Warehouse Lighting Audit Checklist: High Bays, Racking and Controls
Updated: 7 hours ago
A warehouse lighting audit starts with the work areas, racking and fixture locations. Record the light levels, operating hours, controls and access for each area before pricing the retrofit.
Warehouse lighting audit checklist
Survey section | Record on site | Why it changes the estimate |
|---|---|---|
Areas and tasks | Storage, picking, packing, docks and support spaces | Different tasks need different lighting decisions |
Geometry | Mounting heights, rack heights, aisle widths and obstructions | Affects distribution, layout and access |
Existing equipment | Fixture type, lamp count, input watts and condition | Establishes the baseline and installation scope |
Light measurements | Location, plane, units, controls state and daylight | Makes the observations interpretable |
Operating schedule | Hours by area, shifts and shutdown periods | Drives energy estimates |
Controls | Existing zones, sensors, timeouts and dimming | Defines the baseline and proposed control scope |
Installation access | Lift routes, floor restrictions and work windows | Changes equipment, labor and staging costs |
Evidence | Area IDs, fixture IDs, photos and open questions | Supports the estimator's handoff |
For other building types, use the general lighting audit checklist.
1. Separate the work areas
Give separate IDs to storage, rack aisles, picking, packing, receiving, docks and offices. Split them further where the fixtures, hours or controls differ.
Note where people work and what they need to see, including labels on rack faces. Mark mezzanines, conveyors, cranes and other equipment that blocks light or access.
Mark the plan and photo filenames with the same area IDs.
2. Record mounting heights, racking and obstructions
Record fixture mounting height and work-plane height, plus rack heights, aisle widths, rack orientation and cross-aisles.
Photograph the warehouse under normal storage conditions. Ask about planned rack moves, changes in stock height or future fit-outs.
Use the high-bay calculator for an initial quantity and spacing check. Get a photometric design when the site conditions or project specification require one.
3. Inventory the existing fixtures and input power
For each consistent fixture group, record:
Area ID, group ID, quantity and location reference.
Fixture type and any readable manufacturer or model label.
Lamp type, lamp count and ballast or driver information.
Input watts, source of the value and confidence in that value.
Mounting arrangement, condition and failed or disconnected units.
Controls assignment and any emergency or special-purpose function.
Photographs of the fixture, label and relevant surroundings.
Use whole-fixture input watts, including the ballast or driver. Mark estimated values and note what to check before finalizing savings.
The LED wattage chart gives starting values for common fixture types. Verify them against the equipment on site.
4. Measure light at the task
Log the meter, date, units, point location, measurement plane, sensor height and orientation. Note daylight, controls state and failed fixtures.
Measure rack faces where workers read vertical labels, as well as the relevant horizontal work surfaces. Keep the individual readings, minimum and average.
How many foot-candles does a warehouse need?
Set light-level criteria for each task: storage, picking, packing, inspection and circulation. Use those criteria when reviewing the proposed layout.
For warehouse design guidance, use the IES industrial-lighting resources and RP-7 recommended practice.
OSHA’s 1926.56 table covers construction illumination. Check which workplace, energy-code and emergency-lighting requirements apply to this project.
5. Confirm operating hours by area
Confirm actual lighting-on hours with the site operator. Include shifts, weekends, holidays, shutdowns and any overnight use.
Different zones can have different hours. Receiving may start earlier than picking; a security or circulation zone may remain on after storage aisles dim.
For example, 16 lighting-on hours a day × 5 days a week × 50 weeks a year gives 4,000 hours. Account for existing sensors and dimming when calculating baseline consumption.
6. Audit the controls already installed
Map which fixtures belong to each switch, sensor, schedule or dimming zone. Record timeouts, daylight response, overrides and the observed occupied and unoccupied states.
Ask operators about sensors that switch off too soon, blocked coverage, overrides and faults. Establish how the current controls operate before estimating savings from new controls.
Include controls hardware and commissioning in the quote. Use the controls checklist and DOE selection guidance to define that work.
7. Survey installation access and work windows
Check lift routes, aisle clearance, turning space, floor restrictions and work-zone isolation. Agree on who moves stock and where crews will stage materials.
Agree on work windows, security, deliveries and waste collection. Check whether conveyors or racking prevent access under the fixtures.
Allow for rental days, staging and return visits. See the fixture labor allowances and project-cost breakdown when building the estimate.
8. Close the gaps before quoting
Assign an owner to each open question. Label the source of each wattage, schedule and dimension.
Example survey finding | Estimating consequence |
|---|---|
High bays above a conveyor | Verify the access method and installation window |
Rack-face visibility is poor | Obtain a design addressing the task and distribution |
Existing aisle sensors are active | Include their effect in the baseline |
Input watts are unknown | Verify power before finalizing savings |
Failed fixtures are counted as operating | Resolve baseline treatment before claiming reductions |
Loading-dock hours differ from storage | Calculate the areas separately |
Confirm the product schedule, lighting criteria, controls, access costs and incentives before sending the quote. Check proposed products with the DLC qualification guide.
Example: calculate savings for one area
For a simple example, take 40 fixtures at 250 watts each running 4,000 hours a year. Replacing them with 40 fixtures at 100 watts gives the following energy calculation.
Calculation | Result |
|---|---|
Existing connected load: 40 × 250 ÷ 1,000 | 10 kW |
Proposed connected load: 40 × 100 ÷ 1,000 | 4 kW |
Annual electricity reduction: (10 − 4) × 4,000 | 24,000 kWh |
Annual energy-cost reduction at US$0.15/kWh | US$3,600 |
Check that the selected fixtures meet the lighting criteria. This example covers energy cost only; installation, controls, maintenance, demand charges, incentives and tax must be assessed separately.
Build the proposal from the survey
In LumaQuote, enter the area and fixture groups from your survey, then add replacements, operating hours and installation costs.
See a sample proposal and the retrofit workflow. For field-app setup, use the Android or iPad and iPhone guide.
Frequently asked questions
What should a warehouse lighting audit include?
Record areas and tasks, rack and mounting geometry, fixture quantities and input watts, light measurements, operating schedules, controls, installation access, photographs and unresolved questions.
Can a fixture count determine how many LED high bays to install?
Use the existing count as the starting inventory. Confirm the proposed quantity with the required light levels, layout, optics and obstructions before assuming a one-for-one swap.
Should I measure light on the floor or on rack faces?
Measure the planes where the work happens. That can include horizontal work surfaces and vertical rack faces. Record the location, height and orientation for each reading.
How do I estimate warehouse operating hours?
Confirm lighting-on hours by zone with the site operator, including shifts, shutdowns and current controls.
Does the checklist replace a photometric design or compliance review?
No. The checklist supplies survey data. A lighting design and any required electrical or compliance review are separate steps.
