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How much stone fits in a 20 ft container
Stone is a weight problem, not a volume problem. A 20 ft container reaches its payload limit while it still looks half empty — which is why these figures are in tonnes first and square metres second.
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Square metres per 20 ft container
Indicative loading figures for a 20 ft container at 25 t payload, including timber crating and steel A-frames. Confirm against your own port and road weight limits.
| Material | Thickness | Density kg/m³ | kg per m² packed | Per 20 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marble slabs 2 cm | 2 cm | 2700 | 58.3 | 429 m² |
| Marble slabs 3 cm | 3 cm | 2700 | 87.5 | 286 m² |
| Marble tiles 1.8 cm | 1.8 cm | 2700 | 52.5 | 476 m² |
| Granite slabs 2 cm | 2 cm | 2750 | 59.4 | 421 m² |
| Granite slabs 3 cm | 3 cm | 2750 | 89.1 | 281 m² |
| Quartz slabs 2 cm | 2 cm | 2400 | 51.8 | 482 m² |
Blocks are different: a 20 ft takes roughly 8 – 10 m³ of block depending on density, and blocks are quoted by the cubic metre rather than by area.
Paving setts, cobbles and kerbs
Hardscape is the heaviest thing we ship, and the one buyers most often size wrong: a sett is three to five times the weight per square metre of a slab, so a paving order fills far more containers than the same area of flooring. Same arithmetic as the table above, at the thicknesses paving is actually cut in.
| Format | Thickness | Density kg/m³ | kg per m² packed | Per 20 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granite paving setts | 6 cm | 2750 | 178.2 | 140 m² |
| Granite paving setts | 8 cm | 2750 | 237.6 | 105 m² |
| Granite setts and kerb stone | 10 cm | 2750 | 297.0 | 84 m² |
Kerbs are quoted by the linear metre rather than the square metre. Send the section and the running metres and we convert it to weight and containers with the quotation.
Worked example: how many containers for a real job
Take a 3,000 m² hotel floor in 2 cm marble, with 400 m² of 3 cm for the stair treads and landings, and 1,200 m² of 8 cm granite setts for the forecourt.
The flooring
3,000 m² at 2 cm is about 58.3 kg per m² packed, so roughly 7 containers at 429 m² each.
The stair stone
400 m² at 3 cm carries half again the weight per m² of the 2 cm, so 286 m² is a full load at that thickness — the 400 m² is about 1.4 containers on its own. It is cheaper to let it ride with the flooring than to ship a part load.
The forecourt
1,200 m² of 8 cm setts is the heavy part: about 237.6 kg per m², or roughly 12 containers at 105 m² each — more containers than the 3,000 m² of flooring.
What to do with that
Price the freight from the weight, not the area, and order the paving early: it is the part that sets the shipping schedule. We produce the loading plan and confirm the exact payload per container before anything is cut.
Your numbers
Work it out for your own load
Change the thickness, the density or the payload and the figure follows.
Reading the number
The figure carries an 8 % allowance for timber, A-frames and packing, so it is what actually goes on the vessel rather than the stone alone.
It is a weight limit, not a volume limit. Stone containers almost always run out of payload long before they run out of space, which is why a 20 ft is the standard unit and a 40 ft is rarely worth the freight.
For mixed loads add the weights, not the areas. Send us the list and we will produce the loading plan and confirm the exact payload.
Questions
Loading, in practice
How many square metres of marble fit in a 20 ft container?
About 429 m² of 2 cm slabs, or 286 m² at 3 cm, on a 25 tonne payload. The figure includes an 8 % allowance for timber, A-frames and packing.
Why is a 20 ft container the standard for stone and not a 40 ft?
Because stone runs out of weight long before it runs out of space. A 20 ft hits its payload limit with the container barely half full, so a 40 ft costs more freight to carry the same tonnage.
How many cubic metres of block fit in a container?
Roughly 8 – 10 m³ of block in a 20 ft, depending on density. Blocks are quoted and loaded by the cubic metre, not by area.
Can I mix several stones in one container?
Yes. Add the weights rather than the areas — send us the list and we produce the loading plan and confirm the exact payload before anything is cut.
Is the payload limit the same everywhere?
Not at destination. 25 t is a typical container limit, but road weight limits on the inland leg are often lower and are what actually binds. Check yours before you fix a quantity.
Send a port and a quantity.
We come back with the loading plan, the container count and FOB and CIF prices, usually within one working day.
We reply within one working day · Saturday – Thursday, 08:00 – 18:00 Cairo time · WhatsApp +20 106 926 2572
Family business since 1991 · Factory in Alexandria · 50 % in advance · 30 % on approval after production · 20 % before shipping · Reply within one working day