--- title: "Cantilever Rack in Chicago, IL | Free Layout" url: https://chicagopalletracks.com/products/cantilever-rack description: "Cantilever rack for lumber, pipe, and steel in Chicago. Arm length and spacing sized to your bundles, single or double sided. Call (312) 815-2445." lang: en --- Image: Cantilever Rack system in an industrial warehouse (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/cantilever-hero-3ef0AkpP.jpg) # Cantilever Rack Systems in Chicago, IL Cantilever rack exists because long material doesn't care about pallets. Chicago's metal fabrication and steel service sector - concentrated through Cicero, Bedford Park, and the older industrial corridors of Franklin Park, Bensenville, and Addison - moves pipe, tube, bar stock, and sheet that simply cannot sit on a beam level. Arms extend from a column with nothing across the front, so bundles load from the side and come off the same way. Choose cantilever whenever product length, not weight or SKU count, is driving the storage problem. The alternative is leaning bundles against a wall or floor-stacking them where forklifts work around them all day. Arm length, capacity, and column spacing get set by the bundles you actually handle, not a generic length. We quote single-sided runs for a wall and double-sided runs for open floor, both with the layout attached so arm count and levels are settled before steel is ordered. (312) 815-2445 ## How a Cantilever Run Is Built 1 ### Columns and anchored bases Upright columns sit on anchored bases. Base depth is set by load and arm length so the run stays stable even under an off-center pick. 2 ### Arms at adjustable heights Arms bolt or pin into the column at set increments and move as your product mix changes. Straight arms suit boxed goods; inclined arms with a lip hold round or loose stock in place. 3 ### Column spacing against sag Spacing between columns is set so bundles don't sag between arms. A common starting rule places arms about half the load length apart, with the ends overhanging evenly. 4 ### Single-sided or double-sided Single-sided runs go against a wall. Double-sided runs stand in open floor and load from both faces, doubling capacity per base without doubling the footprint. Image: Cantilever warehouse racking holding steel tubing (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/cantilever-2b-G7pQApUm.jpg) Image: Cantilever rack storing lumber and wood products (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/cantilever-3b-HMeRbmPP.jpg) ## Cantilever Rack for Chicago's Steel and Fabrication Corridor Metal fabrication and steel service have anchored the southwest side for generations. Cicero, Bedford Park, and the Clearing district - with the Belt Railway's Clearing Yard moving raw material in and finished product out - hold the region's heaviest concentration of long-load storage. The O'Hare submarket adds a second cluster: Franklin Park, Bensenville, and Elk Grove Village machine shops and service centers working out of older multi-tenant buildings. Those older buildings shape the design. Clear heights of 18 to 24 ft and tighter column grids mean runs are planned around the building, and arm levels are set to use every foot of height available. Central DuPage - Addison, Carol Stream, Itasca, Wood Dale - adds plastics, packaging, and building-products distributors storing long extrusions and sheet. Bundle weight, arm projection, and the room your handling equipment needs decide column spacing and aisle width together. ## Material That Belongs on Arms, Not Beams Lumber, plywood, and sheet goods Pipe, tube, conduit, and bar stock Steel service center inventory Furniture, doors, and windows Long or awkward loads currently sitting on the floor ## What We Need to Design It - What are the dimensions of the product being stored, length included? - What's the typical weight per bundle? - Straight arms or inclined arms - do you need lips to hold round stock? - Single-sided along a wall, or double-sided in open floor? - What's the clear height and the reach of your handling equipment? ## From Bundle List to Finished Run Cantilever specification starts and ends with the load. We collect bundle dimensions, weight per bundle, and how material is handled - forklift forks, a side loader, or by hand off a cart - because that determines arm length, arm capacity, and how much clearance each level needs. From there we set column height and spacing, choose straight or inclined arms, and decide whether lips are needed to keep round stock from rolling. Single-sided runs get positioned along a wall; double-sided runs get aisle dimensions matched to whatever's moving material in and out. The quote itemizes columns, bases, arms, bracing, and anchors, with a CAD drawing showing the run, arm levels, and rated capacities per arm. Our installation crews anchor bases, plumb columns, brace the run, and set arm elevations to the drawing. The result is arms you can reposition as inventory changes, capacity ratings for every level, and the floor space that long material used to occupy. 1 Phone consultation 2 CAD layout 3 Itemized quote 4 Delivery & installation ## Recent Installations A sample of racking projects completed across the region. Image: Carton flow rack installation in a warehouse (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/carton-flow-racking-CbC_ZAQs.jpg) Image: Drive-in pallet rack installation in a high-bay warehouse (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/drive-in-CzCRNL_F.jpg) Image: Pallet rack installation reaching the ceiling of a distribution center (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/igt-6-DlAaWmSY.jpg) Image: Selective pallet rack aisle with wire decking (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/img-1220-DJL8pNok.jpg) Image: Warehouse pallet racking aisles with a forklift (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/img-5455-DxNygyEY.jpg) Image: Rows of pallet racking in a distribution facility (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/medco-cleveland-5-Bg7bEehR.jpg) Image: Warehouse pallet rack system spanning a large storage area (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/photo-aug-03-6-17-41-pm-Cpzt32J0.jpg) Image: Pallet racking rows under warehouse skylights (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/photo-jul-22-6-45-56-pm-CIVCQxM9.jpg) Image: Cantilever rack arms mounted along a warehouse wall (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/photo-may-15-2026-7-28-50-pm-1-zev4C15x.jpg) Image: Push back pallet rack carts on inclined rails (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/udf-pushback-rack-BgIv7FXJ.jpg) View More Projects: https://chicagopalletracks.com/projects ## Get a Cantilever Rack Quote Send the basics and we will come back with a layout and pricing. Prefer to talk? Call (312) 815-2445. ### What's Included: - Free warehouse consultation - CAD layout drawings - Itemized project quote - Rack type recommendations - Installation timeline ## Cantilever Rack Questions From Chicago Buyers ### How much weight can each arm carry? ### How far apart should the columns be? ### Will our forklift or side loader work with a cantilever layout? ### Can arms or levels be added later? ### Can cantilever sit next to our existing pallet rack? ## Cantilever Rack by Service Area Delivery and installation across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Chicago: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/chicago Aurora: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/aurora Naperville: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/naperville Joliet: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/joliet Elgin: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/elgin Waukegan: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/waukegan Cicero: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/cicero Schaumburg: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/schaumburg Bolingbrook: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/bolingbrook Des Plaines: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/des-plaines Elk Grove Village: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/elk-grove-village Carol Stream: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/carol-stream Romeoville: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/romeoville Bedford Park: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/bedford-park Addison: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/addison ## Other Rack Systems & Services ### Pallet Rack Every pallet reachable, every time. The baseline we size everything else against. https://chicagopalletracks.com/products/pallet-rack ### Pushback Rack Two to six pallets deep from one aisle, without giving up much reach. https://chicagopalletracks.com/products/pushback-rack ### Pallet Flow Rack Load one side, pick the other, and let gravity enforce first in, first out. https://chicagopalletracks.com/products/pallet-flow-rack ### Drive-In Rack No aisles. The forklift enters the structure, and the floor holds more pallets per square foot than any other system. https://chicagopalletracks.com/products/drive-in-rack ### Carton Flow Rack Cases advance to the picker instead of the picker hunting for cases. https://chicagopalletracks.com/products/carton-flow-rack ### Warehouse Relocation We tear down, move, and reinstall your pallet rack so the new building is ready to receive on day one. https://chicagopalletracks.com/warehouse-relocation ## Where We Work Located in Chicago, we serve the entire Chicagoland area with industrial pallet racks and warehouse storage solutions. ### Chicago Pallet Racks #### Address 36 N. Cass Ave. Unit #5170 Westmont, IL 60559 #### Phone (312) 815-2445 #### Business Hours Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Saturday: Closed Sunday: Closed ## Ready to Price Cantilever Rack? Call (312) 815-2445 or request a quote and we will start a layout. (312) 815-2445 Tap to Call: (312) 815-2445 ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://chicagopalletracks.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Products", "item": "https://chicagopalletracks.com/products" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cantilever Rack", "item": "https://chicagopalletracks.com/products/cantilever-rack" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "LocalBusiness", "@id": "https://chicagopalletracks.com/#business", "name": "Chicago Pallet Racks", "alternateName": "Chicago Pallet Racks - A Division of Warehouse Equipment & Supplies Co.", "description": "Pallet rack systems, warehouse racking, delivery, and installation across the Chicago metropolitan area, including intermodal, air-freight, and manufacturing districts.", "url": "https://chicagopalletracks.com", "telephone": "(312) 815-2445", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "36 N. Cass Ave.", "addressLocality": "Westmont", "addressRegion": "IL", "postalCode": "60559", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "41.794", "longitude": "-87.976" }, "areaServed": [ { "@type": "City", "name": "Chicago", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Aurora", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Naperville", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Joliet", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Elgin", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Waukegan", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Cicero", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Schaumburg", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Bolingbrook", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Des Plaines", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Elk Grove Village", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Carol Stream", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Romeoville", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Bedford Park", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Addison", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "State", "name": "Illinois" } } ], "openingHoursSpecification": [ { "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification", "dayOfWeek": [ "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday" ], "opens": "08:00", "closes": "18:00" } ], "priceRange": "$$", "paymentAccepted": "Cash, Credit Card, Check", "image": "https://chicagopalletracks.com/images/logo.png", "sameAs": [ "https://facebook.com/chicagopalletracks", "https://linkedin.com/company/chicagopalletracks", "https://instagram.com/chicagopalletracks" ], "hasOfferCatalog": { "@type": "OfferCatalog", "name": "Pallet Rack Systems", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Selective Pallet Rack Systems" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Push Back Pallet Rack Systems" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Drive-In Pallet Rack Systems" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Warehouse Design Consultation" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Pallet Rack Installation" } } ] } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How much weight can each arm carry?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Arm capacity is specified per arm and per column, based on your heaviest bundle and how far the load projects. Give us bundle dimensions and weights and we size arms, columns, and bracing to that with margin - then hand over the ratings for the finished run." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How far apart should the columns be?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Close enough that the load doesn't sag between arms. A common starting point puts arm spacing at roughly half the load length, with the remainder overhanging each end evenly. We check that math against your heaviest bundle before finalizing spacing." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will our forklift or side loader work with a cantilever layout?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Aisle width and arm clearance are matched to whatever is moving material - standard forks, a side loader, or an overhead crane. Tell us the equipment and its turning or reach dimensions and the layout gets built around it." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can arms or levels be added later?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Arms mount at set increments up the column, so levels can be added or repositioned as your product mix shifts, as long as total load stays within the rated capacity of the column and base." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can cantilever sit next to our existing pallet rack?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Routinely. It's common to run cantilever along one wall for long stock and selective through the rest of the building - we lay out both in the same drawing so aisle widths and clearances line up." } } ] } ] ```