Find the Right Tank Size
Selecting the correct propane tank size depends on your usage, property size, and specific applications. Below is a comprehensive guide to help you choose the right tank for your residential, commercial, or agricultural needs. Not sure which size is best? Contact our team for a personalized recommendation.
100 lb Cylinder
24 GallonsPortable use, grills, generators, temporary heating, and small appliances. Ideal for seasonal or backup propane needs.
Shop Now →120 Gallon Tank
120 GallonsSmall residential applications, supplemental heating, fireplaces, and pool heaters. A great option for homes with low to moderate propane usage.
Shop 120 Gallon Tanks →250 Gallon Tank
250 GallonsStandard residential heating, hot water, cooking, and clothes dryers. Suitable for homes up to 2,500 sq ft with moderate propane consumption.
Shop 250 Gallon Tanks →325 Gallon Tank
325 GallonsLarger residential homes, whole-house heating systems, and multi-appliance setups. Provides extended fuel supply between fill-ups.
Shop 325 Gallon Tanks →500 Gallon Tank
500 GallonsLarge homes, small commercial properties, agricultural use, and high-demand heating. The most popular size for whole-home propane systems.
Shop 500 Gallon Tanks →1,000 Gallon Tank
1,000 GallonsCommercial properties, large agricultural operations, multi-building setups, and high-volume industrial applications.
Shop 1,000 Gallon Tanks →Capacities are water capacity, the industry convention: tanks are filled to about 80%, so a 500 gallon tank holds roughly 400 gallons of propane. Full weights are the empty steel tank plus propane at its maximum fill, and dimensions vary a few inches between manufacturers.
Propane tank sizes and prices
The lowest price we list at each capacity, by type and condition. Open a size above for every tank at that capacity, with installation add-ons.
| Capacity | Type | Condition | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.2 gallon | Cylinder / portable | New | $715.00 |
| 45.6 gallon | Cylinder / portable | New | $749.99 |
| 120 gallon | Above ground | New | $915.00 |
| 120 gallon | Underground | Used / refurbished | $1,300.00 |
| 250 gallon | Above ground | New | $1,550.00 |
| 250 gallon | Underground | New | $1,950.00 |
| 320 gallon | Above ground | New | $2,225.00 |
| 325 gallon | Above ground | New | $2,325.00 |
| 500 gallon | Above ground | New | $2,620.00 |
| 500 gallon | Above ground | Used / refurbished | $1,775.00 |
| 500 gallon | Underground | New | $3,200.00 |
| 1000 gallon | Above ground | New | $4,585.00 |
| 1000 gallon | Above ground | Used / refurbished | $2,300.00 |
| 1000 gallon | Underground | New | $5,370.00 |
| 2000 gallon | Underground | New | $6,415.00 |
What size propane tank does a house need?
Whether you call it a home, house, household or whole-house propane tank, the size follows the load:
- One appliance (range, fireplace, pool heater): a 120 gallon tank.
- Hot water, cooking and a dryer, or supplemental heating: a 250 gallon tank, the standard residential size.
- A larger home with several gas appliances: a 325 gallon tank.
- Whole-house heating all year: a 500 gallon tank.
- Large farms, kitchens and multi-building sites: a 1,000 gallon tank or larger.
Browse residential propane tanks, or see how to size a tank for a standby generator. Small forklift and exchange cylinders are a different class: steel cylinders come in 20, 33.5 and 43.5 lb sizes (about 4.6, 7.7 and 10 gallons of propane), covered in the forklift propane tank guide.
How to choose between sizes
Start from the load, not the tank. List what the propane will feed and when: a single appliance - a range, a fireplace, a pool heater - is 120 gallon territory, while a whole-house standby generator usually calls for 250 gallons or more (see sizing a tank for a generator). Add supplemental heating and you are looking at 250 gallons. A home that heats entirely with propane almost always lands on 500 gallons, because a tank that only needs filling a few times a season costs less to run than a small one filled monthly. Farms, kitchens and fleet yards buy 1,000 gallons and up for the same reason at larger scale: fewer, bigger deliveries at better per-gallon pricing.
Two other decisions ride along. Placement: above ground installs cheaper and is easier to inspect; underground keeps the yard clear but needs a professional excavation and corrosion protection (compare the two). Certification: ASME vessels are built for permanent stationary installation, while DOT cylinders are the transportable class that suppliers can exchange - which one you need follows from whether the tank will ever move. Every tank we sell ships empty; add a first fill and a licensed local propane supplier fills it on site after a licensed installer sets it to NFPA 58 and your local code and it passes its leak check.
If two sizes both look right, take the larger: the installed cost difference is modest, and the reserve pays for itself in the first cold snap. Browse the full range on the products page, or tell our team what the tank will feed and we will size it with you.
Propane tank sizes - common questions
- What size propane tank do I need for a house?
- It depends on what the tank feeds. A single appliance such as a range, fireplace or pool heater is 120 gallon territory. Hot water, cooking and a dryer, or supplemental heating, usually means 250 gallons. A larger home with several gas appliances takes a 325, and a house that heats entirely with propane almost always lands on 500 gallons. If two sizes both look right, take the larger one.
- What is the most common propane tank size for a home?
- A 250 gallon tank is the standard residential size for moderate propane use, and a 500 gallon tank is the most popular size for whole-home propane systems.
- How much propane does a propane tank actually hold?
- Tank sizes are quoted as water capacity. Tanks are filled to about 80%, so a 500 gallon tank holds roughly 400 gallons of propane, a 250 gallon tank about 200, and a 120 gallon tank about 96.
- How much does a full propane tank weigh?
- Full weights are the empty steel tank plus propane at maximum fill: about 680 to 720 lb for a 120 gallon tank, 1,300 to 1,360 lb for a 250, 2,650 to 2,730 lb for a 500 and 5,130 to 5,300 lb for a 1,000 gallon tank.
- What is a 420 lb propane tank?
- NFPA 58 treats a container of 1,000 lb water capacity as a nominal 420 lb propane container. That is the 120 gallon size, so a 420 lb propane tank and a 120 gallon propane tank are the same size class.
- What size propane tank do I need for a generator?
- Generac recommends a minimum 250 gallon LP tank for its home standby generators and says to ask your propane supplier to size the tank to the generator. Our generator sizing guide works through the fuel draw by generator size.
- What size are forklift and exchange propane cylinders?
- Steel forklift cylinders come in 20, 33.5 and 43.5 lb sizes, holding about 4.6 to 4.7, 7.7 to 7.9 and 10 to 10.3 gallons of propane respectively. We sell the storage cages for them, not the cylinders.
- Are propane tank sizes and prices the same above ground and underground?
- Capacity is the same, but underground tanks cost more because they carry a coating for soil contact and cathodic protection, and the installation involves an excavation. The price table on this page shows both.