Euro pallet: sizes, marks and grades explained
A Euro pallet is 1200 by 800 millimetres and carries a stamp on the corner blocks. Both of those details matter commercially, because an unstamped pallet of the right size is not a Euro pallet and will not be accepted as one.
Euro pallets: key facts
| Dimensions | 1200 x 800 mm |
|---|---|
| UK standard pallet | 1200 x 1000 mm, a different thing entirely |
| Entry | Four way, so a forklift or pallet truck can enter from any side |
| The mark | EUR or EPAL stamped in an oval on the corner blocks |
| Grades | Commonly sold as A, B and C by condition. A trade convention, not a legal standard |
| Export | Wood packaging moving between GB and the EU must meet ISPM 15 |
Why the size is the point
1200 x 800 mm was chosen to fit European logistics: two side by side across a standard lorry trailer, and a footprint that works with European racking and roll cages. The UK standard pallet at 1200 x 1000 mm is a different footprint and the two are not interchangeable in a racking system or a vehicle load plan.
That is worth saying because people use "Euro pallet" loosely to mean any wooden pallet. In a commercial context it means one size with one set of marks, and asking for Euro pallets and receiving 1200 x 1000 mm is a common and expensive misunderstanding.
The stamp, and why an unstamped pallet is not a Euro pallet
A genuine Euro pallet carries EUR or EPAL stamped inside an oval on the corner blocks, along with licence and inspection marks. The point of the mark is that it was built to a controlled specification and can be exchanged: a pallet entering a pooling arrangement is swapped for an equivalent one rather than tracked individually, which only works if every pallet in the pool is genuinely the same.
So the mark is the commercial value. A 1200 x 800 mm pallet built to a similar pattern but unstamped is a perfectly usable pallet and worth noticeably less, because it cannot enter the exchange system.
Repairs matter here too. Euro pallets are repairable within the scheme's rules, and a correctly repaired pallet keeps its status. One patched up with whatever board was to hand does not, however solid it feels.
Grades A, B and C
Second-hand pallets are usually offered in three conditions, and these are trade conventions rather than a formal standard, so the detail varies between suppliers:
- Grade A: clean, bright, no repairs or only minor ones, suitable for presentation or for export.
- Grade B: sound and serviceable, visibly used, may carry proper repairs. The normal choice for internal handling.
- Grade C: structurally sound but rough. Fine for one-way shipments and site use.
Ask what a supplier means by their grades rather than assuming, and ask specifically whether grade A means unrepaired or merely well repaired. The two are priced differently in some yards and identically in others.
If anything is going abroad: ISPM 15
This is the detail that catches exporters out. Wood packaging material moving between Great Britain and the EU must comply with ISPM 15, the international phytosanitary standard for wood packaging. Compliant pallets have been heat treated or treated by an approved method, and are marked accordingly, with the treatment code and the producer's registration details.
The consequence of getting it wrong is practical rather than financial in the first instance: non-compliant wood packaging can be refused at the border, and the goods on top of it go nowhere. If you export, check the stamp on every pallet before loading rather than trusting the stack, and check the current requirements on GOV.UK, since phytosanitary rules change.
Buying, hiring or pooling
Buying new or second hand suits anyone whose pallets go out and do not come back. Hiring from a pallet pool suits regular flows on established routes, with the operator handling repair and redistribution. Exchange works where your trading partners also work in Euro pallets and swap like for like on delivery.
Whichever route you use, pallets you finish with still have value. Our guide to pallet collection covers when a collector pays you and when you pay them, and our directory lists companies collecting wood and pallets by postcode.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Euro pallet?
1200 x 800 mm, with four way entry. The UK standard pallet is 1200 x 1000 mm, which is a different footprint and not interchangeable in racking or a vehicle load plan.
What does the EPAL stamp mean?
That the pallet was built to a controlled specification and can be exchanged within a pooling system. It is stamped inside an oval on the corner blocks. An unstamped pallet of the same size cannot enter the exchange system and is worth less.
What is the difference between grade A, B and C pallets?
Grade A is clean and effectively unrepaired, suitable for presentation or export. Grade B is sound and visibly used, possibly repaired, and fine for internal handling. Grade C is structurally sound but rough. These are trade conventions, so ask what a supplier means by them.
Do I need special pallets to export to the EU?
Yes. Wood packaging moving between Great Britain and the EU must comply with ISPM 15, meaning it has been heat treated or treated by an approved method and is marked accordingly. Non-compliant packaging can be refused at the border.
Can a repaired Euro pallet still be exchanged?
Only if it was repaired within the scheme's rules. A pallet patched with whatever board was available loses its status however solid it feels.