A 20 ft container holds as many pavers as its weight limit allows. For 20 mm porcelain, that is typically in the region of 500 square metres, depending on the paver's density, the pallets and the line's payload limit. The factory's loading plan gives the real figure.
Space is not the limit. A container of pavers reaches its weight limit with much of the floor and height still empty. The method below lets you check any quote.
The method
Work it out in four steps, using the factory's packing list where you can:
- Find the weight per square metre. Porcelain weighs roughly 2.3 kg per square metre for each millimetre of thickness, so a 20 mm paver is about 45 to 48 kg per square metre.
- Find the usable payload. A 20 ft container often allows around 26 to 28 tonnes, depending on the shipping line and route, and road limits at destination can be lower.
- Subtract the packing weight: pallets or crates, cartons and bracing.
- Divide the remaining weight by the weight per square metre, then round down to whole pallets.
A worked example
Take a 600x600x20 mm paver at about 46 kg per square metre. Suppose the usable payload is 26 tonnes and pallets and packing take 1.5 tonnes. That leaves 24.5 tonnes for pavers, or about 530 square metres. At 0.36 square metres per piece, that is close to 1,470 pieces.
These numbers are illustrative only. Your real count depends on the factory's actual weights, its pallet design and the payload your shipping line accepts. Always ask for the packing list and loading plan.
What changes the count
- Body density: two 20 mm pavers from different plants can differ in weight per square metre.
- Actual thickness: a paver sold as 20 mm may measure slightly more or less.
- Packing: wooden crates weigh more than pallets, and reduce the paver weight you can carry.
- Pallet rounding: pallets must be whole, so the last part of the payload is often unused.
- Mixed loads: adding thinner tiles or step pieces changes the total.
20 ft or 40 ft?
For heavy goods, 20 ft is usually the right box. A 40 ft container's payload limit is not much higher, so it would carry roughly the same weight with more empty space. A 40 ft box can make sense only when you mix pavers with much lighter goods.
For more on container limits, see the maximum payload for a tile container. For thinner indoor tiles, our guide on square metres of tiles in a 20 ft container uses the same method.
Why the count matters
Freight is charged per container, so fewer square metres per container means a higher freight cost per square metre. Compare quotes on square metres per container, not just on price per square metre. A factory with lighter packing can fit more pavers in the same box.
Also check that the declared gross weight matches the real load. Overweight containers can be refused, held or fined, and the shipping line needs an accurate verified gross mass before loading on the ship.
Next step
We check packing lists and loading plans against the real weights and supervise loading. To plan your first paver container, book a free sourcing review.