WHAT IS THE PROCESS TO LEASE A NEW SPACE?

HOW MUCH INDUSTRIAL SPACE DO I NEED?

The first step in the process to lease or build a new industrial space is to determine your company's needs. This includes floor area and height requirements for each use, electrical power requirements, plumbing requirements, interior process flow and exterior delivery and passenger circulation. Allow for 10% growth every three years unless your business is expected to remain level or shrink.  Below are some recommendations for space allocation of different spaces.

Recommended Space Requirements Per Use In Square Feet (sf).

The amount and type of storage will have the biggest effect on your warehouse needs and ultimately building choice. The diagrams below provide an idea of the relationship between storage heights and floor area. Each of these options has additional implications for equipment and floor capacity as well that should be taken into consideration.

HOW DO I CHOOSE AN INDUSTRIAL SPACE TO LEASE?

A leasing agent will be able to provide building options based on your space requirements, preferred area, and lease timeline.  Availability of space will depend on these three factors. For existing building spaces, an architect can provide a due diligence property survey and test-fit plan to determine whether the existing conditions can accommodate your program and the extent of work required to make it work before you sign a lease. This process may require multiple attempts and usually takes one to six months depending on your urgency.  See What Industrial Building Type Is Best For My Business? for more information on industrial building types.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO MOVE IN TO A NEW SPACE?

The entire process from space programming to move-in could take between 6 months for an existing building and up to two years for a new building.  Some of the design phases such as permitting and bidding can overlap to compress the schedule.  Design documents can begin during lease negotiations if the tenant is confident that a deal will be made. An architect will solicit and coordinate other consultants that may be required such as electrical, plumbing and mechanical engineers for a complete set of construction documents.

The construction documents can be submitted to the building owner for approval, the local permitting jurisdiction and construction bidders simultaneously to expedite the move-in date.

Once a construction manager or general contractor is given a notice to proceed, it typically takes 2-4 weeks to mobilize on site and begin demolition. Depending on the extent of work, fit-out construction typically takes between 2-6 months and new construction could take up to a year depending on the size of the building and amount of on-site and off-site work.

The sooner you can begin this process, the more options you will have to find and create the right space for your company.

Ryan Bruce, RA, LEED AP is a registered architect and Principal of Bruce Architecture with over 30 years of experience in the design and construction of commercial and industrial buildings across the United States. Most recently, Ryan has been involved in the design of large new construction warehouses for e-commerce as well as tenant fit-outs in smaller flex buildings.