Fire ratings for plastic pallets
Two listings
- FM 4996
- Fire controlled at 5.9 mm/min (0.15 GPM/ft2) within a 10-minute test
- UL 2335
- Idle pallet test and commodity storage test
- IFC
- Listed pallets may be treated as wood
- Unlisted
- Commodity class can rise two classes
A listed and labelled plastic pallet, under FM 4996 or UL 2335, may be treated as a wood pallet in sprinkler design under the International Fire Code. An unlisted plastic pallet can raise the commodity hazard class. That changes the water your building needs.
Ask your insurer or fire authority which listing applies before the first truck. The numbers below come from one technical article and are for orientation, not for design.
What the two tests are
| Listing | Test | Pass |
|---|---|---|
| FM 4996 | Ten-minute test of eight 1.2 m stacks | Fire controlled at 5.9 mm/min (0.15 GPM/ft2) |
| UL 2335 | Idle pallet test, then a commodity storage test | Listed and labelled |
The International Fire Code permits pallets listed and labelled under FM 4996 or UL 2335 to be treated as wood pallets for sprinkler design. Without a listing, an ICC article says unlisted plastic pallets may require raising the commodity hazard class by two classes, and gives an example needing about 55 percent more sprinkler water.
Why the difference matters
A 2010 insurer figure cited by ICC puts fire spread to a pallet above at about 18 minutes for plastic versus nearly 50 for wood. NFPA requires wood and plastic pallets to be stored outdoors or in a detached structure unless sprinklers protect them. These facts are why the listing question comes before the order.
- Is the model listed under FM 4996, UL 2335 or both?
- Is the listing for the model as built, with the colourant and recycled content you want?
- Does the pallet carry the label the inspector looks for?
- Does your insurer accept it?
Pooled pallets and listings
iGPS announced FM approval in 2008 for its all-plastic RFID-tagged pooled pallet, which had UL 2335 certification from 2007. That shows a pooled fleet can be listed, but the pallets remain the pool operator's property. See the pooled and rental pallets page for how listings sit beside ownership rules.
Reading a listing before you rely on it
- Find the label or the certificate. The International Fire Code treats a pallet as wood only when it is listed and labeled.
- Match the model name on the certificate to the model you are buying; the listing belongs to a model.
- Ask which test: FM 4996 controls fire at 5.9 mm per minute within a 10-minute test of eight stacks 1.2 m high, while UL 2335 has an idle pallet test and a commodity storage test.
- Ask your insurer and sprinkler designer whether either listing is what the policy or the design assumes.
A 2010 insurer figure cited by ICC puts fire spread to a pallet above at about 18 minutes for plastic against nearly 50 for wood. That gap is the reason unlisted plastic can push the commodity class up, and why a listing is worth asking for before the first truck, not after the first inspection.
Who asks for a fire rating
A fire rating is usually asked for by an insurer, a building code or a site safety officer, not by the pallet maker. If your warehouse has a sprinkler design that assumes a certain commodity class, ask the insurer which pallets meet it before you buy, then ask the maker for the listing.
Documents to ask the maker for
- The listing or test report that names the standard.
- The model numbers it covers, not only the family name.
- Whether the rating applies to the pallet alone or to the pallet with a load.
From request to trailer
- Send the ship-to. A delivery ZIP, a footprint and a quantity, in pallets or in trailers. If you do not know a rating, describe the load.
- We match a model. We pick a maker and model whose published static, dynamic and racking load fit the load, and say so when only one maker fits.
- You get a count. The quote carries the maker's own per-trailer figure where one is published, and says plainly where none is.
- Papers and delivery. For food or pharma we attach the resin and colourant documents. A standing supply repeats the same line on every order.
What a complete request carries
- The footprint, in inches or millimetres, and whether it is fixed by a rack bay or a container.
- How many pallets, or how many 53 ft trailers.
- The ratings the load needs: static for the stack, dynamic for the move, racking only if the pallet sits on beams.
- Food, pharma, chemical, automotive, warehouse or export use, which sets the papers.
- One load now, or a standing supply with the same line on every order.
- Where it goes and when, and anything marked on the pallet: colour, logo, RFID tag.
Terms on this page
- PP
- Polypropylene. More rigid than HDPE and better with heat and harsh chemicals; used where rack stiffness matters.
- RFID
- Radio tag moulded or fixed into a pallet so it can be tracked.
- FM 4996
- FM Approvals standard that rates a pallet as equal to wood in fire tests.
- UL 2335
- UL fire-test standard for storage pallets, with an idle pallet test and a commodity storage test.
- Rackable
- Rated to sit on rack beams, with a stated racking load.
- Nest ratio
- How many empty pallets fit in the height of one.
- Fork pocket
- Opening in the pallet where the forks go.
- Open deck
- Top deck with gaps between slats or ribs; lighter and drains.
- Closed deck
- Solid top deck with no gaps; keeps small items from falling through.
- Picture frame
- A raised rim around the deck edge that keeps cartons from sliding off.
Questions at the dock
Do plastic pallets need a fire rating?
Not by themselves. A rating matters for sprinkler design. A listed and labelled pallet may be treated as wood; an unlisted one may raise the hazard class.
What is FM 4996?
A test where fire must be controlled at 5.9 mm/min (0.15 GPM/ft2) within a 10-minute test of eight 1.2 m stacks.
Keep reading
Last reviewed 2026-11-12.