When you need to store inventory, whether for a short amount of time or in the long term, you must know how much warehouse space you need. If you overestimate, you’ll end up spending more than necessary. If you underestimate, you may not have enough room for all of your inventory.

Learn how to calculate warehouse space so you can find the right storage solution or contract warehouse for your needs.

Warehouse Space Requirements

Your company can sell or manage similar products to those of another business and still have differing warehouse needs. When calculating how much space you need in a warehouse, consider the following factors:

• Pallet size: Pallets come in a range of standard sizes, with the most common being 48 inches by 40 inches. Square pallets are also available. Pallet size influences how much room your inventory needs on a warehouse shelf.
• Number of pallets: You also need to know the number of pallets you have to store — or at least an estimate of the number of pallets.
• Stacking height: You can stack pallets on top of each other to maximize vertical space. Keep in mind that stacks that are too tall can topple. It’s essential to know the allowable stacking height, which is based on guidelines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The stacking height varies based on the size of the pallets, the materials being stored and pallet weight.
• Warehouse space utilization: The layout of your inventory in a warehouse also influences the amount of space you need. Warehouse space utilization refers to how efficiently you make use of the area in a facility. It can be affected by factors that are beyond your control, such as the shape of your inventory.

Warehouse Space Utilization Explained

Warehouse space utilization shows how much of the storage area in a warehouse is used. It’s the ratio of space in use compared to available storage space. A ratio of 100% would mean that all of the usable room in the warehouse is filled to capacity.

The ideal warehouse space utilization ratio for you depends on several factors. These include the shape of your inventory, its ability to stack, the expiration dates and the number of products you have. Some common ratios include:

• 40%: Products that can’t stack neatly or that form unusual shapes on a pallet will naturally take up more space in a warehouse. You’ll need more room to maneuver around the products when picking them, so you won’t be able to use as much of the available space.
• 50%: Some types of products have expiration dates, such as food or cosmetics. You need to be aware of the dates on these products and send the older ones out first. A maximum space utilization ratio of 50% should allow for adequate space to maneuver around your inventory and turn it correctly. If the products don’t stack neatly, you’ll need a lower ratio.
• 60%: Your space utilization ratio can be slightly higher if your products turn frequently but don’t have expiration dates. The 60% ratio is also ideal for companies that have multiple product types and up to 100 stock-keeping units (SKUs).
• 70%: If you have up to 100 SKUs that don’t have expiration dates and turn up to six times per year, you can use up to 70% of the space in the warehouse.
• 80%: Companies that only have a few SKUs that don’t expire and don’t have much turnover can use up to about 80% of warehouse space without issue.

Note that you never want your warehouse space utilization ratio to be 100%. The higher the ratio, the harder it is for staff to move around the warehouse and pick products.

How to Calculate Warehouse Capacity

A warehouse space calculator will quickly crunch the numbers for you to let you know the area you need based on the number of pallets you have to store, the size of the pallets and your preferred utilization ratio. You can also do the math yourself to determine your storage needs. Follow these steps:

• Add up the number of pallets you have to store. You can estimate this number if you’re not sure of the exact amount.
• Divide the pallet number by the stacking height. If you plan to stack two pallets on top of each other, divide by two. If you can’t stack pallets at all, divide by one.
• Calculate the square footage of the pallets. Multiply pallet width by length — often 48 inches by 40 inches — to find the square footage. If you’re using inches, remember to divide the product by 12 to convert it to feet.
• Multiply the stacking height by the square footage. If you have 16 48-by-40-inch pallets that you can stack two high, multiply eight by 160 to get 1,280.
• Divide by your desired warehouse utilization ratio. In this example, use a utilization ratio of 50%. The solution to 1,280 divided by 50% is 2,560 square feet.

When deciding how much warehouse storage space you need, give yourself room to grow. If you plan on adding more product types or storing more inventory in the future, increase the number of pallets in your calculation or adjust your utilization ratio accordingly.

We Can Help You Determine How Much Warehouse Space You Need

When estimating warehouse space, it is important to note that every scenario is different depending on the needs of your business. What’s more, each business warehouse capacity can vary depending on different factors, such as the type of inventory or the demand for your products.

While the requirements and process above are a good benchmark, it is best to work with an experienced warehousing professional to determine the appropriate amount of space you need. At Crown LSP, we can help you figure out an accurate warehouse utilization ratio and offer solutions to best store your business’s inventory.

Contact Crown LSP Group for Warehousing Services

Crown LSP Group is a distribution solutions company that offers contract warehousing arrangements. We can provide custom and standard arrangements based on your company’s needs. You can lease an entire warehouse facility or a designated area on a short- or long-term basis. To discuss your warehouse storage needs and request a quote, contact us today.

A contract warehouse is a third-party logistics (3PL) storage facility that stores goods on behalf of a client. The client and the warehouse enter into a contract, which can range from months to years. The agreement may have a fixed fee structure or operate on a cost-plus model. Contract warehouses can also perform many other services, such as handling, packing, labeling, fulfillment and similar activities. Let’s talk more about this potential solution for your long-term storage needs and how to find warehouse contracts that will work in your favor.

The Contract Warehousing Process Explained

Many companies need to store their goods or supplies for various reasons, and contract warehousing is one of the many dedicated storage options to choose from. Companies that don’t want to build, buy or rent their own warehouse space can enter into a third-party warehouse agreement with an outside provider who specializes in dedicated warehousing. This third-party warehouse provider will handle the storage, shipping and receiving of merchandise on behalf of their client. They can also add value by taking on more logistical tasks such as inventory management and making sure to follow distribution best practices.

Differences Between Contract Warehousing and Other Options

One of the main differences between contract warehousing and other popular options like shared warehouse space or private warehousing is that a contract warehouse is dedicated to a sole client. All the dedicated warehouse’s resources and the entire facility go toward one company’s goods. The tenant commits to occupying that fixed space and relies on the contract warehouse to manage it. Because of this factor, contract warehouses usually require their clients to commit to a specific contract length, often months or years.

There are two other variations on the contract warehousing model. The first is when the contract warehouse company owns the physical facility and allows the tenant company to operate it with their own employees and equipment. In the other alternative, the client owns or leases the warehouse facility and hires a contract warehouse to staff it and handle all operations. Contract warehouses may also parcel out a larger facility for several contract clients. In this arrangement, the contract will dedicate a certain amount of square footage and resources to each client.

Types of Warehousing Options Explained

When your business needs more storage capacity, you have three types of warehousing options. They include:

• Private warehousing: When a wholesaler or manufacturer uses a private warehouse, it owns or leases the warehouse building and is 100% responsible for managing inventory and warehouse operations. This approach is highly involved and requires a hefty investment compared to other warehousing options. Typically, it takes 30 years to see a return on investment when a company builds a private warehouse.
• Public warehousing: Under public warehousing or shared warehouse space, the client does not contract for a dedicated amount of space or resources. Instead, they share the warehouse with other clients. They pay a monthly bill based on the number of pallets that come in and out so they can occupy more or less warehouse space depending on their inventory needs. While the client only pays for the space they use, the warehouse operates on a first-come, first-served basis. A public warehouse may not always have the space you need if your inventory fluctuates often. Usually, these warehouses work best for short-term storage needs, such as seasonal inventory.
• Contract warehousing: Contract warehousing, also known as dedicated warehousing, is when a company outsources warehouse operations to a larger facility or 3PL. Since a contract warehouse dedicates a certain amount of space on a long-term basis, it’s the best option for companies with a consistent inventory volume. Contracts usually last years so they work well for medium- and long-term storage needs.

Benefits of Contract Warehousing

For many customers, contract warehousing is the perfect balance between the total freedom and control of owning a private warehouse and the low cost and low involvement of using a shared warehouse. Some of the advantages of third party contract warehouse agreements include:

1. Lower Capital Investment

Consider that in New York City, it cost an average of $117 per square foot to construct a new warehouse or logistics center. The average newly built warehouse is just shy of 185,000 square feet, so constructing a new warehouse is typically a multimillion-dollar investment. While real estate costs are a little lower here in North Carolina, warehouse investments are too costly for most businesses to justify. Setting up an existing building for warehousing also requires investments in warehousing equipment like forklifts.

When you choose to contract your warehouse space, the warehouse space is readily available without the high cost of construction, renovations or equipment. When you hire a warehouse, you can use it for a shorter time frame to meet your current needs. When your contract is up, you can choose to contract for more space if needed without another significant upfront investment.

2. Lower Costs and Fees

Contract warehouse companies are experts at what they do. Often, they can develop strategies to make your storage, logistics and fulfillment more efficient, resulting in cost savings. For example, at Crown LSP Group, we can perform transportation and logistics services alongside value-added warehousing services. By keeping all these operations under one roof, where an expert logistics team can manage everything closely, you’ll save money and time.

Meanwhile, when leasing or owning a warehouse, the property usually comes with many fees and expenses. Utilities, building maintenance and property taxes can all add unpredictable costs to your monthly bills. When you choose a contract warehouse, all the costs you’ll incur will appear upfront in your written warehousing agreements. You can enjoy predictable overhead and share costs like utilities and maintenance with other contracted clients.

3. Value-Added Services

One excellent benefit of a contract warehouse over a public warehouse is that it can provide a dedicated workforce. While a public warehouse is mostly concerned with keeping its storage at full capacity, a contract warehouse knows it can rely on predictable storage needs and assign more resources to individual clients. For example, some companies need temperature-controlled storage facilities, which require expert monitoring from dedicated staff members. When you have a contracted staff committed to managing your goods, they can also offer other valuable services such as:

• Cross-docking: Cross-docking improves supply chain efficiency by reducing the time products spend in storage. It helps you get products to your customers faster and is extremely effective for companies in the consumer goods industry. For example, at Crown LSP Group, we can build personalized cross-docking solutions for your shipments. We’ll receive deliveries at our warehouse, organize them or break them down into smaller shipments right away, and send them out on the next available outbound trucks. That way, shipments spend less time in storage, which reduces handling, storage costs and inventory management needs.
• Pick-and-pack: Pick-and-pack is a complex e-commerce order fulfillment strategy where warehouse workers will pull items for many customer orders at once and then pack them all for shipment. This method lets you prepare e-commerce orders and get them ready to ship quickly, so you can guarantee faster delivery times. An e-commerce order fulfillment company like Crown LSP Group can develop an effective pick-and-pack solution for your warehoused products.
• Rework: If you ship in products from a manufacturer in another country, it costs a lot of time and money to send back damaged items that need to be reworked. Entering into a third-party warehouse agreement can help mitigate minor rework issues, such as reprinting labels or instruction manuals, replacing broken or missing components or repackaging items. This improves supply chain efficiency by taking care of product quality concerns right from your stateside warehouse.
• Palletization: A contract warehouse can also organize incoming shipments onto pallets or break down and rearrange products on existing pallets. Depending on your needs, Crown LSP Group can store your products on pallets for long-term storage or prepare them for their next destination.
• Advanced inventory management: E-commerce businesses and manufacturers that frequently ship goods in and out of their warehouses need to track what’s in stock and what they need to reorder. Contract warehouses can record valuable inventory data like real-time available quantities, current locations, serial numbers and manufacturing dates to streamline inventory management operations. Dedicated warehouse providers add value to inventory management with advanced warehousing support like helping you set a sustainable safety stock level for your products. Many companies find they need more safety stock to get ahead of potential supplier delays, and we can advise you on an amount that makes sense for you.
• Greater reliability: Many businesses choose to work with a contract warehouse so they can continue focusing on their core strengths. You can leverage the expertise of a dedicated warehouse, which can develop personalized solutions for your business. This partnership eliminates the growing pains of learning how to operate a warehouse internally. A contract warehouse dedicates a set amount of warehouse space and personnel to your business, so you can rely on having the storage space you need at all times.

Resolve Your Warehousing Concerns With Crown LSP Group

Crown LSP Group is flexible, reliable and committed to finding the solutions that work best for you. We recognize that while most businesses benefit from using a 3PL contract warehouse, every company uses these services a little differently. As your expert warehousing partner, we’ll act as an extension of your staff and personalize our solutions to serve your operation best.

We have the contact warehouse capabilities to accommodate several locations across the east coast. These include contact warehouse space near:

• Norfolk, VA
• Raleigh, NC
• Wilmington, NC
• Rocky Mount, NC

Learn more about contracting warehouse space through our third-party logistics services and reach out online to request a quote.

Request a Quote Today