Pallet Dimensions UK: Standard Pallet Sizes and Measurements

The standard pallet size UK businesses use is 1200mm x 1000mm, which is 120cm x 100cm, or 47.2 x 39.4 inches. A standard pallet is about 150mm tall and weighs 25 to 30kg empty. The other main size is the Euro pallet at 1200mm x 800mm. Every other pallet dimension used in Britain builds on those two.

Pallet dimensions UK: every size at a glance

Here are the pallet measurements UK businesses deal with day-to-day, in all the units you might need.

Pallet dimensions are always written as length x width. The first number is the side a forklift usually enters from.

Standard pallet size UK: 1200mm x 1000mm

This is the pallet most British businesses use every day. It measures 1200mm long by 1000mm wide, which works out at 1.2 square metres of deck space.

It became the standard pallet size UK-wide because it suits British warehouses and British lorries. Two of them sit side by side in a curtainsided trailer with a few centimetres to spare, and they slot neatly into standard pallet racking, which is normally built around a 1200mm depth.

A standard pallet is built from softwood, usually a mix of pine and spruce. The top deck has five to seven boards, the bottom deck has three to five, and nine blocks in a three by three pattern hold the two decks apart. That gap is what the forklift tines slide into. Because the blocks sit on all four sides, a forklift can pick the pallet up from any direction, which saves a lot of shuffling in a busy warehouse.

You will see this size called a full pallet, a UK pallet, or simply a standard pallet. They all mean the same set of dimensions.

We stock it in Grade A standard pallets and Grade B, which is the same size in a slightly more used condition.

Euro pallet size: 1200mm x 800mm

The Euro pallet size is 1200mm x 800mm. Also written as EUR or EPAL, it is the same length as a UK standard pallet but 200mm narrower.

That difference matters more than it sounds. A Euro pallet covers 0.96 square metres against the UK pallet’s 1.2 square metres, so it is 20 per cent smaller in footprint. You fit more of them into the same space, but each one carries less.

Euro pallets are the default across most of Europe. If your goods are heading to a warehouse in France, Germany or the Netherlands, their racking, their conveyors and their handling equipment will almost certainly be set up for 1200 x 800. Sending UK standard pallets instead usually works, but it often means the receiving site has to handle them by hand.

A genuine EPAL pallet carries stamps on the corner blocks showing the EPAL or EUR mark, the licence number of the maker, and an IPPC stamp if it has been heat treated. Pallets without those stamps are sold as unstamped Euro pallets. They are the same size and built the same way, they simply are not certified, which makes them cheaper for jobs that stay in the UK.

Euro pallets come in a few weight grades, from lightweight for smaller loads up to heavy-weight strapper pallets for the serious stuff. Have a look at our graded Euro pallets to see the range.

Industrial, half and quarter pallet sizes

Not every load needs a full pallet, and these three sizes cover the rest.

Industrial pallets are 1200mm x 1200mm, so they are square. They are used for heavy machinery, drums and building materials, where the extra deck area and the extra strength are worth the space they take up.

Half pallets are 800mm x 600mm, which is exactly half the footprint of a Euro pallet. Supermarkets use them constantly for shelf-ready displays, because a half pallet can be wheeled straight onto the shop floor without blocking an aisle.

Quarter pallets are 600mm x 400mm. These are display pallets more than transport pallets. You will spot them at the end of aisles holding a promotion.

Half and quarter pallets are also sometimes described by height rather than footprint, which causes confusion. Some pallet delivery networks sell a “half pallet” as a full size 1200 x 1000 pallet loaded to only 1.2m tall, and a “quarter pallet” as the same footprint loaded to 0.8m. If you are booking a delivery, check which definition the carrier is using before you book.

CHEP and pooled pallet dimensions

CHEP pallets are the blue ones. LPR pallets are the red ones. Both are pooled pallets, which means you never own them. You hire them, use them, and they get collected and reissued.

The dimensions are the same as everyone else’s. CHEP’s main UK pallet is 1200mm x 1000mm, and they also run a 1200mm x 800mm Euro size and an 800mm x 600mm half pallet. So if you are measuring a blue pallet and wondering whether it is a different standard, it is not. The colour tells you who owns it, not how big it is.

The important thing to know is that pooled pallets are not yours to keep, sell or scrap. If you have blue or red pallets stacking up in your yard, they need to go back to the pool operator. If you have unwanted plain wooden pallets instead, that is a different matter, and we can collect those.

Pallet height: how tall is a pallet?

A standard UK wooden pallet is roughly 150mm tall, which is about 15cm or 6 inches. A Euro pallet is 144mm, which is fixed by the EPAL specification.

That figure is the empty pallet on its own. Most of the time, when people ask about pallet height, they mean the height of the pallet plus whatever is loaded on it. Those limits are set by the carrier, not by the pallet.

The 2.2m figure comes from what fits safely inside a standard curtainsided trailer while leaving room to get the load in and out. Go above it and most pallet networks will either refuse the booking or charge you for two spaces.

Two practical points. First, measure from the floor, not from the top of the pallet. The 150mm of the pallet counts towards your 2.2m. Second, nothing should hang over the edge of the deck. Overhanging goods get crushed by the next pallet in the trailer, and they stop the load from being strapped properly.

Pallet weight: how much does a pallet weigh?

An empty UK standard wooden pallet weighs 25 to 30kg. An empty Euro pallet weighs 20 to 25kg.

The range exists because timber weight changes with moisture. A pallet that has been sitting outside in the rain can be several kilos heavier than the same pallet stored under cover. Heat-treated pallets tend to sit at the lighter end, because the treatment process dries the timber out.

This matters when you are close to a weight limit. If you are shipping twenty pallets, the pallets alone are roughly 500 to 600kg before you have loaded a single item onto them. On a full container load, that is worth working into your sums.

How much weight can a pallet hold?

A standard UK wooden pallet holds around 1,200kg in normal use. The exact figure depends on the grade and how the weight is spread.

There are three different numbers used in the industry, and they are easy to mix up.

• Static load is the weight the pallet holds while it is sitting still on a flat floor. This is the biggest number, often 1,500 to 2,000kg for a Grade A pallet.
• Dynamic load is the weight it holds while being moved by a forklift or pump truck. Reduce the static figure by roughly 30 per cent.
• Racking load is the weight it holds when supported only at the ends, up in a racking bay. This is the smallest number and the one that catches people out.

Spread the weight evenly across the deck. A pallet rated for 1,200kg spread flat can fail well below that if the whole load sits on one corner.

For a fuller explanation, see our guide to how much one wooden pallet can hold.

Plastic pallet dimensions

A plastic Euro pallet is 1200mm x 800mm, exactly the same footprint as the wooden version. A plastic UK standard pallet is 1200mm x 1000mm. The dimensions were deliberately kept the same so that plastic and wooden pallets work in the same racking and the same lorries.

Load capacity on a plastic Euro pallet runs up to 2,000kg on the heavier rackable versions. Lighter nestable versions, which slot inside each other to save storage space when empty, carry a good deal less.

Plastic pallets can be recycled over ten times, because the material can be shredded and remoulded rather than being repaired.

For most UK businesses, wood is still the sensible default on cost alone. Plastic earns its keep in hygiene-controlled settings and on closed-loop routes where the same pallets come back to you. Our plastic pallets page has the full specification.

How many pallets fit in a container?

Pallet dimensions only really matter once you start loading, so here are the numbers.

First, the containers themselves. These are the internal measurements, which are what count for loading. They vary by a few millimetres between manufacturers.

Now the pallet counts. These are for a single layer on the container floor, with no pallets stacked on top of each other and nothing hanging over the edges.

A few things worth knowing about those numbers.

A 20ft container does not hold 10 standard pallets. You will see 10 quoted all over the internet. It does not work, and the reason is simple arithmetic. Two UK pallets laid side by side across the width need 2,400mm. A 20ft container is 2,352mm wide inside. It is 48mm short. Nine is the honest answer for a single layer.

The higher counts need a mixed loading pattern. Getting 22 UK pallets into a 40ft container, or 25 Euro pallets, means turning some pallets sideways so the rows interlock rather than sitting in neat lines. It is more work at the loading bay, and it needs careful strapping. If your loading team works in straight rows, expect 20 UK pallets or 20 Euro pallets in a 40ft.

A high cube gives you height, not floor space. A 40ft high cube has exactly the same floor as a 40ft standard, so the single layer count is identical. What you gain is 305mm of extra headroom, which is only useful if you are stacking pallets two high.

Double stacking depends on your loaded height. A 40ft standard is 2.39m tall inside, so two layers means each loaded pallet must be under about 1.19m. In a high cube at 2.69m, each layer can be about 1.34m. If your loaded pallets are the usual 2.2m, you are getting one layer, whatever container you book.

Weight will often stop you before space does. A 20ft container takes roughly 28 tonnes of payload and a 40ft roughly 26 tonnes. Nine standard pallets loaded to 1,200kg each is under 11 tonnes, so space is your limit. Twenty-five Euro pallets of dense goods can hit the weight ceiling long before the container looks full. Always check both.

How many pallets fit on a lorry?

For UK road transport, the usual vehicle is a 13.6 metre curtainsided trailer.

A trailer is about 2.45m wide inside, which is just enough to take two UK pallets side by side across the width. Thirteen rows of two gives you 26.

Euro pallets go three across, because three lots of 800mm is 2,400mm and that still fits. Eleven rows of three gives you 33. That is seven more pallets on the same vehicle, which is exactly why the Euro pallet size is popular with anyone moving high volumes of lighter goods.

Smaller vehicles carry proportionally less. A 7.5 tonne box lorry typically takes 10 to 12 standard pallets, and a Luton van takes 4 to 6, though on smaller vehicles you will usually run out of weight before you run out of floor.

We deliver across the South East, and our pallet delivery page covers areas and lead times.

How to take pallet measurements

If you have a pallet in front of you and you want to know what it is, this takes about thirty seconds.

1. Measure the top deck, corner to corner along each side. Use the outer edges of the deck boards, not the blocks underneath.
2. Take the longest side first. Nearly every pallet you meet in the UK will have a 1200mm long side.
3. Then measure the short side. 1000mm means a UK standard pallet. 800mm means a Euro pallet. 1200mm means an industrial pallet.
4. Measure the height from the floor to the top of the deck. Around 144 to 150mm is normal.
5. Look at the corner blocks. Stamps here tell you a lot. EPAL or EUR in an oval means a certified Euro pallet. An IPPC stamp with the letters HT means it has been heat treated and is cleared for export.

Allow a few millimetres either way. A used pallet that has been repaired will not measure perfectly, and that is fine. If your pallet measurements are within about 10mm of a standard size, it is that standard size.

Custom pallet sizes

Sometimes nothing standard fits. Long lengths of timber, awkward machinery, furniture, glass, one-off industrial parts: these all end up on pallets built for the job.

We make custom pallet sizes to whatever dimensions you need. Tell us the size, weight and shape of what you are moving, and whether it is going abroad, and we will build to suit. If it is heading overseas, it will need heat treating to ISPM 15 so it clears customs, and we handle that too.

Get in touch with your measurements, and we will come back with a price.

Where to buy pallets in these sizes

We supply every size on this page from our yard, new and used, in single quantities or by the lorry load.

• Standard and Euro pallets cover the full range
• Grade A standard pallets for the cleanest used stock
• Graded Euro pallets for European shipping
• Plastic pallets for hygiene-controlled work
• Printer pallets for the print trade

Not sure which size you need? Contact us and tell us what you are moving. It is a two-minute conversation, and it saves a lot of guessing.

Frequently asked questions

What are standard pallet sizes?

In the UK, the standard pallet size is 1200mm x 1000mm. The other common pallet sizes are the Euro pallet at 1200mm x 800mm, the industrial pallet at 1200mm x 1200mm, the half pallet at 800mm x 600mm and the quarter pallet at 600mm x 400mm. Most British warehouses and lorries are built around 1200mm x 1000mm.

What size is a full pallet?

A full pallet in the UK is 1200mm x 1000mm, or 120cm x 100cm. Loaded, a full pallet is normally limited to 2.2m in total height measured from the floor, and around 1,200kg in weight. Anything shorter than that is usually booked as a half or quarter pallet by delivery networks.

What is the main difference between Euro and UK pallets?

The width. Both are 1200mm long, but a UK pallet is 1000mm wide and a Euro pallet is 800mm wide. That makes the Euro pallet size 20 per cent smaller in footprint. UK pallets suit British racking and lorries, while Euro pallets suit European handling systems and fit three across a trailer instead of two.

What are the pallet dimensions UK businesses use most?

1200mm x 1000mm. That is the standard pallet size UK warehouses, racking systems and curtainsided trailers are built around, and it is what you will be sent unless you ask for something else. The Euro pallet at 1200mm x 800mm is the second most common, mainly for goods moving to and from Europe.

How many pallets fit in a 40ft container?

A 40ft container holds 20 to 22 UK standard pallets, or 25 Euro pallets, in a single layer on the floor. The higher figures need a mixed loading pattern where some pallets are turned sideways. A 40ft high cube holds the same number, because it has the same floor area and only gains extra height.

How many pallets fit in a 20ft container?

A 20ft container holds 9 UK standard pallets or 11 Euro pallets in a single layer. You will often see 10 UK pallets quoted, but two 1200mm pallets side by side need 2,400mm, and the container is only 2,352mm wide inside, so they will not go in two abreast.

How tall is a standard pallet?

An empty UK standard wooden pallet is about 150mm tall, and a Euro pallet is 144mm. When people ask about pallet height for a delivery, they usually mean the pallet plus its load, which is normally capped at 2.2m measured from the floor.

How much does a standard wooden pallet weigh?

An empty UK standard wooden pallet weighs 25 to 30kg. A Euro pallet weighs 20 to 25kg. Pallets that have been stored outside weigh more, because the timber absorbs moisture. Heat-treated pallets tend to be at the lighter end of the range.

Is a plastic Euro pallet the same size as a wooden one?

Yes. A plastic Euro pallet is 1200mm x 800mm, the same as the wooden version, so the two work in the same racking and the same vehicles. Heavier rackable plastic pallets carry up to 2,000kg, and plastic pallets can be recycled over ten times.

Can I get pallets in a custom size?

Yes. We build pallets to any dimensions for loads that do not suit a standard size, and we heat treat them to ISPM 15 if they are going abroad. Send us the size and weight of what you are moving, and we will quote for it.

How can I tell if my pallet is a standard size?

Take pallet measurements along both sides of the top deck. 1200mm x 1000mm is a UK standard pallet and 1200mm x 800mm is a Euro pallet. Then check the corner blocks for stamps: an EPAL or EUR mark confirms a certified Euro pallet, and an IPPC mark with the letters HT means it has been heat-treated for export.