How to size pallet racking for an empty unit

Upright frames and wire decks in the yard

Moving into an empty unit is the easiest time to get racking right. You don't need to know rack sizes to start. You need to know your pallets and your building. These are the planning rules we use, from standard rack clearances.

Start with the pallet

Frame depth is the pallet depth less 6 inches, so the pallet hangs 3 inches over the front and back beams. A 48 inch deep pallet goes on a 42 inch frame. A 40 inch deep pallet goes on a 36 inch frame.
Beam length leaves at least 3 inches from each pallet to the frame and 6 inches between pallets. Two 40 inch wide pallets need 92 inches, so they go on a 96 inch beam. Two 48 inch pallets go on a 108 inch beam. Three 40 inch pallets go on a 144 inch beam.

Then the height

Level spacing is your load height, plus 6 inches to lift it off, plus the beam itself.
Sprinkler clearance comes off the top: 18 inches under standard heads, 36 inches under ESFR heads. If you don't know which you have, plan on 36 until someone checks.
Frame height is the next standard size above the top beam.

With 54 inch loads and a 28 foot clear height, that works out to three beam levels plus the floor on an 18 foot frame, with room to spare under the sprinklers.

Aisles

Leave about 12 feet for a counterbalance forklift and 8 to 9 feet for a reach truck. Back-to-back rows of 42 inch frames are about 8 feet deep with row spacers between them.

Counting the parts

One upright frame more than the number of bays in each run.
Two beams per level.
Wire decks: two per level on 96 and 108 inch beams, three on 144 inch beams.
At least one floor anchor per column, and a beam lock at each beam end.

What we don't do

416 Industrial doesn't determine rack capacity. Your written quote names the parts and the manufacturer's rating for them, matched to your heaviest pallet. Your building's sprinkler rules come first.