The Home Depot · 40 gal Tough Storage Tote

HDX 40 Gallon Tote Rack Plans

3D model of a 3×3 2x4 storage bin rack holding nine HDX 40 gal totes

HDX 40 gal · 3×3 · wall

Design a rack for HDX 40 gal totes

These plans size a 2x4 rack to the HDX 40 gal Tough Storage Tote, sold at The Home Depot: every bay fits its 22" lid rim, and each row sits 16 11/16" above the last.

Your totes

Sold at The Home Depot.

Sizes come from store listings and builders' measurements. Measure one of your totes before you cut.

Tote colors Black, yellow lid

Labels

Wide

High

Gap above each tote

Room to slide a tote out. More gap = a taller rack.

Front

Mounting

Top

Back bracing

Optional here: a small rack screwed to the wall studs is held square by the wall.

Your rack

Overall size
74 1/4" W × 38 1/8" D × 53 5/8" H
Holds
9 totes · 360 gal

Shopping estimate

  • 17 × 2x4 × 8 ft

Plus 104 × 2-1/2" screws · 2 angle brackets to fix it to the wall studs.

You'll need 9 HDX 40 gal totes (The Home Depot). Skip them if you already have them.

  • These sizes come from store listings. Measure one of your totes before you cut.
Get the step-by-step plan in Fixie

Fixie is a free iPhone app with the whole plan: the cut list, the shopping list and every step, each with its own 3D view.

Tote 38 1/8 × 22 × 15 3/16 in · 3×3 rack 74 1/4" × 38 1/8" × 53 5/8" · 17 × 2x4 × 8 ft · Updated

HDX 40 gal tote size

Length, lid on
38 1/8"
Width across the lid rim
22"
Height with lid
15 3/16"
Capacity
40 gal
Sold at
The Home Depot
Colors
Black, yellow lid; Black, red lid; Black, army green lid
Sizes from
Store and maker listings: measure one of yours before you cut

Home Depot lists it at 38.1" × 22" × 15.2", with a snap lid over a body that tapers well inside the rim, but nobody has measured that rim yet. If a plan calls for an HDX 38 gal, this is the size to pick: we found no HDX 38 gal on sale.

A 3×3 rack for HDX 40 gal totes

It holds 9 totes (360 gallons) and stands 74 1/4" wide, 38 1/8" deep and 53 5/8" tall against a wall, with an open top. Change the layout in the configurator above; the numbers on this page are for the 3×3.

  • 17 × 2x4 × 8 ft
  • 104 × 2-1/2" screws
  • 2 angle brackets to fix it to the wall studs

Cut list

For a 3×3 rack of HDX 40 gal totes against a wall with an open top, in US lumber. The configurator and the Fixie app recalculate it for any layout.
PartQtyStockCut to (length × width)Notes
Legs82x4 SPF50 5/8"Vertical posts
Rails42x4 SPF74 1/4"Horizontal full-width members (top/bottom x front/back)
Runners182x4 SPF38 1/8"Front-to-back tote supports
Spacer Blocks22x4 SPF13 3/16"Assembly jig for row spacing (reuse during build)

Ladder layout

Every leg gets the same marks. Measure down from the top end of the leg to the top edge of each runner:

  • Row 1 (top): 3 1/4"
  • Row 2: 19 15/16"
  • Row 3 (bottom): 36 5/8"

Posts 22 3/4" apart leave 19 3/4" between the two runners of a bay, so the 22" rim rests on 1 1/8" of each. Cut the two spacer blocks to 13 3/16": stood on one runner, a block sets the next one.

Step by step

1

Buy the lumber and screws

For a 3×3 rack of HDX 40 gal totes: 17 2x4s 8 ft long, 104 2-1/2" screws and 2 angle brackets for the wall studs.

2

Cut every piece

Cut 8 legs at 50 5/8", 4 rails at 74 1/4", 18 runners at 38 1/8" and 2 spacer blocks at 13 3/16", as in the cut list. A stop block on your saw keeps identical parts identical.

3

Mark the ladder layout

On one leg, mark the top edge of the top runner 3 1/4" down from the top end, then a mark every 16 11/16" below it. Square the marks across and copy them onto all 8 legs.

4

Build the leg pairs

Screw a runner across a front and a back leg on every mark, with two 2-1/2" screws at each end; a spacer block (13 3/16") standing on one runner sets the next. The middle pairs get runners on both faces, the two end pairs on their inside face only.

5

Join the pairs with the rails

Stand the pairs on the two bottom rails with 22 3/4" between posts, so the runners of each bay are 19 3/4" apart, and screw the two top rails across the top ends of the legs.

6

Fix it to the wall and load it

Screw two angle brackets from the top back rail into two wall studs, then slide the totes in with their lids on: the 22" rim rests on 1 1/8" of each runner. Heaviest totes at the bottom.

Totes that fit the same rack

No other tote in our list shares the HDX 40 gal's 38 1/8" length and 22" rim width, so build this rack for these totes only, or measure the others first.

Other 40 gallon totes are a different size and need their own rack: HDX 40 gal wheeled, Commander 40 gal, Commander 40 gal rolling, Member's Mark 40 gal, Hyper Tough 40 gal, Tough Box 40 gal, Tough Box 40 gal mobile, Rubbermaid 40 gal.

FAQ

What size is the HDX 40 gal tote?

38 1/8" long, 22" wide across the lid rim and 15 3/16" tall with the lid on, from store listings. It holds 40 gallons and is sold at The Home Depot. Measure one of yours before you cut.

Will a rack for HDX 40 gal totes fit other 40 gallon totes?

No, not the HDX 40 gal wheeled, Commander 40 gal, Commander 40 gal rolling, Member's Mark 40 gal, Hyper Tough 40 gal, Tough Box 40 gal, Tough Box 40 gal mobile or Rubbermaid 40 gal: they are a different size, so pick them in the configurator for a rack that fits.

How much lumber does a 3×3 rack for HDX 40 gal totes take?

17 2x4s 8 ft long, plus 104 2-1/2" screws and 2 angle brackets for the wall studs. It holds 9 totes (360 gallons) and stands 74 1/4" wide, 38 1/8" deep and 53 5/8" tall.

How far apart are the runners for HDX 40 gal totes?

Set the posts 22 3/4" apart, so the two runners of a bay are 19 3/4" apart and the 22" rim rests on 1 1/8" of each. Each row sits 16 11/16" above the last: the tote's 15 3/16" height plus a 1 1/2" gap to slide it out.

Build it, guided every step

The Fixie iOS app turns this plan into a customized build for your exact space - pick your dimensions, get an auto-generated cut list, order materials in one tap, and follow the steps with 3D previews. Have something else in mind? Describe it or snap a photo and Fixie will design your own build from scratch - your first design is free.

Download Fixie on the App Store