10x12 Walk-In Cooler: Size, Pallet Access and Refrigeration

By Renato J. Alonso, Founder and President, Qube Cold Storage Solutions · Updated October 28, 2026

A 10x12 walk-in cooler is 7′-7″ tall and gives you about 100 sq ft inside. Built floorless on your concrete floor, it is the smallest common size where a pallet jack can bring a 40″ x 48″ pallet in and still leave room for shelving. It typically runs on a 3/4 to 1 HP class remote refrigeration system.

Dimensions

	10x12 cooler
Nominal size	10′ x 12′
Built exterior	A few inches under 10′ x 12′, never over. Exact numbers are on your drawing.
Exterior height	7′-7″
Inside, floorless	about 11′-1″ x 9′-1″ x 7′-3″ high
Inside height with an insulated floor	about 6′-11″
Inside floor area	about 100 sq ft
Inside volume, floorless	about 730 cu ft

What fits

• Shelving only: two 24″-deep runs of about 11′ on the long walls and a 60″ unit on the back wall, about 27 linear feet of shelf per level.
• Pallet plus shelving: shelving on one long wall and the back, with a pallet staged on the floor. If pallets go in and out every day, use a wider door.
• Floors and pallet jacks: insulated floor panels are not built for pallet jacks or forklifts. If pallets roll in, go floorless on a level concrete floor, or specify a reinforced floor.

Refrigeration

	Cooler, 35°F	Freezer, −10°F
Typical box load, average use, 8′ high	8,626 Btu/h	8,809 Btu/h
Typical matched remote system	3/4 to 1 HP class	2 to 3 HP class low-temperature system, picked by load calculation

From the field

A customer sent us a sketch asking for 7′-4″ of inside height and an 8′ tall box. A floorless box only loses the 4″ ceiling, so 8′ outside gives about 7′-8″ inside, more than they asked for. Add an insulated floor and you lose another 4″. Tell us the inside height you need and whether you need a floor, and we do this math on the drawing before you order. See how to measure your space.

Questions people ask

Is "10x12" the inside or the outside size?

The outside. Walk-in sizes are nominal exterior sizes. With 4″ panels, the inside is about 8″ smaller each way.

Can I get exactly 10′-0″ x 12′-0″?

Yes, as a custom size. Standard sizes keep cost and lead time down, so we build to the nearest standard size under your number unless you need it exact.

Do I need a floor in a cooler?

Not if it sits on a level concrete floor. Coolers ship floorless as standard. Add a floor when there is no concrete, the room is over a wood floor or an upper story, or you want a washable insulated floor. See does a walk-in cooler need a floor.

How tall can it be?

7′-7″ is standard. We build from 80″ to 12′-0″.