Lumber grade (pallet lumber)
Also called: pallet grade, component grade, Standard & Better
A lumber grade is a quality class that limits defects such as knots, wane, splits and decay in pallet parts. PDS uses Select, Premium, Standard, Utility and Economy, often as '&BTR' mixes such as Standard & Better.
In depth: Pallet lumber grades: what Standard, Utility and Economy mean
Grade is how a pallet spec controls wood quality. It is set per part by visual limits on defects. Pallet grades are not the same as construction-lumber grades (No. 2, Stud and so on), and they are not the same as used-pallet grades such as "Grade A".
PDS component grades
Select, Premium, Standard, Utility and Economy, from best to lowest. "&BTR" means the named grade or better, so "Standard &BTR" is the usual reusable-pallet spec.
Uniform Standard (2012) Table 1 limits, examples
| Defect | Reusable (about PDS Standard) | Single-use (about PDS Economy) |
|---|---|---|
| Sound knots | Up to 1/2 of the cross-section | Up to 7/8 |
| Wane, exposed deckboards | Up to 1/4 width × 2/3 thickness | Up to 3/8 width × full thickness |
| Splits, deckboards | Up to 1/3 of the length | Full length |
| Decay | Up to 1/4 | Up to 1/4 |
| Slope of grain | 1 in 4 | 1 in 4 |
At most one third of components may contain wane. Single-use quality is only allowed where deckboards are at least 5/8 in thick and stringers or blocks at least 1-1/4 in wide.
Why it matters
Grade feeds directly into strength ratings: PDS assigns strength by species class and grade, so the same design is rated lower in Utility than in Standard. Buyers who do not state a grade leave it to the supplier. See pallet lumber grades.
On a spec sheet
Each lumber-mix row has species class, grade and percentage, for example "SPF Standard &BTR 100%".
Related
- GuidesPallet lumber grades: what Standard, Utility and Economy meanPallet lumber is graded by the defects each part may contain: knots, wane, splits, decay and slope of grain. The Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets sets minimum quality for reusable and single-use pallets, and PDS names grades from Select to Economy. Specify a minimum grade per component.
- GlossaryKnot (lumber defect)A knot is the portion of a branch embedded in a board. Knots weaken wood by disrupting the grain, so pallet lumber grades limit their size and number, with stricter limits for unsound (loose or decayed) knots.
- GlossaryWane (lumber defect)Wane is bark, or the absence of wood, on the edge or corner of a sawn piece, where the cut reached the outside of the log. Pallet lumber grades limit how wide and deep it can be.
- GlossarySplit (lumber defect)A split is a lengthwise separation of wood fibers that runs through a board, usually from an end or a nail. Pallet lumber grades limit split length, and splits at joints are a main cause of pallet repair.
- StandardsUniform Standard for Wood Pallets (Woodpack Global, formerly NWPCA)The Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets is the North American industry standard for specifying, building and repairing wood pallets: terms, lumber quality, tolerances, fasteners, notches, repair and performance. Woodpack Global (formerly NWPCA) publishes it; it is voluntary and was revised in 2025.
- GuidesPallet grades: Grade A, Grade B, remanufactured and combo palletsUsed pallets are sold by grade. Grade A (#1) pallets are clean and sound with few or no repairs; Grade B (#2) pallets are sound but repaired, often with companion stringers. Remanufactured and combo pallets are rebuilt from used and new parts. Definitions vary by vendor, so write yours down.
More in Materials
- GlossaryBark (on pallet lumber)Bark is the outer layer of a tree trunk. ISPM 15 requires wood packaging to be made from debarked wood, allowing only small remnants: pieces under 3 cm wide of any length, or wider pieces with a surface area under 50 cm².
- GlossaryCant (pallet lumber)A cant is a log that has been sawn flat on two or four sides. In the pallet industry it usually means the low-grade center of a hardwood log, left after grade lumber is cut from the outside, which is resawn into pallet parts.
- GlossaryComposite block (pallet)A composite block is a pallet block made from wood chips, particles or fibers bonded with resin under heat and pressure. It does not split like solid wood and, as processed wood, is exempt from ISPM 15 on its own.
- GlossaryCorrugated fiberboard (pallets and slip sheets)Corrugated fiberboard is a board made of a fluted paper medium glued between flat paper liners. It is used for boxes, and in pallet work for corrugated paper pallets, slip sheets, tier sheets and pallet runners.
- GlossaryCut stock (pallet components)Cut stock is lumber already sawn to the finished thickness, width and length of pallet parts, such as 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in deckboards, ready for nailing. It is also called pallet stock or shook.
- GlossaryDouglas-fir (pallet lumber)Douglas-fir is a dense, strong softwood from western North America, also grown in Europe. It is species class 11 (Douglas-fir–larch) in the Uniform Standard and PDS, and class 33 in the European species list.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 269 words.