Cages, frames and pallets on their own
Price cages, frames & pallets
Quantity, liquid and zip code is enough to get a real number back. We confirm grade and stock before we quote — no auto-replies.
We sell reclaimed IBC cages, replacement pallets, base rings and cage guards as individual parts. A straightened galvanised cage runs $45–$85, a composite pallet $28–$45 and a steel pallet $35–$60. Replacing one component costs a fraction of replacing the container and avoids scrapping 130 lb of perfectly serviceable material.
The numbers on the plate
Everything below is what you actually receive. Where a figure varies by manufacturer we quote the range rather than the flattering end of it, and we confirm the exact unit before it ships.
- Cage materialGalvanised steel tube, welded
- Cage conditionStraightened in a jig, weld-checked
- Composite palletHDPE deck, steel runners
- Steel palletFull welded steel, forkable 4-way
- Plastic palletOne-piece HDPE, washable
- Base ringsNew galvanised stock, cut to fit
- Cage guardsCorner protectors and top rails
- Fit275 and 330 gal standard frames
- Minimum orderOne part
- Lead timeSame week from stock
Parts and prices
| Part | Fits | Condition | Price | Typical reason to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galvanised cage, straightened | 275 / 330 gal | Inspected, weld-checked | $45 – $85 | Forklift damage to the frame |
| Composite pallet (HDPE + steel) | Standard 48 × 40 | Reclaimed, cleaned | $28 – $45 | Rot, split deck, soft corners |
| Full steel pallet | Standard 48 × 40 | Reclaimed, de-rusted | $35 – $60 | Heavy service, wash-down environments |
| One-piece plastic pallet | Standard 48 × 40 | Reclaimed, washed | $40 – $65 | Food and pharma wash-down |
| Base ring, new galvanised | Universal | New stock, cut to fit | $22 | Corrosion at the frame base |
| Corner guards (set of 4) | Universal | New | $18 | Sites with heavy forklift traffic |
| Top rail replacement | 275 / 330 gal | Reclaimed or new | $16 – $30 | Crushed top bar from stacking |
Where they end up
Repairing your own fleet
If you run twenty or more containers, keeping two spare cages and four spare pallets on site turns a scrapped tote into a two-hour repair. We sell the parts and will show your maintenance crew how to swap them.
Rebottling projects
Customers who source their own new bottles buy cages and pallets from us to complete the units. We inspect and straighten before sale so the frame is not the weak point.
Non-container uses
Bare cages are popular as firewood stores, garden trellises, market display frames and equipment guards. We sell them de-bottled and cleaned for exactly this.
What it will and will not hold
Parts rather than containers, so the compatibility question is dimensional rather than chemical. Almost all composite IBCs from the major manufacturers are interchangeable within about half an inch, but the half inch matters.
| Contents | Verdict | Gasket | What decides it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 275 gal standard composite cage | Interchangeable | — | Fits essentially all major-manufacturer 275 gal bottles |
| 330 gal standard composite cage | Interchangeable | — | Taller frame; will not accept a 275 bottle squarely |
| European 1000 L units | Usually | — | Send a photo of the collar and the top rail and we will confirm |
| 550 gal frames | Not interchangeable | — | 48 × 48 base; a different animal entirely |
| Composite pallet under a steel cage | Yes | — | Changes tare by about 15 lb |
| Wooden base under anything | Avoid | — | We quote a swap before anything else on arrival |
Exactly what you receive
- Cages straightened on a hydraulic jig against a template, never heated
- Weld integrity checked at every bottom-rail joint
- Corroded base rings cut out and replaced with new galvanised stock
- A degrease pass so the frame can actually be inspected
- A written condition note with the part
What you will need separately
- Any UN rating — moving a bottle into a different cage breaks the design-type chain
- A bottle, unless you order a complete rebottled unit
- Fitting, unless you bring the container to the yard for bench work
Ask before you order, not after
Five checks worth five minutes
Written from the problems that reach our returns desk, which is the only honest source for a list like this.
Photograph the collar and the top rail
That is what tells us whether your bottle will seat squarely in our cage. Two photographs settle it before anything ships rather than after.
Check the base ring on what you already have
It corrodes from the inside, sitting in whatever the pallet collects. If you can see rust blooming along it, it is worse than it looks and it is the most common reason we scrap an otherwise sound frame.
Decide about the rating first
If the container needs to carry regulated liquid, buy a complete rebottled or reconditioned unit with a current inspection record. A swapped cage cannot be rated.
Match the pallet to the environment
Composite for general industrial, plastic for wash-down and food, steel for outdoor and heavy service. Wood for nothing.
Keep spares if you run a fleet
Two spare cages and four spare bases on site turns a scrapped container into a two-hour repair. At $28–$85 a part against $135–$360 a container, it pays for itself on the first use.
Three mistakes we watch people make
Scrapping repairable frames
Heating a bent bar to straighten it
Assuming a swapped cage keeps its plate
The commercial detail
Indicative 2026 yard pricing. Everything is quoted properly before anything moves, and freight is always itemised separately.
| Part | Price | Fits | Condition | Lead time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galvanised cage, straightened | $45 – $85 | 275 / 330 gal | Jig-straightened, weld-checked | Same week |
| Composite pallet | $28 – $45 | 48 × 40 standard | Reclaimed, cleaned | Same week |
| Full steel pallet | $35 – $60 | 48 × 40 standard | Reclaimed, de-rusted | Same week |
| One-piece plastic pallet | $40 – $65 | 48 × 40 standard | Reclaimed, washed | Same week |
| Base ring, new galvanised | $22 | Universal | New stock, cut to fit | Same week |
| Corner guards, set of four | $18 | Universal | New | Same week |
| Top rail replacement | $16 – $30 | 275 / 330 gal | Reclaimed or new | Same week |
| Bench fitting at the yard | $35 per unit | — | — | Booked slot |
Cages, Frames & Pallets: FAQ
Can I just buy a cage without a bottle?
Yes — that is the entire point of this page. Bare straightened cages run $45–$85 depending on condition and whether the plate is intact. They are a common buy for anyone repairing a fleet or building something from the frame.
Will your cage fit my bottle?
Standard 275 and 330 gallon composite IBCs from the major manufacturers are dimensionally interchangeable within about half an inch, so in almost all cases yes. Send us a photo of the bottle collar and the cage top rail and we will confirm before shipping rather than after.
Is a swapped cage still UN rated?
Generally no. The UN design type covers the container as an assembly, and moving a bottle into a different cage breaks that chain unless it is done under a reconditioner marking scheme. If you need rated service, buy a complete rebottled or reconditioned unit with a current inspection record instead.
Do you take damaged cages back?
We buy scrap cages by weight and we will credit them against a parts order. It is usually worth more to you as credit than as scrap steel, and it keeps the galvanised material inside our loop rather than a smelter.
Can I build a complete container from your parts and my own bottle?
Yes, and customers who source their own new bottles do exactly that. Buy the cage and the pallet from us — inspected and straightened, so the frame is not the weak point — and fit the bottle yourself. The one thing you will not get is a UN rating, because the design type covers the assembly.
What do you pay for scrap cages?
We buy them by weight and we will credit them against a parts order, which is typically worth 10–15% more than the cash price. Before you weigh them in, though, let us look: a frame you think is scrap is often straightenable, and it is worth several times its scrap value if it is.
Do bare cages have other uses?
Plenty. De-bottled cages sell steadily as firewood stores, garden trellises, market display frames, tool cages and equipment guards. We sell them cleaned and de-bottled specifically for that, and our fabrication shop will cut, weld a door and add a floor if you want something lockable.