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Selective pallet racking: a plain guide to cost and specs
Selective racking is the standard warehouse pallet rack. Every pallet can be reached without moving another, so it is the baseline other racking types are compared against.
The short answer. Published Australian figures for selective racking run from about A$50–A$250 per pallet position for kit or supply-only prices to A$80–A$200 (December 2024, one source) or A$280–A$520 (2026, one source) per position installed. What each includes differs, so get itemised quotes.
What selective racking is
Upright frames are joined by horizontal beams to form bays. Pallets sit across a pair of beams at each level, and each pallet is directly accessible from the aisle. The parts regulators tell you to check include uprights and footplates, beams and their safety clips, braces and floor anchors (WorkSafe Victoria, SafeWork NSW).
What it costs
| Item | Published range (A$) | Evidence | Public sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selective racking, kit or supply prices Mostly kit or package prices with no installation, engineering or certification. Most figures cluster at A$50 to A$150; one guide goes to A$250. | A$50–A$250 per pallet position | 4 sources | Wholesales Direct, SpeedRack, Steel Power Shelving, Gwelo Developments source notes: selective racking, kit or supply prices |
| Selective racking, supply and install (basic spec) Frames, beams, safety components, install labour and basic engineering certification. Dec 2024 market data. | A$80–A$200 per pallet position | 1 source, unconfirmed | Pallet Racking & More source notes: selective racking, supply and install (basic spec) |
| Selective racking, supply and install (fully engineered and certified) Survey, engineered design, anchors, signage, AS 4084:2023 sign-off and handover pack. 2026, QLD/NSW metro. | A$280–A$520 per pallet position | 1 source, unconfirmed | Pallet Racking Maintenance source notes: selective racking, supply and install (fully engineered and certified) |
Why the installed prices disagree. Two public guides give very different "installed" prices for standard selective racking: one (December 2024 data) says A$80–A$200 per position for supply, install and basic engineering certification (Pallet Racking & More); another (2026, QLD/NSW metro) says A$280–A$520 per position for a fully engineered, certified install (Pallet Racking Maintenance). Public kit listings and supplier guides put kit or supply-only prices at A$50–A$250 per position.
The older "installed" range overlaps the supply-only ranges. Our reading, which we cannot confirm, is that cheaper quotes often cover little more than kit plus basic labour, while the higher range prices in site survey, engineered design, anchoring, signage and AS 4084 sign-off. Each of those installed figures comes from a single source, so treat both as unconfirmed and ask every supplier to itemise what is included.
Converting a bay price into a position price
Many retailers price per bay. To compare, divide by the pallet positions in the bay. Example from one retailer: a 4275 mm high starter bay with 3 beam levels (listed beam clear length 2590 mm) was listed at A$821.70 including GST (supply only) in Nov 2026 (Colby Perth (S423 starter bay)). If each of the 3 beam levels takes 2 pallets (our assumption), that is 6 positions, or about A$136.95 per position by our arithmetic. The page does not say whether it counts a floor-level position, so check this with any supplier. The listing also shows a higher "was" price, so it is a sale price. See Perth pallet racking cost for the other bays we found there.
Specification choices that move the price
- Duty rating. One guide splits its December 2024 installed range by duty: light A$80–A$120, medium A$120–A$150, heavy A$150–A$200 per position (Pallet Racking & More). That is a single source.
- Height. One retailer's labour-only install prices rise from A$560–A$3,500 for 1.8 m uprights to A$1,400–A$8,750 for 6 m, for 15 to 100 bay jobs (ex GST; SpeedRack, SpeedRack).
- Safe working load signs. Regulators say signs should show the manufacturer, supplier, installation date, designer, unit load limit and limits per beam level and per bay (WorkSafe Victoria, SafeWork NSW). Ask that they are included.
- Protection. Regulators recommend upright and end-of-rack protectors and rear protection for single-row racking with pedestrian access behind (WorkSafe Victoria, SafeWork NSW). One guide gives A$150–A$400 per upright for column guards (Pallet Racking & More).
- Floor and engineering. Floor works A$2,000–A$8,000 per site if needed; engineering, anchoring and certification A$35–A$75 per position (Pallet Racking & More, Pallet Racking Maintenance). Each of those is a single-source figure.
A worked range
Our arithmetic from the ranges above for 100 pallet positions: kit or supply-only A$5,000–A$25,000; installed, basic spec A$8,000–A$20,000; installed, fully engineered A$28,000–A$52,000. Wide ranges mean quotes matter more than any average. Use the Calculator for your own number.
Standards and inspection
AS 4084.1:2023 covers the design of steel storage racking and AS 4084.2:2023 covers operation and maintenance (Standards Australia). SafeWork NSW and WorkSafe Victoria say a competent person should formally inspect racking at intervals not exceeding 12 months (SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe Victoria); their guidance is written for standard selective racking. See AS 4084 explained and the inspection checklist. This is not legal advice.
When selective racking is not the right choice
If you store many pallets of the same product and floor space is tight, denser systems may be worth pricing: drive-in and push-back. For long loads such as timber or pipe, see cantilever racking. Compare them all in Racking types compared. Buying second-hand? Read used pallet racking for sale.
Estimate your rangeHow to compare quotes
Related guides
- Cost per pallet positionSupply-only vs installed vs engineered, per position.
- Installation costLabour-only prices, add-ons and what to ask for.
- Racking types comparedSelective, drive-in, push-back and cantilever.
- Used racking for saleListing prices, savings claims and a buying checklist.
Prices vary, get quotes. Every range on this page comes from public pages we read in Nov 2026 and links to its source. They are indicative, not quotes, and not advice. See selective racking price sources.