Warehouse survey checklist before installing racking

Most rack-project cost overruns come from incomplete surveys: actual heights differ from drawings, columns are offset, or existing trucks cannot enter the designed aisle. The checklist below helps owners and installers align data before locking the BOM.

Site layout & structure

• Clear internal length × width × height (minus beams, cable trays, fire pipes)
• Column, door, dock, office and forklift-charging locations
• Floor type, flatness and load capacity (kN/m²)
• Weather exposure / moisture near open doors

Goods & equipment

• Representative pallet / unit-load sizes and weights
• SKU count, ABC analysis, FIFO/FEFO requirements
• Truck type (reach, counterbalance, VNA) and max lift height
• Inbound/outbound throughput at peak shifts

Safety & expansion

• Fire-code, sprinkler, lighting and camera clearances
• Emergency exits, signage, upright protectors
• 2–3 year expansion plan (extra rows / higher levels)

Thien Khoi uses this checklist in the first advisory step — before proposing Selective, Drive In, VNA or AS/RS.