Perimeter-base pallet: picture-frame bottom block pallets explained
A 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.
- Type
- Wood block
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 40.00 in
- Height
- 5.50 in
- Lumber
- 15.5 bd ft
- Est. weight
- 68 lb (31 kg)
- Fasteners
- 92
Every dimension is editable. Get the drawing free, or request a quote.
The perimeter base is the bottom-deck layout most associated with pooled and automated operations. It is a detail of block pallet construction, but it changes how the pallet sits, conveys and stacks enough that buyers ask for it by name.
What is a perimeter-base pallet?
A perimeter-base pallet is a block pallet whose bottom deck forms a continuous frame around the pallet's outer edge. Two bottom boards run along the length and two (or more) run across the width, joining at the corner blocks. Many designs add a centre board in one direction. The glossary entry gives the formal definition.
How is it built?
| Component | pallet.design 48 × 40 template | UK 1200 × 1000 mm template |
|---|---|---|
| Top deckboards | 7, 5/8 in (16 mm) thick | 7, 22 mm (0.87 in) thick |
| Stringerboards | 3, 3/4 × 3-1/2 in (19 × 89 mm) | 3, 22 × 100 mm |
| Blocks | 9, 5-1/2 × 3-1/2 × 3-1/2 in (140 × 89 × 89 mm) | 9, 145 × 100 × 78 mm |
| Bottom frame | 5/8 in (16 mm) boards, 5-1/2 in (140 mm) wide | 22 mm boards, 145 mm wide |
| Overall height | about 5-1/2 in (140 mm) | about 144 mm (5.7 in) |
The bottom boards are nailed into the blocks. Where one frame board crosses another at a corner, builders either overlap them (adding height at the corners) or butt them (keeping the frame flush). Bottom lead boards are often chamfered so pallet-jack wheels ride up and over them.
Bottom styles compared
| Style | Layout | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Unidirectional | Boards one way only | Conveying in one direction; EUR, CP1 to CP5 |
| Perimeter | Frame around the edge, optional centre board | Conveying both ways, pooling, block stacking |
| Cruciform | Frame plus a cross through the centre | Heavy or centre-concentrated loads, stiff racking |
Where is it used?
- Pooled 48 × 40 in pallets. North American pool pallets are perimeter-base block pallets. See pallet pooling.
- UK and Asia 1200 × 1000 mm pallets. See the 1200 × 1000 size page.
- Automated storage and conveyors. See pallets for automation.
- Closed-loop industrial pallets that are block-stacked on the floor.
Pros and limits
| Pros | Limits |
|---|---|
| Full 4-way entry for forklifts and pallet jacks | More bottom lumber than a unidirectional base |
| Conveys on rollers in either direction | Heavier and costlier than a stringer pallet |
| Spreads load onto the pallet below in a stack | Corner overlaps must be designed for flat seating |
| Stable on rack decking and shuttles | Frame boards take fork and jack impacts on all sides |
Weight and capacity
A 48 × 40 in perimeter-base block pallet commonly weighs about 45–70 lb (20–32 kg) as an estimate, depending on species, block material and moisture. Capacity depends on the support condition. The frame helps in floor stacking and on conveyors. In racking, stiffness comes mainly from the stringerboards and the top deck spanning the beams. Get the manufacturer's rating at your beam span and orientation. See pallet load capacity.
ISPM 15
A solid-wood perimeter-base pallet needs heat treatment and an ISPM 15 mark for most export.
What drives the cost?
- The extra bottom boards in the frame and any centre board
- Block type (solid, laminated, composite)
- Chamfering and corner detailing
- Heat treatment
- Volume and freight
Specifying a perimeter-base pallet for a quote
- Length × width, overall height
- Top deck boards: count, thickness, widths
- Stringerboards and blocks: count and sizes, block material
- Bottom: perimeter, perimeter with centre board, or cruciform; board thickness and widths; corner detail (overlap or butt)
- Chamfers on bottom boards
- Conveyor, AS/RS or rack type and orientation
- Load weight, stacking height
- ISPM 15 HT
- Quantity, annual volume, delivery location
Related: four-way pallet, block vs stringer. Templates: 48 × 40 block and UK 1200 × 1000. Open the 48 × 40 template in the designer.
Drawing and parts listEdit in the design app
48×40 block (perimeter) template, generated from the model. Every dimension is editable.
Pallet
- Type
- Wood block
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 40.00 in
- Overall height
- 5.50 in
- Classification
- 48.00 x 40.00, Block-Class, Double-Face Non-Reversible, Perimeter Base, Full 4-Way, Reusable, New Manufacture
Construction
- Top deck
- 7 boards × 0.625 in (5/8); leads 5.50 in (5-1/2), interior 3.50 in (3-1/2); run along width
- Stringerboards
- 3 × 3.50 in (3-1/2) wide × 0.75 in (3/4)
- Blocks
- 9 × 5.50 in (5-1/2) × 3.50 in (3-1/2) × 3.50 in (3-1/2); solid
- Bottom
- Perimeter; 0.625 in (5/8) boards, outer 5.50 in (5-1/2), centre 5.50 in (5-1/2)
- EUR / EPAL
- No
- Lumber
- Mixed Hardwood, Standard Btr, green, new
- Fasteners
- 92 × 2.25 in (2-1/4) 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
- Domestic only
- Certified rating
- Not required
- Food contact / fire
- No / no listing
Order
- Quantity
- Not specified
- Ship to
- —
- Needed by
- —
Frequently asked questions
What is a picture-frame pallet?
Another name for a perimeter-base pallet: the bottom deckboards run around all four edges like a picture frame, so the pallet sits on a continuous rectangle rather than on parallel boards.
Can a pallet jack enter a perimeter-base pallet?
Yes, from all four sides, as long as the bottom boards are chamfered or thin enough for the wheels to ride over. The openings inside the frame let the jack wheels drop to the floor.
What is the difference between perimeter and cruciform bottoms?
A cruciform bottom is a perimeter frame plus boards crossing through the centre in both directions. It is stiffer and heavier, and is used where the centre of the pallet carries more load.
Why do automated warehouses prefer perimeter-base pallets?
A continuous frame gives rollers and chain conveyors support on every side, in either travel direction, and sits flat on rack decking and shuttle carriers.
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.
- GlossaryPerimeter base (block pallet)A perimeter base is a block-pallet bottom deck made of boards running around all four edges, like a picture frame, which gives full four-way entry for forklifts and pallet jacks.
- 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.
- GuidesPallets for automation: conveyors, AS/RS and robotic palletizersAutomated systems need consistent, flat, stiff pallets. Bottom boards must cross the conveyor supports (perpendicular to rollers, across chain strands), gaps must not snag, flatness is often held to 1/4 in or better, and AS/RS racks commonly limit sag to 0.5 in. Perimeter-base block and plastic pallets run either way.
- GuidesPallet pooling: how CHEP, PECO and iGPS rental worksPallet pooling is renting pallets instead of buying them. A pooler such as CHEP (blue), PECO (red) or iGPS (plastic) owns standard 48 × 40 in pallets, issues them to shippers, collects them from receivers, then inspects, repairs and reissues them. You pay fees per use, not a purchase price.
- 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.
- ComparisonsBlock vs stringer pallets: differences and when to use eachChoose a stringer pallet when you want the lowest cost, one-way or closed-loop use and mostly 2-way handling. Choose a block pallet when you need true 4-way entry for forklifts and pallet jacks, heavy reuse, pooling, automation or the European 1200 × 800 footprint.
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.
- 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.
- TypesCP pallets (CP1 to CP9): dimensions, construction and usesCP 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.
- 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.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 704 words.