Cold Storage and Freezer Racking in Reno and Northern Nevada

Cold storage in the Reno and Sparks area

Reno and Sparks sit on I-80 and US-395, a short truck day from the Bay Area, Sacramento, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. That makes the area a natural base for food distributors, cold-chain 3PLs, beverage and dairy suppliers and producers that need to hold product at 35°F or below zero before it ships on.

Cold space is the most expensive space in any warehouse, because every cubic foot has to be chilled. So cold storage racking is mostly about density (more pallets in the same cold cube) and durability (steel that holds up to frost, condensation and constant forklift traffic).

This page covers freezer and cooler rack for Reno-area buildings and the Reno permit points that apply. For the general Reno rack picture, including seismic design and delivery areas, see our main pallet racking in Reno page. For cold storage in general, see our cold storage and freezer rack guide.

What changes when the room is cold

Racking for a freezer is not the same rack in a different room. These are the points we plan for with your refrigeration contractor and your engineer before the layout is final.

Steel and finish

Condensation forms on cold steel every time a door opens, and a freezer floor can carry frost. Standard painted rack can chip and rust in that setting, so we specify galvanized or other corrosion-resistant finishes for freezer and wet cooler rooms.

Rack capacity is also affected by cold, because some steel loses toughness at very low temperatures. Tell us the room temperature so the rack is selected and rated for it.

Slab, anchors and base protection

Freezer slabs are built with insulation and often heating or venting underneath to stop frost heave, so anchor bolts must not hit those layers. Anchor length and slab details are confirmed with the building’s engineer before drilling.

Frost and wet floors also raise the chance of lift-truck hits. We add column protectors and rack guards at aisle ends and drive-in entries. See our anchor bolt page for how rack is secured.

• Install fast. Open freezer doors cost energy, so we plan the install in zones and stage the rack outside the cold room.
• Allow for ice and frost. Keep rack off door seals and evaporator coils, and leave room for defrost and cleaning.
• Plan the lift trucks. Reach trucks and drive-in lanes need clear widths and rail guides sized to the truck.
• Plan for seismic. Northern Nevada is earthquake country. See our pallet rack seismic compliance guide.

Cold storage applications in Reno

These are the Northern Nevada cold storage operations we plan rack for most often.

New vs. used cold storage rack in Reno

There is used rack for sale around Reno. For freezer and cooler rooms it needs extra care.

Used savings are usually used up by installation. Rack that has been taken down and moved rarely goes back together cleanly. Bent parts need replacing, connectors don’t seat well, and mixed batches don’t line up. Rack that came from a wet or frosty room may also have rust or damaged finish that is hard to see. The installer time spent straightening and fitting used parts often costs more than the price difference, so new rack frequently ends up cheaper once it’s installed. Reno permits also need stamped calculations based on documented capacities, which are hard to prove for unmarked used rack.

Reusing rack you already own can work, especially a straight move of a known system. Call our sales team with pictures and we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s worth installing. See our used vs. new pallet rack and pallet rack cost and pricing guides.