The standard UK pallet is 1200 × 1000 mm and the Euro pallet is 1200 × 800 mm. Because both are 1200 mm long, racking that stores them 1200 mm deep can use the same 1100 mm deep frames; what changes is how many fit on each beam level, typically two UK pallets or three Euro pallets on a 2700 mm beam.

That shared length is why most UK warehouses can mix the two. The details that catch people out are beam length, pallet strength, the odd imported pallet size and a load notice that only covers one of them. This guide works through each.

What are the UK and Euro pallet sizes?

The UK pallet measures 1200 × 1000 mm and the Euro pallet 1200 × 800 mm. Both appear in ISO 6780, which lists six principal plan sizes for flat pallets in intercontinental handling and allows a tolerance of +3 mm and −6 mm on plan dimensions (ISO, ISO 6780:2003). The 800 × 1200 mm wooden pallet also has its own construction standard, BS EN 13698-1 (BSI).

Heights and weights differ too. The EPAL Euro pallet is 144 mm high, weighs around 25 kg and has a safe working load of 1,500 kg; the EPAL 2 pallet at 1200 × 1000 mm is 162 mm high, weighs around 35 kg and is rated at 1,250 kg (EPAL). Many UK pallets in circulation are not EPAL pallets, so take the rating from your own pallet supplier.

Feature	UK pallet	Euro pallet (EPAL)
Plan size (mm)	1200 × 1000	1200 × 800
Height, EPAL version (mm)	162	144
Own weight, EPAL version (kg)	about 35	about 25
Safe working load, EPAL version (kg)	1,250	1,500
Typical frame depth, stored 1200 deep (mm)	1100	1100
Typical pallets per 2700 mm beam	2	3

The UK pallet column uses EPAL 2 figures as a reference point. Frame depth and pallets per beam are typical values.

Which way round should pallets go into the racking?

In most UK racking, both pallets go in 1200 mm deep, with the short side facing the aisle. The truck enters the pallet from the 1000 mm or 800 mm side, the pallet spans both beams front to back, and the overhang of about 50 mm at front and back lets the driver place it without catching the beam.

Storing pallets the other way round, with the long side facing the aisle, is possible but changes everything else. A UK pallet stored 1000 mm deep needs a 900 mm frame as a typical value, and a Euro pallet stored 800 mm deep is too shallow to span standard beams safely, so it needs pallet support bars or galvanised mesh decking under it. If you are unsure, keep both pallets 1200 mm deep and let the beam length do the work. Our guide to UK pallet racking dimensions has the full set of standard sizes.

How many pallets fit on each beam level?

The number per level is set by the pallet face width plus the side clearances. With 75 mm clearances as a typical value, a 2700 mm beam takes three Euro pallets (3 × 800 mm plus 4 × 75 mm) but only two UK pallets, because three UK pallets need about 3300 mm.

This is the main design choice when you hold mostly one type. A warehouse of UK pallets often uses 3300 mm beams to get three per level, while a Euro-pallet site might standardise on 2700 mm. If you hold both, two options work well: a 2700 mm bay that holds three Euro or two UK pallets, or dedicated runs for each pallet type with their own beam length. BS EN 15620:2021 sets the clearances that apply, and they grow with beam height (BSI, BS EN 15620:2021).

Height matters as well as width. The EPAL 2 pallet is 18 mm taller than the EPAL Euro pallet, and loads on the two types are rarely built to the same height. Beam level spacing should be set for the tallest loaded pallet that can go on each level, plus the top clearance and the beam depth. If one product range is stacked noticeably higher, it is usually better to give it its own levels than to space every level for the worst case and lose a whole beam level up the frame.

Can you store UK and Euro pallets in the same racking?

Yes, as long as three things are checked. First, the frame depth suits both, which it does when both are stored 1200 mm deep. Second, the beam level is rated for the heaviest arrangement that can be placed on it: three heavy Euro pallets on a level can weigh more than two UK pallets. Third, the load notice shows the permitted load for each configuration.

SEMA's guidance is that a run with different configurations can carry a separate notice for each, or one conservative notice that suits them all, and that the notice must be in colour (SEMA, Technical FAQ). Our guide to pallet racking load notices covers what to include. For the level load itself, see how to work out beam capacity.

What about pallets from outside the UK?

If you import goods, check the pallets before you fix the racking. ISO 6780 also lists 1219 × 1016 mm, 1067 × 1067 mm, 1100 × 1100 mm and 1140 × 1140 mm (ISO, ISO 6780:2003), and you are likely to meet some of these on goods shipped from North America or Asia.

Square pallets of 1100 mm or 1140 mm are a problem in standard UK bays. Stored on 1100 mm frames they have little or no overhang, and on a 2700 mm beam you may only fit two. The options are deeper frames for an import zone, a different beam length, or restacking goods onto UK or Euro pallets at goods-in. Whichever you choose, the layout should show it, so nobody pushes a square pallet into a bay that was never designed for it.

Does pallet quality matter for racking?

Yes. A racking level is only as safe as the pallets sitting on it. A pallet with a broken bottom board or a cracked block can drop its load between the beams, and plastic pallets can sag more than timber under the same load. The pallet's own safe working load must be at least the weight placed on it, which is why the EPAL figures above are worth knowing.

Plastic and presswood pallets need particular care. Some are designed only for floor use or for stacking, not for racking across two beams, and their racking rating is often much lower than their static rating. Ask the pallet supplier for a racking load figure, and check whether the pallet has a full bottom deck or only runners, because that decides whether it can span the beams or needs decking. If you use pooled or hired pallets, the pool operator can usually confirm the racking rating for each type it supplies.

Set a simple rule at goods-in: damaged pallets are restacked before they go into the racking. HSE's guidance on warehousing and storage covers safe handling and storage practice across the site (HSE, HSG76). We design our adjustable pallet racking around the pallet types you tell us you will use, and the load table we supply with your order lists each one.

Frequently asked questions

What is the standard UK pallet size?

The standard UK pallet is 1200 × 1000 mm. The Euro pallet, also common in the UK, is 1200 × 800 mm. Both appear in ISO 6780.

Do UK and Euro pallets need different racking frames?

Not if both are stored 1200 mm deep. As a typical value, both sit on 1100 mm deep frames, and only the beam length and number of pallets per level change.

How many Euro pallets fit on a 2700 mm beam?

Typically three, stored 1200 mm deep with about 75 mm clearances. The same beam usually takes two UK pallets.

Can 1100 × 1100 mm pallets go in standard UK racking?

Only with care. On 1100 mm frames they have little overhang and fewer fit per beam, so an import zone with deeper frames, or restacking at goods-in, is often the better answer.

Sources

• ISO: ISO 6780:2003 Flat pallets for intercontinental materials handling
• EPAL: EPAL Euro pallet
• EPAL: EPAL 2 pallet
• BSI: BS EN 13698-1 Construction specification for 800 mm x 1200 mm flat wooden pallets
• BSI: BS EN 15620:2021 Tolerances, deformations and clearances
• SEMA: Technical FAQ
• HSE: HSG76 Warehousing and storage, a guide to health and safety