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Built to Your Blueprint
Standard pallets work for most applications, but sometimes your product, equipment, or supply chain demands something unique. Maybe you need an oversized pallet for industrial machinery, a lightweight export pallet for air freight, or a branded display pallet for retail. Perhaps your automated handling system requires specific notch positions, deck board spacing, or dimensional tolerances that off-the-shelf pallets cannot provide.
Whatever the requirement, we design, prototype, and manufacture custom pallets in our Oakland facility. From a single prototype to thousands per month — we scale with you. Our custom pallet program has served over 300 businesses across industries including aerospace, defense, wine and spirits, heavy equipment, medical devices, and specialty retail.
Lead engineer Archibald and his team have designed pallets for loads as light as 5 lbs (delicate instrument shipping) and as heavy as 25,000 lbs (industrial turbine components). Every custom project begins with understanding your specific requirements and engineering a solution that balances performance, cost, and sustainability.
Custom Capabilities
Custom Dimensions
Any length, width, and height. We build to the millimeter for tight-tolerance applications. From miniature 12×12 pallets for small-format retail to oversized 96×96 platforms for industrial equipment — no size is too unusual.
Material Choice
Hardwood, softwood, plywood, plastic, composite, or hybrid construction. Match the material to your use case. We can combine materials within a single pallet — for example, a hardwood frame with plywood deck for weight savings and smooth surface.
Load Engineering
Need to carry 10,000 lbs? Or minimize weight for air freight? We engineer the pallet for your specific load requirements using structural analysis to optimize board thickness, spacing, and fastener patterns for your exact load distribution.
Branding & Marking
Custom stamps, paint, stencils, or labels. Brand your pallets for retail displays or supply chain tracking. We offer hot-iron branding, spray stenciling, and adhesive label application. Color-coding for inventory management is also available.
Special Features
Anti-slip surfaces, drainage holes, forklift notch positions, nesting capability — we accommodate any feature. We have also built pallets with integrated tie-down points, removable side rails, hinged ramps, and built-in dunnage blocks.
Compliance
ISPM-15 heat treatment, FDA food contact, USDA organic handling — we build to the certifications you need. All heat-treated pallets receive official IPPC stamps. We maintain documentation for every batch to support your compliance audits.
Material Options
The right material depends on your load, environment, budget, and compliance requirements. Here is a detailed breakdown of every material we work with for custom builds.
Southern Yellow Pine
$Our most common material for custom wood pallets. Excellent strength-to-cost ratio, easy to work with, readily available in all dimensions. Accepts heat treatment for ISPM-15 compliance. Suitable for loads up to 5,000 lbs per pallet with standard construction.
Best for: General purpose, export, medium loads
Oak & Hardwood
$$For heavy-duty applications that demand maximum strength and durability. Oak and mixed hardwood pallets are significantly heavier but can handle extreme loads and resist wear over hundreds of trips. Commonly specified for automotive, machinery, and military applications.
Best for: Heavy loads, multi-trip, high-wear environments
Plywood Deck
$$Plywood decks provide a smooth, continuous surface that is ideal for bagged goods, small items, and products that require a flush platform. Plywood construction reduces pallet weight compared to solid hardwood while maintaining excellent load distribution.
Best for: Smooth surface needs, bagged goods, air freight
Composite / OSB
$Oriented strand board (OSB) and composite materials offer cost-effective alternatives for specific applications. Lighter than solid wood, moisture-resistant options available. OSB deck pallets are popular for single-use export loads where cost is the primary driver.
Best for: Single-use, export, cost-sensitive applications
Plastic (HDPE / PP)
$$$For applications requiring hygiene, chemical resistance, or very long lifespan. Custom plastic pallets are injection-molded to your specifications — minimum order quantities are higher (typically 500+ units) and lead times are longer (6–10 weeks), but the resulting pallet is precisely engineered for your application.
Best for: Food, pharma, chemical, high-trip-count loops
Hybrid Construction
$$ – $$$Combining materials within a single pallet allows us to optimize for multiple properties simultaneously. For example: steel-reinforced stringers with wood deck boards for extreme loads, or a wood frame with a corrugated plastic deck for lightweight chemical resistance.
Best for: Specialized requirements, mixed-property needs
Engineering Specifications
When you bring us a custom project, here are the engineering parameters we can control. Every specification below can be tailored to your exact requirements.
| Parameter | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Length | 12" to 120" | Larger sizes possible with reinforced construction |
| Overall Width | 12" to 96" | Width limited by standard lumber lengths |
| Height / Profile | 3" to 12" | Low-profile options for container loading |
| Deck Board Thickness | ½" to 1½" | Thicker boards for heavier point loads |
| Deck Board Width | 2" to 8" | Wider boards for smoother surfaces |
| Deck Board Spacing | 0" (closed) to 4" | Closed deck for small items, open deck for ventilation |
| Stringer / Block Size | 2×4 to 4×6 (or blocks) | Heavier stringers for higher load ratings |
| Forklift Entry | 2-way or 4-way | Notched stringers or block construction for 4-way |
| Fasteners | Nails, screws, or bolts | Screws and bolts for high-vibration environments |
| Surface Treatment | Raw, sanded, or coated | Anti-slip coating, paint, or food-safe sealant |
| Moisture Content | Air-dried or kiln-dried | KD required for ISPM-15; air-dried is default |
| Load Rating | Up to 25,000 lbs static | Engineered to requirement with safety factor |
| Dimensional Tolerance | ± 1/16" to ± ½" | Tighter tolerances for automated handling |
Prototype Process
We never jump straight to production. Every custom pallet project goes through our structured prototype process to ensure the final product meets your requirements before committing to a full manufacturing run.
Requirements Gathering
We start with a detailed questionnaire covering your product dimensions, weight distribution, handling equipment, storage environment, compliance needs, trip count expectations, and budget targets. If you have drawings or CAD files, even better — send them over and we will use them as a starting point.
Engineering Design
Our team creates a detailed pallet design including material selection, board dimensions, fastener pattern, and load calculations. For complex projects, we provide a structural analysis showing expected deflection and safety factors. Design turnaround is typically 2–3 business days.
Prototype Build
We build 1–5 prototype pallets at our Oakland facility. Prototype turnaround is typically 3–5 business days from design approval. Prototype cost is at production pricing — you are not paying extra for the sample run.
Testing & Validation
We ship the prototypes to your facility for testing with your actual products and handling equipment. Load them, stack them, fork them, rack them — put them through your real-world workflow. Note any issues or desired changes.
Revision (if needed)
Based on your feedback, we make design adjustments and build revised prototypes if necessary. Most projects require 0–1 revisions before final approval. There is no charge for the first design revision.
Production Approval
Once you are satisfied with the prototype, you approve the final design and we move to production. We lock in the specification, pricing, and delivery schedule. First production run is typically delivered within 5–10 business days depending on volume.
Minimum Orders & Pricing
We keep minimum order quantities low to make custom pallets accessible to businesses of all sizes. Here is what to expect for different project types.
| Project Type | Minimum Order | Lead Time | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom size wood (standard lumber) | 25 units | 3–5 business days | $8–$25 per unit |
| Custom size wood (specialty lumber) | 50 units | 5–10 business days | $15–$40 per unit |
| Heavy-duty engineered wood | 50 units | 5–10 business days | $25–$75 per unit |
| Plywood deck / hybrid | 50 units | 5–7 business days | $20–$50 per unit |
| Custom plastic (injection mold) | 500 units | 6–10 weeks | $30–$80 per unit |
| Branded / painted wood | 100 units | 7–14 business days | $12–$35 per unit |
| Prototype only | 1–5 units | 3–5 business days | At production pricing |
Volume discounts: Custom pallet pricing follows the same volume discount structure as our standard products. Orders above 200 units receive a 10–15% discount, and orders above 1,000 units receive 20–30% off. Recurring orders receive an additional loyalty discount. Contact us for a detailed quote on your project.
Past Projects
Here are a few examples of custom pallet projects we have completed for clients across various industries. Every project started with a conversation and ended with a solution that solved a real logistics problem.
Oversized Machinery Pallet — Industrial Equipment Manufacturer
Challenge
A Bay Area manufacturer of industrial water treatment equipment needed a 72×60 pallet capable of supporting 8,000 lbs of stainless steel machinery. Standard pallets were too small and could not handle the concentrated point loads from the equipment feet.
Solution
We designed a heavy-duty hardwood block pallet with reinforced center blocks positioned directly under the equipment mounting points. The pallet featured a double-thickness deck and lag-bolt fasteners to prevent loosening during truck transport. Lead designer Archibald worked directly with the client's shipping manager Rosalind to map the exact load distribution.
Result
The client ordered 200 pallets initially and has reordered 150 per quarter for the past two years. Zero product damage claims since switching to the custom design.
Lightweight Air Freight Pallet — Medical Device Company
Challenge
A medical device company in Fremont needed pallets for air freight shipments to Southeast Asia. Standard pallets were too heavy (adding $200+ per shipment in overage charges) and required ISPM-15 treatment that added 3 days to their lead time.
Solution
We built a hybrid pallet using a lightweight pine frame with a 3/8" plywood deck. The resulting pallet weighed just 18 lbs — less than half the weight of a standard stringer pallet. The thin profile also allowed an additional layer of product per air freight container.
Result
The client reduced per-shipment freight costs by $180 on average and eliminated the 3-day heat treatment delay. Operations director Ignatius estimated the annual savings at over $45,000.
Branded Retail Display Pallet — Specialty Food Company
Challenge
A specialty food producer in Napa wanted their products displayed on-pallet in retail stores but found standard recycled pallets too rough and inconsistent for customer-facing presentation.
Solution
We designed a sanded, painted display pallet with the client's logo hot-branded into the front stringer. The pallet was Grade A recycled stock that went through an additional sanding pass and two coats of food-safe finish. Corner edges were rounded for safety in retail environments.
Result
The branded pallets became a recognizable element of the client's retail presence. Store merchandising manager Clementine reported a measurable increase in product visibility and sell-through at participating retail locations.
Spill-Containment Chemical Pallet — Coatings Manufacturer
Challenge
A coatings manufacturer needed pallets for storing 55-gallon drums of industrial solvents. Regulations required secondary containment, and the existing setup used separate spill trays that were expensive and difficult to move with a forklift.
Solution
We built a custom block pallet with a raised perimeter lip and sealed plywood deck, creating an integrated spill-containment basin capable of holding 35 gallons. Drainage plugs at each corner allowed controlled cleanup. The block construction maintained full 4-way forklift access.
Result
The client replaced their separate spill tray setup, saving floor space and eliminating the manual step of placing drums onto trays. Environmental compliance officer Bartholomew confirmed the design met all applicable containment regulations.
Nestable Wine Barrel Pallet — Sonoma Winery
Challenge
A Sonoma County winery needed pallets for barrel storage that could cradle the barrel shape and prevent rolling, while stacking compactly when empty during the off-season.
Solution
We designed a pallet with curved saddle supports routed into the top deck boards, creating a natural cradle for wine barrels. The saddle pallets nested when empty by rotating every other pallet 180 degrees, reducing storage footprint by 40% compared to flat stacking.
Result
The winery ordered 350 units for their barrel room. Cellar master Thaddeus reported that the custom pallets eliminated the need for separate barrel chocks and reduced barrel handling time by approximately 20% during racking operations.
Ready to Start Your Custom Project?
Tell us about your requirements and we will have a design proposal back to you within 48 hours. Prototypes in hand within a week. No obligation, no minimum for the first sample.