Pallet rack seismic requirements might feel like more red tape on a long list of time consuming and expensive precautions you face when racking a new warehouse. You might think, what are the chances? Is it worth pulling a permit?

In an ideal world, you’d be able to unload the racks before any seismic activity, but unfortunately that’s not possible. Not meeting the requirements is extremely dangerous, and it could end up costing you a lot of money and possibly your reputation.

We’ve been in business for more than 30 years, and we can tell you that seismic compliance could be a matter of life and death. If you are in a seismic zone (See Map) and you are installing pallet rack you need to meet the pallet rack seismic requirements.

Here’s why:

Safety – Safety is the number one reason you should meet seismic requirements for pallet racks. It should go without saying that not following these requirements could be devastating.

Not only do you risk severe injury, you also risk creating a barrier for exit in the event of an emergency. Just a small amount of seismic activity could displace inventory, which could block the aisle.

You might never experience seismic activity, so you might think it’s not worth the money. You might also think that what you have in place is perfectly safe. When working with large and heavy structures, it’s much better to be safe than sorry.

Cost – You might not want to spend the money for the P.E. stamped and approved drawings, but you could end up spending much more money in the long run if you don’t.

If the local inspector finds out you haven’t pulled a permit, they could halt your installation or put your operation on hold. Neither option is ideal and could result in lots of lost time and lost business. Some places may even impose a fine for not meeting requirements. You can save yourself that cost!

Reputation – Imagine having to contact customers and vendors to explain that you can’t fill their orders because you were shut down for not meeting safety requirements.

This presents a number of problems. Not only do you seem unreliable, this also calls into question your standards and ethics. It looks as though you don’t value safety, and it could cause customers to question your other procedures.

Now that you understand the importance of meeting seismic requirements for pallet racks, how do you go about meeting requirements? This is a question you need to ask NOW rather than later.

The first step is getting a seismic analysis. We can provide you with a pallet rack quotation that includes a free seismic analysis.

Next, you need to get Professional Engineer stamped and approved drawings. These are required for getting a permit with your local building officials.

For a fee, we’re able to provide P.E. stamped and approved drawings for the pallet rack we provide. This fee could range from $950.00 to $1500.00.

We highly suggest this option because you’ll have confidence in knowing that the rack you purchase from us will meet the seismic codes where you are installing it.

We have more than 30 years of experience, and we can tell you that doing things the right way always pays off. We can make meeting seismic requirements for pallet rack easier – get in touch with us! Please start by filling out and sending back the following seismic pallet rack specification sheet: