a full-service equipment and solution provider for warehouses and other similar industrial or commercial properties. Here’s what you need to know about warehouse permitting:

Warehouse Regulations Vary By City

While there are often some state regulations, what you’ll really want to look into are the regulations within your specific city. In Phoenix, for example, the city places concerns largely around high piled combustible storage (meaning if you are planning to stack flammable or otherwise potentially hazardouse materials in your warehouse, listen up!). In order to get approved for a warehouse permit, the permit application must show the planned location of any high piled storage areas and detail their dimensions and contents.

During the planning process, it is therefore crucial that you pay close attention to your city’s storage height and width restrictions, especially when it comes to potentially hazardous materials. You should be able to find this information on your city’s government website (hereare the high piled combustible storage regulations for Phoenix) or by submitting an inquiry with your local fire department. The fire department will be involved in your permit approval process to ensure there are no safety hazards or fire codes being violated.

General Permit Application Requirements

Different cities may have somewhat different requirements for warehouse permitting to be approved, but in general, here’s what you’re looking at:

• The tenant / owner name and their current contact information
• History of the building and its construction date
• Warehouse layout / scaled floor plan that clearly depicts any high piled areas — a CAD floor plan may also suffice or be included in addition
• Detailed information on the floor plan about the materials being stored in each area and their dimensions (height and square footage must be included)
• A hydraulic placard on sprinkler risers that also includes the system flow densities as well as their dimensions (height in particular)
• Any additional guidelines that have been followed as well as the last dates and results of any inspections 

Keep in mind that the city will primarily be looking at whether or not you’ve met all of their current warehouse regulations. It is important to become well-versed in these before proceeding with the application.

How Long Does it Take for Permits to Get Approved?

Sometimes it can take mere weeks, while other times approval can take months. The length of time that your approval takes will be dependent on a variety of factors:

• The size of your warehouse and the complexity of the redesign or renovations
• The amount of hazardous materials you have to store
• Whether or not any information is missing from your permit application / proposal (the city will either ask you for the missing information or may even have you start the application process all over again)
• The availability of government officials and the fire department (things tend to be busier in Spring, for example, when many other people are looking for permit approval). 

Getting Help from the Pros will Save You Time and Money!

It’s not impossible to get warehouse permit approval all on your own, but it can be a lot more difficult. And the last thing you want is to spend so much time drafting your proposal and planning your warehouse only to have it turned down, forcing you to start the process all over again. 

Enlisting the help of a professional, full-service warehouse outfitter for the process is crucial to saving you time and money. At KACO, for example, we have a lot of experience with filling out permits for different types of warehouses and other industrial properties, and we are also happy to help design the planned layout of your warehouse so that it is safe, efficient and meets local regulation requirements. 

Have more questions about warehouse permitting and what specifically applies to you? At KACO Warehouse Outfitters, we can help you figure it out! We have decades of experience furnishing warehouses with all that they need and making sure items follow regulations. Give us a call today!