Pallet prices, and how a quote is worked out
There is no price list here, on purpose. A new pallet’s price is set by its lumber, its build, its size, the quantity and the freight, and two pallets with the same footprint can be far apart on every one. So we write the pallet down first and quote against that.
What sets the price
Lumber, by the board foot. A board foot is 144 cubic inches of lumber. Add up the boards and stringers in a design and you have its board footage, and that times the lumber price is most of the material cost. Hardwood and pine are priced differently, and both move with the market.
The build. More parts mean more labor: a block pallet costs more to assemble than a stringer pallet, notches are an extra cut, and treatment for export is an extra process.
Size. A 96 x 48 uses more than twice the lumber of a 48 x 40; a 40 x 40 uses less.
Quantity. Setting up a build costs the same for ten pallets as for a thousand, so the price per pallet falls as the order grows, and a standing order of one spec is cheapest of all.
Freight. Empty pallets are bulky. A full truckload is the economical way to ship them, and distance to your dock matters.
How a quote is worked out
You send the size, load weight and quantity, and anything else you know about handling and storage. We write up the build: footprint, stringers or blocks, deck boards and lead boards, lumber and fasteners. The quote comes back against that written spec, so you can see what is priced and order the same pallet again.
For more on cost, see what a new pallet costs, and why.
| No. | Member | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Top deck boards | Run across the stringers; count and width set the deck coverage. |
| 2 | Lead boards | The deck board on each outside edge, top and bottom. |
| 3 | Notched stringers | Cut-outs in the outside and centre stringers let forks enter from the sides: partial four-way entry. |
| 4 | Bottom deck boards | Placed clear of the notches so the forks can pass. |
Get a price on your spec
Size, load weight and quantity are enough to price a first quote.
- Pallet size
- Stringer length first
- Load weight
- Per pallet, in pounds
- Quantity
- How many, and how often
Not sure of a line? Leave it blank. Size, load weight and quantity are enough to start a quote.