WAREHOUSING & LOGISTICS STORAGE SOLUTIONS UK
From single-bay top-ups to 30,000-pallet greenfield distribution centres — we design, supply, install and maintain the full storage envelope for UK warehouses, 3PLs and distribution operations. SEMA-aligned, CAD-led, nationwide.
Storage Designed Around Your Throughput, Not the Other Way Round
Every warehouse is a balance of cube utilisation, pick rates, MHE choice and SKU profile. Get the racking design wrong and you spend the next ten years working around it — wasted travel time, blocked aisles, double-handling, and inevitable expensive reconfiguration.
UM Storage Systems has been designing warehouse storage systems for UK 3PLs, manufacturers, importers and distribution centres for over 60 years. Every project starts with a free site survey, an MHE and throughput assessment, and a full CAD layout — so you can see the design, walk the simulated flow, and stress-test it before a single beam is delivered.
Whether you need 200 pallet locations behind a small unit or a 100,000-sq-ft cross-dock with VNA, mezzanine, conveyor interface and WMS-ready labelling, we deliver one programme, one fixed price and one accountable team.
Racking Systems for Every Warehouse Operation
Adjustable Pallet Racking (APR)
The UK warehouse workhorse. Wide-aisle APR for 100% pallet selectivity, ideal for high-SKU operations with mixed pallet sizes and steady throughput.
Very Narrow Aisle (VNA)
Aisles down to 1.6m with man-up or wire-guided MHE. Up to 45% more pallet positions vs wide-aisle — perfect when land cost beats labour.
Drive-In & Drive-Through
High-density bulk storage for low-SKU/high-volume operations: cold stores, food, drink, paper. Up to 75% better cube utilisation than APR.
Push-Back & Pallet Live
Dynamic LIFO/FIFO systems for high-rotation pallets — push-back for 2–5 deep, pallet live for picking faces and case dispatch.
Mezzanine Floors
Double or triple your usable floor area without moving site. Pick towers, mezzanine storage, office over plant — fully Building Regs compliant.
Inspections & Rack Protection
Annual SEMA-aligned inspections (HSG76), 24/7 emergency repairs, column guards, end-of-aisle barriers and anti-collapse mesh.
Choosing the Right System for Your Stock Profile
Pallet selectivity, SKU count, rotation and MHE drive the system choice. Use this as a starting point — the right answer almost always comes out of a site survey.
| Stock / Application | Recommended System | Specification Note |
|---|---|---|
| High-SKU, low-rotation | Adjustable Pallet Racking | 100% selectivity, wide aisles, lowest cost per location |
| Limited footprint, mid-rotation | VNA / Narrow Aisle | +30–45% locations vs APR, requires VNA truck |
| Low-SKU, bulk stock | Drive-In Racking | Up to 75% cube utilisation, LIFO |
| Date-critical FIFO stock | Pallet Live / Push-Back | Automatic stock rotation, gravity-fed lanes |
| Picking & case dispatch | Pallet Live + Mezzanine | Pick-face replenished from rear, no aisle congestion |
| Cold store (-25°C to +5°C) | Drive-In or Mobile Base | Galvanised finish, low-temp tolerances |
| Hazardous goods / DSEAR | APR with bunded decking | Spill containment, bonded earthing |
| Returns & reverse logistics | Longspan + Mezzanine | Hand-load shelving, sortation routing |
VNA: Squeezing More Pallets From the Same Footprint
Very Narrow Aisle racking shrinks operating aisles from a typical 2.8–3.2m wide-aisle dimension down to 1.6–1.8m using man-up combi or wire-guided trucks. The result: 30–45% more pallet locations in the same building, lifting cube utilisation to 50%+ and pushing pallet density above 1 per square metre at 11m clear height.
VNA is not the right answer for every operation — it suits high-bay, high-density storage with predictable SKU profiles. We size guidance options (wire or rail), specify floor flatness (FM2 minimum, FM1 for over 11m), and design rack-end protection sized to the specific truck dimensions. Every VNA project includes a full chassis-to-rack clearance study.
Mezzanines: Double the Floor Without Moving Site
Mezzanine floors typically deliver £150–£250 per square metre installed — a fraction of the cost-per-square-metre of relocating to a larger unit. For e-commerce pick towers, returns processing, packing benches and offices-over-plant, a mezzanine is almost always the lowest total-cost option.
Our mezzanines are designed to UK Building Regulations Part B (fire) and Part K (protection from falling), engineered for 4.8 kN/m² standard storage UDL (higher available), and supplied with full structural calculations, BCO drawings and sign-off pack.
Why Warehousing Choose UM Storage Systems
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most space-efficient warehouse racking system?
Drive-in racking gives the highest cube utilisation (up to 75% vs ~40% for wide-aisle APR), but it's LIFO and only suits low-SKU, high-volume operations. For high-SKU storage where you still need pallet selectivity, Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) typically delivers the best balance — 30–45% more pallet locations than APR with full selectivity.
How much does warehouse racking cost per pallet location?
As a UK benchmark: new APR runs £85–£120 per pallet location supplied and installed, used APR £38–£62, drive-in £110–£160, VNA £140–£200, and pallet live £220–£320. Final price depends on beam capacity, upright height, decking, anti-collapse mesh and install access. We provide fixed-price quotes within 24 hours of site survey.
Do I need a mezzanine or more racking?
Mezzanines win when you need usable floor area (pick towers, returns, packing, offices) and have clear height above existing racking. Extra racking wins when you only need pallet storage and your MHE can reach higher. We often combine the two: racking below, mezzanine pick floor above.
Can you install racking around a live warehouse operation?
Yes — most of our installs happen in occupied buildings. We work nights, weekends, shutdown windows or phased zones to minimise operational impact. All install teams are CSCS, IPAF and DBS-checked, and every project carries £10M public liability cover.
Do you handle WMS labelling and barcoding?
Yes. We supply pre-printed location labels (alpha/numeric, barcode or 2D code) keyed to your WMS schema, applied during install with positional accuracy. We work with all major UK WMS platforms.
How often must warehouse racking be inspected?
HSE guidance (HSG76) requires weekly visual checks by a PRRS (Person Responsible for Racking Safety) and a formal annual inspection by a SEMA-approved racking inspector. We provide both — annual SARI inspections with red/amber/green reports, plus PRRS training for your team.
Other Sectors We Serve
READY TO OPTIMISE YOUR WAREHOUSE?
Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation. Our team will assess your requirements and provide a tailored solution.