--- title: "UK Pallet Sizes and Dimensions Explained | SHIPMAX" description: "UK, Euro, US and CHEP pallet dimensions, the pallet network height and weight bands, and how the pallet you pick quietly sets your storage, freight and export costs." url: https://www.shipmaxinternational.com/blog/uk-pallet-sizes-and-dimensions/ --- [Back to blog](https://www.shipmaxinternational.com/blog/) 5 November 2026, 9:00am pallets warehousing freight fulfilment costs 3PL # UK Pallet Sizes and Dimensions: How to Choose the Right Pallet UK, Euro, US and CHEP pallet dimensions, the pallet network height and weight bands, and how the pallet you pick quietly sets your storage, freight and export costs. By [Phil Rees](https://www.shipmaxinternational.com/about/), Founder of SHIPMAX. Phil founded SHIPMAX in 2023 on more than twenty years of hands-on logistics and customs experience. A 'UK pallet sizes and dimensions: choose the right pallet' graphic showing three shrink-wrapped pallets of cartons at different sizes in a warehouse, with measurement arrows and a question mark pointing to each. Most brands don’t choose a pallet. They inherit one. Whatever the supplier shipped on, whatever the forwarder had lying around. Then the invoices start. Your 3PL charges storage per pallet, per week. Your carrier prices by pallet size and weight band. The border checks the wood. The pallet decided all of it. Nobody decided the pallet. Here’s what you need to know. ## The quick answer: standard pallet sizes | Pallet | Dimensions (L x W) | Where you’ll see it | | ----------------- | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | | UK standard | 1200 x 1000mm | UK warehouses and UK pallet networks | | Euro (EPAL / EUR) | 1200 x 800mm | Europe, and most EU-bound freight | | Half Euro | 800 x 600mm | Smaller loads and retail displays | | US (GMA) | 48 x 40in (roughly 1219 x 1016mm) | North America | A certified EPAL Euro pallet is 144mm tall, weighs around 25kg, and has a safe working load of 1,500kg. And CHEP? It’s not a size. It’s a pallet pooling company. Their blue pallets come in UK and Euro sizes, and you hire them rather than own them. More on why that matters below. ## UK vs Euro: the 200mm that changes your bill A UK pallet has a footprint of 1.2m². A Euro pallet is 0.96m². That’s 20% less floor space. Now look at how your 3PL charges for storage. Usually per pallet, per week. Same price per position. 20% less footprint to stack on. If your stock is light and bulky, that adds up fast. That’s not a reason to avoid Euro pallets. It’s a reason to know which one you’re on before you compare storage quotes. Going the other way, Euro pallets win on the road. A standard 13.6m trailer takes 26 UK pallets or 33 Euro pallets. Shipping into Europe? The smaller footprint earns its keep. Some fulfilment partners also specify Euro pallets for inbound stock. Check before your supplier books the shipment, not after. ## Pallet network bands: where the height limit bites Moving pallets around the UK on a pallet network? You’re not just paying by footprint. You’re paying by band. Here’s a typical set of UK network bands (these are [Palletways’ sizes as listed by booking sites](https://uk.interparcel.com/blog/services/courier-spotlight-palletways); every network sets its own, so check yours): | Band | Max height (incl. pallet) | Max weight (incl. pallet) | | ------------ | ------------------------- | ------------------------- | | Full | 2.2m | 1,000kg | | Light | 2.2m | 750kg | | Half | 1.1m | 500kg | | Quarter | 0.8m | 250kg | | Mini quarter | 0.6m | 150kg | Here’s the trap. A pallet that’s 1.15m tall isn’t a half pallet. It’s a full pallet that’s half empty. Five centimetres over the line and you pay the next band up. Same goods, same weight, bigger bill. Height is the number brands guess at most. It’s also the one that costs the most when the guess is wrong. ## CHEP and pooled pallets: handy, with strings attached Pooled pallets (CHEP’s blue ones are the best known) are hired. You don’t buy them. You rent them while they’re in your supply chain. Brilliant for regular retail and grocery flows, where the pallet goes round a closed loop and comes back. Less brilliant when it leaves that loop. If a hired pallet ends up somewhere the pool doesn’t collect from, the hire terms decide who pays for it. Read them, or ask your supplier and 3PL which pallets you’re actually on. And don’t assume a hired pallet is ready for export. [EPAL has warned](https://logisticsbusiness.com/packaging-ecommerce/pallets-containers/brexit-pallet-delay-warning/) that not every pallet system is fully ISPM 15 compliant, so ask your pool provider before anything crosses a border. Which brings us to exports. ## Exporting? The wood matters too Since 1 January 2021, wooden pallets moving between Great Britain and the EU have had to meet [ISPM 15](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wood-packaging-material-for-import-and-export). In both directions. In plain English: the wood has to be treated (usually heat treated, marked HT) and stamped with the IPPC mark plus country and producer codes. No stamp, and your shipment risks being held at the border. France has stepped up its checks on wood packaging since September 2026, and [expects non-compliant pallets to be destroyed](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-veterinary-surgeon-ovs-notes/16-september-2026-wood-packaging-material-wpm-compliance-for-exports-to-the-eu). Plastic pallets sit outside ISPM 15, because the rules apply to solid wood packaging. Moving goods to or from Northern Ireland? Different rules apply, so check the [government’s current guidance](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wood-packaging-material-for-import-and-export#northern-ireland-rules) for your route. ## What your 3PL actually cares about From the warehouse side, the pallet isn’t just a base. It’s the unit they plan and bill around. A few things that make a 3PL’s life easier, and your invoice smaller: - **One SKU per pallet**, or SKUs clearly separated. Mixed pallets need breaking down, and that handling gets billed. - **Clean receiving.** Receiving is often priced per pallet, per carton or per labour hour. Mixed SKUs, poor labelling and no advance notice push it towards the hourly end. - **Dimensions on file.** Put-away slows down when product dimensions are missing. Send carton sizes and your pallet configuration with the inbound notice. - **Racking height.** Every warehouse has a maximum pallet height its racking takes. Build taller and someone has to break your pallet down. Ask for the number before your first inbound. - **Storage minimums.** A cheap per-pallet rate with a minimum pallet count can cost more than a dearer rate with none, if you’re only storing a handful. ## How to choose the right pallet: a 5-step check 1. **Where’s it going?** UK only: the UK standard is the default. Into the EU: Euro pallets usually make more sense. Into the US: 48 x 40in. 2. **What does the receiving end want?** Ask your 3PL, the marketplace or the retailer. Their inbound spec beats your preference. 3. **How tall and how heavy will the finished load be?** Include the pallet itself (a Euro pallet adds 144mm). Then check which carrier band that lands in. 4. **Owned or pooled?** If the pallet isn’t coming back, don’t ship it on a hired one. 5. **Is it crossing a border?** Wooden pallet means checking for the ISPM 15 stamp. Step 3 is where most brands come unstuck. Doing it properly means working out how many cartons fit per layer, how many layers before you hit the height limit, and whether the weight tips you into the next band. For every carton size you’ve got. That’s an afternoon with a tape measure and a spreadsheet. Or about two minutes. ## Why not try our Pallet Calculator? We built a free [Pallet Calculator](https://www.shipmaxinternational.com/tools/pallet-calculator/) for exactly this. Pick your pallet standard (UK, Euro/EPAL, US or CHEP). Add up to six carton sizes. Set your height and weight limits. It builds the load in 3D, heaviest boxes at the bottom, and shows you: - how many of each carton fit, and how many don’t - the loaded height - the gross weight Change a carton size or switch pallet standard and watch the numbers move. It’s the quickest way to see whether a different pallet or a smaller carton drops you into a cheaper band. When it’s right, get the spec sheet emailed over and send it straight to your 3PL or carrier. No sign-up, no catch. ## The takeaway The pallet is the cheapest thing in your supply chain. It’s also the unit almost everything else gets priced on. Pick it on purpose. Know your height. Know your band. Know whether the wood needs a stamp. Then [run your cartons through the Pallet Calculator](https://www.shipmaxinternational.com/tools/pallet-calculator/) before your next inbound, and let the maths do the arguing for you. **[Book a Call](https://calendly.com/shipmax-call/brand-call?back=1&utm%5Fsource=shipmax%5Fwebsite&utm%5Fmedium=site&utm%5Fcontent=blog%5Fuk-pallet-sizes-and-dimensions)** or email [hello@shipmax.co.uk](mailto:hello@shipmax.co.uk). Not moving 3PL this year? Save this article for when you are. Best, Phil Founder, SHIPMAX LTD [Phil on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/international-ecommerce/)