Thread: Hallways, how big and why?

I have heard 7 ft and I have read 5 ft somewhere else. 2 feet makes a big difference though out an entire building. What would you guys recommend?

I like to use 5' hallways. The practice many years ago was 5' hallways with three foot wide doors for the 5x5, 5x10, & 5x15 units. I now use 5' hallways with 10x5 units or 10x7.5 units. The 5x5's can be placed at aisle ends, etc. Wider doors allow customers to easily use 5' hallways. Another technique is to angle the corners so that large items such as sofas can easily negotiate the turn.

Remember, hallways do not earn income, the best strategy is to maximize coverage.

that is just the info I was looking and hoping for. Thank you very much!

I don't want to have to start a new thread if I really don't need to so I will see if this gets answered here. Is there a certain percentage that is usable that most people go by? The place we are looking at is just under 24,000 sf and we are estimating that 16,000 of it is rentable. Is that about right?

I have always used 80% coverage. In other words, 20% is lost to hallways. However, it truly depends on the chosen unit mix, columns, pylons, pillars or other architectural elements that may impinge on the building foot print.

Oh Wow! that is much better than I am figuring. Thank you!

I agree 100% with Tom. 5' is the way to go.
Something to conssider from a building standpoint, when you exceed 5' in hallway width larger framing members may be required. That being said, 5' is the most economical way to build.

We used 5 ft hallways and they work great. We also use 40-70 swing walk-in entry doors and 4-0 rollups for 5X units and 8-0 for 10X units. Less damage to the building, easier to sell a customer and if you can move it in or out of a home no problem with storage. We also added a 14 inch high kick plate to the bottom of all hallway walls. I wish I had thought about the angled corners. I believe they would be an asset to the facility.

Thanks for the info guys! That made my financials look so much better on this business plan