IBC tote dimensions and capacity

The two common sizes

Dimensions vary slightly by maker. A tote with a pallet base thicker than usual, a raised cap or a taller cage will add an inch or two. Always measure the tote you are buying, especially if it has to fit under a gutter, a bench or a door header.

Where a tote has to fit

• A standard doorway is 80 inches high and 32 to 36 inches wide, too narrow for a 40 inch tote on its side.
• A pickup bed is about 50 inches between the wheel wells on many trucks.
• A trailer deck needs a flat, rated floor.
• A downspout drop of 46 or 53 inches sets whether the tote fits under the gutter.
• A bench or stand must be at least 48 by 40 inches and rated for the load.

Pallet entry

A tote has four-way pallet entry on most bases, so tines can enter from either side. Check that the clearance under the base is at least three inches, which most pallet jacks need. Wood bases may be damaged by tines; steel and composite bases take them better.

Capacity versus volume

The nameplate capacity is the nominal volume. A tote filled to the top holds a little more, but the plate gives the maximum permitted mass. Water, which weighs 8.34 pounds a gallon, will not exceed it; heavier liquids such as syrups or acids may.

In South Florida

Measure the doorway, the gate and the path before a delivery. Many South Florida homes have a side-yard gate 36 inches wide, which a 40 inch tote cannot pass. If the route is narrow, ask for the tote to be delivered to the street and rolled or lifted with equipment, or choose a smaller container. A site visit with a tape measure takes five minutes and saves a delivery that cannot be completed.

Measuring for a stand or a trailer

Add an inch of clearance on every side to the footprint and two inches to the height when you draw a stand or a trailer bed; cages vary by maker, and a pallet base with a lip adds width. Check the diagonal as well, because a rectangular pad that is out of square will rock a tote. For trailers, check the wheel-well spacing and the tie-down points, not only the length of the deck. For a doorway, measure the narrowest point, which is often a hinge or a latch, and remember a tote cannot turn on its own axis in a tight hallway. Record the numbers in a note on your phone and photograph the tape against the tote.

Metric conversions

A 48 by 40 inch footprint is 1,219 by 1,016 millimeters; a 46 inch tall tote is about 1,168 millimeters, and a 53 inch tote about 1,346. Capacities of 1,041 and 1,249 liters are the same numbers in metric. Importers dealing with overseas suppliers will see these numbers on spec sheets.

Putting numbers on a plan

Sketch the yard to scale on graph paper, one square per foot. A tote is a four-by-three-and-a-third rectangle. Mark the downspout, the hose bib, the nearest outlet, the gate, the fence and the slope. Draw a circle of six feet around the tote for working room and a path of three feet to the gate. Mark the overflow route. Now you see whether it fits. A common surprise is that the cap sits at forty-six inches, higher than most people expect to reach, so a step stool or a ladder spot is needed to fill it from above. Another is that the valve sits only a few inches off the ground, so a bucket may not fit under it unless the tote is raised on blocks.

Common fits and misfits

A tote fits through a standard gate only if the gate clears the cage width, so measure the narrowest point, not the middle. It fits on most pickup beds with the pallet turned the right way. It fits in a one-car garage but blocks the car if parked near the door. It does not fit through a normal interior door, an elevator or a stairwell. It fits on a balcony only if the slab is rated for the weight, which is often not the case. Check the swing of a gate, the height of an eave and the position of an air conditioner before you set a tote beside one.

Measuring your own tote

Plates and catalogs give nominal figures, and real totes vary by a few inches from age, bulging and repairs. Lay a tape along the base for length and width, stand it beside the cage for height, and measure the gap under the bottle for the lift. Write the numbers on the cage. A bulged bottle may add an inch each way, so leave a margin when you plan a tight space.

Measuring your own spot

Before you size a pad, measure the actual space with a tape rather than trusting a catalog figure, and add a margin on every side. Allow room to reach the valve, to read the plate and to open the lid, and check the height under any eave or gutter. A tote that fits on paper but blocks the downspout is not a fit.