Who buys pallets? How to sell used pallets and what they are worth

Used pallets have real resale value, but only some pallets, in some quantities, to some buyers. The standard 48 × 40 in GMA-style stringer pallet is the currency of the used pallet market. Almost everything else is worth less. This guide covers who buys, what they pay, and how to get the best price.

#Who buys used pallets?

Recyclers are the most reliable buyers because they buy every week and handle collection. There are several thousand pallet recycling companies in the US; most regions have several. See pallet recycling for what they do with the pallets.

#How much are used pallets worth?

2026 US estimates for standard 48 × 40 in stringer pallets, as reported by an online pallet marketplace. Prices vary by region, season and new-lumber prices.

See pallet grades for what the grades mean. Buying prices for the same pallets are higher; see pallet cost.

#What makes a pallet worth more

• Size. 48 × 40 in is by far the most liquid. Other common sizes (42 × 42, 48 × 48) sell in some regions.
• Condition. No broken or missing boards, no cracked stringers, no protruding nails.
• Cleanliness. No oil, chemicals, paint, odors or mold.
• Quantity. A full trailer gets a better price per pallet and free pickup.
• Sorting. Pallets stacked by size and condition save the buyer labor.
• Heat treatment. An intact HT stamp helps where there is export demand.

#What makes a pallet worth little

• Odd or custom sizes
• Broken stringers, rot, heavy mold
• Contamination (chemicals, food residue, oil)
• Very heavy hardwood skids or crates that are costly to handle
• Plastic, metal or presswood pallets (sometimes sellable, but to different buyers)

#Pallets you cannot sell

Also watch for:

• Pallets marked "Property of" a manufacturer, retailer or pool. Return them to the owner.
• Painted pallets in other colors, which may belong to smaller pools or private fleets.
• Pallets you received from a customer under a return agreement. Your contract may require you to send them back.

#How to sell used pallets: step by step

1. Separate pooled and "property of" pallets and arrange their return.
2. Sort the rest by size: 48 × 40 in in one stack, everything else in others.
3. Sort 48 × 40s by condition: good, repairable, broken.
4. Count what you have and estimate weekly or monthly volume.
5. Call three local recyclers. Ask:
   • Price per pallet by grade, and for odd sizes
   • Minimum quantity for free pickup
   • Whether they will drop a trailer to fill
   • How they grade on arrival, and whether you can be present
   • Payment terms
6. Consider end users if you have steady graded supply: a local manufacturer may pay more than a recycler.
7. Keep it regular. A standing pickup schedule gets better prices and keeps idle pallets from building up, which also reduces fire risk. See pallet fire safety.

#Selling small quantities

Recyclers usually do not collect a handful of pallets. For fewer than about a trailer load:

• Deliver them to a recycler that accepts drop-offs
• List them on local online marketplaces
• Offer them to local businesses, farms or makers
• Give broken ones to a wood recycling or yard-waste site

A full 53 ft trailer holds roughly 480–680 empty 48 × 40 in pallets depending on pallet height and grade. That is the unit most recyclers think in.

#Businesses: turn a cost into income

For a distribution center or plant, used pallets are often a disposal cost. Turning them into a revenue line takes:

• A defined storage area, stacks sorted by size
• A contract with one or two recyclers for regular pickup and agreed prices
• A process to catch pooled pallets before they go out with the recycler
• Records of counts and payments

Some recyclers also supply graded pallets. Selling them your cores and buying back graded pallets can be cheaper than buying new. See reduce pallet costs.

#Selling other pallet types

#Safety when handling pallets for sale

Sorting and stacking pallets is manual work with real injury risk: back strains, crushed fingers and nail punctures. Use gloves, lift with two people or a pallet jack, keep stacks stable and no higher than your site rules allow, and keep forklift traffic away from sorting areas.

#Why prices differ so much between recyclers

Two recyclers in the same city can quote very differently. Reasons include how far they must haul, whether they currently need 48 × 40 cores for a big customer, their grading strictness, and whether they also sell new pallets. Getting three quotes, and repeating the exercise once a year, is the simplest way to be paid fairly.

#Tax, records and contracts

If your business sells pallets regularly, treat it like any other sale: invoices, recorded counts and agreed prices. A written agreement with a recycler should cover price by grade, pickup frequency, who grades the pallets, how disputes are handled and how pooled pallets in the stream are dealt with. This avoids the common complaint that loads are graded down after they leave your site.

#Before you give or sell pallets to individuals

People buying pallets for projects should know the pallet's history. If you know a pallet carried chemicals, is marked MB, or is moldy, do not pass it on for furniture, gardens or firewood. See pallet stamps and markings and free pallets.

If you need new pallets rather than selling old ones, pallet.design sends a full spec to partner shops for quotes through custom pallets.