Pallet grades, explained honestly.

The industry uses a few overlapping vocabularies — A/B/C and #1/#2 mean roughly the same thing. Here's the practical breakdown we use when we sort stock at the recycling line. Price impact is relative to a new equivalent, not a fixed dollar figure.

Grade A / A+ (#1)

The top of the used market. A #1 pallet has all its original deck boards, no cracked or repaired stringers, square corners, and dimensions consistent enough for pallet jacks and automated conveyors. A+ adds a clean, bright appearance suitable for retail floors. These are the pallets we recommend for export and any load that a customer will see.

Grade B (#2)

The workhorse of the yard. A #2 pallet has been repaired — one or more deck boards swapped, a stringer plugged or double-nailed — but it's structurally sound and rated for full freight. It shows its history: mixed lumber tones, nail patches, minor staining. If your load doesn't need to look pretty, Grade B gives you the best value per shipment.

Grade C

Serviceable but tired. Grade C pallets have multiple repairs, more visible wear, and sometimes mismatched board widths. They're fine for light loads, one-way shipments where the pallet won't come back, or non-critical ground use. We're upfront when stock is Grade C so you never overpay for condition you don't need.

Combo & remanufactured

Combo pallets marry a used frame with new boards (or the reverse) for near-A strength at a used-tier price. Remanufactured pallets are assembled from the sound salvaged parts of broken units — the most landfill-diverting option we offer. Both keep timber in circulation, which is the whole point of a circular yard.

Grading is judgment, and different yards draw the lines differently. Ours is simple: every pallet is inspected individually, we photograph and describe stock accurately, and we never sell a lower grade as a higher one. If a pallet can't safely carry a load, it goes to the repair line or gets broken down for upcycled goods— it doesn't get sold. When you ask for Grade A, you get Grade A.

Not sure what you need? Send a photo of your load and destination through the quote form, or read the buying guide first. Ready to buy? Browse recycled pallets or learn how our buy-pallets service works.

The two grading vocabularies overlap: A+/A/B/C and #1/#2 describe the same underlying condition, and combo and remanufactured units sit alongside them as build styles rather than wear levels. This expanded matrix lines up appearance, allowable repairs, best use, and relative price so you can see the whole ladder at once. Relative price is expressed against a new equivalent, not a fixed dollar amount, because lumber cost moves the whole scale.

Grading is judgment, but it is judgment against a consistent checklist. Every pallet that comes across our recycling line is inspected against the criteria below. A single failed structural item can drop a pallet a full grade or send it to the repair line; cosmetic items only affect the cosmetic tiers.

Anything that fails the structural or safety rows never gets sold as-is — it goes to repair or gets broken down for upcycled goods.

The cheapest pallet that safely does the job is the right pallet. Over-buying grade wastes money; under-buying it risks the load and your equipment. This mapping is the shorthand we use when a customer describes their use case on the quote form.

Because grading is judgment, two reasonable people can occasionally disagree on a borderline pallet. We keep it simple and fair. Here is exactly how we handle a grade dispute so there are no surprises after delivery.

Our standing rule: individually inspected stock, accurate descriptions, and a conservative call on any close pallet. Read the buying guide before you order, or browse recycled stock by grade.