Ultimate Guide To Temporary Warehouses

In this guide

1. What is a temporary warehouse?
2. Temporary or permanent warehousing: which do you actually need?
3. Why do businesses choose a temporary warehouse
4. What are temporary warehouses used for?
5. What size do you need?
6. Which building do you need?
7. Doors, gates and escape routes
8. Ground and site preparation
9. Snow, wind and why bracing moves your doors
10. Do you need planning permission for a temporary warehouse?
11. Should I Rent or buy a temporary warehouse?
12. What happens next
13. My verdict, one month in

01. What is a temporary warehouse?

A temporary warehouse is a removable industrial building with a bolted aluminium frame, steel or insulated panel walls and a tensioned PVC roof. It gives you the similar weather protection, security and working height as a conventional warehouse, but it goes up in days and can be extended, relocated or taken away again.

The first thing that caught me out was the vocabulary. The phrase temporary building covers a huge range, which is exactly why comparing quotes is so confusing. At one end there are event marquees with side sheeting. At the other there are engineered buildings like ours, relatively lightweight for faster construction, but heavily engineered extruded aluminium and steel components, certified for a 50-year design life. Both can get called “temporary warehouses”, but they're not even in the same ballpark.

Structurally our buildings are designed to BS EN 1991, the same Eurocode standard as a permanent steel-framed building, and we carry out extensive wind and snow load calculations for every specific site address — engineering additional structural components when needed. Having seen the locations of many hundreds of our buildings, whether they're in ports, or up mountains, there's rarely a location we haven't been able to engineer a solution for.

The translucent roof is rated for snow loads up to 250Kg/m2 so while its tough, it means no artificial lighting is needed for daytime working. The span is column-free and structurally tied using tension bars or steel ropes, so you get almost free range on racking layout without designing around posts.

How long does a temporary warehouse last?

The design service life is up to 50 years, certified to BS EN 1991. The heavy gauge extruded aluminium frame does not corrode and is effectively permanent (but for the sizeable bolts that allow it to be demounted when the time comes). The PVC roof membrane is toughness tested, remaining serviceable for well over a decade and relatively easy to replace should it ever be required in later years.

I have to admit, I was a little sceptical when I first heard of a 50 year capable temporary building, so I went and viewed a few of our buildings not far from our HQ in Hennef (Germany) and my mind was immediately put at ease.

The frame and fixings could easily be mistaken for those from a permanent building, and the insulated ISO/SIP wall panels are commonly used in permanent builds.

And then there's the roof — this light permitting super strong membrane held under tension; For those familiar with heavy goods vehicles, the roof material could be compared with truck curtain sides, which use a similar industrial PVC and are typically subject to planned maintenance every six or seven years. The difference is what causes the need for maintenance in truck applications; A truck curtain side takes 60 mph wind load and buffeting every day while suffering abrasions from goods onboard, getting caught by forklifts during loading, and being folded and unfolded at every delivery. Our roof membrane just sits there, directing rain into the adjoining gutters and handling snow loads as designed when required. All while letting just enough daylight to enable normal daytime working without additional lighting (neat - its energy saving too!).

In fact the membrane we use is one of the best (the Germans insist on it!), manufactured in Austria, rated for roof loads up to 250 kg/m² and tested to 100,000 flex cycles. More valid perhaps than any test figure, is that we have buildings of this specification that have been standing for 22 years and still performing as expected.

02. Temporary or permanent warehousing: which do you actually need?

The short answer - choose a permanent building when the requirement is certain, permanent (25 years+) and you have the capital and the programme. Choose a semi-permanent building when you need the space quickly, on land you already occupy, and when future needs in years to come is harder to forecast accurately.

This is a question we get asked alot, and I think it deserves an honest answer. If you know you need exactly 4,000 m² on the same spot for the next thirty years, and you have the capital and eighteen months to spare, a conventional build may well be right - and we'd be open about that.

Most real-world situations however are not like that. Demand shifts, contracts get won and lost, and by the time a permanent building is finished the requirement and forecast that justified it can often have changed shape.

The row that decides it for most people is the last but one. A permanent building is a one-way door — it doesn't easily shrink or grow without significant cost implications. A semi-permanent building gives more options, and that versatility offers massive value and versatility when you can't see past the next contract renewal or know when the next big win will be.

Semi-permanent warehouses are a robust demountable or extendable solution — short term when you need it to address a peak, and designed to last the longer term when you want to take advantage of the economic advantages. You are not buying a shed that will need replacing in five years.

03. Why do businesses choose a temporary warehouse

Three reasons come up again and again: speed, because a permanent build takes a year or more; keeping everything on one site rather than renting a satellite unit; and avoiding a capital commitment when future demand is uncertain (either due to potential shrinkage or growth).

Speed is usually the trigger

Another thing that hadn't occurred to me: very few companies have the luxury of planning a warehouse eighteen months ahead. Nearly every call we take comes because something has changed - a contract has landed, clients needs have grown, stock has backed up, a new project or permanent facility is underway and operations team need a protective space to keep things running regardless of the weather.

A 1,000 m² building can typically be handed over within five working days of the site being ready. Manufacture and delivery take a few weeks before that. If planning permission is needed, that is normally the longest part of the timeline - not the building (although our experts can help more rapidly navigate the planning process).

Keeping the operation on one site

The alternative to building is usually renting a unit down the road. On a spreadsheet that can look cheaper. In practice it adds a shuttle run, splits your stock, duplicates supervision and creates a second place for things to go missing. One of our clients mentioned to me £750,000 a year real world costs in this exact scenario for them.

Putting the space on your own available land avoids all of that. It also means the space is genuinely yours to configure, rather than fitted around someone else's generic column grid and door positions.

Not betting on a forecast

In todays world, capacity requirements have become harder to predict, and a building is a long commitment to a number that often has to be guessed. Renting a semi-permanent warehouse converts that guess into a decision you can revisit. If the capacity need holds, extend the term or add bays. If it doesn't, the option is there to hand it back.

05. What size do you need?

Herchenbach buildings span 5 m to 30 m clear and column-free, in lengths from 5 m to 120 m built in 5 m bays. Eaves heights are 3.4, 4.4, 5.4, 6.4 and 7.4 m. For widths beyond 30 m we link regularly interlink buildings side by side.

Length grows in 5 m increments because the building is assembled from 5 m bays. That's also why it can be extended later: you can add bays rather than starting again.

The 7.4 m eaves height is available on spans up to 25 m. Above that the standard maximum is 6.4 m.

Eaves height or ridge height?

Eaves height is the clear height at the walls, and it's the one you normally specify to accommodate racking and height of roller shutter or sliding doors to suit the goods and vehicles coming in. Ridge height is the height at the roof peak, which is always higher because of the roof pitch. On our buildings the ridge sits roughly 0.1625 × the span above the eaves.

So a 20 m span with 6.4 m eaves reaches about 9.65 m at the ridge. You specify the eaves height, because that's what governs your racking, your doors and your forklift. Ridge height matters mainly for the planning application and for checking overhead clearance.

Internal clearance - 20cm not to forget

When specifying the ridge height, it's important to remember the horizontal tension bars or cables that run across the span at 5 m intervals (each module). These are set 200 mm below the eaves. So 6.4 m eaves gives 6.2 m of clear height at those cable positions. Your racking and your raised forklift calcs must take this into account — or specify a higher ridge height. The space between the cables rises up into the eaves and is usable - but proper measures need putting in place to ensure there's no contact with the tension bars. This is something that can often be overlooked and one of the benefits of a walk round with one of our experts.

How much floor area do you actually need?

Work back from pallet count rather than guessing at square metres. Allow for the racking or block-stack footprint, aisle widths for your handling equipment, a marshalling area for goods in and out, and the height your racking configuration needs.

A 20 m × 40 m building gives 800 m², which is the most common first step for overflow storage. A 30 m × 60 m gives 1,800 m². Before you go wider, check whether more height solves the problem - going up is almost always cheaper than going out.

06. Which building do you need?

Four products cover most requirements. Cover+ is an open canopy. Safe+ is a non-insulated warehouse with solid walls. Therm+ is insulated for temperature-sensitive goods. Standard+ is our rental fleet, available quickly and to rent only.

What temperature can you hold inside?

It depends how much of the envelope is insulated. Insulated walls with an inner liner hold around 3–5 °C in winter. Adding insulated gable ends takes that to 10–12 °C. Adding an insulated roof as well allows a heated working temperature of 16–18 °C.

These are maintainable temperatures with a heat source sized to suit the building. The envelope specification keeps heat in but it doesn't make it. Each step up closes off the next biggest route for heat loss, which is why the achievable temperature climbs. Our experts can help advise on temperature maintenance and we can provide heater packages as part of the project.

Insulated ISO/SIP wall panels are steel and polyurethane at 0.31 W/m²K. An insulated roof membrane is available at 0.85 W/m²K and stays translucent, so you keep the daylight.

What about condensation?

Condensation is something often overlooked (and other providers in the market often won't mention it as they don't have such sophisticated condensate handling systems). Condensation forms on any uninsulated roof when warmer, moist air inside meets a cold surface. It is the single most common complaint about cheap temporary structures, and it is completely avoidable with the right solution.

We offer a unique inner membrane running parallel to the main roof tarpauline. Moisture collects on the liner and runs down the roof pitch to the walls where its directed into the gutters instead of dripping onto your stock. It also traps a still air layer between the two membranes, which gives a little extra insulation for free.

07. Doors, gates and escape routes

Much like permanent designs, we have options for roller shutter doors, sectional gates, sliding gates, fabric gates and steel personnel doors, in the gable or the side walls. Roller shutters are the usual choice for vehicles because the curtain rolls up tight and uses almost no internal space.

Sectional gates insulate better and suit heated buildings. Sliding gates are cost-effective and barrier-free at floor level. Both can have fast-acting mechanisms or automation with sensors where traffic is heavy. Steel doors serve everyday access and double as fire and escape doors with panic bars.

Check the door height against the eaves before you commit

A vehicle door needs headroom for its header under the roof edge, so usable door height is roughly the eaves height less 0.6 m. A 5 m door will not fit under 4.4 m eaves - it needs at least 5.6 m. Typical clearances: vans around 2.5 m, HGVs and curtain-siders around 4.2 m, counterbalance forklifts with the mast raised often 3–5 m. If you know what you need, compensate accordingly — or give us a shout to walk through the options based on your existing equipment and setup.

How many escape doors does a warehouse need?

Approved Document B of the Building Regulations sets maximum travel distances to the nearest exit. For storage and industrial buildings with normal hazard levels that is 25 m where escape is possible in one direction only, or 45 m where escape is possible in more than one direction.

In practice personnel doors are normally spaced so no working position is beyond those limits. On a 20 m × 60 m building, two well-placed doors on opposite long walls usually keep worst-case travel around 32 m, comfortably inside the 45 m figure.

For higher-hazard applications, the limits are tighter at 12 m and 25 m. Your fire risk assessment decides which category applies and confirms the final positions. We will build to whatever it says.

08. Ground and site preparation

Buildings can be installed on most surfaces suitable for storing goods on - concrete, tarmac, compacted hardcore, gravel or firm soil. The surface decides the anchoring method rather than whether the building is possible at all. Once an order is placed a pre-installation inspection checks for buried services and confirms the ground is suitable.

Where the building is to be installed on a newly planned concrete pad, any slab expansion joints must be designed to kept clear of the main structure anchor/fixing points, which occur at 5 m centres along both sides of the building. That is worth checking early, because moving a slab joint is not a simple fix.

Do you need foundations?

No deep foundations in most cases — it's typically the load bearing requirements of the storage and trucks that will dictate special ground prep, and that is a large part of why the building is fast and up to 50% cheaper. But “no foundations” is not the same as “no groundworks”. The ground still has to be level enough, stable enough and clear of services at the fixing points.

Ground fall matters too. As a rule of thumb, falls beyond about 2% may need levelling or can normally be compensated for in the build. It is one of the more common sources of some additional cost to account for the ground levels, so raise this early and work with our team to assess the potential impact before you budget.

How much space do you need around the building?

We like to build our buildings following a standard process and technique — saving time saves you money, so for that ideally allow a 3 m accessible perimeter for standard assembly. Where space is tight we can build from the inside with only 0.5 m space at the perimeter to access external fixings — but naturally this can add some extra build time and therefore cost. You also need vehicle access for delivery and lifting.

When you are choosing the position, check distances to boundaries and neighbouring buildings, overhead cables and canopies, drainage runs and manhole covers that might sit under a fixing point, and turning space for whatever will be using the doors. A five-minute walk round with a camera answers most of it - but better still we'll happily get one of our friendly experts to come and assess the site and give you the benefit of their experience. Most of our buildings are constructed flat on the ground bay by bay and lifted into position — so ideally allow 10m access at one end to pull the first upright into position (craned positioning also possible on tighter sites).

09. Snow, wind and why bracing moves your doors

UK snow load comes from the National Annex to BS EN 1991-1-3 with loads typically rising sharply with altitude. Wind loads comes from BS EN 1991-1-4, using a basic map of wind speed in metres per second rather than fixed zones like in Europe. Every building we install has a custom calculation based on the delivery address and build location.

Ground snow at sea level runs from about 0.30 kN/m² on the south coast to 0.70 kN/m² in northern Scotland so ensuring the building is suitable for the location is key. Altitude also factors more than most people expect, with a site in central England at 250 m carrying roughly 0.79 kN/m² against 0.50 kN/m² for the same zone at sea level. The actual anticipated max roof snow load is then derived from the ground figure using a factor of 0.8.

Wind velocities run from around 21.5 m/s in south-east England to over 29 m/s in the Hebrides, and again these need to be adjusted for altitude and distance to the coast. Exposure counts as much as region - a hilltop or coastal yard attracts far more load than a sheltered site a few miles inland. Our buildings are proven in roof snow loads up to 250 kg/m² and in coastal conditions but our in house engineering team always do a location and building specific assessment so you can be assured the building is fit for purpose and any likely weather challenges. Doing these checks is super important to make sure that the building is engineered to handle any challenging conditions we might expect the location to throw at it, without over engineering it and unnecessarily adding to the cost.

This level of technical assessment impressed me — structural engineering assessments in large permanent buildings are the norm, but for temporary buildings I'm not sure I was expecting the level of engineering checks carried out by our impressive engineering department head up by Doctor Florian and his team.

What is wind bracing, and why does it affect door positions?

Wind bracing is a series of diagonal components normally of steel or steel rope that firmly brace a bay to stop the frame racking sideways under wind load. The position of wind bracing can be flexible in a building which is important to ensure there's no conflict between proposed vehicle door locations and required bracing - so planning door positions early allows bracing to be planned together before manufacture.

The statics tables sets how many braced positions a given length of building needs and roughly where they would normally sit. At least two are required, normally one near each gable, and the rule of thumb is that no more than six unbraced bays should sit between braces — so additional braced bays may be included.

Thankfully, bracing can usually be shifted to accommodate a door when you need it in a particular place for loading or to align with another building. Not always, though - and that is exactly why we ask where you want your doors before anything is made rather than after. It was a good lesson in how interconnected the specification is: moving a door at the last minute can have a knock on effect on other structural elements - so early discussions and on site reviews help ensure everything is planned and helps pre-empt and prevent any surprises later.

10. Do you need planning permission for a temporary warehouse?

Usually yes. Permitted development under Part 7, Class H of the GPDO in the UK allows a new industrial or warehouse building within the curtilage of an existing one, but caps it at 200 m² gross floor space, or 100 m² on designated land. Most warehouse projects are larger than that therefore planning consent is required.

This was one of my biggest misconceptions coming in, so I will say it openly rather than let you find out later: calling a building temporary does not mean its exempt from planning — however it often lends itself to faster and more amiable consideration by planning authorities — particularly when model documents are presented in a way that are quick and easy for them to interpret. Permanence is judged on physical attachment, degree of permanence and purpose, so a structure that will stand for years is still treated as a building operation and therefore needs local authority approval.

If you're assuming approval under Class H limits without going to planning its also worth considering other limitations that are set out: no new building higher than 5 m if's within 10 m of the curtilage boundary, and otherwise no higher than the tallest existing building in the curtilage or 15 m, whichever is lower. The building must relate to the existing use and must not reduce parking or turning space. Rights can also be removed by an Article 4 direction or by conditions on an earlier consent.

So the likelihood is that your building is going to go beyond the rights so of Class H development and planning will be needed — so what does this entail and how long does it take? A straightforward application usually takes around eight weeks using a model document submission depending on local authority backlog and site specific complications. Because the building itself goes up in days, planning is nearly always the critical aspect to achieving desired timelines. Starting that conversation early and running it alongside specification with our support can get things moving faster using a proven model approach to gaining consent as part of a proven delivery package.

This is an important point worth emphasizing: the longest part of the timeline is planning, not the building. That is also the part where experience counts. With our full service package handling the submission, we can get your building moving and your application submitted and approved considerably faster than navigating the process yourself for the first time or guessing at submission details and a protracted tooing and froing with the planning department.

What about building regulations and fire in temporary warehouses?

Building regulations generally apply and they are separate from planning. Structurally you are covered with every building getting an individual static calculation to BS EN 1991 for its site. Fire needs more thought through a risk assessment, and means of escape should follow Approved Document B.

Separation distance from neighbouring buildings may also dictate hard roofing - and our patented Dach+ membrane carries a test certificate for this - letting a building sit closer to existing structures. Smoke ventilation may also be required: our SHEV system is certified to DIN EN 12101-2, and one system typically covers up to 400 m².

11. Should I Rent or buy a temporary warehouse?

Rent if there is any uncertainty about how long you will need the space, and most businesses are in that position. Buy if the requirement is certain and long-term and you would rather own the asset. You can start with a rental and purchase later.

Why customers rent

• No capital outlay. Rental costs can be claimed against tax straight away, rather than tying up capital and depreciating it over decades.
• Storm and fire insurance for the building is included in the rental cost, so it is not a separate line to arrange and pay for.
• Planning reliability. A large capital commitment carries real risk when you don't know precisely how long the space is needed. A known monthly cost with the option to turn it off doesn't carry that same risk.
• Space to expand. If demand rises during the term, the building can be extended by adding 5 m bays or an adjoining building rather than starting a new project.
• The term simply extends if you still need the building at the end of the contract. There's no cliff edge.
• You can still buy it. Renting first and purchasing later keeps the option open without paying for it up front — if the contract is renewed or bolstered by other longer term contracts, buying outright is still an option when it makes sense.

When buying makes more sense

If the requirement is permanent and certain long term, the site is your own freehold, and you have capital you would rather deploy than lease, purchase may be the cheaper long-run answer. Some organisations also have procurement rules that make ownership simpler. We'll tell you when we think that may be the case, and can easily give you both rent or buy options to work for your finance department to assess.

One thing to watch when comparing quotes

Some items from some suppliers are never part of a rental and are quoted separately: wall base sealing, transport, installation and dismantling, lifting equipment, pre-installation inspection, planning permission, individual static calculations and ballast. Each supplier has a different way of financing and presenting the options. Ask every supplier to itemise these, because a rental figure that looks low often just excludes more. From what I've seen, I'm pretty confident we're rarely beaten on price or cost effectiveness — so we can work with you to make sure you get the best deal.

12. What happens next

Four stages: conception, where we design the solution around your requirement; project, where planning and delivery are coordinated; assembly, where the building goes up; and service afterwards. After a short free and friendly consultation with you, bringing the benefit of our experience and solutions, and you normally have a firm offer within 24 hours.

What we need from you for a quote

Less than you might think. The size of the building and delivery address does alot of the technical work, because it sets the snow zone, the wind velocity and the altitude correction, and therefore the frame profile we need to work with. Two identical-looking buildings in Cornwall and the Cairngorms are not necessarily the same building.

Beyond the dimensions and address: an idea of what you are storing or how sensitive it is to ambient conditions, the temperature you need to hold, and where you want doors. Then a five-minute walk round the site to:

• Confirm the area available and the clearance around it
• The current surface, any obstructions or anything you plan to change before installation
• Estimate the fall across the footprint (or any undulations under wall boundaries or fixings that we may need to account for)
• Photograph the setting, the ground, the access and the boundaries

Everything else - bracing positions, module schedules, fixing design, load calculations - is our job and one we have teams or sophisticated software to validate and approve for specification and costing.

13. My verdict, one month in

I may be new to temporary warehouses, but I'm not new to engineering, manufacturing or construction — and the cost challenges every business has to balance. After 25 years across those sectors with P&L responsibility, and a month inside this one, my view is clear: for most businesses constrained by space, a well thought out, and good quality semi-permanent building is the fastest, cheapest and lowest-risk solution for most businesses being challenged by a lack of space.

Honestly - I came into this expecting a compromise product that sits somewhere between a new build and new facility. Something you put up because you could not afford the real thing or don't have the time to move. What I found is not the case, the technical excellence, longevity and clear economic benefits puts temporary industrial buildings in a clear and significantly advantageous position as solution for most clients — and in most scenarios for small to medium sized growing businesses, far outweighs what I assumed to be the go to options.

I realised early on that I was assessing these buildings through three different lenses from my experience and career as an engineer, manager and executive, and I suspect most people evaluating them do the same depending on whether you're the warehouse, production or ops manager, FD, MD or company owner. Each one asks a different set of questions, and a temporary building has to answer all three before it is proven as the best solution — and I believe with the right guidance temporary buildings offer an honest and compelling set of answers;

Taken collectively this is what changed my perception. In construction terms, the paperwork and quality of build behind our temporary buildings is closer to a permanent steel build than to anything you would normally call temporary.

The difference is what it costs you and how rapidly you can have the space operational and paying its own overhead. Up to 50% savings, and on site in days rather than the twelve to eighteen months a conventional fixed build can take. Having sat on the other side of capital approvals, the proposition clearly demonstrates for itself what that gap is worth when the space is needed now.

Where I have landed on temporary versus permanent

If your capacity requirement is a fixed certainty long term — unlikely to shrink, grow or relocate - and you aren't likely to have other needs for your available capital over the next twenty five years, consider building permanently. I would still say that to anyone who asked.

But that describes fewer situations than people assume. Most operations I have worked in could not forecast their space needs three to five years out with any confidence, and a permanent building forces you to try. Permanent builds and relocation converts an uncertain requirement into a certain, irreversible cost.

A semi-permanent building does the opposite. It gives you the capacity now, and it leaves the decision open. Extend it, expand it, relocate it, buy it, or hand it back. In a market where capacity requirements shift with each contract renewal, that optionality is not a by product — it's the main point.

What I would tell someone in my old roles

Do not start with the product. Start with the need - how much space, by when, for how long, and how certain are you. Then talk to a proven manufacturer who will engineer to your site rather than sell you a size from a list. The right supplier will tell you when a temporary building is the wrong answer, and present all the options that make it right for you while quickly setting a firm budget to work around — and that conversation is worth having early.

Which brings me to the last point (ok I may not be entirely neutral here but my advice is the same for any decision maker for any major cost item!). There is a real difference between suppliers in this and any other market. Engineering experience, system capability and heritage, in-house manufacturing, and whether anyone will take responsibility for the whole building and process.

Herchenbach has been doing this since 1924, across more than 6,000 projects in 40 countries, with engineering, manufacture, project management, installation and service handled by our in house experts. I joined because that seemed evident from the outside. A month in, having seen how the specification, the system and the site survey actually connect value add solutions with client needs, I'm more certain than ever from the inside.

Whether you're looking for space to store planes, boats, heavy plant, military equipment, cars or car parts - finished goods, part finished products, building materials, pharmaceuticals, beer, windows or doors - I'm confident we have technical and cost effective solutions that might surprise you.

If space is beginning to limit your business, reach out for a conversation with one of our friendly experts and market leaders about what's possible, what it costs, and how quickly you can have it. That conversation is fast, free and might just give you the clarity and flexibility you need to confidently remove the strain on your current capacity.

If I've missed something, ask me and the team

I wrote this as the guide I would have wanted when I started, that helped someone new to temporary buildings understand the capabilities, economics and technical possibilities. It is not exhaustive, and every site throws up something new - which has also been one of the most interesting parts of the job so far.

If you have a question about your own application, or something here does not quite fit your situation, get in touch with me and the team. No obligation, and if a temporary building is the wrong answer for you we'll happily say so.

Tom Lymn (BEng)
General Manager, UK & Ireland · Herchenbach Industrial Buildings
info@herchenbach.co.uk · +44 1613940900