Get your surplus valued
Rough count, footprint and your postcode. A photo in the message field speeds it up enormously.
The pile that started as “we’ll deal with that” in about 2019.
A meaningful share of what is in it is still repairable, and we pay for that portion. Board salvage has value and scrap metal recovery offsets a little more, which is why clean-outs routinely cost less than people fear and occasionally come back as a net credit.
It is also a fire-load finding, a pest habitat and a trip hazard — three inspectors looking at the same heap. One trailer movement usually resolves all three.
Five steps, one of which is us driving.
You tell us roughly what you have
Count, footprint and condition, as rough as you like. 'About four hundred, mostly 48×40, some broken' is a perfectly useful starting point.
We quote per unit, by grade
Separate lines for A, B, Combo and non-salvageable cores. The cores line is usually a haulage charge, and it is almost always less than a dumpster.
We collect
Our own flatbed or dry van, inside the week. For steady volume we leave a trailer and swap it, so pickup stops being an event.
We grade and count at the yard
On our certified scale, by our graders. You get the count sheet — not a summary, the actual sheet.
We pay against the sheet
Per unit, per grade, with the haulage line netted off. Monthly statement if you are a recurring supplier.
- Standard footprints in any grade — 48×40 commands the best price simply because demand is deepest
- Euro and metric footprints, which are scarce here and priced accordingly
- Collars, lids and accessories in reusable condition
- Oversized platforms suitable for cutting down
- Mixed loads — we sort, you do not have to
- Rotted, soaked or structurally finished platforms — these become mulch
- Chemically treated or contaminated wood, segregated to a licensed partner
- Plastic and metal platforms, routed to the correct recycler
- Loose boards, broken dunnage and nail debris from a site clean-out
Paid pickup, answered.
What is my pallet actually worth?
It depends on footprint, grade and current demand, and anyone quoting you a figure without seeing the pile is guessing. Standard 48×40 in serviceable condition has real value; odd footprints in poor condition may be a haulage charge rather than a payment. We will tell you which before we send a truck.
Do I need to sort them first?
No. Sorting is our job and we are faster at it than your warehouse crew. If you have already separated broken from serviceable, it may improve the price slightly, but do not spend labour on it.
What is the minimum volume?
There is no minimum when you are selling, but economics kick in around a quarter trailer — roughly 130 units. Below that we will often fold the collection into a nearby run rather than dedicate a truck.
Can you leave a trailer?
Yes, for steady volume. You load at your own pace, we swap it when it is full. It is the single biggest improvement most customers make to their dock.
Do you provide weight tickets and documentation?
Always. Certified scale ticket, count sheet by grade, and diversion tonnage for your ESG reporting if you want it.
Will you take a one-time clean-out?
Yes. Years of accumulated breakage behind a building is a specific service — see dismantling and removal — and it usually costs less than people fear.
What your surplus is worth, and why.
Grade decides the per-unit price; the market decides the level. Both tables are the ones we quote from.
| Criterion | Grade A / #1 | Grade B / #2 | Combo | Core / as-is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plugs permitted | No | Yes | In the B portion | N/A — unsorted |
| Companion boards | No | Yes | In the B portion | N/A |
| Stringer repair | No | Yes, plug or plate | In the B portion | N/A |
| Missing boards | None | None | None | Possible |
| Weathering | Light | Visible | Mixed | As received |
| Dimensional tolerance | ±⅜ in | ±½ in | ±½ in | Unchecked |
| Protruding fasteners | None | None | None | Possible |
| Rated load | Full | Full | Full | Unknown |
| Indicative price index | 100 | 62–70 | 75–85 | 30–45 |
| Re-stamped with passport | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Price index is relative, with A-grade set at 100, and moves with the market. Note that rated load is full on A, B and Combo alike — grade is a cosmetic and repair-history statement, not a strength one. Grades explained in full.
| Driver | Weight | Direction | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core availability | Highest | Counter-cyclical | Supply comes from platforms being retired, which tracks goods movement. Recycled prices can firm in a slowdown. |
| Freight & diesel | High | Direct | Pallets are bulky and cheap per pound, so trucking rates move our price faster than lumber does. |
| New lumber index | Moderate | Direct, lagged ~2 quarters | Transmits through new pallet prices, damped at every step. |
| Footprint scarcity | Moderate | Inverse to popularity | An unusual 42×42 can cost more than a common 48×48. Popularity is cheapness. |
| Seasonality | Moderate | Peaks Sep–Oct | Harvest, retail build and construction overlap in eight weeks. |
| Grade mix in the pool | Low–moderate | Widens the A/B spread | A hard winter or a beaten-up inbound stream lowers A-grade yield. |
| Treatment & certification | Low | Direct | A fixed adder per unit, not a market force. |
Note the first row: recycled supply is harvested from platforms being retired, so it can tighten in a slowdown. Buyers tracking only the lumber index are reliably surprised. Full breakdown.
| Document | When | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Certified weigh ticket | Every inbound and outbound movement | The evidentiary basis of any diversion claim |
| Count sheet by grade | Every purchase of your surplus | You get the sheet, not a summary |
| ISPM-15 batch record | Any heat-treated consignment | Turns a port query into an email |
| Pallet Passport record | Any remanufactured platform | Origin, repair history, treatment batch, running ledger |
| Quarterly diversion report | Programme customers | Measured tonnage for ESG reporting, not an industry average |
| Feedstock segregation attestation | Mulch and bedding buyers | Written statement of what the wood was |
| Certificate of insurance | On request | Named-insured endorsements for on-site crews |
| Grading criteria statement | On request | The written standard our graders work to |
Ask for any of these before an audit rather than during one. Assembling the pack takes us an afternoon and converts verbal questions into documents.