When you buy used pallets, you will encounter a grading system that categorizes pallets by their condition. Understanding pallet grades — A, B, C, and sometimes D — is essential for making smart purchasing decisions. The right grade for your application can mean significant cost savings without sacrificing performance. The wrong grade can lead to product damage, safety incidents, or unnecessary expense.
How Pallet Grading Works
Pallet grading is a visual and structural inspection process that evaluates the overall condition of a used pallet. Most professional recyclers use a consistent framework based on the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) guidelines. Graders inspect deck boards, stringers, nails, overall structure, and cosmetic condition.
What Graders Look For
- Deck board condition: broken, cracked, missing, or heavily worn boards
- Stringer integrity: splits, cracks, notch damage, or missing stringer segments
- Nail condition: protruding nails, missing nails, or widespread nail pull-through
- Dimensional accuracy: warping, twist, or distortion that affects the pallet footprint
- Load-bearing capacity: does the structure maintain sufficient strength for its rated load?
- Contamination: stains, chemical residue, mold, or foreign material
- Overall appearance: cosmetic condition independent of structural integrity
Grade A Pallets
Grade A pallets represent the highest quality among used pallets. They appear virtually new or nearly new, with minimal cosmetic wear and no structural damage. All deck boards are present, intact, and securely fastened. Stringers are undamaged with no cracks or splits. Nails are flush or slightly recessed. The pallet is flat, square, and dimensionally accurate within tight tolerances.
When to Use Grade A
- Retail and store displays where appearance matters to customers
- Export shipments requiring ISPM-15 treatment with pristine condition
- Pharmaceutical and medical device supply chains with cleanliness requirements
- Automated warehouse systems with tight dimensional tolerances
- Food and beverage applications where contamination risk must be minimized
- High-value product shipping where a pallet failure would cause costly damage
Grade B Pallets
Grade B pallets are in good working condition with noticeable wear. They may have minor board damage, slightly protruding nails in one or two locations, or cosmetic imperfections from previous use cycles. However, their structural integrity is maintained — they can handle standard loads without risk of failure. Grade B pallets offer the best balance of quality and cost for most warehouse and shipping applications.
When to Use Grade B
- General warehouse storage and order fulfillment
- Standard shipping and distribution operations
- Back-of-house applications where appearance is not important
- Medium-weight loads (1,000-2,500 lbs)
- Any application where Grade A quality is not required but reliability matters
- Businesses prioritizing cost savings without sacrificing functionality
Grade C Pallets
Grade C pallets show significant wear and may have been repaired one or more times. They might have replacement boards that do not match the original wood in color or grain. Some boards may have minor cracks. Structurally, they are still functional for appropriate load capacities but should not be used for heavy loads or critical applications.
When to Use Grade C
- Light-duty internal warehouse movement (under 1,000 lbs)
- One-way domestic shipments of non-fragile goods
- Floor-level storage where pallet quality is not critical
- DIY projects, displays, and non-structural applications
- Situations where the lowest possible cost outweighs quality concerns
Grade D and Cull Pallets
Grade D or cull pallets are below the threshold for reuse as functional pallets. They may have broken stringers, missing boards, or structural failure so severe that they are unsuitable for load-bearing use. Culls are typically recycled into mulch, animal bedding, biomass fuel, or processed wood products. Some culls with minor damage can be repaired and upgraded to Grade C.
Matching Grade to Application
The key to smart pallet purchasing is matching the grade to the actual requirements of your application. Over-specifying wastes money. Under-specifying creates risk. When in doubt, err toward a higher grade for safety-critical or high-value applications, and use lower grades where the consequences of a pallet issue are minimal.
At Pallet Wichita, every pallet is individually inspected and graded by trained staff. We can provide grade mix recommendations based on your specific application, shipping requirements, and budget. Contact us for a free consultation or to request samples of each grade so you can evaluate the quality firsthand.