Many Factors Go Into Your Mezzanine Structure

An industrial mezzanine is an excellent way to increase storage space at a fraction of the cost and in a fraction of the time of building or moving to a new facility. But when the need arises for one, how do you determine what size it will be? Do you need 1,000 square feet or 10,000?

Generally, mezzanines cannot be more than 1/3 of your building (In a 30,000 square foot facility, the maximum size of your structure can be 10,000 square feet). In scenarios where you would like to put in a mezzanine that is more than 1/3 of your building, you will need to apply for a variance from your local building code office. This option may or may not be approved.

The next thing to consider is your warehouse. If your warehouse is fairly open with only building columns to consider, you have a lot more options in designing your support structure. If it has multiple rooms and potentially different ceiling heights, that limits your options. As far as the height of your mezzanine goes, you will also need to consider your ceiling height. You will need enough room below the mezzanine as well as above to comply with the building code as well as serve your needs.

What Is Your Mezzanine Floor Going To Be Used For?

After considering your warehouse, the next thing to identify that will help you determine the size of your industrial mezzanine is the usage. These structures have a variety of functions and applications. Generally, mezzanines are used for storage. At a very basic level, you need to determine what you need to store and how much of it there will be.

If you are merely looking for extra pallet storage, you need to determine how many extra pallets there are going to be. For example, if you are trying to store an extra 300 48” x 48” pallets, you will need at least a 4,800 square foot warehouse mezzanine (more will be required to allow for movement and space, but this is the minimum you would need). If you are looking to add a specific number of shelving or racking positions, you will need to layout your equipment just like you would for a regular warehouse and ensure you have enough space for the racking/shelving and the aisles between.

It Is Not Just A Platform For Storage

In addition to storage, another typical use for warehouse mezzanines is for office space. By placing a modular office on top of your mezzanine, you can gain a new workspace without sacrificing your floor space. Do you need just one office for a plant manager? Are you adding multiple offices for multiple employees? Do you need any conference rooms or shared space such as a kitchen?

The best way to determine the size of your mezzanine would be to lay out the rooms that you need and then take the overall dimensions. Don’t forget to factor in the need for stairs that will be needed on the outside of the mezzanine. Depending on your intended usage, you will also need to know your mezzanine floor technical specifications.

For more in-depth scenarios that may include specific equipment or work processes, it is best to lay out precisely what is needed on the mezzanine with a program such as AutoCAD. Your mezzanine can be entirely custom designed to meet your exact specific needs. It is also a great idea to consult with an industrial warehouse mezzanine provider like Mezzanine Distributors to determine the size requirements of your mezzanine. We can ask questions that will drill down to exactly what you need for your application.