A 3PL costs $1,800 to $5,600 per month to store and handle 100 pallets in Canada, $9,000 to $28,000 for 500 pallets, and $18,000 to $56,000 for 1,000 pallets (Warehouse Bridge network data, Q2 2026). Those figures assume one full turn a month, so every pallet comes in once and goes out once. Toronto sits at $2,700 to $5,000 for 100 pallets. Winnipeg is the low end and Vancouver is the high end. The tables below show the arithmetic, so you can redo it with your own turn rate.
How the numbers are built
Two rate bands drive the monthly bill. Storage is charged per pallet per month. Handling is charged per pallet per move, in or out. Both bands come from the Warehouse Bridge network data for Q2 2026, and they are quoted for a standard 48x40 ambient pallet.
The assumption is plain. One full turn a month means every pallet is received once and shipped once, which is 2 moves. The formula for each city is:
- Monthly storage = pallets x storage rate
- Monthly handling = pallets x 2 moves x handling rate
- Monthly total = storage + handling
Worked once, for 100 pallets in Toronto: storage is 100 x $13 to $24, which is $1,300 to $2,400. Handling is 100 x 2 x $7 to $13, which is $1,400 to $2,600. The total is $2,700 to $5,000 per month. The low end uses the low end of both bands and the high end uses the high end of both.
Because the formula is linear, you can also work from a cost per pallet. Add the storage rate to twice the handling rate and you have the all-in monthly figure per pallet. For Toronto that is $27 to $50. Multiply by your pallet count.
Monthly cost by city at 100, 500 and 1,000 pallets
| City | Per pallet per month | 100 pallets | 500 pallets | 1,000 pallets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto / GTA | $27 to $50 | $2,700 to $5,000 | $13,500 to $25,000 | $27,000 to $50,000 |
| Vancouver | $30 to $56 | $3,000 to $5,600 | $15,000 to $28,000 | $30,000 to $56,000 |
| Calgary | $22 to $40 | $2,200 to $4,000 | $11,000 to $20,000 | $22,000 to $40,000 |
| Montreal | $23 to $44 | $2,300 to $4,400 | $11,500 to $22,000 | $23,000 to $44,000 |
| Edmonton | $21 to $38 | $2,100 to $3,800 | $10,500 to $19,000 | $21,000 to $38,000 |
| Winnipeg | $18 to $35 | $1,800 to $3,500 | $9,000 to $17,500 | $18,000 to $35,000 |
| Ottawa | $22 to $41 | $2,200 to $4,100 | $11,000 to $20,500 | $22,000 to $41,000 |
| Halifax | $22 to $39 | $2,200 to $3,900 | $11,000 to $19,500 | $22,000 to $39,000 |
Storage and handling split roughly evenly in these bands. At 100 pallets in Vancouver, storage is $1,400 to $2,800 and handling is $1,600 to $2,800. In Winnipeg, storage is $800 to $1,700 and handling is $1,000 to $1,800. At one turn a month, handling is as large a line as storage, which is why a quote that only shows the storage rate understates the bill.
What changes if your inventory turns faster or slower
The table assumes one turn a month. Your own pattern may differ, and the handling line moves with it.
Take 500 pallets in Calgary. Storage is 500 x $10 to $20, which is $5,000 to $10,000 regardless of turn rate. Handling at one turn is 500 x 2 x $6 to $10, which is $6,000 to $10,000. At two turns a month, handling doubles to $12,000 to $20,000 and the total becomes $17,000 to $30,000. At half a turn a month, handling drops to $3,000 to $5,000 and the total becomes $8,000 to $15,000.
Slow, bulky stock is storage-led. Fast-moving stock is handling-led. If you do not know your turn rate, divide the pallets shipped in a typical month by the pallets on hand. Our pallet storage cost guide covers the storage and handling bands in more detail.
What the number leaves out
The tables cover ambient pallet storage and pallet handling. A real monthly invoice has more lines.
Pick and pack. If you ship parcels rather than full pallets, pick, pack and ship is charged per order. The bands run from $1.75 to $5.00 per order across the eight cities (Warehouse Bridge network data, Q2 2026): Toronto is $2.50 to $4.50, Vancouver is $2.75 to $5.00, Calgary is $2.00 to $3.75 and Winnipeg is $1.75 to $3.25. At 1,000 orders a month in Toronto, that adds $2,500 to $4,500. See the fulfillment cost per order guide for the full breakdown.
Monthly minimums. Most 3PLs set a monthly minimum of $1,500 to $5,000. At 100 pallets in the lower-cost cities, your calculated bill can sit close to that floor.
Onboarding and setup. WMS integration runs $500 to $2,500 as a one-time fee, and carrier setup can run $200 to $1,000 per carrier. These figures are network operating observations, not rate-module figures.
Accessorials. Labelling, kitting, returns, packaging materials, account management and similar lines can add 15 to 30 percent on top of quoted storage and fulfillment rates. Ask for the full accessorial schedule before comparing quotes.
Temperature control. The tables use ambient rates. Cold storage is priced separately, for example $21 to $38 per pallet per month in Toronto, and handling is higher too. Our cold storage cost guide has those bands by city.
What changes above 1,000 pallets
Per-pallet pricing is linear, so 2,000 pallets costs about twice what 1,000 does. What changes is that other options open up. Above roughly 400 to 500 steady pallets, dedicated space usually beats per-pallet rates. Toronto warehouse space runs $1.40 to $2.00 per square foot per month all-in, and Vancouver runs $1.65 to $2.40 (Warehouse Bridge network data, Q2 2026). A lease means you carry the space whether it is full or not, plus labour and equipment, so it suits steady volume. Broader price trends that feed into warehouse, labour and freight costs are published by Statistics Canada.
Above 1,000 pallets, providers also tend to quote on a contract basis rather than from a rate card. Handling and storage rates become negotiable, and a longer commitment is the usual trade. Treat the 1,000-pallet column in the table as the rate-card ceiling, not as a contract price. The Canada warehouse cost guide compares leasing and 3PL pricing in more depth.
Sources
- Warehouse Bridge network data, Q2 2026: per-city rate bands from partner facility quotes, CAD. Warehouse Bridge 2026 market report
- Statistics Canada, national price and cost indicators, statcan.gc.ca
How to get a real number
The bands here are ranges. The actual figure depends on the facility, the product, the turn rate, the pallet profile and the contract term. To get quotes from pre-vetted providers for your volume, send the details through the quote form. It takes a few minutes, and you can state your pallet count, turn rate and any pick and pack needs.
If you already know your city, start with the local page for Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary to see the facilities and rate context for that market.