Double-face pallet: construction, reversible vs non-reversible
A double-face pallet has a top deck and a bottom deck. Most are non-reversible: the bottom deck has fewer boards and only the top carries product. A reversible double-face pallet has two identical load-bearing decks. The bottom deck spreads load onto the floor or the load below and stiffens the pallet in racking.
Most pallets in circulation are double-face. The bottom deck costs lumber, but it changes how the pallet spreads load and survives handling, so it is the default for anything that will be stacked, racked or conveyed.
What is a double-face pallet?
A double-face pallet has deckboards on both the top and the bottom of its stringers or blocks. The Uniform Standard splits it into two deck styles:
| Deck style | Decks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Double-face non-reversible | Top carries the load; bottom is lighter | GMA pallet, EUR pallet |
| Double-face reversible | Both decks identical, either can carry the load | Some heavy-duty and closed-loop pallets |
How is a double-face pallet built?
On a double-face non-reversible 48 × 40 in stringer pallet, the typical build is:
| Component | Count | Typical size | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top deckboards | 7 | 5/8 in thick; 5-1/2 in leads, 3-1/2 in interior | 16 mm; 140 and 89 mm |
| Stringers | 3 | 1-3/8 × 3-1/2 × 48 in, notched | 35 × 89 × 1219 mm |
| Bottom deckboards | 5 | 5/8 in thick; 5-1/2 in leads, 3-1/2 in interior | 16 mm; 140 and 89 mm |
| Overall height | about 4-3/4 in | about 121 mm |
The bottom lead boards sit flush with each end. The interior bottom boards are clustered in the middle, between the stringer notches, so they do not block fork entry. On block pallets the bottom deck takes one of several forms: unidirectional, perimeter or cruciform (see perimeter-base pallet).
Bottom deck coverage
Bottom deck coverage is the share of the bottom face covered by boards. More coverage spreads load better on the floor and on the load below (important for block stacking of boxes), but leaves less room for pallet-jack wheels and adds weight. Wide lead boards on the bottom help pallet jacks ride in without catching.
Where are double-face pallets used?
- Nearly all retail, grocery and consumer goods freight
- Anything block-stacked on the floor or double-stacked in trailers
- Racking, especially across the width
- Conveyor systems (a bottom deck gives rollers something to ride on)
Pros and limits
| Pros | Limits |
|---|---|
| Spreads load in stacks and on floors | More lumber, weight and cost than single-face |
| Stiffer in racking | Bottom boards take fork and jack impacts |
| Stringers and blocks protected from splitting | Bottom deck layout constrains jack entry |
| Rides conveyors | Non-reversible pallets must be placed right side up |
Capacity and weight
A double-face 48 × 40 in wooden pallet typically weighs 30–70 lb (14–32 kg). Ratings depend on the support condition: floor stack, forks, or racking across length or width. Racked across the width, the bottom deck works with the top deck to carry load between the beams. The manufacturer's PDS analysis or test result is authoritative. See pallet load capacity.
Bottom deck layout and chamfers
The Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets sets rules for bottom deck details that affect handling:
| Detail | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Bottom boards vs notches | Bottom boards must not intrude into stringer notch zones |
| Chamfer length | At least 12 in (305 mm) |
| Chamfer angle | 35–45° |
| Chamfer position | About 1/4 in (6 mm) from the bottom of the board, not extending into connections |
Chamfers are cut on the bottom lead boards (and on interior edges beside wheel openings) so pallet-jack wheels can climb over them. Bottom boards are often laid out as a cluster between the notches on stringer pallets, or evenly spaced on unnotched 2-way pallets.
ISPM 15
Wooden double-face pallets need heat treatment and an ISPM 15 mark for most export.
What drives the cost?
- Bottom deck board count, width and thickness
- Reversible designs need a full second deck
- Species, heat treatment, volume and freight
Specifying a double-face pallet for a quote
- Deck style: double-face non-reversible or reversible
- Top deck: count, thickness, widths
- Bottom deck: count, thickness, widths, layout (clustered, even, perimeter)
- Chamfers on bottom lead boards for pallet jacks
- Stringers or blocks and entry style
- Load, stacking height, racking orientation, conveyor use
- ISPM 15 HT
- Quantity and delivery location
Related: single-face pallet, reversible pallet, GMA pallet. The GMA template is double-face non-reversible; open it in the designer to change the bottom deck.
Frequently asked questions
What does double-face non-reversible mean?
The pallet has both decks, but they differ. The top deck carries the load; the bottom deck has fewer or narrower boards to leave room for pallet-jack wheels and fork notches. The GMA pallet is double-face non-reversible.
Why have a bottom deck at all?
It spreads the pallet's load onto the floor or the unit load below, stops stringers or blocks from rolling or splitting, and makes the pallet stiffer when racked across its width.
How many bottom boards does a double-face pallet have?
A 48 × 40 in GMA-style pallet usually has five: two lead boards at the ends and three interior boards clustered between the notches.
Is double-face stronger than single-face?
For the same top deck and stringers, adding a bottom deck improves stacking, floor load spreading and racking stiffness. It adds weight and cost.
Related
- TypesSingle-face pallet: construction, uses and limitsA single-face pallet has only one deck: deckboards on top of the stringers or runners and nothing underneath. It is lighter and cheaper than a double-face pallet and suits one-way loads, machinery and crate bases, but it spreads load poorly onto the floor or the pallet below and is weak in racking across its width.
- TypesReversible pallet: two identical decks, uses and trade-offsA reversible pallet is a double-face pallet whose top and bottom decks are identical, so it can be loaded on either side. Flipping it spreads wear over two decks and removes the need to orient it. The trade-off is weight, cost and poor pallet-jack access, because the full bottom deck leaves no room for jack wheels.
- GlossaryDouble-face palletA double-face pallet has both a top deck and a bottom deck. It is either reversible (both decks identical and load-bearing) or non-reversible (the bottom deck has fewer or different boards).
- GlossaryNon-reversible palletA non-reversible pallet is a double-face pallet whose bottom deck differs from the top deck, usually with fewer or wider-spaced boards, so only the top face is meant to carry the load.
- GlossaryBottom deck (pallet)The bottom deck is the lower layer of deckboards (or a perimeter, runner or panel base) on a double-face pallet. It spreads the load onto the floor, rack or conveyor and stabilizes the stringers or blocks.
- 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.
- GlossaryBottom deck coverage (pallet)Bottom deck coverage is the percentage of a pallet's underside covered by bottom deckboards. A GMA-style 48 × 40 bottom deck covers about 45%, less than the top deck, to leave room for notches and pallet-jack wheels.
More in Construction styles
- TypesTwo-way pallet: what it is and when it is the right choiceA two-way pallet is a pallet that forklifts and pallet jacks can enter from only two opposite sides. Most are stringer pallets with solid (unnotched) stringers, so the forks go in between the stringers at the ends. They are cheaper and keep full stringer strength, but they cost handling flexibility.
- TypesFour-way pallet: partial vs true 4-way entry explainedA four-way pallet can be entered from all four sides. A partial 4-way pallet is a stringer pallet with notched stringers: forklifts enter all four sides, but pallet jacks only the two ends. A true (full) 4-way pallet is usually a block pallet, which forklifts and pallet jacks can enter from every side.
- TypesFlush pallet: deckboards flush with the stringersA flush pallet is a pallet whose deckboards end exactly at the outside faces of the outer stringers or stringerboards, with no overhang. Almost all standard pallets, including GMA and EUR pallets, are flush. The alternative is a winged pallet, whose deckboards extend past the stringers.
- TypesWinged pallet: single-wing and double-wing constructionA winged pallet is a stringer pallet whose deckboards extend past the outer stringers, typically by 1 to 4 in (25–100 mm). On a single-wing pallet only the top deck overhangs; on a double-wing pallet both decks do. Wings give a larger deck, a grip edge for straps and room for bar slings to lift the load.
- TypesSkid: what it is, how it differs from a pallet, and how to spec oneStrictly, a skid is a pallet with no bottom deck: a top deck fastened to runners, often 3-1/2 × 3-1/2 in (a nominal 4 × 4). Skids carry machinery, crates and heavy loads that are dragged or bolted down. In everyday freight speech, especially in Canada and LTL shipping, skid often just means pallet.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 761 words.