Bay Size (Structural Bay)
The distance between structural columns in an industrial building, determining unit flexibility and the origin of the term 'small bay' industrial.
Definition
Bay size refers to the spacing between a building's structural columns, typically measured parallel to the front wall. It's the architectural feature that defines 'small bay' versus 'big bay' industrial. Small bay buildings have column spacing of 20-30 feet, creating natural subdivision points for multi-tenant layouts. Large bay or big box warehouses have 40-60+ foot column spacing for maximum open floor area and racking flexibility. Bay size affects how efficiently space can be divided, what racking systems fit, and how tenants can configure their operations. For small bay industrial, tighter column spacing is actually an advantage—it enables the smaller unit sizes that small businesses need while maintaining structural integrity.
Example
A developer designs a multi-tenant flex building with 25-foot bay spacing. This allows natural demising at 25-foot increments, creating units as small as 1,250 SF (25' × 50' deep) or combined into 2,500 SF or larger. The bay size enables flexibility in unit mix as market demand shifts.