Specifying Parcel Lockers in a New Apartment Development
“We are designing a new apartment building. What do we need to allow for parcel lockers now, so they are not an afterthought at handover?” Designing a locker in costs far less than retrofitting one. At design stage you are choosing the wall, the services (power, data, lighting), the courier route, and how the system hands over to the owners corporation or operator. Get those right and the lockers arrive on a prepared wall, plug in, and run from the first resident’s first parcel.
Design-stage decisions
| Decision | Why it matters at design stage |
|---|---|
| Location (lobby, mailroom, dock) | Defines the courier route and resident flow; hard to change after fit-out |
| Wall length | Each column is roughly half a metre wide; allow for growth |
| Recess or freestanding | A recessed nook looks built-in but fixes the size |
| Power point per bank | Cheap in construction, costly to chase into finished walls |
| Data point or conduit | Insurance against weak mobile signal |
| Lighting and CCTV | Residents collect at night |
| Chilled cells | Need their own power allowance |
Sizing before the building exists
You cannot count parcels yet, so estimate and leave headroom:
- Estimate parcels a day from comparable buildings the developer or operator knows.
- Apply the rule: cells ≈ parcels a day × days waiting × 1.3 (sizing guide).
- Reserve wall length for at least one extra column, because the cabinet is modular.
Courier route
Plan how a courier gets from the kerb or loading bay to the locker:
- Locker before the secure line (entry vestibule) is the simplest.
- Locker at the loading dock suits larger buildings, with a courier-code door.
- Avoid lift trips: locate on the ground floor or dock level.
Coordinate with the access-control designer so the courier door supports time-limited codes.
Fire, egress and accessibility
Keep the bank out of egress paths and clear of fire services, and give enough circulation space in front. Confirm with the building certifier and fire engineer during design. Put the screen and most-used cells within comfortable reach for wheelchair users; your access consultant can confirm the details for the building.
Off-the-plan amenity
Parcel lockers are a visible amenity on a display-suite tour. If you market them:
- show the position on the plans;
- describe them accurately in the sales material and disclosure documents;
- make sure the building contract includes them, so the promise is delivered.
Handover to the owners corporation or operator
Lockers on common property normally become the owners corporation’s to manage after handover. Hand over:
- warranty details and the service contact;
- the software account and admin logins;
- the resident directory set-up (empty, or pre-loaded from settlement data if permitted);
- a short operating guide for the strata manager;
- a note in the first budget that the software is a monthly running cost.
For build-to-rent, hand over to the operator instead (build-to-rent).
Rough cost
A small bank of about 10 cells with a courier touchscreen typically comes in at a few thousand dollars, roughly A$3,000–7,000 ex GST. A building system of 50–100 cells is roughly A$12,000–30,000 ex GST. On top of that there is a flat monthly software fee of around A$150 per building, with no per-parcel or resident fees. Delivery and installation are quoted per site, and your quote fixes the price.At design stage, ask for a budget figure and a layout drawing for the architect. The quote is fixed closer to installation.
Price enquiry
Ask for a price for your building
Specification checklist for the architect
- ☐ Location and wall length, with one spare column
- ☐ Recess dimensions, or freestanding position
- ☐ Power point(s) and data point or conduit
- ☐ Lighting and CCTV coverage
- ☐ Courier route and access-control interface
- ☐ Egress and fire services clearance, checked with the certifier
- ☐ Accessible reach and circulation, checked with the access consultant
- ☐ Handover documents listed in the building manual
Where this is the wrong answer
- The building will have a full-time concierge service as a selling point, and the developer wants staff to hand over every parcel. Lockers may still help after hours, but they are not the core service.
- The design cannot spare a wall without compromising egress. Do not squeeze a bank into a path of travel.
- Very small developments of a few townhouses may be better served by large letterboxes or a small outdoor bank (small strata).
Related situations
- Apartment lobby parcel lockers
- High-rise apartment parcel lockers
- Refrigerated grocery lockers
- Strata approval and funding, for after handover