The Warehouse Fitout Checklist

Eight steps to evaluate before you sign and before you fit out.

Whether you’re searching for your first warehouse, outgrowing your current footprint, or taking possession of a new facility, the difference between a smooth transition and a costly one almost always comes down to decisions made before the lease is signed.

This checklist is designed for operations managers, procurement teams, and growing businesses evaluating warehouse space. Work through these eight steps before you commit and before a single bay of racking goes up.

1. Think in Cubic Capacity, Not Square Footage

The most common and costly mistake in warehouse planning is sizing a space by floor area. Square footage tells you how much ground you have. It says nothing about how much you can actually store.

Two buildings with identical floor plates can have dramatically different storage capacities depending on their clear height, column spacing, and slab specification. A 50,000 sq ft facility with 36′ clear height can store roughly twice as much as the same footprint at 20′ clear and typically costs far less per cubic foot than leasing additional space.

The cubic capacity test

Before evaluating any space, calculate: floor area × usable clear height × storage efficiency factor. Most warehouses are using 50–65% of their available vertical space. The question isn’t whether you have enough floor, it’s whether you’re using the cube you’re paying for.

2.Audit the Building Specs That Determine Your Storage Options

Not all industrial buildings support the same storage systems. Before evaluating any space, confirm the following specifications with the landlord or their broker:

✓

Item

Why It Matters

☐

Clear height (eave height to underside of structure)

Determines maximum rack height and system type

☐

Column grid spacing

Wider grid allows more flexible racking layouts

☐

Floor slab load capacity (PSF rating)

Limits rack bay loads and high-density systems

☐

Floor flatness specification (FF/FL ratings)

Critical for narrow-aisle and automated systems

☐

Dock door count, position, and leveller type

Affects traffic flow and racking layout near docks

☐

Fire suppression system type and sprinkler coverage

Can limit racking height under Ontario Fire Code

☐

Power availability (amps, phase) for automation

Required for AS/RS, conveyors, and charging stations

☐

Existing racking (if space was previously tenanted)

Must be inspected and certified before reuse

3.Get a Storage Design Done Before You Sign

Most tenants design their storage system after taking possession. That is too late. A storage design done at the heads-of-terms stage lets you confirm whether the building can support the system you actually need and negotiate the right lease terms if it can’t.

The questions a pre-deal storage design answers:

  • Can this building support the racking density my operation requires?
  • How many pallet positions can I realistically fit in this space?
  • Do I need a 40′ clear building, or will 32′ work with the right system?
  • Will I need to negotiate slab upgrades or dock modifications?
  • What is my actual cost-per-pallet-position at this facility versus alternatives?

Platform 1 offers complimentary pre-deal assessments, typically within 48 hours of a request.

Bring us in before heads of terms. We’ll assess the building, model the storage capacity, and give you the information you need to negotiate from a position of knowledge rather than assumption.

4.Understand What Regulatory Steps Apply

Racking is no longer treated as furniture under Ontario and National Building Codes. It is classified as a structural system which means engineering review, permitting, and formal pre-start sign-off apply to most new installations.

The three regulatory requirements that catch businesses off guard:

✓

Item

Why It Matters

☐

Pre-Start Health & Safety Review (PSR) under O. Reg. 851

Required before new or modified racking is loaded; must be done by a P.Eng.

☐

Building permit (where required by local authority)

Required in most Ontario jurisdictions for new racking installations

☐

Load capacity signs on all racking bays

Mandatory under CSA A344:24; must match certified load data

Fit-out timelines that once ran two to three weeks now commonly take six to ten weeks or longer once engineering review, permitting, and pre-start inspection are included. If your possession date and operational start date are close together, plan for this now.

5. Select the Right Storage System for Your Operation

The type of racking you install determines your throughput, your labour model, and your cost per pallet position. The right system depends on your SKU count, pallet turn rate, and the building specs you confirmed in Step 2.

✓

Item

Why It Matters

☐

Selective racking

Best for high SKU count, direct access to every pallet

☐

Drive-in or push-back racking

High density, lower SKU count, LIFO or FIFO flow

☐

Pallet flow racking

High throughput, FIFO, food & beverage or retail distribution

☐

Cantilever racking

Long or irregularly shaped items (lumber, pipe, extrusions)

☐

Mezzanine or multi-level storage

Maximises vertical space for pick operations or overflow

☐

Automated Storage & Retrieval (AS/RS)

High-density, high-throughput — requires specific building specs

If you’re uncertain which system fits, that’s exactly what a storage design assessment resolves. The answer is specific to your building, your product profile, and your operations , not a catalogue selection.

6. Plan for Automation  Even If It’s Not Immediate

Warehouse automation is no longer the exclusive domain of large distribution centres. Purpose-built AS/RS and goods-to-person systems are now accessible to mid-market operators, but they require specific building infrastructure that is expensive or impossible to retrofit later.

If automation is a possibility within your planning horizon even three to five years out, confirm the following before signing a lease:

  • Floor flatness: automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and AS/RS require FF50/FL30 or better
  • Clear height: most AS/RS and vertical lift systems require 30′ minimum
  • Power supply: three-phase power at adequate amperage for automated equipment
  • Column grid: wider spacing gives more flexibility for future system integration
  • Structural integrity for elevated conveyor or mezzanine attachments

Platform 1 is the only GTA-based racking partner with a formalized automation division.

We can scope automation options alongside conventional storage systems and tell you what the building needs to support them.

7. Build a Realistic Fitout Timeline

The most common project failure in warehouse fitouts is a timeline built on assumptions rather than facts. Possession date is not the same as operational date and the gap between the two has grown significantly since racking entered Ontario’s building code framework.

✓

Item

Why It Matters

☐

Storage design and quoting

1–2 weeks (can overlap with lease negotiation)

☐

Engineering review and PSR

1–3 weeks depending on system complexity

☐

Building permit application and approval

1–4 weeks depending on local authority

☐

Material procurement and lead time

2–6 weeks for new racking (longer for custom systems)

☐

Installation

1–3 weeks depending on system size

☐

Pre-start inspection sign-off

3–5 days after installation complete

☐

Total realistic range

6–16 weeks from lease execution to operational

8. Inspect Any Existing Racking Before You Rely on It

If you’re taking over a space that includes racking left by a previous tenant, do not assume it is safe or usable without an inspection. Previous tenants may have operated above certified capacity, left damage unaddressed, or removed load signage.

Under CSA A344:24, liability for racking in use belongs to the current occupant, not the previous tenant and not the landlord. If existing racking is in place when you take possession, you are responsible for its compliance from day one.

Before loading any inherited racking:

1.  Confirm load capacity signs are present and legible on every bay.

2.  Have a qualified inspector assess the system for A-Critical and B-Schedule damage.

3.  Obtain or recreate the original engineering documentation.

4.  Confirm a PSR is on file for the installation or commission one.

Not sure where your space stands?

Platform 1 offers complimentary pre-deal warehouse assessments, typically within 48 hours. We’ll tell you what your building can support, what your cubic capacity potential is, and what regulatory steps apply before you commit to a timeline.

Book a free assessment at platform1.ca →