Is your business growing and pushing you to move into a bigger space? Congratulations! That said, relocating an industrial warehouse is nothing like a residential or office move. Moving thousands of square feet of goods, along with the heavy steel structures holding them up, is complex and can bring your business to a standstill if it isn’t planned properly.
At Agir Installation, we’ve coordinated countless racking system moves all across Quebec. Here are our 5 critical steps for a smooth transition into your new facility.
Step 1: Auditing and Planning the New Space
Before you even touch a single pallet, you need to know exactly where it’s going. The first mistake to avoid is simply recreating the same layout in the new space.
- Create a layout plan: analyze the dimensions of the new building, the location of the dock doors, and the clear ceiling height.
- Optimize: This is the perfect time to rethink your aisle widths, or to switch to a higher-density system if your needs have changed. Our comparison of selective racking vs. drive-in can help you decide.
- Inspect your equipment: Assess the condition of your current racking using the same criteria as a formal racking inspection. Identify any damaged parts to replace during reinstallation rather than moving.
Step 2: Managing Inventory Before Moving Day
Don’t pay to move obsolete stock. Use the weeks leading up to the move to do a thorough clean-out. Liquidate dead stock, consolidate half-empty pallets, and update your warehouse management system (WMS). The fewer pallets you have to move, the shorter and cheaper the move will be.
Step 3: Professional Racking Teardown
This is where things get serious. Dismantling industrial racking is hazardous and should never be handed off to untrained staff or a residential moving crew.
Bringing in experts like Agir Installation guarantees:
* A safe teardown, from top to bottom, with no risk of collapse.
* Clean removal of floor anchors, leaving the old space safe for the next tenant.
* Proper palletizing of components (frames and beams) so they don’t get bent or damaged in transit.
Step 4: Coordinating Transport in Phases
To minimize the impact on your customers, it’s rare to shut the business down for an entire week. The winning strategy is to move in stages.
You first dismantle one section of racking in the old space (roughly 20 to 30% of capacity), transport it, and install it right away in the new building. Once that first zone is ready, you transfer the corresponding goods into it, freeing up space in the old location to dismantle the next section. This logistical dance requires tight coordination between the installation crew and the truck drivers.
Step 5: Installation and Anchoring in the New Building
The final step is reinstalling your storage systems according to the new layout plan. The Agir Installation crew ensures every structure is perfectly level (using shims if the new floor is uneven), securely anchored to the concrete slab, and fitted with all required safety accessories (bars, protectors).
Once the installation is complete and inspected, you’re ready to get back to full-capacity operations in your newly optimized space.
Planning a relocation soon? Leave the teardown, transport, and reinstallation of your racking to Agir Installation. We’ll take care of the steel so you can focus on your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to shut down the warehouse completely during a move?
Rarely. The winning strategy is to move in phases: dismantle about 20 to 30% of capacity, transfer and install it, then repeat the process for the next section.
Who should dismantle racking before a move?
Dismantling industrial racking is hazardous work that qualified experts must handle; never untrained staff or a residential moving crew.
Is moving day the right time to switch racking systems?
Yes. It’s the ideal time to rethink aisle widths or switch to a higher-density system if your business’s needs have changed since the original installation.
