Warehouses can be classified by structure, ownership and by the types of services that may be provided.
Warehouses are structurally used for storage and are constructed to facilitate the type of goods they will contain. A classical warehouse is a relatively big space that contains separations into rooms of different sizes. A silo provides mechanical or robotic devices which aids in loading and off- loading. They are normally constructed vertically. Cylindrical structures are also available called bins. They store wide ranges of goods and are operated manually. Portable warehouses provide a temporary haven to store products. They are weatherproof and water resistant. Lastly, the elevator type of warehouse storage possesses crane like structures which aid in lifting of products to the transportation method.
Ownership of warehouses includes private parties, public, household, cooperative and bonded. Privately owned warehouses are owned by businesses and are located mainly in vicinities that are rural and sub-urban. Public warehouses are rented to general businesses and are government maintained. Household warehouses store household products and are generally found in western countries. A cooperative warehouse is owned and maintained by a group of people. They are especially important for use in the agricultural industry. Bonded warehouses are used at seaports by custom authorities who store imported products.
Services provided by warehouses may be specific which are constructed to store only cotton, wool and petroleum. Cold storage warehouses store perishable products. Bank warehouses which are designed to store borrower's collaterals. A warehouse which stores general merchandise stores a wide range of different products that do not require a specific type of storage.