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Commercial Real Estate Glossary
Last updated on Feb 19, 2023
2 min read

Clear Height in Commercial Real Estate

In industrial real estate, a property's clear height is the height to which product can safely be stored on racking. Clear height can also be defined as the height of a building from the floor to the bottom of the lowest hanging item on the ceiling (i.e. sprinklers, lights, etc.). In recent years, clear height has become much more important due to the increase in online retailers, many of whom are trying to increase warehouse efficiency in any way possible.

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In this article:
  1. What is Clear Height in Commercial Real Estate? 
  2. Typical Clear Heights Have Increased Over Time 
  3. Questions? Fill out the form below to speak with a commercial real estate loan specialist.
  4. Related Questions
  5. Get Financing

What is Clear Height in Commercial Real Estate? 

In industrial real estate, a property's clear height is the height to which product can safely be stored on racking. Clear height can also be defined as the height of a building from the floor to the bottom of the lowest hanging item on the ceiling (i.e. sprinklers, lights, etc.). In recent years, clear height has become much more important due to the increase in online retailers, many of whom are trying to increase warehouse efficiency in any way possible.

Typical Clear Heights Have Increased Over Time 

While clear heights under 20 feet used to be commonplace, today, demand for increased warehouse volume is soaring. As a result, many industrial tenants are now requesting clear heights of 36 feet. Experts suggest that tenants can increase the capacity of a warehouse by 10-25% simply by increasing a building's clear height from 32 feet to 36 feet.

This may be especially important to note for investors and developers looking into building industrial real estate. With just a small increase in clear height, developers may be able to get significantly more rent for only a small increase in construction costs. However, taller warehouses are typically more in demand in larger metropolitan areas and industrial centers where space is at a premium, and are therefore most likely to garner higher rents in these areas.  

Questions? Fill out the form below to speak with a commercial real estate loan specialist.

Related Questions

What is clear height in commercial real estate?

In industrial real estate, a property's clear height is the height to which product can safely be stored on racking. Clear height can also be defined as the height of a building from the floor to the bottom of the lowest hanging item on the ceiling (i.e. sprinklers, lights, etc.).

While clear heights under 20 feet used to be commonplace, today, demand for increased warehouse volume is soaring. As a result, many industrial tenants are now requesting clear heights of 36 feet. Experts suggest that tenants can increase the capacity of a warehouse by 10-25% simply by increasing a building's clear height from 32 feet to 36 feet.

This may be especially important to note for investors and developers looking into building industrial real estate. With just a small increase in clear height, developers may be able to get significantly more rent for only a small increase in construction costs. However, taller warehouses are typically more in demand in larger metropolitan areas and industrial centers where space is at a premium, and are therefore most likely to garner higher rents in these areas.

What are the benefits of having a higher clear height in a commercial property?

Having a higher clear height in a commercial property can increase the capacity of a warehouse by 10-25%. This is because taller warehouses are typically more in demand in larger metropolitan areas and industrial centers where space is at a premium, and are therefore most likely to garner higher rents in these areas. Logistics tenants understand this, with many major companies refusing to even consider occupying assets with clear heights under 30 feet. Additionally, a 100,000-square-foot warehouse with a clear height of 20 feet has 2 million cubic feet, while a structure with the same footprint but clear heights of 36 feet could have up to 3.6 million — that’s 80% more space for storing products.

How is clear height measured in commercial real estate?

In industrial real estate, a property's clear height is the height to which product can safely be stored on racking. Clear height can also be defined as the height of a building from the floor to the bottom of the lowest hanging item on the ceiling (i.e. sprinklers, lights, etc.).

Typical clear heights have increased over time, with many industrial tenants now requesting clear heights of 36 feet. Experts suggest that tenants can increase the capacity of a warehouse by 10-25% simply by increasing a building's clear height from 32 feet to 36 feet.

Source: www.commercialrealestate.loans/commercial-real-estate-glossary/clear-height

What are the common clear height requirements for commercial real estate?

The common clear height requirements for commercial real estate vary depending on the type of industrial tenant. Generally, clear heights under 20 feet used to be commonplace, but today, many industrial tenants are requesting clear heights of 36 feet. This is due to the increased demand for warehouse volume and the potential to increase the capacity of a warehouse by 10-25% simply by increasing a building's clear height from 32 feet to 36 feet. Taller warehouses are typically more in demand in larger metropolitan areas and industrial centers where space is at a premium.

What are the differences between clear height and ceiling height in commercial real estate?

Clear height in commercial real estate is the height to which product can safely be stored on racking, while ceiling height is the height of a building from the floor to the bottom of the lowest hanging item on the ceiling (i.e. sprinklers, lights, etc.). Typical clear heights have increased over time, with many industrial tenants now requesting clear heights of 36 feet. This may be especially important to note for investors and developers looking into building industrial real estate, as a small increase in clear height can result in significantly more rent for only a small increase in construction costs. However, taller warehouses are typically more in demand in larger metropolitan areas and industrial centers where space is at a premium, and are therefore most likely to garner higher rents in these areas.

For more information, please visit www.commercialrealestate.loans/commercial-real-estate-glossary/clear-height.

In this article:
  1. What is Clear Height in Commercial Real Estate? 
  2. Typical Clear Heights Have Increased Over Time 
  3. Questions? Fill out the form below to speak with a commercial real estate loan specialist.
  4. Related questions
  5. Get Financing
Categories
  • Commercial Property Loans
  • CRE Loans
Tags
  • Commercial Mortgage
  • commercial real estate loans
  • Commercial Property Loans
  • Clear Height
  • Industrial Real Estate

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