Clear the Chaos With This Easy DIY Tote Storage Rack

Plan the Rack Dimensions

Before cutting a single board, determine the overall size of the tote rack you want to build. For this, you’ll need a few measurements and quantities:

• The size of the wall you have available. The rack’s location dictates the height, width, and depth of the entire structure. For this project, I’m building a custom tote storage rack for the back wall in a compact storage area measuring 83-1/2-in. wide x 78-5/8-in. high, but with some plumbing and heating to work around.
• The size of the totes. The rack will accommodate two different tote sizes—17-gallon and 27-gallon. Gather the width from under the top lip of the tote, height, and depth of the totes with their tops on. The 27-gallon totes measure 15-1/4-in. tall x 17-1/4-in. wide under the lip x 28-1/2-in. long. The 17-gallon ended up being 12-1/2-in. tall x 15-1/2-in. wide under the lip x 26-3/4-in. long.
• The number of totes you have. Our stack of totes had four 27-gallon and eight 17-gallon totes.

With these numbers, we determined we wanted our rack divided into three sections: two sections with tote rails (D) spaced 15-3/4-in. apart for the 17-gallon totes, and one section with tote rails (D) spaced 17-1/2-inch apart for the 27-gallon totes. Though the 17-gallon totes were 2-3/4- in. shorter than the 27-gallon totes, we chose to keep the tote rails at the same height to maintain uniformity.

Cut the 2x4s

Using a miter saw, measure and cut all the 2×4 components according to the cut list above. The four braces () have 45-degree miters on both ends. For those pieces, I recommend cutting the board to its longest length first (35 1/2-in. in this case). Then, cut the 45-degree miters afterward.

You’ll end up with a large stack of cut pieces, so stack and organize them by part. Keeping the piles separated will make assembly more efficient.

Sand, stain, and poly (optional)

This step is entirely optional. I chose to sand and stain to unify the wood’s appearance, masking the natural variations from board to board. Using a palm sander fitted with 150-grit sandpaper, smooth out any splinters and uneven grain.

For the finish, I selected a dark walnut stain, let it dry, and applied a couple coats of wipe-on poly before moving on to assembly.

Assemble the front and back frame

Begin by building the front and back frames of the rack.

• Working on a flat floor, lay out two outside uprights (A) and the top and bottom plates (B), to form a rectangle for the front frame.
• Use 90-degree clamping squares and clamps at each corner to ensure all joints meet cleanly at right angles.
• Drill two pilot holes in each corner using a countersink drill bit. Then, drive two 2-1/2-in. screws into each corner, through the plates (B) and into the endgrain of the uprights (A).
• Repeat the process for the back frame.

Connect Both Frames

With both the front and back frames assembled, attach four tote rails (D), one in each corner, to connect the two frames. Use woodworking clamps to hold them in place while pre-drilling and driving screws from the outside uprights (A) into each tote rail (D).

Once the four tote rails are secured, have a friend help you flip the entire thing over to secure the second frame.

Add the Braces

Attach the four 45-degree braces (F) between the side uprights (A) on each side to prevent twisting during assembly.

Toe-screw one mitered end of the braces (F) to one of the side uprights (A), then check for square. If you’re square, toe-screw the other end of the brace (F) to the other side upright (A). If the frame isn’t square, rack it by standing on the bottom plates (B) and pushing the structure forward or backward until it’s square, then have your helper (or a quick-grip clamp) ready to secure the second end of the brace (F) in place.

If needed, use additional clamps to nudge the braces (F) into alignment before attaching it with toe-screws.

Attach the Inside Uprights

Now it’s time to install the inside uprights (C), which we’ll attach the tote rails (D) to. Align, pre-drill and sink 2-1/2-in. screws through the inside uprights (C) and into the side uprights (A) at the top, center, and bottom of each inside upright. Warped 2x4s can be corrected by securing the straightest end first and gradually working the curves out by clamping and screwing as you move down its length.

Join the Studs for Center Beams

The center beams are made of two uprights (A) sandwiched together. Take the remaining eight uprights and screw them together to make four beams, screwed together at the top, center, bottom. Use clamps if needed to help straighten out any warping in the 2x4s.

Attach the Center Beams

Attach the center beams made of sandwiched uprights (A) to the top and bottom plates (B) of the tote storage rack using 2-1/2-in. screws.

Space them so that there is an 18-3/4-in. opening between them for a 17-gallon tote, or a 20-1/2-in. opening between them for a 27-gallon tote.

Use a square and a tape measure to ensure the uprights are square and parallel to each other while securing

Attach the tote rails

The lip on both tote sizes is about 1-5/8-in. thick. After testing a couple of different heights, I found that two inches was more than enough to easily slide a tote on a set of rails.

Starting from the top, attach the first tote rails (D) to the uprights (A) and center beams two inches down from the top plates (B). Then, space out the remaining three rows of tote rails 13-5/8 in. from the tote rail (D) above it. This gave us just about two inches between the bottom of one large 27-gallon tote and the top of the one directly below it.

Attach the tote rails to the uprights using 2-1/2-in. screws so that they are all aligned with a tote rail across from them and level from front to back.

Install the Ledger

The ledger (E) serves as the anchor point for attaching the rack to a concrete wall. Attach the ledger (E) to the back of the tote rack below the highest tote rails (D). Screw it into the two inside uprights (C) and into the center beam uprights (A) along the back of the tote rack.

Anchor the Rack to the Wall

For safety and stability, anchor the rack into the wall through the ledger (E) using the proper anchor for the wall you are attaching it to.

Our wall was cinder block, so we attached it using 3-1/4-in. masonry screws in three places along the ledger (E). If you are attaching it to walls with studs, make sure you tie it directly into the studs whenever possible.

FAQ

How do you reinforce shelving for heavy totes?

There are many ways to reinforce your shelving for heavy totes, including installing corner braces, screwing plywood to the back to prevent wobble, or, better yet, anchoring it to the wall.

How much weight can a 27-gallon tote hold?

The weight a 27-gallon tote can hold is about 75-100 lbs.

What not to store in plastic totes?

Don’t store food or other perishables, hazardous materials, or anything that could melt like candles in plastic totes.

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