Check 9 job site material storage limits

• Keep brick stacks at or under 7 feet, and taper loose stacks 2 inches in every foot above 4 feet.
• Keep lumber piles at or under 20 feet, or 16 feet when handled by hand.
• Keep interior material 6 feet from hoistways and floor openings, and 10 feet from a low exterior wall.
• Cross-key bags at least every 10 bags, and keep cement and lime at or under 10 bags high outside a bin.
• Above 6 feet, taper masonry blocks one-half block on each tier.

Federal and state regulations set specific height, distance, and containment limits for storing bricks, lumber, bags, and flammable liquids on job sites. Brick stacks shall not be more than 7 feet in height, according to Legal Information Institute . Lumber piles shall not exceed 20 feet in height, provided that lumber to be handled manually shall not be stacked more than 16 feet high, according to Legal Information Institute . Material stored inside buildings under construction shall not be placed within 6 feet of any hoistway or inside floor openings, nor within 10 feet of an exterior wall which does not extend above the top of the material stored, according to Legal Information Institute . You must not pile cement and lime bags more than 10 bags high except when stored in bins or enclosures built for the purpose of storage, according to Washington State Legislature . Storage in excess of 25 gallons of flammable liquids shall be within cabinets constructed to the requirements of NFPA 30, according to California Department of Industrial Relations .

Verify your site’s compliance against the exact source that states each limit. Each row names the publisher and cites the rule for brick stack height, lumber pile height, bag stacking method, and flammable liquid container requirements where available.

You must measure each material type separately against its specific limit. The following rules apply to stored materials on job sites.

Brick stack height and taper

The Legal Information Institute states that brick stacks shall not be more than 7 feet in height according to Legal Information Institute . The Washington State Legislature also mandates that brick stacks must not be more than 7 feet in height according to Washington State Legislature . These two sources align on the 7-foot maximum for brick stacks.

Tapering is required once a stack passes a specific threshold. The Legal Information Institute requires that when a loose brick stack reaches a height of 4 feet, it shall be tapered back 2 inches in every foot of height above the 4-foot level according to Legal Information Institute . The Washington State Legislature specifies that when a loose brick stack reaches a height of 4 feet, it must be tapered back two inches in every foot of height above the 4-foot level according to Washington State Legislature . This taper rule applies to loose stacks.

Lumber pile height

Lumber has a higher maximum height than brick, but the limit changes based on how the material is handled. The Legal Information Institute notes that lumber piles shall not exceed 20 feet in height provided that lumber to be handled manually shall not be stacked more than 16 feet high according to Legal Information Institute . The Washington State Legislature states that lumber stacks must not exceed 20 feet in height provided that lumber to be handled manually must not be stacked more than 16 feet high according to Washington State Legislature . If your crew lifts lumber by hand, the 16-foot cap applies. If machinery handles the lumber, the 20-foot cap applies. Track those machines in Equipment serial numbers: 8 tracking examples .

Verification steps

Walk your site and measure the height of your current brick and lumber stacks against the 7-foot and 20-foot limits listed in this post. Check if any brick stacks exceed 4 feet and verify the 2-inch taper in every foot above that level. Inspect masonry block stacks over 6 feet to ensure the one-half block taper on each tier is present. Record any deviations for correction. Repeat this walk on the next job with Recurring work order settings: 8 rules to set .

Masonry blocks follow a different taper rule than bricks. GovRegs indicates that when masonry blocks are stacked higher than 6 feet, the stack shall be tapered back one-half block on each tier above the 6-foot level according to GovRegs . Do not apply the brick taper rule to masonry blocks.

When storing materials inside buildings under construction, you must keep specific distances from hoistways, floor openings, and exterior walls to prevent falling objects. The federal regulation states that material stored inside buildings under construction shall not be placed within 6 feet of any hoistway or inside floor openings, nor within 10 feet of an exterior wall which does not extend above the top of the material stored, according to Legal Information Institute . This rule applies to the general requirements for storage under 29 CFR § 1926.250.

Washington State enforces a similar standard for its jurisdiction. You must not place material stored inside buildings under construction within 6 feet of any hoistway or inside floor openings, nor within 10 feet of an exterior wall which does not extend above the top of the material stored, according to Washington State Legislature . This requirement is found in WAC 296-155-325.

Both sources specify the same two critical distances for interior storage. First, keep all stored material at least 6 feet away from any hoistway or inside floor openings. Second, if an exterior wall does not extend above the top of the stored material, keep the material at least 10 feet from that wall. If the wall extends above the material, the 10-foot restriction for that specific wall does not apply under these rules.

Verify your site layout against these measurements before placing new stock. Measure from the edge of the material to the edge of the hoistway or floor opening to ensure the 6-foot buffer is maintained. Measure from the material to the exterior wall to confirm the 10-foot buffer where the wall height is lower than the stack. These distances are mandatory for materials stored inside buildings under construction, as defined by the cited regulations.

When storing bagged materials on your job site, you must stack them by stepping back the layers and cross-keying the bags at least every 10 bags high, according to Washington State Legislature . This specific stacking method applies to general bagged materials, requiring you to interlock the bags to maintain stability as the pile grows. The federal standard for general requirements for storage also mandates that bagged materials shall be stacked by stepping back the layers and cross-keying the bags at least every 10 bags high, according to GovRegs . Both sources align on the requirement to cross-key every 10 bags to prevent the pile from shifting or collapsing.

For cement and lime bags specifically, the Washington State Legislature states that you must not pile them more than 10 bags high except when stored in bins or enclosures built for the purpose of storage, according to Washington State Legislature . If you do not have a dedicated bin or enclosure, the 10-bag limit is the maximum height you can reach. When you begin removing bags from the pile, the Washington State Legislature requires that you keep the length of the pile at an even height, according to Washington State Legislature . Additionally, you must maintain the necessary step backs every 5 bags as you remove material, according to Washington State Legislature .

To verify compliance, measure the height of your cement and lime piles to ensure they do not exceed 10 bags unless contained in a bin. Check that your bagged materials are cross-keyed every 10 bags. As you remove bags, adjust the step backs every 5 bags to maintain an even height. These steps help prevent accidents and ensure your storage areas meet safety regulations.

California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 1935, Use of Flammable Liquids, requires that Category 1, 2, or 3 flammable liquids be kept in closed containers when not actually in use, according to California Department of Industrial Relations . This rule applies specifically to the liquid categories listed in that section and does not extend to other material types. For storage and handling, California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 1930 states that only approved containers and portable tanks shall be used for flammable liquids and liquids with a flashpoint greater than 199.4°F (93°C), which were formerly designated as Class IIIB Combustible liquids, according to California Department of Industrial Relations .

When storage volumes exceed specific thresholds, cabinet requirements activate. California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 1930, Flammable and Combustible Liquids, mandates that storage in excess of 25 gallons of flammable liquids or 60 gallons of liquids with a flashpoint greater than 199.4°F (93°C) must be within cabinets constructed to the requirements of NFPA 30, according to California Department of Industrial Relations .

There is also a maximum capacity limit for these cabinets. That section also notes that not more than 120 gallons of Category 1, 2, 3, and 4 flammable liquids may be stored in a storage cabinet, according to California Department of Industrial Relations . This 120-gallon limit applies to the aggregate volume of those specific liquid categories inside a single cabinet.

These rules are specific to the California jurisdiction and the liquid categories defined in those sections. They do not apply to all construction materials, only to the flammable and combustible liquids described. Verify that your site’s liquid storage containers are closed when not in use and that storage above 25 gallons of flammable liquids, or above 60 gallons of liquids with a flashpoint greater than 199.4°F (93°C), is inside cabinets built to NFPA 30. Check that the total volume in any single cabinet does not exceed the 120-gallon limit for the applicable categories.

A loose brick stack is 7 feet tall and steps back 2 inches in every foot above 4 feet. Hand-stacked lumber is 16 feet tall. A machine-stacked lumber pile is 20 feet tall. Material inside the building sits 6 feet from a hoistway and 10 feet from a low exterior wall. Cement bags are 10 high, with step backs every 5 bags as bags come off. Masonry blocks above 6 feet step back one-half block on each tier. One cabinet holds 25 gallons of flammable liquid, under the 120-gallon cap.

Measure each brick stack on your site today and lower any stack that is more than 7 feet, as required by Legal Information Institute .

What is the maximum height for a brick stack?

According to Legal Information Institute , brick stacks shall not be more than 7 feet in height. The rule is specific to brick storage and does not extend to other materials.

How far must stored material be from a hoistway?

According to Legal Information Institute , material stored inside buildings under construction shall not be placed within 6 feet of any hoistway. This clearance requirement also applies to inside floor openings. The source specifies this distance for material stored inside buildings under construction.

What is the required taper for brick stacks over four feet?

According to Legal Information Institute , when a loose brick stack reaches a height of 4 feet, it shall be tapered back 2 inches in every foot of height above the 4-foot level. This taper rule applies specifically to loose brick stacks. The source defines the measurement relative to the 4-foot level.

How high can cement bags be stacked without a bin?

According to Washington State Legislature , you must not pile cement and lime bags more than 10 bags high except when stored in bins or enclosures built for the purpose of storage. This limit applies to cement and lime bags. The exception is for storage in bins or enclosures built for the purpose of storage.

What is the maximum amount of flammable liquid in a storage cabinet?

According to California Department of Industrial Relations , not more than 120 gallons of Category 1, 2, 3 and 4 flammable liquids may be stored in a storage cabinet. This limit applies to Category 1, 2, 3 and 4 flammable liquids. The source specifies the maximum volume for storage cabinets.