Industrial, Warehouse and Wine-Storage Space in Sonoma and Napa
Industrial and warehouse space in Sonoma and Napa counties sits mostly in city industrial and business-park zones, such as Santa Rosa’s Light Industrial and General Industrial districts, and in unincorporated pockets like the Napa County Airport Industrial Area. Whether a building works for you depends less on the listing’s square footage than on its zoning, clear height, loading, power and fire protection. For wine businesses, it also depends on whether the space can operate as TTB-bonded premises.
This guide is for owner-users and tenants: wine producers and storage companies, contractors, makers, distributors and other businesses looking to lease or buy. It covers where to look, the specifications that matter, the state warehouse siting rules that took effect in 2026, and the due diligence to do before you sign. We don’t quote rents, vacancy rates or prices here; ask for current comparables for the specific building.
Where industrial space is concentrated
Each city writes its own zoning code, so the district names and the uses they allow differ from town to town. A few patterns help narrow a search:
| Area | Jurisdiction | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa | City of Santa Rosa | Three industrial districts: Business Park (BP), Light Industrial (IL) and General Industrial (IG). IG is the district written for warehousing, wholesale and distribution. |
| Napa County Airport Industrial Area | Napa County (mostly unincorporated; some parcels are in American Canyon) | Governed by the Airport Industrial Area Specific Plan. Wine storage and custom-crush buildings are a familiar use; zoning and site standards come from the county and the plan. |
| American Canyon, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Windsor, Novato | Each city | Each has its own industrial or business-park zoning. Confirm the district and its use table with the city’s planning department for the specific parcel. |
Our overviews of Sonoma County commercial property and Napa County commercial property describe the broader markets around these areas.
Santa Rosa’s three districts
Santa Rosa’s Zoning Code, Chapter 20-24, describes the Business Park district as planned business campuses for offices, research and development, light manufacturing, assembly and printing, with warehousing allowed only as an ancillary use and no outdoor storage. Light Industrial is for light industrial and commercial service uses that may not fit next to homes, shops or offices. General Industrial is for manufacturing, warehousing, and wholesale and distribution, including uses that generate truck traffic or run around the clock. The use table in the code decides whether a specific use is permitted outright or needs a use permit, so check it before you sign.
The Napa County Airport Industrial Area
South of the City of Napa, near the county airport, the county’s Airport Industrial Area Specific Plan sets site development standards such as lot coverage and parking. A 2008 county filing for a wine barrel and case-goods warehouse on Camino Oruga, for example, showed a GI:AC zoning designation and a use permit with exceptions to the plan’s lot coverage and parking standards. Treat that as an illustration of the process, not a guide to what a new project would need today.
Zoning and permitted use: check before you sign
“Industrial” covers a wide range of activity, and a building approved for one use may not be approved for yours. Before signing a lease or removing a purchase contingency:
- Identify the zoning district and any combining or overlay districts from the city or county.
- Classify your use the way the code does: warehousing, wholesale and distribution, light manufacturing, food or beverage production, contractor’s yard, or something else.
- Read the use table to see whether that use is permitted, needs a minor or conditional use permit, or is not allowed.
- Check the building’s permit history and certificate of occupancy for its approved occupancy type, since a change of occupancy can trigger building, fire and accessibility upgrades.
- Get it in writing. A zoning verification letter or a pre-application meeting is cheap compared with a lease you can’t use.
The building specifications that matter
Listing sheets often lead with square footage, but the building systems decide what you can do inside it. Use this checklist to compare spaces:
| Item | Why it matters | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Clear height | Sets how high you can rack or stack, and therefore usable storage volume | Measured height under the lowest beam, sprinkler line or light |
| Loading | Dock-high doors suit trailers; grade-level doors suit vans, forklifts and bins | Number, size and type of doors; truck court depth; yard access |
| Power | Presses, chillers, compressors and EV charging need capacity | Amperage, voltage and phase at the panel, and the utility’s upgrade cost |
| Fire sprinklers | Rack storage and some commodities need specific sprinkler design | Sprinkler design criteria and the last fire inspection |
| Floor | Racks, tanks and forklifts load the slab | Slab thickness, condition, floor drains and slope |
| Office and restrooms | Too much or too little office space changes the build-out budget | Office square footage, restroom count, accessibility status |
| Parking and yard | Employee parking, outdoor storage and truck staging | Count, whether outdoor storage is allowed in the zone |
High-piled storage and fire review
Chapter 32 of the California Fire Code (Title 24, Part 9) governs high-piled combustible storage. If you plan tall racks or dense storage of pallets, cases or packaging, ask the local fire marshal early whether your layout triggers that chapter. The answer can mean sprinkler upgrades, smoke removal or fire-department access changes, and those costs belong in the lease or purchase negotiation.
Wine storage and bonded space
Wine businesses add a federal layer. Under 27 CFR Part 24, premises used to produce wine are designated a bonded winery, and a proprietor that doesn’t produce wine can be designated a bonded wine cellar instead (Section 24.107). A warehouse company or other person may also apply to establish a bonded wine warehouse on bonded wine premises to store wine for credit purposes. The application goes to TTB in letter form with the warehouse’s area and storage capacity in gallons, the premises proprietor’s request and the bond surety’s consent (Section 24.108).
For a wine tenant, the practical questions are:
- Can the space be added to an existing TTB permit, or will it need its own bonded premises and state license?
- Is there insulation and refrigeration capacity to hold stable cellar temperatures, and who pays for power?
- Do floor drains, process water and wastewater meet the needs of production, or is the space limited to storage of finished wine?
- Does the lease allow an alternating proprietorship or custom-crush arrangement if you plan one?
Our guides to winery production facilities and custom crush and alternating proprietorships go deeper on production space.
State warehouse siting standards (AB 98, effective 2026)
Assembly Bill 98 (2024) added state standards for new and expanded warehouses, now in Government Code sections 65098 through 65098.2. They apply to a “logistics use development,” defined as a building used primarily as a warehouse for moving or storing cargo where heavy-duty trucks are primarily involved in moving the goods. Buildings that mainly serve retail customers on site, buildings primarily served by rail, and buildings for a primary agricultural use operating 90 consecutive days or less a year are excluded. An expansion means growth of 20% or more of existing square footage, not counting office space.
Starting January 1, 2026, Section 65098.1 applies where a proposed new or expanded logistics building has a loading bay within 900 feet of a sensitive receptor, a term that includes homes, schools, day care facilities, nursing homes, hospitals and certain parks. The key standards:
- For logistics developments of 250,000 square feet or more on industrial-zoned land, loading bays must be at least 300 feet from the nearest sensitive receptor’s property line.
- On land that is not zoned industrial, or needs rezoning, the setback is 500 feet regardless of building size.
- Truck entrances, circulation and bay orientation must be kept away from receptors where feasible, with buffering for light and noise.
- Smaller projects on industrial-zoned land (under 250,000 square feet) have no numeric setback but must meet current Title 24 Part 6 energy standards and CALGreen, including solar with battery storage, cool roofs, vehicle charging readiness and high-efficiency HVAC.
Most North Bay leasing involves existing buildings, which these rules don’t reach unless the project is new construction or a qualifying expansion. A buyer planning to add space near homes should have the project screened against these sections early. The stricter regional rules in the law name only parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties as the “warehouse concentration region.”
Lease or buy?
Both work for industrial users, and the right answer depends on how long you’ll stay, how much you’ll invest in the space and how you’d finance it.
- Leasing keeps capital free and lets you move as the business changes. Industrial leases are often written on net terms, so read who pays taxes, insurance, roof and HVAC; our guide to commercial lease types explains the differences, and negotiating a commercial lease covers terms like options, use clauses and assignment.
- Buying as an owner-user fixes your occupancy cost and builds equity, and it makes major improvements, like refrigeration or power upgrades, easier to justify. See buying owner-user commercial property and our comparison of SBA 504 and 7(a) loans.
- Build-out costs often decide the question. If the space needs a cold room, more power or new docks, negotiate a tenant improvement allowance or factor the work into the purchase price.
Diamond may refer you to partners we work with, such as lenders, contractors and environmental consultants; you’re free to choose any provider.
Due diligence before you commit
Industrial property carries environmental and building risks that a home purchase doesn’t. Key items:
- Phase I environmental site assessment. EPA says ASTM E1527-21 is consistent with its All Appropriate Inquiries rule, which supports federal liability protections such as bona fide prospective purchaser status. AAI must be conducted or updated within one year before acquisition, with some parts within 180 days.
- Zoning and use confirmation in writing, as described above.
- Building and fire systems: roof, sprinklers, electrical service and any hazardous materials permits held by the prior occupant.
- Accessibility: whether the property has a CASp inspection, which California commercial leases must disclose; see our CASp and ADA guide.
- Utilities and fees: water, sewer and power capacity for your use, and connection or capacity charges for upgrades.
Our commercial due diligence checklist lists the full set of reports and documents.
This is general information about industrial real estate, zoning and federal wine premises rules, not legal advice; a commercial real estate attorney, and for bonded space a TTB compliance specialist, should review your lease or purchase.
Questions people ask
Where can I find warehouse space for lease in Sonoma County?
Most is in city industrial and business-park zones, including Santa Rosa’s Light Industrial and General Industrial districts, and in the industrial areas of Petaluma, Rohnert Park and Windsor. Confirm the zoning and allowed uses for each building with the city.
Can I store wine in any warehouse?
Wine held before federal excise tax is paid generally has to stay on TTB-bonded premises, such as a bonded winery, bonded wine cellar or bonded wine warehouse under 27 CFR Part 24, with the matching state license; confirm with TTB for your situation. Storing tax-paid case goods is a different question, mostly about zoning, temperature control and insurance.
What is a bonded wine warehouse?
Under 27 CFR 24.108, it is a warehouse established on bonded wine premises, by a warehouse company or another person, to store wine or allied products for credit purposes. The application is filed with TTB and needs the premises proprietor’s request and the bond surety’s consent.
What does AB 98 mean for warehouses in the North Bay?
From January 1, 2026, new or expanded logistics warehouses with a loading bay within 900 feet of homes, schools or other sensitive receptors must meet state siting and design standards, including a 300-foot loading-bay setback for developments of 250,000 square feet or more on industrial land and a 500-foot setback on land not zoned industrial. An existing building leased as-is, with no new construction or qualifying expansion, generally isn’t covered.
What clear height do I need?
It depends on how you store goods. Measure your tallest rack or stack plus clearance below sprinklers, and ask the fire marshal whether your storage plan triggers the high-piled storage chapter of the Fire Code.
Should I lease or buy industrial space?
Leasing preserves capital and flexibility; buying fixes your occupancy cost and can make costly improvements worthwhile. Compare total occupancy cost over the period you expect to stay, including build-out and financing.
Do I need a Phase I environmental report to lease a warehouse?
It isn’t legally required to lease, but a buyer who wants federal liability protections needs All Appropriate Inquiries, which an ASTM E1527-21 Phase I satisfies. Tenants with long leases or environmental exposure often commission one or ask for the landlord’s.
Diamond Real Estate Group works on commercial property sales and leasing. If you’re weighing a purchase, a lease or the sale of a building, start from our commercial real estate hub, or contact Diamond Real Estate Group with your size, power and loading needs.
Sources & notes
- GoCodebook (reproduction of Santa Rosa Zoning Code, text as of Sept. 25, 2026): Chapter 20-24, Industrial zoning districts
- CEQAnet: Bin to Bottle, LLC warehouse, Use Permit P08-00435-UP (Napa County, 2008)
- California Public Law: Government Code section 65098 (logistics use definitions)
- California Public Law: Government Code section 65098.1 (siting and design standards)
- Cornell LII: 27 CFR 24.107, designation as a bonded winery
- Cornell LII: 27 CFR 24.108, bonded wine warehouse application
- International Code Council: 2022 California Fire Code, Chapter 32, High-Piled Combustible Storage
- U.S. EPA: Brownfields All Appropriate Inquiries
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
