Industrial Site Checklist for Utah Warehouses and Plants

Many industrial site searches go wrong the same way. A company tours buildings first, falls for one, and only then learns the power is short, the yard is too tight for its trucks, or the city will not allow outside storage. Fixing that late costs time, money and leverage.

The better order is the reverse: write your requirements down before you tour anything. This checklist covers what to pin down for an industrial, warehouse or flex site in Salt Lake, Utah, Tooele and Box Elder counties and the rest of the state.

Start with how the building will actually be used

Before you talk square feet, describe the operation in plain terms:

What comes in, what goes out, and how (full trailers, LTL, parcel, your own fleet)?
How many inbound and outbound trucks on a normal day, and on your worst day?
What runs on power: production lines, compressors, charging for forklifts or vehicles, cold storage?
How many people per shift, and how many shifts?
What has to be stored outside, if anything?

Every item below flows from those answers.

Power: amps, volts and phase

Power is hard to add after you move in and easy to overlook on a tour.

Ask for the electrical service in writing: amps, voltage and phase (single-phase or three-phase). "Heavy power" on a flyer is not a spec.
Total your load. Have an electrician or engineer add up your equipment, plus room for growth. Compare that number to what the building has, not what the marketing says.
Check the path to more power. If the building is short, the question becomes what it takes to upgrade: new switchgear, a new transformer, or a line extension from the utility.

That last point can surprise people. Rocky Mountain Power's Utah line extension rules explain that the utility covers only part of an extension's cost (the "Extension Allowance"), can ask the applicant to advance estimated engineering costs, and can require a contract minimum billing. In plain terms: if your site needs new utility work, ask the utility early what you may have to pay up front and how long the work will take. Do not assume it fits inside your move-in date.

The building itself

Clear height and column spacing

Clear height is the usable height under the lowest obstruction, such as beams, lights or sprinkler heads. It decides how high you can rack. Work backward from your racking plan, then add the clearance your sprinkler design requires. Column spacing decides how many aisles fit.

Floor and fire protection

Floor slab thickness and condition, if you run heavy racking or equipment.
Sprinkler system type, and whether it is rated for what you store and how high you store it. A change in commodity or storage height can trigger sprinkler upgrades.

Docks and doors

Dock-high doors for trailers, and how many you need on your busiest day, not your average day.
Grade-level (drive-in) doors for box trucks, forklifts and equipment.
Dock equipment: levelers, seals or shelters, bumpers and lights. Ask what is included and who maintains it.

Outside the walls: truck court, yard and parking

Truck court depth. Can a tractor-trailer back into every dock without blocking the drive aisle? Measure it, or ask your carriers to look at the site plan.
Trailer parking. Where do trailers wait, and how many spots do you need?
Outside storage. If you need a fenced yard for materials, equipment or vehicles, confirm it is allowed (see zoning below) and whether screening or paving is required.
Car parking for your largest shift change.

Zoning: confirm the use, not just the zone

An industrial zone label does not mean your use is allowed there. Ask the city or county planning office:

Is my use permitted outright, allowed only with a conditional use permit, or not allowed?
Is outside storage allowed, and under what conditions?
Are there limits on hours, noise, odors or hazardous materials?
Are there any overlay zones or design standards that affect the site?

Get answers in writing before you commit.

Utilities beyond power

Water and sewer capacity, especially for process water or wash bays.
Fire flow: whether water pressure and volume at the site support the sprinkler system you need.
Natural gas, if you heat or process with it.
Fiber providers serving the building.

Labor access

Your site has to work for the people who staff it. Look at:

Commute times from where your workforce lives, at your shift times.
Transit access, if any of your team relies on it.

Cheaper rent can cost more if it makes hiring harder.

Freeway access: I-15, I-80, I-215 and beyond

For most distribution and production users, the real question is minutes to the interstate, not miles. Check:

Drive time to the nearest I-15, I-80 or I-215 interchange, at the times your trucks run.
Whether the route passes through residential streets, school zones or low bridges.
Turning movements in and out of the site for a full-size trailer.
Where your customers, suppliers, the airport and rail terminals sit relative to the site.

Drive the route yourself at the hours you operate.

Impact fees and timing: questions for the city

If you are building, adding on or changing a building's use, ask about impact fees early. Utah's Impact Fees Act sets the rules local governments must follow to charge them. Utah's Property Rights Ombudsman describes impact fees as one-time charges on new development to help pay for public facilities such as water, sewer, storm drainage and roads, and its office can answer questions about how they apply.

Questions to ask the city or county:

Which impact fees apply to my project, and how are they calculated?
When are they due (at building permit, or another point)?
Does a change of use or an addition trigger new fees?
What is the current review time for site plans and building permits?
Which approvals need a public hearing, and how often does that body meet?
What other fees apply, such as connection fees from water or sewer providers?

Fee and permit timing can decide whether a site fits your schedule.

A one-page checklist

Item	What to get	Why it matters
Power	Amps, volts, phase in writing; your load total	Upgrades can be slow and costly
Clear height	Usable height under the lowest obstruction	Sets rack height and storage capacity
Docks and doors	Dock-high and drive-in counts, dock equipment	Peak-day truck flow
Truck court	Depth and turning room on the site plan	Trailers must back in safely
Yard and parking	Trailer stalls, outside storage, car stalls	Shift changes and staging
Zoning	Use permitted, conditional or not allowed	A wrong answer can kill the deal
Utilities	Water, sewer, fire flow, gas, fiber	Process and sprinkler needs
Labor	Commutes and transit at shift times	Hiring and retention
Freeway access	Minutes to I-15, I-80 or I-215	Delivery times and costs
Fees and timing	Impact fees, permit review times	Budget and move-in date

This checklist is general guidance, not engineering or legal advice. Confirm details with engineers, the utility and the planning office.

What to do next

With requirements on paper, you can rule out buildings in minutes and negotiate from a stronger position. If you are still deciding whether to rent, own or build, read lease vs. buy vs. build-to-suit. If you want someone on your side for the search and the negotiation, here is how tenant representation works. You can also start from the Utah Site Selection home page.

Start your Utah site search

Send over your requirements, even if they are rough, and we will turn them into a short list of sites worth touring and the questions to ask each one. Call or text 801-664-3370 to talk with Stockton Farnsworth, Utah Associate Broker, Team Utah Commercial, brokered by RE/MAX Associates.

General education only, not legal, tax, investment or appraisal advice. Information is believed reliable but not guaranteed. This article was drafted with the help of AI from the sources listed. Published by Stockton Farnsworth, Utah Associate Broker, Team Utah Commercial, brokered by RE/MAX Associates.