Pallet Sink: How to Build an Open-Shelf Sink Cabinet From Pallets

Picture a slow Sunday morning in your kitchen. The coffee is on, and sun falls across a white sink cabinet with open, honey-colored shelves.

Steel pots sit on one, a basket of dish towels on the other. Your sister rinses her mug, looks down and asks, "Hold on. Is that made of pallets?"

This guide contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Yes, it's made of pallets. That's the pallet sink from our video: two pallets cut down for the sides and painted white, shelves from the boards of a third pallet, a butcher-block top and a drop-in steel sink. You can build it in about three days of work, spread over a week. The pallets are often free, so most of the $300 to $520 total goes to the top and the sink, the two parts that make it look finished.

Every time a pallet sink video goes around, the comments ask the same things. Won't the wood rot when it gets wet? Won't bugs move in? Where does the silicone go? Every answer is below, with 7 steps and a picture for each, plus the five mistakes that make a pallet sink fail.

Jump to a section

• How the Pallet Sink Goes Together
• What You Need, and What It Costs
• Step 1: Check the Stamps and Pry Off Shelf Boards
• Step 2: Cut the Two Sides to Size
• Step 3: Sand, Prime and Paint
• Step 4: Build the Frame and Add the Shelves
• Step 5: Cut the Sink Hole and Seal the Top
• Step 6: Set the Sink in Silicone
• Step 7: Set It in Place and Connect the Drain
• The Mistakes That Make It Fail
• Keep It Dry: Spills, Shelves and Touch-Ups
• FAQ

How the Pallet Sink Goes Together

Each side is one pallet, cut down and stood on edge. A rail ties the sides together, two shelves sit between them, and the sink drops into a hole in the top.

1. Each side is a pallet cut to about 34 1/2 inches tall and 21 inches deep, boards running front to back.
2. A 2×4 rail joins the sides at the front, just under the top. At the back, the top rests on a 2×4 ledger screwed to the wall, which also keeps the sink from shifting.
3. The 1 1/2-inch top brings the counter to 36 inches, a standard kitchen height. The pipes run through the 4-inch gap behind the sides, above the middle shelf, which sits about 14 inches up.

What You Need, and What It Costs

• Two wood pallets, the standard 48 x 40-inch size, both alike and stamped HT.
• One more pallet for the shelf boards, also stamped HT.
• Butcher block countertop, 4 feet long, 25 inches deep and 1 1/2 inches thick.
• Drop-in stainless steel sink, single bowl, about 25 x 22 inches, with its clips and paper template.
• Basket strainer for the sink's drain hole.
• P-trap kit, 1 1/2 inches, for the drain.
• Silicone sealant, 100% silicone, clear, and a caulking gun.
• Two 2x4s, 8 feet long, for the rail, the wall ledger and four shelf cleats.
• Steel corner braces, about 1 1/2 inches: four for the rail, four to hold the top.
• Exterior wood screws, 3 inches long, plus a box of 1 1/4-inch screws.
• Stain-blocking primer and white semi-gloss paint, 1 quart each.
• Water-based polyurethane, 1 quart, for the top and shelves.
• Sandpaper in 80 and 120 grit, and honey wood stain for the shelves if you like.
• Tools: circular saw, jigsaw, drill, pry bar, hammer, sander, tape measure, level and slip-joint pliers, plus safety glasses and gloves.

What it costs: about $300 to $520 in all, at prices we found at US stores on October 14, 2026. That's with free pallets and your own faucet. The top and the sink are $170 to $320 of it.

Two buying tips:

1. Buy the sink first. Its paper template marks the hole, and its bowl has to fit between the sides. A 25 x 22-inch sink needs about 30 inches of cabinet width, and this stand gives about 36. If your faucet sits on the sink, choose one with faucet holes. The faucet in the video comes out of the wall.
2. Ask for pallets at garden centers, feed stores and small shops, and read the stamp before you load them. HT means heat-treated: the wood was heated to at least 133°F at the core for 30 minutes.

Step 1: Check the Stamps and Pry Off Shelf Boards

1. Find the stamp on the side of each pallet. Skip any marked MB: those were fumigated with methyl bromide, a toxic pesticide gas.
2. Skip pallets with dark mold spots, oily stains or a chemical smell.
3. On the third pallet, work a pry bar under each board beside the nails, and lift a little at a time.
4. Pull every nail, and stack the boards for the shelves.

Watch out: blue pallets, and some red ones, are rentals that still belong to the pallet company, even beside a dumpster. CHEP explains that its blue pallets can't be kept, sold or reused.

Step 2: Cut the Two Sides to Size

1. Lay a pallet flat. Mark a line across the three thick runners, 34 1/2 inches from one end, in a gap between boards.
2. Cut along it with a circular saw. The blade won't reach through the whole pallet, so flip it and cut from the other face.
3. Mark a second line along the boards, just past the middle runner, and cut the boards on both faces.
4. Keep the piece with two runners: one side, about 34 1/2 by 21 inches. Cut the second pallet the same way.

Watch out: cut only where you see no nails, and wear safety glasses. A blade that hits a hidden nail can throw bits of metal.

Step 3: Sand, Prime and Paint

1. Sand the sides and shelf boards with 80-grit paper, then 120, until a rag slides over them without catching.
2. Brush off the dust, then brush one coat of primer onto the sides.
3. Paint the sides white: two coats, 2 hours apart, on a day between 50 and 90°F.
4. Stain the shelf boards if you like, then give them three thin coats of polyurethane, 2 hours apart.

Watch out: paint before you build. A finished frame gets drips in the corners and bare wood behind the shelves. The primer also stops dark marks in old pallet wood from bleeding through the white.

Step 4: Build the Frame and Add the Shelves

1. Stand the sides on edge, boards running front to back, with their outside faces 48 inches apart. That's the length of the top.
2. Cut a 2×4 rail to fit between them. Fix it across the front, flush with the tops, with a corner brace at each end.
3. For each shelf, screw a 2×4 cleat across the inside of each side, level, with 3-inch screws into the runners. Set them about 13 and 3 inches up, so the shelves sit at about 14 and 4 inches.
4. Cut the shelf boards to fit between the sides, lay them on the cleats and screw each one down.

Watch out: drive every screw straight in, and drill a small pilot hole near board ends. Pallet boards are thin and dry, so a screw at an angle splits them and holds almost nothing.

Step 5: Cut the Sink Hole and Seal the Top

1. Tape the sink's paper template to the top, centered side to side and front to back.
2. Drill a hole inside one corner of the outline, then cut along the line with a jigsaw.
3. Sand the cut edge smooth. Brush polyurethane onto the top, the underside and the cut edge: three thin coats, 2 hours apart.
4. Let it dry for 24 hours before the sink goes in.

Watch out: water gets into raw wood at the cut edge first, so seal it the same day you cut it. That edge is where the "wood will rot" comments come true.

Step 6: Set the Sink in Silicone

1. Fit the basket strainer into the sink's drain hole while the sink is still out.
2. Lay a bead of silicone on the underside of the sink's rim, all the way around.
3. Lower the sink into the hole and press it down. Tighten the clips from below, a little at a time, until the rim sits tight.
4. Wipe off the silicone that squeezes out, and give it 24 hours before any water goes in.

Watch out: the silicone goes under the rim, not only around the edge. A bead on top looks sealed, but water creeps under it and into the wood.

Step 7: Set It in Place and Connect the Drain

1. Turn off the water at the shut-off valves.
2. Screw the 2×4 ledger to the wall studs, level with the tops of the sides, and push the stand in under it.
3. Set the top on the sides and the ledger. Fix it from below with corner braces, so no screw shows on top.
4. Connect the P-trap between the strainer's tailpiece and the drain pipe in the wall, and hand-tighten the nuts. Hook up your faucet, turn on the water and check every joint for drips.

A small plumbing mistake can soak a floor, so follow three rules:

• Connect only to a drain and water lines that are already there, like the spot where an old sink stood.
• Use a P-trap. Every sink needs its own, and its bend has to hold 2 to 4 inches of water to keep sewer gas out.
• Leave new pipes to a plumber. A new drain or new water lines usually need a permit.

The International Code Council explains these trap rules from its model plumbing code.

Then fill the shelves. That first rinse in your own pallet sink is the moment it stops being a pile of pallets.

The Mistakes That Make It Fail

These five come up again and again under pallet sink videos, and each one has a simple fix:

1. Bare wood near water. Wet wood does rot. Paint the sides, and seal every face of the top, including the cut edge.
2. The wrong pallets. Moldy, stained or MB-stamped pallets bring smells and bugs inside. Use clean pallets stamped HT, and leave blue rentals alone.
3. Silicone in the wrong place. A bead around the top of the rim only hides the gap. Put it under the rim.
4. Painting last. Sand, prime and paint the parts before you build, and you skip the drips and bare spots.
5. A stand that moves. Wheels look handy, but a sink that rolls pulls on its drain. Screw the ledger to the wall, and the joints stay tight.

Get those five right, and you get the sink in the picture above: a white cabinet with warm wood shelves that nobody would guess came off a loading dock.

Keep It Dry: Spills, Shelves and Touch-Ups

• Spills: wipe water off the top and the rim the same day. Standing water is what finds a weak spot.
• The top: when water stops beading on it, sand lightly and brush on a fresh coat of polyurethane.
• The shelves: keep paper, books and cleaners up high. Pots, bowls and baskets of towels don't mind a drip.
• The floor: stick rubber pads under the four runner ends, so the wood never sits in a puddle.

Then pour the coffee, set a plant by the faucet and wait for the first friend who asks, "Is that really made of pallets?" For the rest of the room, our kitchen decor ideas carry the same warm white and wood look.

Watch this build, and the next ones, on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

FAQ

What Do HT and MB Mean on a Pallet?

They're treatment codes. HT means the wood was heated to at least 133°F at its core for 30 minutes, with no chemicals, so it's the kind to bring indoors. MB means it was fumigated with methyl bromide, a toxic pesticide gas.

How Do You Waterproof a Pallet Sink?

Prime and paint the pallet sides, and give the top three coats of polyurethane on every face, including the sink cut-out. Set the sink in a bead of silicone under its rim.

What Size Sink Fits a Pallet Sink Cabinet?

A 25 x 22-inch drop-in sink, the common single-bowl size, fits this 48-inch stand. It needs about 30 inches between the sides, and this stand gives about 36.

How Much Does a Pallet Sink Cost?

About $300 to $520 at US stores, checked on October 14, 2026, with free pallets and your own faucet. The top and the sink are most of it.

Can You Build It as an Outdoor Sink?

Yes, as a garden sink fed by a hose faucet. Use exterior paint and an outdoor clear finish, and keep it under a roof. Check your local rules before you drain sink water into the yard.

More Cozy Ideas

DIY ProjectsDIY Farmhouse Table From One Old Pallet: A Table for 12DIY ProjectsPallet Loft Bed With Desk: How to Build One That Holds UpDIY ProjectsPallet Coat Rack With Bench: An Entryway Wall From Two Pallets