Pallet sizes in the UK
The UK standard pallet measures 1200 x 1000 mm and the Euro pallet 1200 x 800 mm; half pallets measure 800 x 600 mm, quarter pallets 600 x 400 mm, and the nine CP pallets run from 1140 x 760 mm to 1300 x 1100 mm.
In centimetres that is 120 x 100 cm and 120 x 80 cm, and the chart below gives every size in millimetres, centimetres and inches, with the height each one stands.
Pallet size chart for UK standard, Euro, half, quarter, square and CP
The UK standard pallet is 1200 x 1000 mm and the Euro pallet 1200 x 800 mm, and six other footprints complete the chart of eight sizes in millimetres, centimetres and inches.
| Pallet | mm | cm | inches | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK standard | 1200 x 1000 | 120 x 100 | 47.2 x 39.4 | UK standard pallet size |
| Euro | 1200 x 800 | 120 x 80 | 47.2 x 31.5 | Euro pallet size |
| Half | 800 x 600 | 80 x 60 | 31.5 x 23.62 | Half and quarter pallet sizes |
| Quarter | 600 x 400 | 60 x 40 | 23.62 x 15.75 | Half and quarter pallet sizes |
| CP1 to CP9 | 1140 x 760 to 1300 x 1100 (nine types, listed in the CP table) | 114 x 76 to 130 x 110 | 44.88 x 29.92 to 51.18 x 43.31 | CP pallet sizes |
| Square | 1200 x 1200 | 120 x 120 | 47.24 x 47.24 | Square pallet sizes |
| Container square | 1140 x 1140 | 114 x 114 | 44.88 x 44.88 | Square pallet sizes |
| Bespoke | any footprint made to order | n/a | n/a | How to choose a pallet size |
EPAL writes the Euro pallet as 800 x 1200 mm and ISO lists 1000 x 1200 mm, and UK suppliers write the longer side first, so this page writes 1200 x 1000 and 1200 x 800 mm throughout. Every footprint on this chart is a size we supply, as wooden pallets for sale in the UK standard and Euro sizes, and as the specialist sizes in the sections below.
UK standard pallet size at 1200 x 1000 mm
The UK standard pallet measures 1200 x 1000 mm, the size the racking maker Dexion gives as the UK standard.
No single UK specification publishes the size, and BS EN 13698-2 sets how a 1000 x 1200 mm wooden pallet is built.
- Footprint
- 1200 x 1000 mm
- Same footprint, other names
- CP1 and CP6, EPAL 2 and EPAL 3, and "1000 x 1200" with the sides turned
- Construction standard
- BS EN 13698-2:2009, a nine-block skid with a perimeter base
- Height
- set by the build, listed in the height table below
The full dimensions, board layout and height are on the standard pallet size UK guide. The size is sold on the UK standard pallets for sale page. The Euro pallet shares the 1200 mm length and cuts the width to 800 mm.
Euro pallet size at 1200 x 800 mm
The Euro pallet measures 1200 x 800 x 144 mm, according to EPAL, which lists it as 800 x 1,200 x 144 mm.
- Footprint and height
- 1200 x 800 mm, 144 mm high
- Boards
- 11 boards, 22 to 24 mm thick
- Blocks
- 9 blocks
- Entry
- four-way
- Construction standard
- BS EN 13698-1:2003, an 800 x 1200 mm double-deck nine-block pallet
The euro pallet size guide gives every dimension and the EPAL markings, and the Euro pallets for sale page has the grades. The euro pallets vs standard pallets comparison sets the two side by side. Cut the Euro pallet in half and you get the 800 x 600 mm half pallet.
Half and quarter pallet sizes at 800 x 600 mm and 600 x 400 mm
A half pallet measures 800 x 600 mm, half the footprint of a Euro pallet, and a quarter pallet measures 600 x 400 mm, a quarter of it.
Two 800 x 600 mm half pallets side by side cover 1200 x 800 mm, and four 600 x 400 mm quarter pallets cover the same 1200 x 800 mm.
- Euro footprint
- 1200 x 800 mm
- Half footprint
- 800 x 600 mm, two to a Euro footprint
- Quarter footprint
- 600 x 400 mm, four to a Euro footprint
A 600 x 400 mm pallet does not divide a UK standard pallet into whole pallets, since 1000 divided by 400 is 2.5.
Both sizes are on the half pallets page, and the quarter and display pallets page covers the 600 x 400 mm retail size. Chemical pallets use a different set of footprints, numbered CP1 to CP9.
CP pallet sizes from CP1 to CP9
The nine CP pallets measure from 1140 x 760 mm (CP5) to 1300 x 1100 mm (CP7), and EPAL publishes each one as a datasheet.
| CP type | Footprint (mm) | Height (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| CP1 | 1200 x 1000 | 138 |
| CP2 | 1200 x 800 | 138 |
| CP3 | 1140 x 1140 | 138 |
| CP4 | 1300 x 1100 | 138 |
| CP5 | 1140 x 760 | 138 |
| CP6 | 1200 x 1000 | 156 |
| CP7 | 1300 x 1100 | 156 |
| CP8 | 1140 x 1140 | 156 |
| CP9 | 1140 x 1140 | 156 |
EPAL lists CP4 as 1100 x 1300 mm and CP5 as 760 x 1140 mm, the width first.
The CP pallets page covers each type, its board layout and its use. Two CP footprints are square, and square pallets have a section of their own.
Square pallet sizes at 1200 x 1200 mm and 1140 x 1140 mm
The two main square pallet sizes are 1200 x 1200 mm and 1140 x 1140 mm, and the 1140 x 1140 mm footprint is the one CP3, CP8 and CP9 share.
- 1200 x 1200 mm
- quoted to order, so the quote names the size
- 1140 x 1140 mm
- the footprint that CP3, CP8 and CP9 share
- Other square sizes
- 1100 x 1100 mm and 1000 x 1000 mm, quoted to order
The square pallets page lists every square size we quote.
Pallet height and how tall each size stands
Pallet height runs from 138 mm for CP1 to CP5 to 163 mm for the EPAL 7 half pallet across the standard wooden pallets, and a UK standard pallet has no single height because the build sets it.
| Pallet | Height (mm) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| EPAL Euro pallet (1200 x 800) | 144 | EPAL |
| EPAL 3 (1200 x 1000) | 144 | EPAL |
| EPAL 2 (1200 x 1000) | 162 | EPAL |
| EPAL 6 half pallet (800 x 600) | 144 | EPAL |
| EPAL 7 half pallet (800 x 600) | 163 | EPAL |
| CP1 to CP5 | 138 | EPAL datasheets |
| CP6 to CP9 | 156 | EPAL datasheets |
| Plastic nestable pallets and quarter pallets | about 120 to 150 mm for plastic nestable pallets about 105 to 155 mm for quarter pallets | supplier listings |
A UK standard wooden pallet has no published height; the 1200 x 1000 mm designs in this table stand about 138 to 162 mm.
How many pallets fit on a lorry by size
A standard 13.6 m semi-trailer takes 33 Euro pallets or 26 UK standard pallets in a single layer, according to the freight exchange TIMOCOM.
| Pallet | Footprint (mm) | Pallets on the trailer floor |
|---|---|---|
| UK standard | 1200 x 1000 | 26 |
| Euro | 1200 x 800 | 33 |
| Square | 1200 x 1200 | 22 |
| Square | 1140 x 1140 | 22 |
| Square | 1100 x 1100 | 24 |
| Square | 1000 x 1000 | 26 |
The square counts are our own sums, 2 across with the rows set by the 13.6 m length. These counts cover the floor only, with no height, axle weight or stacking check, so confirm a loaded plan with the carrier.
For a loaded plan or a 20ft or 40ft container, use the how many pallets fit in a container or lorry calculator.
How to choose a pallet size
Choose a pallet size by matching the footprint to your route, your handling equipment and your goods, in that order.
| If you are | Quote | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping within the UK on UK warehouse racking or pallet trucks | UK standard 1200 x 1000 mm | It is the UK standard footprint (UK standard pallet size). |
| Shipping to Europe or on Euro-sized handling | Euro 1200 x 800 mm | It is the Euro footprint (Euro pallet size); for export, ask for heat treatment. |
| Packing small retail or shelf goods | Half 800 x 600 mm or quarter 600 x 400 mm | They are the half and quarter footprints (half and quarter pallet sizes). |
| Packing drums, octabins or goods that fit no standard footprint | CP or square size, or a bespoke pallet | They are the specialist footprints (CP and square pallet sizes). |
- Measure the goods and the space they need.
- Match the footprint to the route and the handling equipment.
- Name the size, the quantity and the delivery postcode on the quote.
Pallets for export need heat treatment, covered on the heat treated pallets for export page. A footprint that fits no row on the chart is made as a bespoke pallet. Send the size, the quantity and the postcode through the pallet quote form.
How to measure a pallet
Measure a pallet with a tape in three numbers of length, width and height, in millimetres, with the longer side first.
- Measure the longer side of the top deck for the length.
- Measure the shorter side of the top deck for the width.
- Measure from the floor to the top of the top deck boards for the height.
- Measure the thickness of a deck board with the tape on its edge.
- Board thickness on an EPAL Euro pallet
- 22 to 24 mm, with stringers up to 25 mm
- Boards and blocks on an EPAL Euro pallet
- 11 boards and 9 blocks
Sizes written in inches, such as 48 x 40, belong to the ISO footprints used outside the UK.
ISO 6780 pallet sizes used outside the UK
ISO 6780 lists six pallet sizes, and the UK standard 1200 x 1000 mm and the Euro 1200 x 800 mm are two of them.
| ISO footprint (mm) | Inches | Region most used |
|---|---|---|
| 1219 x 1016 | 48 x 40 | North America |
| 1200 x 1000 | 47.2 x 39.4 | Europe, Asia |
| 1165 x 1165 | 45.9 x 45.9 | Australia |
| 1067 x 1067 | 42 x 42 | North America, Europe, Asia |
| 1100 x 1100 | 43.3 x 43.3 | Asia |
| 1200 x 800 | 47.2 x 31.5 | Europe |
The ISO list writes some pairs the other way round, such as 1016 x 1219 and 1000 x 1200; this table writes the longer side first.
The six sizes are as listed on Wikipedia, as the ISO 6780 text is paywalled.
Wooden pallets that leave Great Britain for export need heat treatment and the ISPM 15 mark, covered in the ISPM 15 guide.
Pallet size FAQs
Are pallets a standard size?
No single size is the standard. The UK standard 1200 x 1000 mm and the Euro 1200 x 800 mm are the two sizes the trade names, and ISO 6780 lists six.
Is a Euro pallet 1200 x 1000 mm?
No, a Euro pallet is 1200 x 800 mm; a 1200 x 1000 mm pallet is the UK standard, or an EPAL 2 or EPAL 3 if it carries the EPAL mark.
What size are plastic pallets?
Plastic pallets come in the same footprints as wooden pallets, including 1200 x 1000, 1200 x 800, 1200 x 1200 and 1140 x 1140 mm, in nestable and runner builds.
What size are pallet collars?
Pallet collars match the pallet footprint they sit on, and a typical wooden collar is 200 mm high, according to supplier listings.
What is the biggest pallet size?
We make bespoke pallets in any length and width, and extra-long sizes such as 3000 x 1200 mm are quoted.
Request a quote for pallets in your size
We quote the size, the quantity and the delivery postcode you send, for any size on this page.
