Industrial Building Types in Vancouver.
Six common industrial building formats across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland — what they're built for, typical specs, and where you find them.
Small Bay Strata Industrial
Multi-bay one-storey industrial divided into individually-owned strata units. Functional small bay product, the most contested format in Vancouver.
Small bay industrial · strata unit · grade-loaded · owner-occupy ready · 16–22 ft clear
- Size
- 2,500 – 6,000 sq. ft. per bay
- Clear height
- 16 – 22 ft
- Loading
- Grade door per bay
- Power
- 100 – 200A / 600V
- Parking
- 2–4 stalls per bay
Owner-User Freestanding Industrial
Single-tenant freestanding industrial building. Operator owns the building they occupy, controls loading, yard, signage, and capex.
Freestanding industrial · owner-user · dock + grade loading · fenced yard · 20–26 ft clear
- Size
- 5,000 – 25,000 sq. ft.
- Clear height
- 20 – 26 ft
- Loading
- 1–3 dock + 1–2 grade
- Power
- 200 – 400A / 600V
- Yard
- Fenced, drained, sized to use
Mid-Bay Flex Industrial
Mid-size flex industrial with a mix of dock-high and grade-level loading. Functional all-rounder for trades, light manufacturing, and distribution-lite.
Flex industrial · mid-bay · dock + grade · 22–26 ft clear · ESFR sprinkler · TI ready
- Size
- 8,000 – 25,000 sq. ft.
- Clear height
- 22 – 26 ft
- Loading
- 1–3 dock + 1 grade
- Power
- 200 – 400A / 600V
- Sprinkler
- ESFR (verify)
Distribution Warehouse with Trailer Court
Large-format distribution warehouse with multiple dock-high doors and a deep trailer court. Built for regional logistics, last-mile, and 3PL operators.
Distribution warehouse · trailer court · cross-dock · 28–32 ft clear · ESFR · dock-high loading
- Size
- 30,000 – 200,000+ sq. ft.
- Clear height
- 28 – 36 ft
- Loading
- 6 – 30+ dock + grade
- Trailer court
- Deep, secured, drained
- Power
- 600A – 1200A / 600V
- Sprinkler
- ESFR
Cold Storage Industrial
Insulated cold-storage warehouse for refrigerated and frozen goods. Specialized power, drainage, dock seals, and refrigeration capacity.
Cold storage warehouse · refrigeration · freezer warehouse · dock seals · -25°C to +4°C
- Size
- 10,000 – 80,000 sq. ft.
- Clear height
- 26 – 36 ft
- Loading
- Dock-high with seals
- Refrigeration
- Cooler + freezer zones
- Power
- 600A – 1200A / 600V
- Floor
- Insulated slab with drainage
Multi-Storey Urban Industrial
Vertical industrial stacked across 2–4 floors. The new urban model: ground-floor loading, service elevators, freight access to upper floors. Built where industrial land is scarcest.
Multi-storey industrial · urban industrial · vertical warehouse · freight elevator · ground-floor loading
- Size
- 5,000 – 20,000 sq. ft. per floor
- Storeys
- 2 – 4
- Clear height
- 16 – 22 ft per floor
- Loading
- Ground-floor docks + freight elevator
- Use
- Light industrial / I-zoned
Common questions.
It depends on three things: how much square footage you actually need, what kind of loading you need (dock-high vs grade-level vs both), and whether you need a yard. Most tenants under 5,000 sq. ft. want a small bay strata or freestanding format with grade loading. Mid-size operators with distribution needs want flex with dock + grade. Distribution and logistics users want dedicated trailer courts and 28+ ft clear.
Strata means each bay is owned individually inside a multi-bay building — typical for trades, contractors, and storage users buying their own unit. Freestanding means a single-tenant building owned (or leased) by one party — typical for owner-users that need full control over loading, yard, and signage.
Real usable height under joists, ducts, and sprinklers — not just to the bottom of the roof structure. A building advertised at '22 ft clear' often has 19–20 ft of actually usable storage height. Always confirm against the lowest obstruction.
Vancouver and the urban Lower Mainland have a finite, shrinking industrial land base. Multi-storey lets you fit two, three, or four floors of industrial use onto land that previously held one. Ground-floor loading + freight elevator preserves industrial function while increasing density.
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