275 Gallon IBC Tote chart
Geometric capacity 275.1 gallons. IBC bottles are molded with rounded corners, so real fill is slightly below this rectangular model — use the molded gallon markings for precision.
| Depth | Gallons | Liters | % Full |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1″ | 8 | 29 | 3% |
| 2″ | 16 | 59 | 6% |
| 3″ | 23 | 88 | 8% |
| 4″ | 31 | 118 | 11% |
| 5″ | 39 | 147 | 14% |
| 6″ | 47 | 177 | 17% |
| 7″ | 54 | 206 | 20% |
| 8″ | 62 | 236 | 23% |
| 9″ | 70 | 265 | 26% |
| 10″ | 78 | 295 | 28% |
| 11″ | 86 | 324 | 31% |
| 12″ | 94 | 354 | 34% |
| 13″ | 101 | 383 | 37% |
| 14″ | 109 | 413 | 40% |
| 15″ | 117 | 442 | 42% |
| 16″ | 125 | 472 | 45% |
| 17″ | 132 | 501 | 48% |
| 18″ | 140 | 531 | 51% |
| 19″ | 148 | 560 | 54% |
| 20″ | 156 | 590 | 57% |
| 21″ | 164 | 619 | 60% |
| 22″ | 171 | 649 | 62% |
| 23″ | 179 | 678 | 65% |
| 24″ | 187 | 708 | 68% |
| 25″ | 195 | 737 | 71% |
| 26″ | 203 | 767 | 74% |
| 27″ | 210 | 796 | 76% |
| 28″ | 218 | 826 | 79% |
| 29″ | 226 | 855 | 82% |
| 30″ | 234 | 885 | 85% |
| 31″ | 242 | 914 | 88% |
| 32″ | 249 | 944 | 91% |
| 33″ | 257 | 973 | 94% |
| 34″ | 265 | 1,003 | 96% |
| 35″ | 273 | 1,032 | 99% |
| 35.3″ | 275 | 1,041 | 100% |
How to measure this container
Measure liquid depth from the inside bottom, straight up to the surface, with a clean rule or stick held vertical. For IBC totes, the molded gallon/liter markings on the bottle are more accurate near the corners than any rectangular model — use the chart for in-between readings and the markings as your anchor points.
What one inch is worth on this tank
An inch is not an inch on this tank. At the widest point one inch of depth is 7.80 gallons; at the narrowest it is 2.40 gallons — a factor of 3.2×. That is exactly why interpolating linearly between two distant chart rows goes wrong, and why the reader above computes the value rather than averaging neighbours.
| Measure | Gallons | Litres |
|---|---|---|
| One inch at the widest point (10″) | 7.80 gal | 29.5 L |
| One inch at the narrowest point (35.3″) | 2.40 gal | 9.1 L |
| Average inch across the full depth | 7.64 gal | 28.9 L |
| ⅛-inch reading error, worst case | 0.98 gal | 3.69 L |
| ½-inch reading error, worst case | 3.90 gal | 14.8 L |
Why your reading may not match this chart
The arithmetic on this page is exact for the geometry stated below. The disagreements you will actually see come from the tank and the measurement, not the maths — in roughly this order of size:
- The moulded markings beat any model. IBC bottles are blow-moulded with rounded corners and a tapered base, and the manufacturer's own graduations account for that shape. Use the markings as your anchor points and this chart for the depths in between.
- Nominal 275 and 330 are cage sizes, not fill volumes. A '275 gallon' tote is built around a nominally 1,000-litre bottle, and its rated capacity is stamped in the UN marking — that number, not the label, is the one that governs.
- Bottles bulge under load. A full tote's walls deflect outward inside the cage, which is why a stacked tote's level reads slightly differently from a standing one.
- Totes are rarely level. They sit on pallets, on uneven concrete, on forklift tines. A degree of tilt across a 40-inch footprint is most of an inch of error.
The standards behind this container
Intermediate bulk containers used for regulated materials are built, marked and periodically retested under 49 CFR Part 178, Subpart N. The UN marking moulded into the bottle and stamped on the cage records the design type (a caged plastic tote is a composite IBC), the packing group it is approved for, the rated capacity in litres, the maximum gross mass, and the date of manufacture. That marking is the authoritative capacity — a '275 gallon' label on the cage is a trade name.
IBCs also carry a retest interval. An out-of-date tote may be perfectly serviceable for water in a yard and unusable for a regulated shipment, and the marking is where you check.
Where totes are stored outdoors at a facility subject to the SPCC rule, 40 CFR § 112.8(c)(11) treats them as portable containers requiring secondary containment sized for the largest single container plus freeboard for precipitation.
Where this chart's geometry comes from
Dimensions modelled: Approximate interior model matched to 275 gal nominal; caged exterior typically 48 x 40 x 46 in. Every value in the table is computed from that geometry with a closed-form partial-fill formula — a circular or obround segment for the shell, plus scaled spherical caps where the vessel has dished heads. No interpolation, no curve fitting, no lookup tables. The derivations and the automated tolerance tests that gate each build are on the methodology page.
Nominal capacity 275 gal; geometry as modelled 275.1 gal. Where a manufacturer publishes a chart for your specific tank, that chart describes your tank and this one describes the standard geometry — prefer theirs when the two disagree and the number matters.
FAQ
How many gallons are in my 275 gallon ibc tote at half depth?
About 140 gallons at 18 inches. This shell is symmetric, so half the depth is also half the volume — which is not true of every tank, and is worth checking before you assume it. Use the reader above for any specific depth.
How accurate does my stick reading need to be?
On this tank an eighth of an inch is worth up to 0.98 gallons and half an inch up to 3.9 gallons at the steepest part of the curve. Read to the nearest eighth if the number is going into a reconciliation; to the nearest half inch if you just want to know whether to order fuel.
Where exactly do I measure from?
The inside bottom of the tank, straight up to the wet line, with the stick vertical. Not from the fill-pipe rim, not from the top of a riser, and not from outside the shell. If the fill pipe is angled, the stick still has to end up vertical inside the tank or the reading runs long.
Why does my manufacturer's chart differ by a gallon or two?
Because it describes that specific tank and this one describes the stated geometry. Corner radii, internal ribs, head shape and wall thickness typically account for 1–3 %. Where the two disagree and the number matters, the manufacturer's chart for your serial number wins — and for anything that gets invoiced, neither substitutes for a calibration under ISO 7507-1.
Is the nominal capacity the same as brim-full?
No. The rated figure is a fill capacity with outage left for thermal expansion; brim-full is higher. For a regulated container the authoritative number is the rated capacity in the UN marking, not the figure stencilled on the cage or the trade name.
Sources and standards
The geometry on this page is computed, not copied. These are the documents that define the units it is expressed in and the codes that govern a IBC tote in service.
- 49 CFR Part 178 — Specifications for Packagings (Subpart N: Intermediate Bulk Containers)U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, via the electronic Code of Federal Regulationshttps://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-178Design, construction, marking and periodic retest requirements for IBCs. The UN marking moulded into a tote's bottle records its design type, packing group, test date and rated capacity — read it before trusting a nominal gallon figure.
- Handbook 44, Appendix C — General Tables of Units of MeasurementNational Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commercehttps://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-cThe legal-metrology reference for U.S. customary units. Fixes the U.S. liquid gallon at exactly 231 cubic inches and tabulates the full liquid-volume chain (minim → fluid dram → fluid ounce → gill → pint → quart → gallon).
- 40 CFR § 112.8(c)(2) — Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan requirements for onshore facilitiesU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, via the electronic Code of Federal Regulationshttps://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-112/subpart-B/section-112.8Requires secondary containment sized for the entire capacity of the largest single container, plus sufficient freeboard to contain precipitation. Note that the rule itself does not state “110 %” — that is a common design convention layered on top of the regulatory floor.
- Methodology — the partial-fill formulas and liquid densities used on this sitetankvolumecalc.comhttps://tankvolumecalc.com/methodology/Every chart value here comes from a closed-form partial-fill formula, not interpolation: circular segments for cylinders, a piecewise obround model for 275/330 heating-oil tanks, and scaled spherical caps for dished heads. Densities and their bases are tabulated there.
- Special Publication 811, Appendix B.8 — Factors for Units Listed AlphabeticallyNational Institute of Standards and Technologyhttps://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811/nist-guide-si-appendix-b-conversion-factors/nist-guide-si-appendix-b8NIST's master table of conversions into SI. Factors printed in boldface are exact by definition rather than measured or rounded — which is how you tell a defined unit from an approximated one.
Every linked source above was retrieved and checked on 2026-09-02. Factors quoted as exact are exact by definition in the cited document, not rounded by us.