Project guide

275 gallons off a modest roof, every decent storm.

The most common thing people build from a reused IBC, and the one most often built badly. Four details separate a system that works for a decade from one that becomes a green, mosquito-breeding nuisance by the second August.

Short answer

A roof sheds about 0.62 gallons per square foot per inch of rain — roughly 600 gallons from 1,000 sq ft per inch. Build with a first-flush diverter, mesh over every opening, an opaque or covered bottle and a winter drain-down plan. Check current state and local rules before building.

Yield: 0.62 gal / ft² / inch
Per inch, 1,000 ft²: ≈600 gal
Tote grade: C, non-toxic prior
Must-have: First-flush diverter

Work order · 90-second form

Request a tote for rainwater

Describe your roof and how many totes you need, and a partner supplier follows up.

Sizing

How much roof do you need?

Roof catchment yield by area and rainfall
Roof area	0.25 in	0.5 in	1 in	2 in
400 sq ft	62 gal	125 gal	249 gal	498 gal
800 sq ft	125 gal	249 gal	498 gal	997 gal
1,200 sq ft	187 gal	374 gal	748 gal	1,496 gal
2,000 sq ft	312 gal	623 gal	1,247 gal	2,493 gal
3,500 sq ft	545 gal	1,090 gal	2,182 gal	4,363 gal
5,000 sq ft	779 gal	1,558 gal	3,116 gal	6,233 gal

The build

Seven steps, and the four details that matter.

01
Build the stand first
Every foot of elevation gives about 0.43 psi of head. A tote on a 24-inch stand delivers usable pressure to a soaker hose; a tote on the ground barely dribbles. The stand must carry 2,425 lb — welded steel or concrete block on a compacted, level base. Not pallets.
02
Fit a first-flush diverter
Detail one. The first few gallons off a roof carry bird droppings, grit, pollen and whatever the gutter has been accumulating. A diverter sends that volume to waste before the tank inlet opens. Without it, you are filling a tank with the dirtiest water available.
03
Screen every opening
Detail two. Fine stainless or fibreglass mesh over the inlet, the overflow and any vent. Mosquitoes need standing water and a way in; remove the way in and the problem disappears entirely. Check the mesh each spring.
04
Block the light
Detail three. A translucent bottle in daylight grows algae within weeks. Use a black UV-stabilised bottle, a fitted opaque cover, or permanent shade. This also slows UV embrittlement.
05
Plumb the overflow properly
A bulkhead near the top of the bottle, piped away from foundations to a soakaway, rain garden or the next tank in the bank. An unmanaged overflow puts several hundred gallons against your building at exactly the moment the ground is already saturated.
06
Gang the tanks low
Connect multiple totes bottom-to-bottom with a 2-inch manifold so they equalise and draw down evenly. Connecting them at the top means the second tank only fills when the first overflows, which wastes both capacity and head.
07
Plan the winter
Detail four. Drain below 10% before a sustained freeze, leave the valve open and the system vented. A partly full tote is the most likely to split. More on the winterizing guide.

Parts

What a good system needs.

Typical single-tote rainwater system parts
Component	Specification	Skippable?
IBC tote	275 gal Grade C, non-toxic prior	No
Stand	24" elevation, rated for a full tote	Use blocks instead
First-flush diverter	Downpipe mounted, 5–8 gal	No — never
Inlet screen	Stainless or fibreglass mesh	No — never
Overflow bulkhead + pipe	2" bulkhead, piped to soakaway	No
UV cover	Woven poly, drawstring	Only if bottle is black
Outlet adapter	S60x6 to 3/4" GHT with shut-off	No
Manifold kit (per extra tank)	2" camlock, hose, valves	Single-tank systems only

Rainwater questions

Sizing and build details.

Winter care on the winterizing guide.

Rainwater harvesting — FAQ

Do I need permission to harvest rainwater?

Check current state and local rules before you build, especially for a large bank of tanks or anything near a property line. Keep the system clearly non-potable.

How much rain can I collect?

Roughly 0.62 gallons per square foot of roof per inch of rainfall, before losses. One inch on 1,000 square feet yields about 600 gallons — a little over two 275 gallon totes.

Which IBC tote should I use for rainwater?

Grade C is entirely adequate for non-potable garden and irrigation use, provided the prior contents were non-toxic — ask the seller in writing. Choose a black UV-stabilised or covered bottle to stop algae, and fit mesh over every opening. For anything touching edible crops close to harvest, use a new container.

How do I stop mosquitoes and algae?

Mosquitoes need standing water and an opening; deny the opening. Fine mesh over the inlet, over the overflow and over the vent, checked each spring. Algae needs light; deny the light with a black bottle, an opaque cover or shade. Both problems are entirely preventable at the build stage and extremely annoying to fix afterwards.

Request a tote

Used Grade C totes through partner suppliers.

Open

Parts list

Adapters, screens, covers and manifold kits.

Open

Winter care

Drain-down and freeze protection.

Open

IBC reference · on every page

Reference sheets for the numbers people ask about most.

Specifications, grade descriptions, thread standards, weights, gasket selection, freight limits and conversions. Open what you need; none of it is gated.

Container specs14 rows

Typical dimensions for the two common composite sizes. Check the plate on a specific unit.

The two common composite IBC sizes
Attribute	275 gallon	330 gallon
Capacity	275 gal / 1,041 L	330 gal / 1,249 L
Footprint	48" × 40"	48" × 40"
Height	46"	53"
Tare weight	125–135 lb	140–155 lb
Gross, water	≈2,425 lb	≈2,900 lb
Max gross mass	2,800 lb	3,300 lb
Stack, full	2 high	2 high
Stack, empty	4 high	4 high
Two-high stack height	92"	106"
Per 53′ van, volume	48	40
Per 53′ van, weight-limited	17 full	14 full
Fill opening	6" vented or solid	6" vented or solid
Discharge	2" butterfly, S60x6	2" butterfly, S60x6
Forklift entry	4-way	4-way

Grade descriptions6 rows

How grades are commonly described. Ask each supplier for their own written definition.

Common used-tote grade descriptions (definitions vary by supplier)
	Grade A	Grade B	Grade C
Cleaning	Washed or rinsed	Washed	Rinsed or as-is
Bottle	Clear to translucent	Light haze permitted	Staining likely
Odour	None	Faint, product-typical	May be present
Prior contents	Known, benign	Known	May be unknown
Cage	Square, little rust	Sound, cosmetic dents	Cosmetic damage
Typical use	Clean-water and general storage	Industrial and agricultural	Non-potable water, waste, rough duty

Threads & adapters9 rows

The outlet thread decides which adapter you need.

Threads and adapters
Fitting	Specification	Typical use
3" butterfly	3" flange, PP body	Batch dumping, viscous liquids
2" butterfly	S60x6 outlet, EPDM seat	Standard discharge
2" camlock	S60x6 → 2″ male cam	Pump and transfer hose
2" NPT	S60x6 → 2″ male NPT	Rigid plumbing
1" camlock	S60x6 → 1″ male cam	Controlled filling
3/4" GHT	S60x6 → garden hose	Irrigation, wash-down
1/2" spigot	S60x6 → spigot	Hand filling
S60x6	60 mm OD, 6 mm pitch buttress	Common modern outlet thread
S100x8	100 mm OD, 8 mm pitch	Older or European valves — use a bushing

Weights by product10 rows

gallons × 8.34 × specific gravity + tare. The number people skip.

Gross weight by product — the calculation people skip
Product	SG	275 gal gross	330 gal gross	Stack?
Ethanol	0.79	1,940 lb	2,310 lb	Yes
Diesel / fuel oil	0.85	2,080 lb	2,480 lb	Yes — steel bin only
Vegetable oil	0.92	2,240 lb	2,670 lb	Yes
Water	1.00	2,425 lb	2,900 lb	Yes
Latex emulsion	1.05	2,540 lb	3,040 lb	With care
Brine 23%	1.20	2,880 lb	3,450 lb	No
Liquid fertiliser 28-0-0	1.28	3,065 lb	3,670 lb	No
Corn syrup 42 DE	1.33	3,180 lb	3,810 lb	No — partial fill
Sulphuric acid 50%	1.40	3,340 lb	4,000 lb	Partial fill
Sodium hydroxide 50%	1.52	3,615 lb	4,335 lb	Partial fill

Gasket selection9 rows

General guidance only. Confirm compatibility with the product's SDS and your supplier.

Gasket and wetted-part selection
Product family	Gasket	Valve body	Container	Avoid
Water, brine, glycol	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	—
Dilute acids	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	Brass, carbon steel
Caustics	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	Aluminium
Alcohols under 20% ABV	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	—
Alcohols over 20% ABV	Viton	Stainless	Stainless bin	Poly bottles
Vegetable and mineral oils	Viton	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	EPDM gaskets
Fuels, diesel, kerosene	Viton	PP or stainless	Steel bin	Poly bottles
Aromatic solvents	Viton	Stainless	316L bin	All poly parts
Flavour, essence, botanical	Viton	Stainless	316L bin	Poly bottles

Freight limits8 rows

Volume capacity and weight capacity are different numbers, and weight wins.

What fits on what — volume and weight limits
Vehicle	Full, 2 high	Weight-limited full	Empty, 4 high	Liftgate
53′ dry van	48	17	96	No
48′ flatbed	40	17	80	No
26′ box truck	24	8	48	Yes
16′ box truck	12	5	24	Yes
Sprinter van	4	2	8	Yes
20′ sea container	20	17	40	No
40′ sea container	42	17	84	No
Drop trailer, 53′	48	17	96	No

Conversions10 rows

The arithmetic that comes up daily.

Common conversions for IBC totes
From	To	Multiply by	Worked example
US gallons	Litres	3.785	275 gal = 1,041 L
Litres	US gallons	0.2642	1,000 L = 264 gal
US gallons of water	Pounds	8.34	275 gal = 2,294 lb
Pounds	Kilograms	0.4536	2,425 lb = 1,100 kg
Inches	Millimetres	25.4	48" = 1,219 mm
Cubic feet	US gallons	7.481	51 ft³ = 381 gal
Cubic yards	Cubic feet	27	1.4 yd³ = 37.8 ft³
psi	Feet of head (water)	2.31	1.7 psi = 3.9 ft
Feet of head	psi	0.433	24 in stand = 0.87 psi
gpm	Litres per minute	3.785	70 gpm = 265 L/min

Vocabulary, in twelve lines

IBC: Intermediate bulk container — anything between a drum and a tanker, in practice 110–550 gallons on a forkliftable base.
Composite IBC: An HDPE bottle inside a welded steel cage on a pallet base. The 275 and 330 gallon workhorses.
Tare: Empty weight of the container: 125–135 lb for a 275, 140–155 lb for a 330.
Gross mass: Container plus contents. Most 275s are rated to 2,800 lb; exceed it and the bottle bulges rather than bursts.
Node: A welded intersection in the cage where load actually transfers. The correct place to inspect.
S60x6: The standard outlet thread: 60 mm OD, 6 mm pitch buttress. Hand tight only.
Prior contents: What the container last held, logged against the original label. The single most consequential fact about any used tote.
Rebottle: A new HDPE bottle fitted into an inspected existing cage — a never-filled interior on a reused frame.
UN 31HA1: Marking for a composite IBC approved for liquids. Belongs to the assembly and carries a service life.
Regrind: Granulated recycled HDPE. Post-industrial IBC regrind goes to pipe, conduit, pallets — never food contact.
Reuse: Putting a container back into service instead of making a new one. It avoids the materials and energy a new container would need.

Full glossary

How quotes work

IBC Totes PA is a referral service. Send a request through the form and a partner supplier in our network follows up with pricing and availability for your area of Pennsylvania.

Request a quote

Next step

Reusing a tote avoids making a new one.

Request a quote Sell your empties

275 gallons off a modest roof, every decent storm.

Build the stand first

Fit a first-flush diverter

Screen every opening

Block the light

Plumb the overflow properly

Gang the tanks low

Plan the winter

Sizing and build details.

Rainwater harvesting — FAQ

Request a tote

Parts list

Winter care

Reusing a tote avoids making a new one.