Pallet Storage in the GTA: Pricing, Options and What to Watch For

TL; DR

• North Industries: pallet storage in Mississauga starts at $25 per pallet per month, confirmed through a scoped quote.
  
• GTA market: 3PL pallet storage runs about $13 to $24 per pallet per month, plus $7 to $13 per pallet for handling in and out.
  
• Why quotes differ: billing unit, what is bundled, stackability, pallet size, minimum charges, and how partial months are billed.
  
• Costs beyond storage: container unloading, palletization, handling, delivery, deposits, and account minimums.
  
• How to compare: price the full inbound-to-outbound bill, not the storage line alone.
  
  

If you import, distribute, or manufacture, and you need a place for palletized inventory in the GTA, here is the short answer. Pallet storage cost in Mississauga starts at $25 per pallet per month at North Industries, and published GTA 3PL rates run about $13 to $24 before handling. This guide covers renting pallet space in a warehouse, not buying racking. It explains what a quote includes, what gets added, and how to compare quotes that look nothing alike.

How much does pallet storage cost in Mississauga and the GTA in 2026?

GTA 3PL pallet storage runs about $13 to $24 per standard pallet per month. Handling adds $7 to $13 per pallet each time a pallet moves in or out. Both figures come from Warehouse Bridge’s 2026 Canadian market report, based on Q2 2026 quoting data from its network of Canadian facilities. North Industries’ pallet storage starts at $25 per pallet per month.

The same report ranks Toronto and Vancouver as the most expensive storage markets in Canada. Whichever warehouse you choose in Mississauga, expect GTA-level pricing.

The storage rate is rarely the whole bill. Take a pallet stored at $20 a month with $10 handling each way: kept for one month, it costs $40, of which $20 is handling. A low storage rate with high handling can cost more than a higher storage rate with fewer add-ons, especially when inventory turns quickly. That is why North Industries quotes the full picture: unloading, storage and outbound, from one operator.

What does a pallet storage quote include, and what costs extra?

A pallet storage rate covers the monthly pallet position: the space one pallet occupies in the warehouse. Everything that moves the pallet, such as unloading, palletizing, handling out and delivery, is usually charged separately. Deposits and minimum charges sit on top of both. Ask for every line in writing before comparing totals.

The table below lists the lines a GTA pallet storage quote can carry, with North Industries’ starting price for each where one exists.

Why do pallet storage quotes in the GTA vary so much?

GTA pallet storage quotes vary because warehouses price different things under the same name. One quote bundles handling into storage while another bills it separately. One charges by pallet position, another by square foot. Stackability, pallet height, minimum charges and partial-month billing move the number further.

Here is what to check before deciding a quote is high or low, whether the warehouse is in Mississauga, Brampton, or elsewhere across the GTA, where pallet storage in Toronto is priced the same way:

• Billing unit: pallet position and square-foot pricing produce different totals for the same inventory.
• Bundled handling: some rates include movement in and out, others charge it per pallet.
• Stackability: a US warehouse contract filed publicly with the SEC charges more than twice as much to store a non-stackable pallet as a stackable one.
• Pallet size and height: the same contract prices oversized pallets by the cubic foot instead of per pallet.
• Minimum charges: warehouses can set a minimum monthly charge per account.
• Partial months: contracts that bill a full month’s storage for goods received on any day of the month.

Should you pay per pallet or per square foot?

Pay per pallet when your inventory sits on standard 48 x 40-inch pallets, and your pallet count changes month to month. Pay per square foot when you need dedicated floor space for floor-stacked, irregular, or high-SKU inventory with a fixed footprint. North Industries offers both.

For scale, a standard 48 x 40-inch pallet covers about 13.3 square feet of surface area, according to racking manufacturer Mecalux. Square-foot pricing pays for floor, so aisles and staging space count. Per-pallet pricing pays for the position, which suits shared warehouse storage in Mississauga where many clients’ pallets share the same racking.

How is short-term pallet storage priced compared with long-term?

Short-term storage usually costs more per unit of space than a committed arrangement. At North Industries, short-term floor space starts at $2.25 per square foot per month against $2.00 for dedicated floor space. Overflow and oversized freight storage each start at $250 per month, and reserved space carries first- and last-month deposits.

Ask for the term in writing: month-to-month, fixed period, or seasonal. Minimums apply where appropriate, so confirm whether one applies to your volume before inventory arrives.

What happens if your inventory sits longer than expected?

Pallet storage bills every month a pallet occupies its position, so slow-selling stock keeps adding cost. Before signing, ask how long-held inventory is billed and what notice the warehouse must give before asking you to remove goods. If stock is likely to sit, compare the monthly storage total over three and six months rather than the first-month quote.

Why does the day your pallets arrive matter?

Some warehouses bill a full month for any part of a month. The publicly filed warehouse contract mentioned above charges a full month’s storage for goods received anywhere between the first and last day of a calendar month. Ask whether billing runs on calendar months, is pro-rated, or starts from your arrival date.

What does it cost to move 40 pallets from a container into storage?

An importer bringing 40 pallets into North Industries from one 40-foot container pays about $2,500 in the first month at starting prices if the goods arrive palletized, and about $3,900 if they arrive floor-loaded. After that, storage runs $1,000 per month for 40 pallets. The table below shows each line.

The example assumes:

• all 40 pallets arrive in one 40-foot container
• the pallets are standard size
• North Industries’ starting prices apply
• HST, outbound handling, and delivery are extra

For what happens at the dock, see what container receiving and unloading involve.

What changes if the container arrives floor-loaded?

A floor-loaded container holds loose cartons stacked from floor to ceiling instead of pallets. The cartons are unloaded by hand, then built onto pallets and wrapped before they can go into storage. That adds palletization at $35 per pallet, which is $1,400 in the 40-pallet example.

What should you look for in a GTA pallet storage facility?

Look for a facility that puts every charge in writing, explains how handling and partial months are billed, and can receive the way your freight actually arrives. For more on the local market, read how warehousing works in Mississauga.

• Written inclusions: every cost line listed, not a single blended rate.
• Handling terms: per pallet, per hour, or included, in and out.
• Billing start: calendar month, pro-rated, or arrival-based.
• Minimums and deposits: stated before your inventory ships.
• Insurance on goods: the filed contract states its storage rates do not include insurance on the goods, so ask who insures your inventory.
• Access and pickups: how visits and pickups are arranged.
• Floor-loaded receiving: whether the warehouse unloads and palletizes loose cartons.
• Inventory counts: how and when stock levels are reported.
• Outbound options: carrier coordination, delivery, and order fulfillment.

What is the difference between pallet storage and fulfillment?

Pallet storage holds your inventory by position and moves whole pallets in and out. Fulfillment picks individual orders from that inventory and ships them to customers or retailers. A business that ships full pallets to distributors needs storage and handling. A business that ships orders needs fulfillment on top.

At North Industries, pick and pack for DTC and B2B orders starts at $4.50 per order, cross-docking at $500, and local delivery at $150 and up. Keeping storage and order fulfillment from the same warehouse removes a transfer between providers. For per-order economics, see the full breakdown of 3PL costs in Canada.

What does North Industries offer for pallet storage at Lenworth Drive?

North Industries stores pallets at 3186A Lenworth Drive in Mississauga, starting at $25 per pallet per month. The same operator unloads containers, palletizes loose freight, fulfills orders, and delivers locally with its own vehicles. Your inventory stays with one accountable partner from arrival to dispatch.

What that means in practice:

• Flexible volumes: onboarding for businesses below the pallet counts many large operators require.
• Clear terms: starting prices published, deposits on reserved space, minimums only where appropriate.
• Controlled access: client inventory kept separate, with inventory count reconciliation where applicable.
• One relationship: unloading, storage, fulfillment and company-operated delivery with no handoffs between vendors.

Learn more about warehousing and pallet storage in Ontario, or request a pallet storage quote with your pallet count, arrival date, and container type.

Frequently asked questions

What is a pallet position?

A pallet position is one storage slot sized for a single pallet, usually a standard 48 x 40-inch pallet, in racking or on the warehouse floor. Warehouses bill it monthly for as long as the pallet occupies the slot. The position is the unit behind most per-pallet storage quotes in the GTA.

Is there a minimum term or pallet count for pallet storage?

No single rule applies across GTA warehouses. Some set monthly or account minimums, and some require deposits before inventory arrives. At North Industries, reserved space carries first- and last-month deposits, and minimums apply only where appropriate. Ask any warehouse to state its minimum term and pallet count in writing.

What pallet size is standard for storage?

The standard pallet in Canada and the US measures 48 x 40 inches. Combined with its load, a pallet is usually 4 to 5.2 feet tall. Pallets that are oversized, over-height or non-stackable are often priced differently, so confirm your pallet dimensions when you request a quote.

How much space do 1,000 pallets take up?

A standard 48 x 40-inch pallet covers about 13.3 square feet, so 1,000 pallets need roughly 13,300 square feet of pallet footprint before aisles. Racking reduces the floor area by storing pallets vertically, while aisles and staging add to it. Ask a warehouse to quote positions rather than estimating floor space yourself.

Can I access my pallets at any time?

Most 3PL warehouses control access to protect every client’s inventory, so visits and pickups are arranged in advance. At North Industries, warehouse access is controlled and customer pickups are coordinated with the team. Confirm the pickup process and lead time before your first outbound order.

Can I store a small number of pallets with a 3PL in the GTA?

Yes, with operators that onboard smaller volumes. Many larger 3PLs build their pricing around high pallet counts, which makes small accounts hard to place. North Industries onboards businesses below those levels and applies minimums only where appropriate. A small importer with a single container of stock can still get a scoped quote.