Racking layout comparison
One building, four layouts. The difference between the best and worst is usually larger than the difference between two buildings.
| Layout | Floor used | Levels | Positions | m² per pallet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide aisle (counterbalance) 55% of floor | 5,500 m² | 6 | 34,374 | 0.29 |
| Narrow aisle (reach truck) 65% of floor | 6,500 m² | 6 | 40,620 | 0.25 |
| Very narrow aisle (guided) 75% of floor | 7,500 m² | 6 | 46,872 | 0.21 |
| Block stacked (no racking) 70% of floor | 7,000 m² | 6 | 43,746 | 0.23 |
What each one costs you
- Wide aisle (counterbalance)
- Every pallet directly reachable with standard counterbalance trucks. Cheapest to fit out, highest cost per position.
- Narrow aisle (reach truck)
- Reach trucks recover roughly a fifth of the floor lost to aisles, at the cost of slower put-away and a flatter floor spec.
- Very narrow aisle (guided)
- Guided turret trucks give the most positions per square metre, but need a defined floor flatness, dedicated equipment and a rack layout fixed in advance.
- Block stacked (no racking)
- No racking to buy and dense on paper, but only the front face of each block is reachable — unworkable for many SKUs or date-rotated stock.
These are planning figures from floor area and height alone. Column grid, dock positions, sprinkler layout and fire compartmentation all move the answer, and a racking supplier's drawing is the one to sign against. Terms used here are in the glossary.