Pallet repair service
We repair damaged wooden pallets from business sites across the UK. We replace broken boards and split blocks with matching timber, re-grade each pallet A, B or C and return it to your site.
Send a photo of the damage, the number of pallets and the postcode. The quote gives a price per pallet repaired and the return date, usually 1 to 2 weeks after collection.
Which pallets do we repair?
We repair wooden pallets of every common build, including UK standard, Euro-size, CP-size and bespoke, for use in the UK.
- UK standard pallets, 1200 x 1000 mm
- Unstamped Euro-size pallets, 1200 x 800 mm
- CP-size pallets for chemical loads
- Bespoke and branded pallets built to your size
We do not repair EPAL-marked, plastic or CHEP, LPR and IPP pool pallets; the reasons are set out below.
Warehouses and manufacturers send us their own pallets, from returnable pallets they reuse between sites to bespoke builds that cost too much to replace.
What damage can be repaired on a wooden pallet?
We repair six kinds of damage on a wooden pallet, broken deck boards, split blocks, broken bottom boards or bearers, loose or missing nails, nails standing proud and a frame out of square.
| Damage | What we do |
|---|---|
| Broken, cracked or missing deck board | Replace the board with one of the same size and thickness |
| Split, twisted or missing block | Replace the block |
| Broken bottom board or bearer | Replace the bottom board or bearer |
| Loose or missing nails | Refit with new nails |
| Nails standing proud of the deck | Remove them or drive them home |
| Pallet out of square | Realign the frame before refitting |
In the EPAL system the same kinds of damage take a pallet out of exchange, including a board broken across or diagonally, a block split so that more than one nail shank shows, or a twisted block standing out more than 10 mm (1 cm), according to EPAL's exchange criteria.
How does pallet repair work?
Pallet repair works in five steps. We collect your damaged pallets, inspect each one, repair the damaged parts, grade the repaired pallet and return it to your site.
- 1Collect.
We pick up the damaged pallets from your site, or on the same run as a pallet delivery, and count them in writing.
- 2Inspect.
We check every pallet against the six kinds of damage and set aside any beyond repair.
- 3Repair.
We replace the damaged boards and blocks with matching timber and refit the nails.
- 4Grade.
We grade each repaired pallet A, B or C.
- 5Return.
We deliver the repaired pallets back to your site, with a note of how many were repaired and how many were beyond repair.
What grade is a repaired pallet?
A repaired pallet is graded A, B or C on its condition after the repair, on the same grades as our used pallets.
- Grade A
- Every board and block sound, no visible repairs and only light wear
- Grade B
- Sound, with wear and one or two replaced boards or blocks
- Grade C
- Heavy wear and several repairs
A pallet with a replaced board or block that shows is graded B or C, because Grade A means no visible repairs. No UK standard sets pallet grades, and definitions vary by supplier, which is why ours are described by what you can see.
What each grade looks like, board by board, is set out in our guide to pallet grades.
Which boards and blocks go into a pallet repair?
We repair pallets with boards and blocks of the same size and thickness as the parts they replace, taken from pallets beyond repair or cut from new timber.
Sound boards and blocks from pallets beyond repair go in first; new timber is used where no reclaimed part matches.
The same reclaimed boards and bearers are sold loose as pallet timber and boards. Your own pallets come back to you.
Repair and return, or repaired pallets for sale?
There are two ways to get repaired pallets. You can send us your own for repair and return, or buy repaired pallets from our stock.
| Way | Whose pallets | Best for | How it is priced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repair and return | Your own, collected and sent back | Bespoke, branded or returnable pallets of your own that you need back in the same build | Per pallet repaired and returned |
| Repaired pallets for sale | Ours, graded A, B or C | Standard sizes when you do not need your own pallets back | Per pallet, by size and grade, on quote |
Repaired pallets from our stock are listed by grade with our used pallets for sale.
Can a repaired pallet still be used for export?
No. A treated, marked pallet that has been repaired or remanufactured needs re-treatment and re-marking before export. We repair pallets for UK use, and pallets that must keep an ISPM 15 mark for export are quoted separately.
ISPM 15 sets two cases by how much of the pallet is replaced.
- Repaired
- Up to about one third of the parts replaced, where only ISPM 15 treated wood goes in and each added part carries its own mark, under ISPM 15, section 4.3.
- Remanufactured
- More than about one third replaced, where the old marks are permanently removed and the whole pallet is treated and marked again, under ISPM 15, section 4.3.
A treated and marked pallet that has not been repaired keeps its mark for its whole service life, under ISPM 15. Defra's guidance is that a repaired pallet is re-marked.
Tick "export marking needed" on the form, and the quote states what the export route needs.
For pallets that need a fresh mark for export, see our heat treated pallets.
When is a pallet beyond repair?
A pallet is beyond repair when the damage would cost more to fix than a replacement pallet, and we list it apart on the return note.
- Several broken bearers or blocks
- Rot in the boards or blocks
- Severe damage to the frame
- Contamination that could affect a load
Pallets beyond repair are taken apart for boards and blocks, which go into repairs on other pallets, and wood that cannot be reused goes for recycling.
A load that is all broken wood goes to our pallet disposal and removal service instead.
Which waste rules apply when you send pallets for repair?
Pallets you send for repair and take back are not waste. Damaged pallets you no longer want are waste.
A pallet is not waste if it goes back to the use it was made for, you mean it to be reused, it needs no more than minor repair, the repair is going to be done, its use is lawful, and it is not handled in a way that shows it is waste, according to the Environment Agency guidance "Check if your material is waste".
When the pallets are waste, the duty of care asks three things of the business handing them over, under GOV.UK's "Waste duty of care code of practice".
- Check the receiver
- Check that whoever takes the pallets is a registered waste carrier, on the Environment Agency or Natural Resources Wales public register, before you hand them over.
- Describe the waste
- Hand the pallets over with a written description, such as a waste transfer note, giving the waste code, 15 01 03 for wooden packaging, and the quantity.
- Keep the record
- Keep the note for 2 years.
We are a registered waste carrier, and you get a waste transfer note for every collection of waste pallets. Ask any repairer that takes waste pallets for its waste carrier registration number, and for its T12 exemption, the Environment Agency exemption that covers repairing waste wooden pallets.
The duty of care code covers England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulators, SEPA and DAERA.
What sets the price of pallet repair?
Pallet repair is priced per pallet repaired and returned, so pallets beyond repair are never charged as repairs.
- The number of pallets
- The damage on each
- The parts needed
- ISPM 15 marking for export
- The distance to collect and return
Repair costs less than a new pallet when the frame is sound and only boards or blocks need replacing.
Where and how quickly do we repair pallets?
We repair pallets from business sites across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, usually within 1 to 2 weeks of collection.
- Area
- Any UK business site a lorry can reach, priced by postcode
- Turnaround
- Usually 1 to 2 weeks, depending on the number and the spec; the date is confirmed with your quote
- How often
- A one-off batch, or a regular collection for repair, weekly or monthly
Damaged pallets travel to us through our pallet collection service, on the same booking. A weekly or monthly repair run for several sites is part of pallet management.
Book a pallet repair
Tell us how many pallets need repair, what the damage is and where they are; the quote gives a price per pallet repaired and the return date.
- Quantityroughly how many pallets
- Damageboards, blocks or mixed
- Photoone photo of the damage
- Postcodewhere the pallets are
- Export markingif the pallets must keep an ISPM 15 mark
- Frequencyone-off or regular
When is pallet recycling a better choice than repair?
Pallet recycling is the better choice when you do not need the pallets back. We sort them, sell the sound ones, repair what is worth repairing into our stock and take the rest apart.
Repair suits pallets you want back in the same build, such as bespoke, branded or returnable pallets of your own.
Mixed loads you no longer need go through our pallet recycling service.
Do we repair EPAL, CHEP, LPR and IPP pallets?
No, EPAL-marked pallets are repaired only by EPAL-licensed repairers, and CHEP, LPR and IPP pallets stay the property of the pool companies.
EPAL allows repairs only by licensed repairers using parts of the right dimensions, and repairing without a licence is subject to legal prosecution; a repaired EPAL pallet carries a repair marking nail, according to EPAL.
CHEP, LPR and IPP pallets remain the property of the pool companies, so we never buy, sell or recycle them; they go back to their owners. We set them aside from your load and do not repair or charge for them. IPP collects its own pallets, broken ones included, free, according to IPP.
Pallet repair FAQs
Is there a pallet repair company near me?
Yes, we repair pallets from business sites across the UK, collected and priced by postcode. Send the number of pallets and your postcode, and the quote confirms the collection and return dates.
Can plastic pallets be repaired?
No. Plastic pallets are hard to repair, so we repair wooden pallets only. Broken plastic pallets go for recycling instead.
Is repairing a pallet cheaper than buying a new one?
Yes, when the frame is sound and only boards or blocks need replacing. Otherwise it depends on the damage and the number, and repair is priced per pallet repaired and returned.
Do you sell reconditioned pallets?
Yes. Pallets we repair from our own collections are graded A, B or C and sold as used pallets, priced on quote with delivery across the UK.
What does a pallet repairer do?
A pallet repairer replaces broken boards, blocks and nails so a damaged pallet goes back into use, then checks and grades it. We do this for your own pallets and return them.
