Determine the warehouse’s total square footage.
The first step in accurately calculating your warehouse pallet space is to determine the total square footage of the warehouse. This will help you establish how much usable space you have available to store inventory, so it’s an important number to get right. To do this, you’ll need the length and width of the entire area, and don’t forget any mezzanines, stairwells, or other areas that can’t be used for pallets.
Understand the pallet types & sizes you will use in your warehouse.
Once you have a good understanding of the total available space in your warehouse, it’s time to consider the type and size of pallets that you will use. Different sizes and types of pallets can drastically change the total number of pallets that will fit in a given space. Selecting one standard size for all of your pallets is wise as it simplifies calculations. Be sure to add any extra 3D measurements (such as height) if needed, as this can impact your storage capacity.
Calculate the size of each pallet required for items in inventory.
Calculating the size of your pallets is a crucial part of accurately calculating warehouse pallet space. Start by measuring the width and length of each item that you store on pallets. These measurements should include any packaging such as boxes or shrink wrap. Be sure to also factor in any overhang when determining your total measurements for each product. Once you have these measurements, round up to the nearest inch and then calculate how many pallets are needed for each item based on their size.
Determine common area usage and traffic allowances.
After you’ve calculated how many individual pallets you’ll need for each product, it’s time to determine the common area usage and traffic allowance for the warehouse. In other words, this is the amount of space needed to move around inventory from entry points to shelves and ensuring aisles are wide enough for carts and forklifts. Popular industry standards suggest that most warehouses should have a 3-4 foot central aisle along with a 6-7 foot clearance between racks on both sides. This can be adjusted depending upon the types of products being stored or the configuration of your specific warehouse.
Plan efficient racking configurations based on product transport, weight and stacking capabilities.
When configuring the pallet rack layout, it’s important to consider the types of transport methods within your warehouse as well as product weight and stacking capabilities. For example, narrow aisle forklift systems tend to have higher speed and precision than wide aisle options, but require a particular kinds racks to be used due to their size. In terms of weight and stacking capabilities, the size and shape of the products should be factored into the design. These will determine what kind of rack is needed for efficient loading and unloading of pallets.
Use this calculator to estimate the number of pallets you can store in the warehouse quickly.