What is a Racking Permit & How Do I Get One?
Disclaimer: racking permits are different from region to region, and are subject to frequent change. It is best to contact the city in which you are seeking a racking building permit , and to contact a Concept Storage Sales Rep to get the most up to date information.
When is a Racking Permit Required?
In this blog we will be referring to the Ontario Building Code Section 3.16 that covers Shelf and Racking Storage Systems, which relates to Storage Platforms.
A building permit is required for Selective Pallet Racking, as well as for Storage Platforms. Selective Pallet Racking is used for storing materials by use of forklifts or man up order pickers. Storage platforms are used for storage of materials and are accessed by people by stairs and catwalks. Storage platforms can consist of a structural frame work supporting a floor level or racking and shelving supporting catwalks. Both options will have to conform to the Ontario Building Code section 3.16.
What You Need to Obtain a Racking Permit:
The following is a general list that is required by your Local Building Department to provide a building permit – Concept Storage is able to assist in every aspect of this list:
- Building Permit Application
- Site Plan, complete with data matrix
- Building Use Letter
- Declaration
- Ontario Building Code certification
- Concrete Floor Slab/Soil certification
- Racking certification
- Sprinkler certification
- General Review Commitment from all engineers
- Receipt for Permit fee
- Building application status report
- Building Permit
- “As-Built” racking sign off
- “As-Built” sprinkler sign off and test certification
- Building inspector report
General Timeline for Receiving a Racking Permit:
The timeline to obtain a racking building permit is typically divided by two parts:
- The time it takes for the Concept Storage team to assemble your documentation to provide to the Local Building Department (3-4 weeks)
- The time it takes for the Local Building Department to process the documentation and provide the building permit (4-8 weeks)
An important thing to note is that an occupancy inspection by a Building Inspector takes another 2 days from time of sign off by the Structural and Mechanical (sprinkler) engineers.
Tips for Obtaining a Racking Permit:
- Know The Rules of your Local Building Department
- As mentioned earlier, building permit requirements may be different from one region to the next. Because you received a building permit in one city, does not mean that a building permit will be released to you in the same way in a different city.
- Be Patient & Plan Ahead
- Some external factors like the Covid-19 pandemic, labour shortages, delays within municipal departments have caused delays in obtaining building racking permits.
- Racking Building Permits are Important! Obtaining a building permit for your racking systems ensure that:
- Your racking system is safe
- Your operations is not at risk of being shut down if deemed unsafe
- You are adequately covered by insurance
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