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The 3 Biggest Mistakes Tenants and Brokers Make When Leasing a Warehouse
Avoid Costly Industrial Lighting Mistakes and Plan for Longevity!
Industrial lighting plays a critical role in warehouse functionality, yet it’s often overlooked during the leasing process. Inadequate lighting can lead to operational inefficiencies, safety risks, and costly retrofits for tenants – and headaches for their brokers! By understanding the most common pitfalls, tenants and brokers can look out for these common mistakes when shopping for a new facility.
Here are three common industrial lighting mistakes that tenants and brokers should be aware of when exploring new buildings—and how to avoid them.
1. Assuming Existing Industrial Lighting Will Last the Lease Term
It’s easy to assume that the existing overhead LED lighting will hold up throughout the lease period. This assumption can affect the tenant during the life of the lease as the driver or circuit panels go bad and compromise the lighting in areas or throughout the facility. While LED fixtures are for their longevity, their lifespan is typically 5-7 years. Components like drivers and circuit boards are especially prone to failure after extended use, often long before the LEDs themselves⁴.
If the lighting fixtures in the facility are already several years old, tenants may find themselves dealing with costly replacements during their lease – and it’s not the diode that is the culprit– most of the time, it’s the circuit board or the drivers. Compounding the issue, warranties often cover only the first year for installation, so they will have to pay an electrician to replace the part or fixture and rent a scissor lift to do the work.
If the lighting fixtures in the facility are already several years old, tenants may find themselves dealing with costly replacements during their lease – and it’s not the diode that is the culprit– most of the time, it’s the circuit board or the drivers. Compounding the issue, warranties often cover only the first year for installation, so they will have to pay an electrician to replace the part or fixture and rent a scissor lift to do the work.
What You Can Do:
- Inspect Beforehand: Conduct a detailed evaluation of the lighting system to determine its age and condition before signing the lease⁴.
- Negotiate Provisions: Ask the landlord to replace or upgrade outdated fixtures or include maintenance guaranty throughout the term of the lease.
- Plan for Upgrades: If replacements are inevitable, set aside funds to be used during the lease period of the building.
2. Misaligned Industrial Lighting with Racking Configurations
Industrial lighting systems tailored to the previous tenant’s layout often do not align with your new operational plan and racking configurations. For example, lighting designed for open floor stacking often leaves aisles or racking rows underlit. Similarly, existing fixtures may be positioned directly above racking, casting shadows on the aisles below where visibility is critical for forklift operators.
Misaligned lighting configurations can lead to:Uneven illumination, reducing productivity and accuracy during picking operations.
Costly retrofits, such as moving or replacing fixtures, or running additional electrical lines.
Lighting should support racking layouts by ensuring consistent illumination for all aisles and workspaces. For example, warehouses with selective pallet racking systems may require overhead lighting aligned with the aisles for better visibility. On the other hand, facilities using push-back or pallet flow systems may need strategically placed fixtures to illuminate deep storage areas effectively.
If any of these situations are prevalent, talk to a Catalina sales representative about evaluating what is existing and designing and installing a better system for efficiency and safety.
Misaligned lighting configurations can lead to:
- Poor visibility in operational areas, increasing safety risks.
If any of these situations are prevalent, talk to a Catalina sales representative about evaluating what is existing and designing and installing a better system for efficiency and safety.
3. Overlooking Emergency Lighting Requirements – Emergency and Egress lighting
In more and more cities, they are demanding emergency lighting and sometimes egress lighting before they will sign off on racking permits. Knowing if you have this in the building you are leasign and understanding which cities enforce these requirements is a huge factor with getting permits approved with racking and loading the racks with pallets. Emergency lighting is independent lighting on the perimeter of the building and down one to several aisles of racking to safely illuminate an exit path in the case where the electricity goes down in the building. Regulatory bodies mandate emergency systems to provide sufficient brightness for safe evacuation during power outages or emergencies. In warehouses, emergency lighting must deliver at least 1 foot-candle of illumination, ensuring clear paths for personnel to exit safely⁷.
Failing to address emergency lighting requirements can result in permitting delays for racking and it’s a critical safety concern.
Failing to address emergency lighting requirements can result in permitting delays for racking and it’s a critical safety concern.
What You Can Do:
- Audit the System: Verify whether emergency lighting is in place and functioning, and confirm it meets local standards⁷.
- Install Compliant Fixtures: If emergency lighting is inadequate, prioritize upgrading it to LED solutions for reliability and cost-effectiveness⁷.
- Work Proactively with Inspectors: Collaborate with local code enforcement officials to identify potential issues before they disrupt your timeline⁷.
Optimizing Your Industrial Lighting System
Optimizing your industrial lighting system is key to creating a safe and efficient workspace. A well-planned system reduces energy costs, improves visibility, and supports operational efficiency. Start with a thorough lighting audit to identify dim or poorly lit areas, misaligned fixtures, and outdated components. By addressing these issues early, you can avoid disruptions and ensure your lighting system supports your workflow.
Want to make sure your new lighting system passes the test of time? Upgrading to energy-efficient solutions, like LED fixtures, offers long-term benefits. LEDs not only use significantly less energy but also last longer, reducing maintenance costs. Enhancements like motion sensors, dimmers, or task-specific lighting can further improve energy efficiency and provide tailored illumination for high-traffic or work-intensive areas.
Catalina Integrative Solutions offers comprehensive lighting audits, customized layouts, and energy-efficient upgrades to optimize your system. From improving rack illumination to ensuring emergency lighting compliance, our team creates scalable solutions designed to adapt to your evolving needs.
Contact our team today for an in-depth look at your industrial lighting system, or help designing a whole new lighting system. With Anacapa and Catalina working for you, the job will be clear sailing and you’ll be operating before you know it.
