A used white-wood pallet is worth what a buyer can resell it for, minus the cost of collecting and grading it. That's why the same pallet can be worth something in one place and nothing in another. Five things decide it. We don't publish prices, because a fair figure depends on all five; the reply to your pile request gives one per grade.
1. Size
Standard sizes resell; one-off sizes rarely do. The 48 × 40 pallet is the most produced size in the US by a wide margin, so it has the deepest market. Other common sizes, listed on white-wood pallets, have smaller but steady markets. A pallet built for a single product, in an odd size, is usually scrap from the moment it's empty.
2. Grade
- Grade A (#1): no repairs, all boards whole. Worth the most.
- Grade B (#2): repaired but sound. Worth less, still reusable.
- Repairable: needs a board or two. Worth less again, because someone has to fix it.
- Scrap: not reusable. Collected for recycling, not bought.
Grade is the single biggest factor you control: pallets kept dry and stacked flat stay in a higher grade.
3. Quantity in one place
Collecting costs nearly the same for a full load as for a few pallets, so a large, stacked count of one or two sizes is worth more per pallet than a scattered handful. If you only have a few, it can be worth waiting until you have more, or setting up a return program.
4. Distance
A buyer's cost includes the truck, the driver and the time to grade. Closer is cheaper.
5. Demand
Used pallet prices follow the market for new ones, which follows lumber prices and shipping volumes. When new pallets are expensive, used ones are in demand.
Why aren't broken pallets bought?
Because they cost money to deal with. A broken pallet has to be dismantled, and most of its wood ground; the value of what's recovered rarely covers the work. That's why recycling is a collection service rather than a purchase.
Why can't I get paid for blue or red pallets?
Because they aren't yours to sell. Rental pool pallets belong to the pool and go back through the owner's collection. A buyer who offers to pay for them is buying someone else's property.
Getting the most for a stack
- Separate rental pallets out first.
- Sort by size, then grade.
- Keep them dry and flat.
- Send an honest count. A count that matches the stack is the fastest route to a firm offer.