Pallet racking capacity calculator.

What this answers

Two questions come up when you plan or audit a pallet rack: how many positions do I really have, and is what I put on each level within what the rack was rated for. The first is geometry, the second is a comparison against a number that belongs to your rack, not to this page. The calculator does both side by side and keeps them apart, so that a layout that fits on paper is not mistaken for a load that has been approved.

The pallet width defaults to 48 inches because the 48 x 40 inch GMA-style pallet is the most common wood pallet repaired and remanufactured in the United States, according to a USDA Forest Service study. Your pallets may differ, and so may the gaps you leave; the gap box is an example value, not a standard.

Worked example

A bay has 108 inches between uprights. With pallets 48 inches wide and a 4-inch gap on each side and between pallets, two pallets need 2 x 48 + 3 x 4 = 108 inches, so 2 pallets fit and a third does not. With 4 levels that is 8 pallets per bay, and 10 bays give 80 positions.

Each loaded pallet weighs 1,800 lb, so one beam level carries 2 x 1,800 = 3,600 lb, one bay 14,400 lb and the ten bays 144,000 lb. Against a rating of 4,000 lb for the beam level the level is within the rating with 400 lb to spare. The 4,000 lb rating is a made-up figure for the example.

How it is calculated

1. Pallets per level = the largest n where n x pallet width + (n + 1) x gap does not exceed the beam length.
2. Positions = pallets per level x levels x bays.
3. Load per level = pallets per level x loaded pallet weight, compared with the rating you enter.

On rating, the Rack Manufacturers Institute FAQ says the maximum load rating defines the maximum weight of a single unit or bay of product, that average loads must be specified by the rack owner, and that load plaques serve as a constant reminder of the rated capacity of the rack. It also says changing a rack to a configuration that was not considered in the design may create an unsafe condition. Pallet figure and RMI statements as read October 26, 2026.

What this does not cover

• Whether your rack can carry the load. Only the rack manufacturer’s plaque and a design professional can say that; this page only compares to the number you type.
• Rating differences by beam height, deck type, uprights, seismic zone or floor slab strength.
• Pallet overhang, product that sticks out past the pallet, or mixed pallet sizes on one level.

Sources

• Rack Manufacturers Institute: FAQs (load plaques, maximum and average load, reconfiguration) (opened 2026-10-26)
• USDA Forest Service: Comparative performance of new, repaired, and remanufactured 48- by 40-inch GMA-style wood pallets (opened 2026-10-26)