Pallet Calculator: Boxes per Pallet
Find how many boxes fit on a pallet, the best layer layout, load height and weight, and how many pallets an order needs, in inches or centimetres.
Before you book freight or plan warehouse space you need to know how many boxes fit on one pallet and how many pallets an order takes. This calculator compares uniform orientations and mixed two-block layouts on each layer, stacks layers up to your height limit, checks the weight limit and counts the pallets for your order.
How to use this tool
- Choose inches and pounds or centimetres and kilograms.
- Enter the pallet size, deck height and empty weight.
- Enter the box size and weight, and whether it may lie on its side.
- Set the maximum load height and gross weight, and optionally the number of boxes to ship.
Formula
Boxes per layer = best of ⌊PL ÷ l⌋ × ⌊PW ÷ w⌋, ⌊PL ÷ w⌋ × ⌊PW ÷ l⌋ and mixed two-block layouts
Layers = ⌊(maximum height − pallet height) ÷ box height⌋
Boxes per pallet = min(boxes per layer × layers, ⌊(maximum weight − pallet weight) ÷ box weight⌋)
PL and PW are the pallet length and width, l and w the box length and width, and ⌊ ⌋ means round down. A mixed layout fills part of the deck with boxes one way and the rest with boxes turned 90°, which can fit more per layer. These are feasible candidate layouts, not a general rectangle-packing optimum; mixed heights and more complex patterns are not searched.
Example
16 × 12 × 10 in boxes weighing 25 lb on a 48 × 40 in pallet: all one way fits 3 × 3 = 9 per layer, but two rows of three lengthwise (24 in) plus one row of four turned (16 in) fill the full 40 in with 10 boxes. With a 6-in deck and a 60-in height limit there are 5 layers, so 50 boxes per pallet, 56 in high and 1,290 lb gross. An order of 500 boxes needs 10 pallets.
Frequently asked questions
How many boxes fit on a standard pallet?
It depends on the box. A 48 × 40 in pallet has 1,920 square inches per layer, so dividing by the box footprint gives an upper limit; the calculator searches uniform and two-block layouts without overhang. A more complex arrangement may fit additional boxes.
How high should I stack a pallet?
Use the lowest of your carrier’s limit, your racking opening and what the boxes can bear. Confirm actual trailer and door clearances, packaging compression strength and securement before loading.
Should boxes overhang the pallet?
Avoid it. Box walls that hang over the edge are unsupported, so they lose stacking strength and get hit by forklifts and neighbouring pallets. A different box size or pallet is usually the better fix.
Sources
Last updated: 2026-10-30