About

In modern logistics and supply chain management, renting a warehouse is rarely just about square footage. The true value of an industrial space lies in its cubic volume and stackability. A facility with a 30-foot clear height offers 50% more storage capacity than a standard 20-foot building, even if they have the same floor footprint.

This calculator bridges the gap between Real Estate metrics (Price per sq ft) and Logistics metrics (Cost per Pallet Position). By factoring in racking dimensions, aisle widths, and vertical clearance, businesses can determine the Effective Rent—the true cost efficiency of the space relative to how much inventory it can actually hold.

Formulas

Capacity estimation considers the utilization ratio (typically 40-50% for standard wide-aisle racking) and vertical levels.

Capacity ≈ Area_floor × EfficiencyArea_pallet × Levels

The Effective Cost per Position (CPP) is the critical metric for comparison:

CPP = Rent_monthly + OpexCapacity_total

Reference Data

Pallet Standard	Dimensions (W x L)	Area (m²)	Area (sq ft)	Max Load (Static)
Euro Pallet (EUR 1)	800mm x 1200mm	0.96	10.33	4000 kg
Euro Pallet (EUR 2)	1200mm x 1000mm	1.20	12.92	4000 kg
Euro Pallet (EUR 3)	1000mm x 1200mm	1.20	12.92	4000 kg
ISO (North America)	40in x 48in	1.24	13.33	4600 lbs
ISO (Square)	42in x 42in	1.14	12.25	3700 lbs
ISO (Asian)	1100mm x 1100mm	1.21	13.02	3000 kg
Australian Standard	1165mm x 1165mm	1.36	14.61	2000 kg

Frequently Asked Questions

Clear height defines the usable vertical space under the roof structure (trusses, sprinklers). Every additional 5-6 feet usually allows for another level of pallet racking. A 10,000 sq ft warehouse with 4-high racking has the same storage capacity as a 20,000 sq ft warehouse with only 2-high racking, often at a much lower rental cost.

For standard wide-aisle racking (requiring forklifts to turn), typically only 40% to 50% of the floor area is covered by pallets. The rest is aisle space. Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) systems can increase this to 60-70%, but require specialized equipment.

Divide your total monthly occupancy cost (Base Rent + NNN + Utilities) by the maximum number of pallets the facility can hold. This gives you a normalized unit cost to compare different properties regardless of their shape or size.

While loading docks don't directly change the internal storage volume, they affect the 'usability' of the space. This calculator allows you to add a flat monthly operational surcharge for dock maintenance or access fees to adjust the final cost analysis.