Chalk note 02
Measuring your room before a rack arrives
Four measurements decide whether a rack fits, and only one of them is the rack's own height. Take them before the delivery, not after.
Ceiling first, always
An 83-inch upright needs more than 83 inches of room. Add your reach on a pull-up — most people want 8 feet of clear height, and a basement with pipes running under the joists needs the measurement taken at the lowest pipe, not the ceiling.
Base, not frame
A squat stand's stability comes from its base. A 54.7 by 43.7 inch footprint with reinforcement plates is what holds the tipping moment, so measure the floor area for the base and check it clears skirting boards and radiators.
Walk-out and re-rack space
You need room to step back out of the uprights with a loaded bar, and room to step forward again. Allow two feet behind the rack and three in front of it. A bench inside the frame needs its own clearance at both ends for a spotter to stand.
The route in
Cages ship in long boxes. Measure the narrowest point between your front door and the room — usually a stair turn or a door frame — and check it against the longest upright, not the box.
Plan the mat under it
Mark out the base footprint in tape on the floor before anything arrives. It tells you how much matting to buy, shows you where the bench will sit, and it is a great deal cheaper than moving a built cage.