CP pallets (CP1 to CP9): dimensions, construction and uses
CP pallets are nine standardised wooden block pallets (CP1 to CP9) designed for the European chemical and plastics industry. They range from 760 × 1140 mm to 1300 × 1100 mm. CP1 to CP5 are 138 mm (5.4 in) high with bottom boards in one direction; CP6 to CP9 are 156 mm (6.1 in) high with perimeter or full-frame bottoms.
- Type
- Wood block
- Footprint
- 1200 × 1000 mm
- Height
- 144 mm
- Lumber
- 21.0 bd ft
- Est. weight
- 92 lb (42 kg)
- Fasteners
- 104
Every dimension is editable. Get the drawing free, or request a quote.
Chemical plants are highly automated. Conveyors, palletisers and stacker cranes need a pallet whose dimensions and bottom deck are predictable, and a single company may ship dozens of different products in bags, drums, octabins and big bags. The CP system answers that with nine fixed designs. They are block pallets, and EPAL licenses producers to build and mark them.
What are CP pallets?
CP pallets (chemical pallets) are nine standard wooden block pallet designs, CP1 to CP9, used by the chemical and plastics industries in Europe and by exporters shipping to them. Each has a fixed footprint, height and bottom deck. See the CP pallet glossary entry.
CP1 to CP9 dimensions
| Type | Size (mm) | Size (in) | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| CP1 | 1000 × 1200 | 39.4 × 47.2 | 138 mm (5.4 in) |
| CP2 | 800 × 1200 | 31.5 × 47.2 | 138 mm (5.4 in) |
| CP3 | 1140 × 1140 | 44.9 × 44.9 | 138 mm (5.4 in) |
| CP4 | 1100 × 1300 | 43.3 × 51.2 | 138 mm (5.4 in) |
| CP5 | 760 × 1140 | 29.9 × 44.9 | 138 mm (5.4 in) |
| CP6 | 1200 × 1000 | 47.2 × 39.4 | 156 mm (6.1 in) |
| CP7 | 1300 × 1100 | 51.2 × 43.3 | 156 mm (6.1 in) |
| CP8 | 1140 × 1140 | 44.9 × 44.9 | 156 mm (6.1 in) |
| CP9 | 1140 × 1140 | 44.9 × 44.9 | 156 mm (6.1 in) |
Dimensions and heights are as listed by EPAL. Some suppliers list CP5 as 780 × 1140 mm.
How are CP pallets built?
All nine are block pallets with a top deck of 22 mm (0.87 in) class deckboards, stringerboards and nine blocks. The difference is the bottom deck:
| Group | Bottom deck | Types |
|---|---|---|
| Low-profile (138 mm) | Three bottom boards running one way (unidirectional, sometimes called runners) | CP1, CP2, CP3, CP4, CP5 |
| High-profile (156 mm) | Perimeter or full-frame bottom, for stability on conveyors and in stacks | CP6, CP7, CP9 |
| Special | Same footprint as CP9 with an opening in the top deck | CP8 |
The pallet.design CP1 template uses 9 top deckboards 22 mm thick (145 mm leads, 100 mm interior), three 22 × 100 mm stringerboards, 145 × 100 × 78 mm blocks and a unidirectional bottom. CP9 uses a flush overlap bottom in which filler boards sit between the bottom boards. CP7 has more bottom boards than CP4 on the same 1100 × 1300 mm footprint.
What is each CP pallet used for?
| Type | Typical load |
|---|---|
| CP1, CP6 | Bags and boxes on the 1000 × 1200 mm footprint |
| CP2 | Loads on the 800 × 1200 mm footprint (same as a Euro pallet) |
| CP3, CP9 | Drums, octabins and big bags; container shipments |
| CP4, CP7 | Bags on the larger 1100 × 1300 mm footprint |
| CP5 | Container shipments |
| CP8 | Big bags with bottom discharge: the top-deck opening lets the spout pass through |
These uses are industry conventions. Some chemical companies publish their own CP requirements, so check the receiving plant's specification. See the chemicals industry page.
Pros and limits
| Pros | Limits |
|---|---|
| Fixed, predictable designs for automated plants | Nine types to stock and track |
| Available from EPAL licensees | Metric footprints are awkward in US racks and trailers |
| CP3 and CP5 suit ISO containers | Heavier and more expensive than a GMA pallet |
| Heat treated when supplied for export | Specific plant requirements may override the generic design |
Capacity and weight
CP pallets are heavy-duty block pallets, but EPAL's CP pages do not publish a single rating for all nine. One distributor lists a CP1 at 7,500 kg static, 2,000 kg dynamic and 1,375 kg racked; treat vendor figures as indicative. Racking capacity depends on beam span and direction, and drums or big bags are concentrated loads that need their own assessment. Ask the supplier for ratings at your support condition. See pallet load capacity.
ISPM 15
CP pallets are solid wood, so they need heat treatment and an ISPM 15 mark for export. Specify HT on the order even for domestic use if the pallets may later be exported.
What drives the cost?
- Type: high-profile CP6 to CP9 use more lumber than CP1 to CP5
- EPAL licence and marking, if required
- Heat treatment and drying
- Volume: chemical shippers buy on annual contracts
- For North American buyers, the few producers who build CP designs
Specifying a CP pallet for a quote
- CP type (CP1 to CP9) and whether the receiving plant has its own drawing
- EPAL-licensed and marked, or built to CP dimensions only
- New or used
- ISPM 15 HT
- Load type (bags, drums, octabins, big bags) and weight
- Racking, stacking and conveyor use
- Quantity, annual volume, delivery location
Related: Euro pallet, 1140 × 1140 pallet, 1200 × 1000 pallet, export pallets. You can open the CP1 template in the designer.
Drawing and parts listEdit in the design app
CP1 (1000×1200) template, generated from the model. Every dimension is editable.
Pallet
- Type
- Wood block
- Footprint
- 1200 × 1000 mm
- Overall height
- 144 mm
- Classification
- 1200 x 1000 mm, Block-Class, Double-Face Non-Reversible, Unidirectional Base, Full 4-Way, Reusable, New Manufacture
Construction
- Top deck
- 9 boards × 22 mm; leads 145 mm, interior 100 mm; run along width
- Stringerboards
- 3 × 100 mm wide × 22 mm
- Blocks
- 9 × 145 mm × 100 mm × 78 mm; solid
- Bottom
- Unidirectional; 22 mm boards, outer 145 mm, centre 145 mm
- EUR / EPAL
- No
- Lumber
- Mixed Hardwood, Standard Btr, green, new
- Fasteners
- 104 × 57 mm helical
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
- Heat treated (HT) + mark
- Certified rating
- Not required
- Food contact / fire
- No / no listing
Order
- Quantity
- Not specified
- Ship to
- —
- Needed by
- —
Frequently asked questions
What does CP stand for in CP pallets?
Chemical Pallet. The designs were standardised for the European chemical and plastics industry so that automated plants and warehouses could handle any member's pallets.
What size is a CP1 pallet?
1000 × 1200 × 138 mm (39.4 × 47.2 × 5.4 in). It has three bottom boards running in one direction.
Which CP pallet fits a shipping container best?
CP3 (1140 × 1140 mm) and CP5 (760 × 1140 mm) are the usual choices for containers, because 1140 mm fits the internal width of an ISO container twice with little waste.
Are CP pallets heat treated?
They are solid-wood pallets, so export use needs ISPM 15 heat treatment and marking. EPAL-licensed CP pallets are supplied heat treated.
Is CP5 760 or 780 mm wide?
EPAL lists CP5 as 760 × 1140 mm. Some suppliers list 780 × 1140 mm, so confirm the exact dimension with the supplier and the receiving plant.
Sources and references
Related
- TypesBlock pallet: construction, dimensions and usesA block pallet is a wooden pallet whose deck sits on blocks, usually nine arranged 3 × 3, joined by stringerboards. The gaps between blocks give full 4-way entry for both forklifts and pallet jacks. EUR/EPAL, CP and the pooled 48 × 40 in pallets of CHEP and PECO are all block pallets.
- TypesEuro pallet (EUR / EPAL 1): dimensions, weight and constructionThe Euro pallet (EUR or EPAL 1) is a licensed European block pallet measuring 1200 × 800 × 144 mm (47.2 × 31.5 × 5.7 in). It weighs about 25 kg (55 lb), has 11 boards, 9 blocks and 78 nails, and carries a safe working load of 1,500 kg (3,307 lb). Only EPAL licensees may build and mark it.
- GlossaryCP palletCP pallets (chemical pallets) are a family of nine standardized wood block pallets, CP1 to CP9, developed for the European chemical and plastics industries. Each type has a defined size and construction for loads such as bagged polymer, drums and bulk containers.
- IndustriesPallets for the chemical and plastics industryChemical loads (drums, pails, IBCs and 25 kg bags) need heavier, tighter-decked pallets than grocery. Europe uses the CP1 to CP9 block pallets; North America uses 48 × 48 in drum pallets, 42 × 42 and 44 × 44 in sizes and heavy 48 × 40s. Deck gaps and load type matter as much as weight.
- Sizes1140 × 1140 pallet (CP3, CP8, CP9): dimensions, weight and specsA 1140 × 1140 mm pallet (44.9 × 44.9 in) is the square chemical-industry pallet, made as the CP3 (138 mm tall), CP8 and CP9 (156 mm tall). It carries drums, octabins and bulk bags, and two fit side by side inside an ISO shipping container.
- Sizes1200 × 1000 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 1200 × 1000 mm pallet (47.2 × 39.4 in) is the UK standard pallet and the industrial pallet in Europe and Asia. It is one of the six ISO 6780 sizes. EPAL makes it as the EPAL 2 (162 mm, about 35 kg) and EPAL 3 (144 mm, about 30 kg); CHEP's UK wooden pallet is 162 mm tall and 28 kg.
- SizesEuropean pallet sizes: Euro, industrial, half, quarter and CP palletsThe standard European pallet is the 1200 × 800 mm Euro pallet (EPAL 1), 144 mm tall. The 1200 × 1000 mm industrial pallet (EPAL 2 and EPAL 3) is the second standard. Retail uses the 800 × 600 half and 600 × 400 quarter pallets, and the chemical industry uses the CP1 to CP9 pallets.
- TypesExport pallets: ISPM 15, container sizes and material choicesAn export pallet must meet ISPM 15 (heat-treated and marked wood, or an exempt material such as plastic, presswood, paper or metal), fit the container and the consignee's equipment, and usually be cheap enough to lose. Common choices are HT wood, 45 × 45 in or 1200 × 1000 mm footprints, and nestable plastic.
More in Wood pallets
- TypesWooden pallets: types, construction, sizes and how to specify themA wooden pallet is a flat transport platform built from lumber deckboards fastened to stringers or blocks. In North America most are 48 × 40 in stringer pallets weighing about 30–70 lb (14–32 kg); in Europe the 1200 × 800 mm EPAL block pallet dominates. Wood must be ISPM 15 treated for most export.
- TypesStringer pallet: construction, dimensions and when to use oneA stringer pallet is a wooden pallet whose deckboards are nailed across two or more continuous beams called stringers, usually three on a 48 × 40 in pallet. It is 2-way entry, or partial 4-way when the stringers are notched. It is the most common and cheapest pallet design in North America.
- TypesGMA pallet: 48 × 40 in dimensions, construction, weight and gradesA GMA pallet is a 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) wooden stringer pallet built to the grocery industry's standard: three notched stringers for partial 4-way entry, seven top and five bottom deckboards, and an overall height of about 4-3/4 in (121 mm) in the standard build. It is the most common pallet in the United States.
- TypesPerimeter-base pallet: picture-frame bottom block pallets explainedA perimeter-base pallet is a block pallet whose bottom deckboards form a closed frame around the edges, often with a centre board. The frame gives full 4-way entry, rides roller conveyors in either direction and spreads load in stacks. Pooled 48 × 40 in and UK 1200 × 1000 mm pallets use it.
- TypesRecycled pallets: grades, remanufacturing, cost and how to buy themA recycled pallet is a used wooden pallet that has been sorted, repaired or rebuilt and resold. Used 48 × 40 in pallets are sold as Grade A (few or no repairs) or Grade B (repaired). They cost less than new, but grade definitions vary by supplier and any repair voids an existing ISPM 15 mark.
- TypesWhite wood pallets: what the term means and when to use themIn North American logistics, a white wood pallet is an unpainted wooden pallet that the shipper buys and owns, as opposed to a rented pooled pallet painted blue (CHEP) or red (PECO). Most are 48 × 40 in stringer pallets, new or recycled. In Europe, "whitewood" also names the spruce and fir lumber used for pallets.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 895 words.