Streamlining the Warehouse Permit Process: Tips and Strategies for Success
Warehouse racking permits are required in a wide variety of warehouse scenarios to ensure a safe environment. Material handling equipment must meet minimum standards that are part of the building code, zoning laws, and fire department regulations. It can be a time-consuming and frustrating part of racking installation and mistakes can cost you both time and money.
Working with experienced design engineering experts can help you get everything you need to obtain the proper building permits and coordinate the warehouse permit process to make sure you get it done right the first time.
Streamlining Warehouse Permits
There are several key steps involved in obtaining warehouse permits, so let’s walk through them and provide you with some tips and strategies to smooth out the process.
Determine Permit Requirements
First, you will need to determine the warehouse racking permit requirements for your municipality. Different cities have different regulations and you need to make sure you have a firm understanding of what is required to provide the necessary documentation.
This can be confusing if you do not have experience with warehouse permits. There may be more than a hundred different types of permits cities require for different projects; figuring out which ones you need can take time.
Pro Tip: Hold pre-application meetings with permitting agencies to identify any potential issues or requirements upfront. This helps you proactively address any concerns to avoid delays during the review process.
Get Stamped Engineering Documents
You will need stamped engineering documents for approval from the appropriate city, state, and fire code. There are typically multiple documents that must be prepared and customized to meet local standards.
Pro Tip: Work with a warehouse design and engineering team with deep expertise in preparing warehouse racking permit documents. This will save you significant time and money.
Apply for Warehouse Permits
Once you have gathered all of the necessary information, you will need to file the appropriate permits. Permits will be reviewed to ensure they meet all requirements.
Pro Tip: Typically, you will be required to submit multiple permits, such as building, electrical, and fire. Submit all of them at the same time rather than sequentially. This reduces the total processing time. In some jurisdictions, you may also be able to request an expedited review for an additional fee.
Installation and Construction
Once your warehouse permits are approved, installation can begin. Working with experienced system integrators will save time and ensure the right equipment is installed in the right configuration for your operation.
Pro Tip: Once you get approval, you must follow the design plans exactly. Any changes to your plan will need re-approval. Plan modifications undergo the same review process as your initial drawings and will likely shut down installation until approved.
Final Review
Once projects are complete, city inspectors will want to verify that the work has been done according to the engineering plan you submitted. Depending on the project, this may require pre-construction meetings, in-progress inspections, and final inspections.
After the final review, you will receive a certificate of completion.
Pro Tip: Schedule the final inspection well in advance and then confirm the availability of the necessary parties. Coordinating schedules can be challenging, and once your project is done, you want to get to work rather than wait until someone’s schedule clears up.
Conesco Storage Systems Can Help Streamline the Warehouse Permit Process
Getting the right racking and warehouse configuration for the type of materials you handle is mission-critical. Design and layouts must create a safe working environment, balancing workloads, weight loads, racking heights, aisle widths, entrances, and exits. You also need a design that produces an efficient workflow to avoid bottlenecks and increase productivity.
Working with Conesco Storage Systems, you get a team of professionals with decades of experience in designing warehouse layouts and finding the optimal solution for your material handling needs. We can help you with the entire process from start to finish. Our warehouse permit experts know how to streamline the process and work with local agencies so you can get to work faster and avoid costly delays.
Whether you are installing a new racking system, upgrading an old one, or making changes to your facility, you will need warehouse racking permits. Request a consult with the expert warehouse design and engineering services team online or by calling Conesco Storage Systems at (303) 690-9591.
