How much clear height does a two-story modular office need?

Plan on about 18 to 20 feet of usable height for two comfortable levels. Most newer buildings in Rutherford and Wilson counties have far more. We measure to the lowest light or duct before drawings are issued.

Can we add the second floor in a year or two?

Often, if you tell us at the design stage. We specify a load-bearing roof and column bases that can carry a future deck. Adding one later to an office not planned for it costs more.

Does the upper floor really need its own HVAC?

Nearly always. The hottest air in an un-air-conditioned building collects near the roof, so the upper floor carries a much bigger cooling load. Separate zones keep both floors comfortable through the summer.

Where does the stair go?

Wherever it stays out of the traffic path. We look at dock doors, rack rows, and forklift lanes, then pick an interior or exterior stair tower to suit.

Two-Story Modular Offices in a Nashville, Tennessee industrial facility

Two-Story Modular Offices in Nashville, TN

Name: Nashville Modular Offices
Address: 555 Marriott Dr, Suite 315, Unit H, Nashville, TN, 37214, US
Telephone: (888) 697-6368
Price range: $$

In the big-box buildings going up along I-24 and I-40 East, floor space is leased by the square foot and clear height often goes unused. A two-story modular office puts that height to work: engineering, HR, or a lunch room upstairs, with supervision left on the ground level.

We plan two-level buildings for distribution and manufacturing sites from La Vergne to Lebanon, starting with a free layout and an itemized price.

Call (888) 697-6368

Building Up Instead of Out

A structural steel deck spans the ground-floor office and carries the upper level. Its live-load rating is engineered for what goes upstairs, whether that is desks and files or a 30-seat training room.

People reach the second floor by an interior or exterior stair tower with handrails and landings. We place it so it does not block a dock door or a forklift path.

Newer distribution buildings in La Vergne, Smyrna, Murfreesboro, Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, and Portland offer 32 to 40 feet of clear height. That leaves room for two full levels with space to spare overhead.

Heat rises, and a Tennessee summer pushes the upper floor of a non-air-conditioned warehouse well past the ground level. We give each floor its own HVAC zone so neither one struggles.

With industrial vacancy this tight, two-story buildings come up most in Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, and Portland. If a single level is enough, start with our in-plant offices or see the full lineup on the home page.

Two-Story Modular Offices interior detail

Deck, Stairs, and Finish Options

Both floors use the same panel system, so the finishes match. Here is what goes into a typical two-level build.

Steel mezzanine deck engineered to a rated live load
Separate HVAC zones for the upper and lower floors
Stair towers inside or outside the office, with handrails, landings, and non-slip treads
Guardrail and kick-plate packages along open deck edges
Matching insulated wall panels on both levels
Prewired electric, data paths, and LED lighting upstairs and down
Fire-rated wall assemblies where the layout calls for them