When do you need a solid deck pallet?

When small cartons, bags, drums or point loads would sag or drop into deck gaps, or loose parts would fall through.

Do solid deck pallets cost more?

Yes. They use more boards and nails; on a 48 x 40 stringer pallet the solid top uses about 3.4 more board feet and 24 more nails than a GMA top.

Solid deck pallet: no gaps between deckboards

A solid deck pallet has its top deckboards butted edge to edge so there are no gaps. On a 48 x 40 in stringer pallet, twelve 4 in boards cover the 48 in length exactly, using about 8.3 board feet in 5/8 in stock against 4.9 for a standard 7-board GMA top.

Reviewed September 25, 2026

On this page

What is a solid deck pallet?
How a solid deck pallet is built
When to use a solid deck
When not to use one
Solid deck vs standard deck
How to specify a solid deck pallet
Questions

What is a solid deck pallet?

A solid deck is a deck with no gaps between deckboards. The boards are butted edge to edge, or the deck is covered by a panel. It is the opposite end of the scale from an open deck with 3 to 5 in gaps.

Solid decks are usually a top-deck feature. The bottom deck normally stays open so fork tines and pallet-jack wheels can work.

How a solid deck pallet is built

Compare two 48 x 40 in stringer pallets with 5/8 in top boards:

	Standard GMA top	Solid top
Boards	2 x 5-1/2 in + 5 x 3-1/2 in	12 x 4 in
Gaps	3.25 in	0
Top deck board feet	About 4.9	About 8.3
Top nails (3 stringers, 2 per joint on boards up to 5-1/4 in, 3 on wider)	48	72
Deck coverage	About 59%	100%

In the Uniform Standard's terms, two butted 4 in boards are treated as equal to one 6 in board. Alternatives to butted boards are tongue-and-groove boards or a plywood or OSB panel over the deck; see panel deck pallets.

palletdesign.ai lays out the top boards from the count and widths you give it and reports the resulting gap, so a solid deck is simply a board set that fills the length.

When to use a solid deck

Small cartons and bags that would sag or drop into gaps.
Drums and pails, where chimes can drop into wide gaps. palletdesign.ai warns when gaps exceed 2.5 in under drums; see drum pallets.
Concentrated or point loads that need even support.
Loose or small parts, or loads where the product itself must not touch the stringers.

When not to use one

Anywhere gaps do no harm. A solid deck adds lumber, nails and weight: at about 4.4 lb per board foot for green mixed hardwood, the extra 3.4 board feet in the table above adds roughly 15 lb.
Kiln-dried vs green lumber: green boards shrink as they dry (roughly 1% of width per 5% drop in moisture content below about 28%), so a "solid" deck built green opens small gaps.

Solid deck vs standard deck

	Solid deck	Standard open deck
Gaps	None	Typically 3 to 5 in
Lumber and nails	More	Less
Weight	Heavier	Lighter
Best for	Drums, small cartons, bags, point loads	Most cased goods

How to specify a solid deck pallet

Size and pallet type (stringer or block).
Top deck: "solid" or "butted", with board count, thickness and width, or panel material.
Bottom deck: count and layout (usually open).
Lumber moisture: kiln dried if the deck must stay tight.
Fasteners per joint.
Load type and weight, especially drums, bags or point loads.

For the base design, see the 48 x 40 stringer pallet and the deck board spacing guide.

Questions

What is a solid deck pallet?: A pallet whose top deckboards are butted edge to edge, or covered by a panel, so there are no gaps.
When do you need a solid deck pallet?: When small cartons, bags, drums or point loads would sag or drop into deck gaps, or loose parts would fall through.
Do solid deck pallets cost more?: Yes. They use more boards and nails; on a 48 x 40 stringer pallet the solid top uses about 3.4 more board feet and 24 more nails than a GMA top.