Small Warehouse Space in Orange County: What It Costs and Where to Find It

For more details on sizing for specific business types, see our guides for e-commerce sellers, contractors, and service businesses.

One recommendation: size for 12-18 months ahead rather than current needs. Moving warehouses means address changes with customers and vendors, 2-4 weeks of disruption, and setup costs in the new space. Better to have some breathing room than to relocate twice in two years.

Traditional Lease vs. Co-Warehousing: Which Makes Sense?

Go with a traditional lease if you’re:

• Confident about space needs for 3+ years. Long-term leases cost less per square foot if you’re certain about your requirements and willing to commit.
• Operating with minimal margin. If every dollar counts and you can absorb $7,000-12,000 upfront for deposits and equipment, traditional leases are cheaper over time.
• Comfortable managing facilities. You handle repairs, vendor relationships, NNN fluctuations, and building issues yourself—or have someone who does.
• Not seasonal. Your space needs to stay consistent year-round, so lease flexibility doesn’t matter.
• Already own warehouse equipment. You’ve got racking, pallet jacks, and gear from a previous location.

Go with co-warehousing if you’re:

• Growing and space needs are uncertain. You might need 500 SF today and 1,200 SF in eight months. One Chicago tenant started in a unit “two times his garage” and eventually grew into his own 6,000 SF space across the street – WareSpace was the stepping stone.
• Seasonal with fluctuating needs. Scale up for Q4, scale down in January without breaking a lease or paying for empty space.
• Avoiding upfront capital costs. You’d rather not drop $7,000-12,000 on equipment, racking, and deposits when that capital could fund inventory or marketing.
• Valuing your time over savings. Managing contractors, utilities, and building issues costs more in opportunity costs than the premium for all-inclusive pricing.
• First time leasing commercial space. Co-warehousing eliminates the learning curve of NNN leases, CAM reconciliation, and commercial insurance requirements.
• Need a professional setup immediately. Conference rooms, kitchen, shared loading equipment—everything’s ready when you move in.

Who Actually Uses Small Warehouse Space in Orange County

Small warehouse space serves businesses that have outgrown home operations but don’t need 10,000 SF industrial buildings. Here’s who benefits most:

E-commerce Sellers and Amazon FBA Operators

One WareSpace tenant started selling phone accessories from his apartment. Two years later, he was processing 400+ FBA shipments weekly from a 600 SF unit. Today his operation occupies 1,800 SF across three units.

What you need: Climate control for product protection, loading dock access for pallet deliveries, packing stations, and shipping staging. Port proximity matters if you import—Orange County sits 25 miles from the nation’s busiest port complex, where the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handle 31% of all U.S. containerized trade.

Typical space: 400-800 SF for 100-300 weekly orders, 800-1,500 SF for 300-1,000 weekly orders.

Contractors and Trades

NextGen Surface Care went from four scattered storage units to one professional shop. Owner Mike Chen estimates he recovered 8-10 hours weekly just from not driving between locations.

California licenses approximately 285,000 contractors across 45 specialty classifications. Orange County alone employs over 102,000 construction workers. Most small operations run out of trucks until they figure out that a small shop changes how efficiently they can operate.

What you need: Drive-in access for trucks, 24/7 entry for early job starts, secure tool storage, material staging area, and power for equipment. Central positioning minimizes drive time across Orange County’s compact geography – from Santa Ana, you can reach most of the county in 20-30 minutes.

Typical space: 300-800 SF for solo operators, 800-1,500 SF for crews with 3-5 people.

Light Manufacturing and Assembly

Custom fabrication, product assembly, woodworking, 3D printing operations—businesses making things that outgrew the garage workshop.

What you need: Power for equipment (verify 220V availability), adequate ventilation, space for raw materials and finished goods, work surfaces, and assembly areas.

Typical space: 500-1,200 SF for small operations, 1,200-2,000 SF as production scales.

Distribution and Logistics

Orange County’s port proximity makes it ideal for importers distributing to Southern California and beyond. One WareSpace tenant runs a regional spirits distribution operation, having grown from delivering whiskey in her Honda to building a multi-state distribution network.

Amazon didn’t build 16 fulfillment centers in Southern California by accident. The infrastructure follows the demand and the port access.

What you need: Loading dock access for frequent deliveries, climate control for product protection, inventory management systems, and carrier proximity for daily pickups.

Typical space: 400-1,000 SF for 50-300 orders weekly, 1,000-2,000 SF for larger operations.

Service Businesses with Equipment

Restoration companies, event businesses, cleaning services, HVAC contractors—operations that work in the field but need a base for equipment, supplies, and coordination.

Indigo Events went from storing gear in the owner’s garage to landing 8 new corporate clients within two months of moving to a professional space. Having a conference room for client meetings changed their close rate.

What you need: 24/7 access for emergency response, climate control for sensitive equipment, secure storage, and possibly conference room access for client meetings.

Typical space: 300-600 SF for small mobile operations, 600-1,500 SF for larger operations with multiple vehicles.

What to Look for in Orange County Warehouse Space

The features that matter depend on your operation, but a few things apply broadly.

• Loading access comes in two forms: dock-height doors for receiving pallets from semi-trucks, and drive-in (grade-level) access for backing in vans and smaller vehicles. Most small businesses need drive-in access for daily operations, plus occasional dock access for freight deliveries.
• 24/7 access matters more than you’d expect. E-commerce sellers need to ship during Prime Day and the Q4 crunch. Contractors need early morning material loads. Service businesses get emergency calls at 2 AM. A lease that restricts hours restricts your ability to operate when work demands it.
• Climate control is less critical in Orange County than in humid markets like Florida. The Mediterranean climate (45-85°F, low humidity) is mild. Climate control helps for sensitive products, electronics, and workspace comfort during summer, but it’s not a survival requirement for most inventory.
• Security matters because your equipment and inventory represent a real investment. Look for controlled building access, security cameras, well-lit parking, and individual unit locks you control.

Where to Find Small Warehouse Space in Orange County

Orange County’s industrial areas have different characteristics and price points.

• Central Orange County (Santa Ana, Tustin, Orange) offers the best value in the county. You’re at the convergence of I-5 and I-405 with quick access everywhere. Industrial rents run $14-18/SF – meaningfully lower than Irvine or South County. WareSpace Santa Ana is located here at 2601 S Garnsey St. UPS and FedEx both operate major facilities within 15 minutes – the FedEx Ground hub in Santa Ana processes thousands of packages daily, and UPS’s regional hub serves the entire southern Orange County market.
• Airport Area (Irvine, Costa Mesa) has the tightest vacancy in the county at under 2%. Premium location, premium pricing at $18-22+/SF. Makes sense if your customers are corporate accounts in Irvine who expect you to be nearby.
• North County (Anaheim, Fullerton, Brea) offers moderate pricing at $15-18/SF with good freeway access to both LA and the Inland Empire. More availability than central or south county, and a better fit if your work takes you into LA.
• South County (Irvine Spectrum, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo) has the newest building stock but limited industrial inventory. Rents run $18-22+/SF. Farthest from the ports and limited small-bay options.

For businesses considering the cheaper Inland Empire market as an alternative, see our comparison of various regions across the OC.

Small Warehouse Space FAQs for Orange County

What’s the smallest warehouse space available in Orange County?

Traditional leases typically start at 1,500-2,000 SF minimum because landlords don’t want to manage many small tenants. Co-warehousing facilities offer smaller options – some as compact as 300-500 SF or sized by pallet count rather than square footage.

Why is Orange County warehouse space so expensive?

Limited land, high property values, proximity to the nation’s busiest ports, and strong demand from both local businesses and companies serving the LA metro. Orange County has the highest industrial rents in the country. Current conditions are the most favorable in years with rents down 6-12% from 2023 peaks, but it’s still a premium market.

Is a storage unit a viable alternative to warehouse space?

Rarely for active businesses. Storage units typically prohibit commercial operations in their lease terms, restrict access hours, and don’t allow the receiving and shipping activity that business operations require. You can store personal overflow, but you can’t run fulfillment or stage jobs from most storage facilities.

What’s the difference between a traditional lease and co-warehousing?

Traditional leases give you dedicated space at a lower per-SF cost, but require 3-5 year commitments, significant upfront capital for deposits and equipment, and you handle utilities, insurance, and NNN charges separately. Co-warehousing costs more per square foot but bundles everything into one monthly payment, requires minimal upfront capital, and offers shorter terms (typically 6 months).

How long does it take to find warehouse space in Orange County?

Traditional leases take 4-8 weeks from search to move-in, accounting for tours, negotiation, credit approval, and buildout. Co-warehousing facilities can often accommodate move-ins within 1-2 weeks if units are available.