48 × 20 half pallet: dimensions, weight and specs
A 48 × 20 in pallet (1219 × 508 mm) is the North American half pallet: half of a 48 × 40 split along its length. It is used mainly for retail floor displays in club and mass-merchant stores. Wood versions have 2 stringers and weigh roughly 16 to 33 lb; plastic versions are common.
- Type
- Wood stringer
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 20.00 in
- Height
- 4.75 in
- Lumber
- 7.5 bd ft
- Est. weight
- 33 lb (15 kg)
- Fasteners
- 56
Every dimension is editable. Get the drawing free, or request a quote.
Dimensions
| Inches | 48 × 20 in |
|---|---|
| Millimetres | 1219 × 508 mm |
| Centimetres | 121.9 × 50.8 cm |
| Feet | 4 × 1.67 ft |
| Footprint area | 6.67 sq ft (0.619 m²) |
Pallets per floor (single stacked)
| Equipment | Straight | Turned | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 ft dry van | 52 | 62 | 62 |
| 48 ft dry van | 44 | 56 | 56 |
| 26 ft box truck | 24 | 30 | 30 |
| 20 ft container | 16 | 11 | 19 |
| 40 ft container | 36 | 23 | 41 |
| 45 ft high cube | 44 | 26 | 48 |
Straight = length along the trailer. Floor positions only, with no gaps for load bars or overhang. Weight often limits first. Open the calculator
The 48 × 20 in pallet (1219 × 508 mm) is the North American half pallet. It is half of a 48 × 40, split so the 48 in length stays the same. Its main job is carrying pre-built retail floor displays that roll straight onto a club-store or mass-merchant sales floor.
What are the dimensions of a 48 × 20 pallet?
A 48 × 20 pallet is 48 in (1219 mm) long and 20 in (508 mm) wide. Two side by side make a 48 × 40 footprint, so half pallets ship in standard trailers and racks as a pair. Wood versions are usually about 4.75 to 5 in (121 to 127 mm) tall; CHEP lists its pooled timber half pallet at 1220 × 508 × 128 mm.
Typical builds at 48 × 20
| Build | Typical spec |
|---|---|
| Wood stringer | 7 top boards, 20 in long, 5/8 in thick; 5 bottom boards; 2 stringers 1-3/8 × 3-1/2 × 48 in |
| Wood block | Pooled half pallet (CHEP) with blocks, full 4-way |
| Plastic | Molded display pallets, often in retailer-specified colors |
With only 2 stringers, a wood half pallet has no center support, so the 20 in deckboards span about 17 in between stringers. The 48 × 20 template uses 2 stringers and 7 top boards. Open it in the designer to change the deck or add a third stringer for heavier displays.
How much does a 48 × 20 pallet weigh?
The wood build above uses about 7.5 board feet: an estimated 16 lb (7 kg) in dry softwood, 22 lb (10 kg) in kiln-dried hardwood and up to about 33 lb (15 kg) in green hardwood. Plastic display pallets vary by model. See pallet weight.
How much weight can a 48 × 20 pallet hold?
Much less than a full pallet, and the limit usually comes from the retailer's display rules, not the pallet. Displays are loaded by hand-stacked cases and shipped double-stacked, so ask the pallet maker for a rating for your load and stacking condition, and check the retailer's weight and height limits. See pallet load capacity.
Who uses 48 × 20 pallets?
- Club stores and mass merchants: pre-built floor displays for Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco and others. Each retailer's supplier guide sets footprint, height and labeling rules. See Walmart pallet requirements and Costco pallet requirements.
- Consumer goods brands: seasonal and promotional displays. See display pallet.
Retailer display rules (maximum height, header size, whether the display may overhang, which pallet material and color) change. Always work from the retailer's current guide or your buyer's instructions.
Fit in trucks and containers
Half pallets are normally shipped in pairs as a 48 × 40 footprint, so a 53 ft trailer takes the same 26 straight or 30 turned positions, with two halves per position. The table above counts single half pallets.
Related sizes
- 24 × 20 quarter pallet: the smaller display size.
- 48 × 40: the full pallet.
- 800 × 600: the European half pallet.
- See half pallet for all half-pallet sizes worldwide.
Specifying a 48 × 20 pallet for a quote
- Size: 48 × 20, and whether it must pair with another half into a 48 × 40.
- Retailer program and its display rules.
- Material: wood (stringer or block) or plastic; color if specified.
- Deckboards and stringers (for wood).
- Display weight and height, and whether it ships stacked.
- Quantity and delivery schedule; display programs are often seasonal.
See the RFQ checklist.
Drawing and parts listEdit in the design app
48×20 half display template, generated from the model. Every dimension is editable.
Pallet
- Type
- Wood stringer
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 20.00 in
- Overall height
- 4.75 in
- Classification
- 48.00 x 20.00, Stringer-Class, Double-Face Non-Reversible, Flush, Partial 4-Way, Reusable, New Manufacture
Construction
- Build
- Wood stringer pallet
- Wings
- Flush
- Top deck
- 7 boards × 0.625 in (5/8); leads 5.50 in (5-1/2), interior 3.50 in (3-1/2)
- Bottom deck
- 5 boards × 0.625 in (5/8); interior grouped between notches
- Stringers
- 2 × 1.375 in (1-3/8) wide × 3.50 in (3-1/2) tall
- Notches
- Partial 4-way: 1.25 in (1-1/4) deep × 9.00 in (9) long, 6.00 in (6) from each end, R 0.75 in (3/4)
- Lumber
- Mixed Hardwood, Standard & Btr, green, new
- Fasteners
- 56 × 2.25 in (2-1/4) helical, 0.112 in wire, per Uniform Standard Table 5
Requirements
- Load
- 2,000 lb, uniform
- Handling
- forklift, pallet jack
- Racking
- Not racked
- Floor stack
- 1 high
- Use
- Reusable / multi-trip
- Environment
- Standard
- ISPM-15
- Domestic only
- Certified rating
- Not required
- Food contact / fire
- No / no listing
Order
- Quantity
- Not specified
- Ship to
- —
- Needed by
- —
Frequently asked questions
What size is a half pallet?
In North America a half pallet is 48 × 20 in (1219 × 508 mm), half of a 48 × 40. In Europe the half pallet is 800 × 600 mm, half of a Euro pallet.
How much does a 48x20 half pallet weigh?
A 2-stringer wood build uses about 7.5 board feet, roughly 16 lb in dry softwood up to about 33 lb in green hardwood (estimates). CHEP pools a timber half pallet listed at 1220 × 508 × 128 mm.
Can two half pallets replace one 48x40 pallet?
Two 48 × 20 pallets side by side make a 48 × 40 footprint, and retail displays are often shipped that way. Each half is less stable on its own, so tall displays need a stable load and careful wrapping.
What are Walmart's half pallet requirements?
Walmart's display rules set a 48 × 20 footprint and height limits, but they change. Get the current rules from Walmart's supplier documentation or your buyer before you design the display.
Sources and references
Related
- SizesHalf pallet: dimensions and uses (48 × 20 and 800 × 600)A half pallet is half of a region's standard pallet. In North America it is 48 × 20 in (1219 × 508 mm), half of a 48 × 40. In Europe it is 800 × 600 mm (31.5 × 23.6 in), half of a 1200 × 800 Euro pallet, made by EPAL as the EPAL 6 and EPAL 7. Half pallets are used mainly for retail floor displays.
- TypesDisplay pallets: half (48 × 20) and quarter (24 × 20) palletsA display pallet is a small pallet that carries product straight onto a store floor as a ready-made display. North American sizes are the 48 × 20 in (1219 × 508 mm) half pallet and 24 × 20 in (610 × 508 mm) quarter pallet; in Europe, the 800 × 600 mm EPAL 6. Retailers set their own rules.
- Sizes24 × 20 quarter pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 24 × 20 in pallet (610 × 508 mm) is the North American quarter pallet: one quarter of a 48 × 40. It is used for small retail floor displays that sit on the sales floor. Most are molded plastic; wood versions exist and weigh roughly 9 to 18 lb.
- Sizes48 × 40 pallet (GMA): dimensions, weight and specsA 48 × 40 in pallet (1219 × 1016 mm) is the North American standard, also called the GMA pallet. The typical build is a partial 4-way stringer pallet about 4.75 in tall with 7 top and 5 bottom deckboards on 3 notched stringers. Pooled 48 × 40 block pallets (CHEP, PECO) share the same footprint.
- GuidesWalmart pallet requirements: supplier DCs and Walmart Fulfillment ServicesWalmart's supplier standards require 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) four-way Grade A pallets: stringer pallets with 7 top and 5 bottom boards on 3 stringers (2,100 lb loaded), 9-block pallets (2,800 lb) or approved pooled pallets. Loads max 96 in (244 cm), no overhang. WFS has its own rules.
- GuidesCostco pallet requirements: pooled block pallets and purpose-built exceptionsCostco requires iGPS, PECO or CHEP block pallets throughout North America and refuses GMA/Grade A stringer, CHEP stringer, CHEP Euro and corrugated pallets. Purpose-built pallets need advance approval per item; Costco's published supplement requires them to be designed with PDS.
More in North American sizes
- Sizes42 × 42 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 42 × 42 in pallet (1067 × 1067 mm) is a square pallet used mainly for paint and coatings, telecom equipment and chemicals. It is one of the six ISO 6780 footprints. The usual build is a 3-stringer wood pallet about 4.75 to 5 in tall.
- Sizes48 × 48 pallet (drum pallet): dimensions, weight and specsA 48 × 48 in pallet (1219 × 1219 mm) is the standard drum pallet. It holds four 55-gallon drums in a 2 × 2 pattern and is also common for bulk bags and totes. Typical builds use 4 stringers and 3/4 in top decks, and weigh roughly 45 to 90 lb.
- Sizes48 × 42 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 48 × 42 in pallet (1219 × 1067 mm) is a North American size used mainly for chemicals and beverages. It is built like a GMA pallet with 42 in deckboards: typically 3 notched stringers, 7 top and 5 bottom boards, about 4.75 to 5 in tall.
- Sizes40 × 40 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 40 × 40 in pallet (1016 × 1016 mm) is a square North American size associated with the dairy industry. It is usually a 3-stringer wood pallet about 4.75 in tall, weighing roughly 27 to 56 lb depending on species and moisture.
- Sizes48 × 45 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 48 × 45 in pallet (1219 × 1143 mm) is the North American automotive size, used for parts shipments and returnable containers. Wood versions are built like a GMA pallet with 45 in deckboards; plastic 48 × 45 pallets are common in closed automotive loops.
- Sizes44 × 44 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 44 × 44 in pallet (1118 × 1118 mm) is a square North American size used for drums, bulk bags (FIBCs) and chemicals. It fits two across an ISO shipping container, which a 48 × 48 does not. Typical wood builds are 3 or 4 stringers, about 4.75 to 5 in tall.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 607 words.