How much does a pallet weigh?
A UK standard wooden pallet (1200 x 1000 mm) weighs about 15 to 28 kg empty, an EPAL Euro pallet (1200 x 800 mm) about 25 kg and a 1200 x 1000 mm plastic pallet about 5 to 26 kg, according to the listings we checked and EPAL. CHEP lists its UK pallet at 28 kg and its Euro pallet at 25 kg.
25 kg is about 55 lb, because 1 kg is 2.2046 lb. Every weight on this page is an empty weight in kg, and every range names the listings or datasheets behind it.
Pallet weight by type in kg
A full-size pallet (1200 mm long) weighs about 4 to 35 kg empty, depending on the type, with wooden pallets (UK standard, EPAL Euro and CHEP) at about 15 to 35 kg, plastic pallets at about 4.4 to 26 kg across the listed models, and cardboard pallets at 4.05 to 5.88 kg.
Empty weight, also called tare weight, is the weight of the pallet with nothing on it.
The lightest full-size pallet is the 1200 x 800 mm cardboard pallet at 4.05 kg and the heaviest is the EPAL 2 at about 35 kg, and CP1 to CP9 are the one type with no published weight.
| Pallet | Size (mm) | Empty weight (kg) | 10 empty pallets (kg) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK standard | 1200 x 1000 | 15.2 to 28 | 152 to 280 | Maker listings (2), Palltech |
| EPAL Euro pallet | 1200 x 800 | about 25 | 250 | EPAL |
| EPAL 2 | 1200 x 1000 | about 35 | 350 | EPAL |
| EPAL 3 | 1000 x 1200 | about 30 | 300 | EPAL |
| CHEP UK | 1200 x 1000 | 28 | 280 | CHEP |
| CHEP Euro | 1200 x 800 | 25 | 250 | CHEP |
| Plastic, nestable | 1200 x 1000 | 5.4 to 10.8 | 54 to 108 | Maker listings (4) |
| Plastic, runners or perimeter base | 1200 x 1000 | about 22 to 26 | 220 to 260 | Maker listings (4) |
| Plastic, nestable | 1200 x 800 | about 4.4 to 9.6 | 44 to 96 | Maker listings (6) |
| Presswood | 1200 x 800 | 8 to 11.5 | 80 to 115 | Maker listings |
| Presswood | 1200 x 1000 | 14.5 to 18 | 145 to 180 | Maker listings |
| Cardboard (paper) | 1200 x 800 | 4.05 to 5.12 | 40.5 to 51.2 | Maker listings |
| Cardboard (paper) | 1200 x 1000 | 4.55 to 5.88 | 45.5 to 58.8 | Maker listings |
| Steel | 1200 x 800 | about 22 to 32 | 220 to 320 | Maker listings (3) |
| Aluminium | 1200 x 800 | about 11 to 17 | 110 to 170 | Maker listings |
| Wooden half | 800 x 600 | 7 | 70 | Maker listing |
| EPAL 6 half | 800 x 600 | about 9.5 | 95 | EPAL |
Multiply a weight in the table by the number of pallets to get the weight of a stack or a load.
How much does a UK standard pallet weigh?
A UK standard pallet (1200 x 1000 mm) weighs about 15 to 28 kg empty, according to two named listings and one supplier guide. The lightest listing is 15.2 kg and the top of Palltech's range is 28 kg.
| Listing | Build | Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| BiGDUG Essentials | Four-way entry, 138 mm high, heat treated and kiln dried | 15.2 |
| RAJA standard UK pallet | Perimeter base, 138 mm high | 18.5 |
The difference between the lightest listing and the top of Palltech's range is 12.8 kg. No single UK-published specification exists for "the UK standard pallet", so the build and the timber decide the weight, and Palltech, a UK pallet supplier, gives "typically 22kg to 28kg depending on timber and build". The EPAL 2 and EPAL 3, two EPAL-specified 1200 x 1000 mm designs, weigh about 35 and 30 kg. A CHEP pool pallet is a different pallet, 162 mm high and 28 kg, and has its own section below.
How much does a Euro pallet weigh?
An EPAL Euro pallet weighs approx 25 kg empty, according to EPAL. EPAL's other two full-size pallets weigh approx 35 kg (EPAL 2) and approx 30 kg (EPAL 3).
| EPAL type | Size (mm) | Boards / blocks / nails | Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPAL Euro pallet | 800 x 1,200 x 144 | 11 / 9 / 78 | approx 25 |
| EPAL 2 | 1,200 x 1,000 x 162 | 17 / 9 / 133 | approx 35 |
| EPAL 3 | 1,000 x 1,200 x 144 | 13 / 9 / 84 | approx 30 |
The EPAL 2 weighs approx 35 kg with 17 boards, where the EPAL Euro pallet weighs approx 25 kg with 11. CHEP lists its 1200 x 800 mm pallet at the same 25 kg. An unstamped Euro-size pallet carries no EPAL figure, and Palltech gives 20kg to 25kg for Euro pallets as a supplier range. EPAL's quality classification for used Euro pallets sets criteria, such as wood moisture, and gives no weight for any class. We cover the stamped pallets in full on EPAL pallets.
How much does a blue CHEP pallet weigh?
A CHEP 1200 x 1000 mm UK pallet weighs 28 kg empty, according to CHEP's datasheet. CHEP's 1200 x 800 mm Euro pallet is 144 mm high and weighs 25 kg.
| CHEP pallet | Size (mm) | Height (mm) | Tare (kg) | Safe working load stated by CHEP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK wooden pallet | 1200 x 1000 | 162 | 28 | 1,500 kg |
| European wooden pallet | 1200 x 800 | 144 | 25 | 1,000 kg UDL |
Blue CHEP pallets remain CHEP's property, according to council guidance, and councils point to free collection by CHEP. We do not sell, buy or recycle CHEP pallets. The full story of how the pool works is in our guide to CHEP pallets (blue pallets).
How much does a plastic pallet weigh?
A 1200 x 1000 mm plastic pallet weighs about 5 to 26 kg empty, depending on the model, according to maker listings. Nestable pallets sit at the light end and runner or perimeter base pallets at the heavy end.
| Plastic pallet | Size (mm) | Weight (kg) | Models checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nestable | 1200 x 1000 | 5.4 to 10.8 | 4 |
| Runners or perimeter base | 1200 x 1000 | about 22 to 26 | 4 |
| Nestable | 1200 x 800 | about 4.4 to 9.6 | 6 |
The runner and perimeter base builds are the heavy duty plastic pallets, at about 22 to 26 kg across the four models checked. A steel-reinforced 1200 x 1000 mm plastic pallet from Kaiserkraft UK weighs 37.5 kg, so 26 kg is not a market maximum. The lightest nestable 1200 x 1000 mm listing checked weighs 5.4 kg and the lightest UK standard wooden listing checked weighs 15.2 kg, a difference of 9.8 kg.
How much do CP, half, presswood, metal and cardboard pallets weigh?
Half, presswood, metal and cardboard pallets each have a published weight in the sources we checked, and CP pallets are the exception, with no weight on EPAL's datasheet for any of the nine types.
- CP pallets have no published weight on EPAL's datasheets for any of the nine types, CP1 to CP9 (EPAL).
- Half pallets (800 x 600 mm) weigh 7 kg in a wooden listing, about 9.5 kg as the EPAL 6 and about 2.5 to 9 kg in plastic across three models (Pallets Direct, EPAL, maker listings).
- Presswood pallets weigh 8 to 11.5 kg at 1200 x 800 mm and 14.5 to 18 kg at 1200 x 1000 mm (maker listings).
- Metal pallets weigh about 22 to 32 kg in steel and about 11 to 17 kg in aluminium at 1200 x 800 mm (maker listings).
- Cardboard pallets weigh 4.05 to 5.12 kg at 1200 x 800 mm and 4.55 to 5.88 kg at 1200 x 1000 mm (maker listings).
Plastic quarter pallets weigh 1.6 to 2.2 kg across three models, and the maker listings give no weight for a wooden quarter pallet.
What changes the weight of a pallet?
Four things change the weight of a pallet, and they are the material, the build, the timber and moisture, and wear.
- MaterialSets the range, as wood runs from 15 to 35 kg, plastic from 4.4 to 26 kg and cardboard from 4.05 to 5.88 kg, across the 1200 x 1000 mm and 1200 x 800 mm pallets in the listings.
- BuildAdds weight with the boards, as EPAL's three full-size pallets weigh about 25, 35 and 30 kg with 11, 17 and 13 boards, in the order EPAL Euro, EPAL 2 and EPAL 3.
- Timber and moistureChanges the weight, but the datasheets give no kg figure. Palltech ties a UK standard pallet's weight to "timber and build", and EPAL lists wood moisture of 22% or less as a criterion for used Euro pallets.
- WearOften lightens a used pallet by a kilo or two, according to Palltech.
Which pallets are the lightest?
The lightest full-size pallet (1200 mm long) in the datasheets and listings is the cardboard pallet at 4.05 kg (1200 x 800 mm), followed by the nestable plastic pallet at 4.4 kg.
- Cardboard pallet4.05 kg
- Nestable plastic pallet4.4 kg
- Presswood pallet8 kg
- Aluminium palletabout 11 kg (low end of the 11 to 17 kg range)
- Wooden UK standard pallet listing15.2 kg
How much does a stack of pallets weigh?
A stack of 10 EPAL Euro pallets weighs 250 kg and stands 1.44 m high, empty.
| Stack | Height (m) | Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 UK standard pallets, BiGDUG listing, 138 mm each | 1.38 | 152 |
| 10 CHEP UK pallets, 162 mm each | 1.62 | 280 |
| 10 EPAL Euro pallets, 144 mm each | 1.44 | 250 |
| 15 EPAL Euro pallets, 144 mm each | 2.16 | 375 |
| 10 nestable plastic pallets, 1200 x 1000 mm, 5.4 kg each | nested stacks are shorter | 54 |
These are empty pallets, so the weight of goods on top is added in the load sum further down this page. CHEP states that empty pallets "can be stored 40 high" for its UK pallet.
How much does a lorry load of pallets weigh?
One layer of Euro pallets on a 13.6 m trailer is 33 pallets and weighs 825 kg empty, and one layer of UK standard pallets is 26 pallets and weighs 395 to 728 kg.
| Pallet | Pallets in one layer on a 13.6 m trailer | Weight of that layer (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Euro | 33 | 825 |
| UK standard | 26 | 395 to 728 |
A 13.6 m trailer takes 33 Euro pallet floor spaces, and stacks of 15 (2.16 m high) give 495 empty Euro pallets, about 12.4 tonnes at 25 kg each. That is an upper bound, because according to Palltech used pallets often weigh a kilo or two less. The weights leave out the goods and any legal weight limit for the vehicle, which the sources we checked do not give.
How much weight can a pallet hold?
An EPAL Euro pallet carries a safe working load of 1,500 kg, according to EPAL, with a stacking load of 5,500 kg on the bottom pallet of a laden stack. CHEP states 1,500 kg for its UK pallet and 1,000 kg UDL for its Euro pallet. The load for every other type has its own guide on how much weight a pallet can hold.
As typical industry guidance, never a rating, a UK standard Grade A pallet can hold up to approximately 1 tonne, Grade B roughly 750 kg and Grade C between 200 kg and 500 kg, according to Dexion. The pallet's own weight above is the tare; the load a pallet carries is a separate figure.
How do you work out the weight of a load of pallets?
You work out the weight of a load of pallets by multiplying the number of pallets by the empty weight of each, then adding the goods.
- CountThe pallets of each type.
- FindThe empty weight in kg of each type, from the table above.
- MultiplyThe number of pallets by the empty weight.
- AddThe weight of the goods on each pallet.
20 EPAL Euro pallets at about 25 kg are about 500 kg before goods. For a mixed load, add the weight of each pallet type from the table above.
Pallet weight FAQs
What is the average weight of a pallet?
No single average exists, as a pallet weighs about 15 to 28 kg in UK standard wood, about 25 kg as an EPAL Euro pallet and about 5 to 26 kg in 1200 x 1000 mm plastic. We quote used pallets by type and size.
Do used pallets weigh less than new pallets?
Yes, by a kilo or two, according to Palltech, because of wear. No other source states a figure.
How much does a full pallet weigh?
A full pallet weighs the empty pallet plus its goods, which is 15 to 28 kg of pallet for a UK standard pallet, and up to 1,500 kg of goods on an EPAL Euro pallet, according to EPAL.
Get pallets quoted by type, size and quantity
Tell us the pallet type, size and quantity and the delivery postcode, and the weight of the pallets supplied is named on the quote. No account is needed.
