Denver’s industrial market tells two completely different stories depending on how much space you need. If you are a national retailer hunting for 500,000 SF near the airport, you have options: overall industrial vacancy has climbed to 7.9 to 9.4%, a decade high, with landlords offering months of free rent on big-box space.
If you are a growing business that needs 1,500 SF to get out of the garage, it is a different market. Properties under 20,000 SF hold just 3.5 to 5.1% vacancy, and almost nothing new is being built at that size. Here is how to find small warehouse space in Denver, what it really costs, and how to skip the squeeze entirely.
Denver small warehouse space at a glance
- WareSpace buildings
- Centennial (now leasing) & Park Hill (coming soon)
- Unit sizes
- 200-2,000 sq ft
- Small-bay market vacancy
- 3.5-5.1%, tight
- All-inclusive rate
- From $1,000/mo, one flat rate
- Lease terms
- Short-term, 6 to 12 months
The Two Denver Industrial Markets
The headline vacancy numbers hide what is actually happening. New construction has focused on 100,000+ SF facilities near Denver International Airport for a decade while the small-bay segment was ignored. The result is a 380+ basis point gap between small-bay and overall vacancy that is not closing.
| Segment | Vacancy | What’s happening |
|---|---|---|
| Overall industrial | 7.9-9.4% | Decade-high, landlord concessions |
| Properties 5,000-20,000 SF | 5.1% | Tight, limited options |
| Properties under 10,000 SF | 3.46% | Severe scarcity |
| West Denver submarket | 1.2% | Lowest vacancy metro-wide |
| Southwest Denver | 2.0% | Double-digit quarterly rent growth |
For small-warehouse users this creates both a challenge and an opening. The challenge is limited inventory, so you act fast when the right space appears. The opening is that the broadly tenant-favorable market has created negotiating leverage that extends somewhat to small-bay through mid-2026.
What Small Warehouse Space Actually Costs in Denver
Asking rents vary by source: CBRE pegs the metro average around $9.61/SF NNN, Colliers around $11.71/SF, and Cushman & Wakefield near $12.48/SF. Properties under 25,000 SF carry a premium and run $12 to $15/SF NNN, with higher-office flex space at $13 to $17/SF.
The reality check is NNN. Most Denver leases are triple-net, so you pay base rent plus property taxes, insurance, and common area maintenance, typically adding $4 to $6/SF a year. That “$10/SF” listing is really $14 to $16/SF all-in before you turn the lights on.
Where to Find Small Warehouse Space (Submarket Guide)
Denver’s submarkets offer very different conditions. West Denver holds the tightest vacancy at 1.2% with central I-25 and I-70 access, best for businesses serving the whole metro. Southwest Denver at 2.0% has strong small-bay inventory but double-digit quarterly rent growth, so lock rates now. Central Denver and RiNo carry premium, character-building pricing that suits creative and customer-facing brands. DIA and I-76/Brighton look cheap but are overwhelmingly big-box, so small-bay there is scarce. For a full breakdown, see our Denver warehouse neighborhoods guide.
Skip the small-bay scramble.
Move into Denver space the same day, no NNN math
WareSpace bundles rent, taxes, insurance, utilities, HVAC, racking, and WiFi into one flat rate from $1,000/mo, with units from 200 to 2,000 sq ft in Centennial and the Park Hill building opening in 2026. Short-term leases, no personal guarantee, no surprise fees.
What Small Businesses Actually Need in Denver Space
Match features to your operation before signing. Grade-level drive-in doors fit vans and box trucks and are common in older small-bay buildings, while dock-high loading matters if you receive pallets. Denver’s semi-arid climate is low-humidity and friendly to storage, but heating is a real expense: the metro logs 6,000 to 6,200 heating degree days a year, so budget for winter utility bills, especially in older buildings. Confirm electrical capacity (240V, amperage) before signing if you run shop equipment, and expect 12 to 22 foot clear heights in small-bay stock, which is plenty for most operations.
Why Denver Sustains Small-Warehouse Demand
The fundamentals are not going away. Metro population reached 3.05 million in 2024 and is projected to hit 3.6 million by 2030. Colorado has 715,576 small businesses, and Denver County filed 20,873 business applications in 2023, the most in the state. Denver’s central location enables two-day ground shipping to 95% of the U.S. population, with one-day truck delivery to Salt Lake City (525 miles), Albuquerque (450 miles), Kansas City (600 miles), and Omaha (540 miles). For the carrier math behind that reach, see our shipping zones guide.
Denver Small Warehouse FAQ
How much does small warehouse space cost in Denver?
Small-bay space runs $12 to $15/SF NNN, and NNN plus utilities pushes the all-in cost to $16 to $20/SF. For 1,000 SF, plan on roughly $1,300 to $1,800/month traditional. WareSpace all-inclusive units start at $1,000/mo with everything bundled. See our Denver cost guide for the full breakdown.
Why is small-bay space so hard to find when vacancy is 9%?
That 9% is big-box near the airport. Small-bay under 10,000 SF runs about 3.5%, so adjust your timeline and move quickly when a fit appears.
Do I need a long lease and a personal guarantee?
Traditional Denver leases typically want 3 to 5 years and a personal guarantee. Co-warehousing like WareSpace offers 6 to 12 month terms with no personal guarantee.
How big a space do I actually need?
Roughly 200 to 500 SF for solo operations, 500 to 1,000 SF for small teams, and 1,000 to 2,000 SF for established businesses. See our guide to choosing the right warehouse size.
Find Small Warehouse Space at WareSpace Denver
WareSpace Denver offers small warehouse units from 200 to 2,000 sq ft with all-inclusive pricing from $1,000/mo, loading docks, year-round HVAC, industrial racking, WiFi, and flexible terms, at the Centennial building with Park Hill opening in 2026. No NNN, no personal guarantee. Book a tour or get an instant price estimate. You can also explore options for contractors and e-commerce sellers, or learn how co-warehousing works.