Size · Custom
When no standard footprint fits
Custom pallets solve real problems and create new ones. Here is how to tell which side of that line your job sits on.
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RePallet Co. builds custom-size pallets in Denver to any footprint, in stringer or block construction, from new or reclaimed timber. Minimum runs are around 50 units for repeat sizes and 100 for a new design.
A custom footprint is worth it when your product genuinely does not fit a standard pallet, when overhang is damaging goods, or when a smaller footprint saves a trailer position. It is not worth it when the real problem is load pattern or stacking.
Good reasons for a custom size
- Your product overhangs. Overhang removes perimeter support and is a leading cause of damage. If you are losing goods, the footprint is probably wrong.
- You are shipping air. A product occupying 60% of a 48x40 is paying for the other 40% on every trailer position.
- Your racking is non-standard. Older facilities have beam spacings that no catalogue pallet suits.
- Automated equipment demands it. Tight-tolerance systems sometimes require a footprint no recycler stocks.
- Retail display requirements. Half and quarter footprints exist because aisles do.
- Very heavy point loads. A machinery skid designed around actual feet positions beats a standard pallet with packers under it.
The hidden costs
We build custom sizes happily, and we will also tell you what you are taking on. The unit price is usually the smallest part of it.
| Cost | What happens |
|---|---|
| No recycled supply | You cannot buy a custom footprint second-hand. Every replacement is a new build. |
| Longer lead times | One to three weeks rather than same-day availability. |
| Minimum runs | 50 – 100 units, which means holding inventory you did not previously hold. |
| No resale value | A custom pallet is worth core price to anyone but you. |
| Handling friction | Receivers and 3PLs have equipment set up for standard footprints. |
| Trailer efficiency | A custom size that does not tile efficiently can cost more in freight than it saves in materials. |
How we build them
- 1
Send what you have
Dimensions, a drawing, a photograph with a tape measure, or the product itself.
- 2
Specification draft
We propose construction, board layout, thickness, species and fasteners, and explain the trade-offs.
- 3
Prototype
Three to five working days. Test it with your actual load and your actual equipment before committing.
- 4
Jig and production
Once approved we build a jig, so the tenth order matches the first.
- 5
Stock or schedule
We can hold finished stock against a forecast so lead time stops being your problem.
For containers rather than pallets, see custom crating and skids.
Before you commission: three cheaper alternatives
About a third of the custom-size enquiries we receive are better solved without a custom size. We would rather say so than take the order.
Change the load pattern
Re-arranging how cartons sit on a standard footprint eliminates overhang about as often as a new footprint does, and costs nothing.
Change the case size
If your packaging is being redesigned anyway, sizing cases to tile a 48x40 is free and permanent. A 12" x 10" case tiles perfectly; a 13" x 11" wastes 18% of the deck.
Add a spreader or a cap
A plywood cap or a slip sheet solves most point-load and small-item problems for a couple of dollars a load.
Designing a custom footprint properly
- 1
Start from the load
Dimensions, weight, bearing points and centre of gravity. The pallet is the last thing designed, not the first.
- 2
Check the trailer
Does the new footprint tile in a 96" trailer width? A footprint that saves material and loses a floor position is a net loss.
- 3
Check the receiver
Their racking, their forklifts, their conveyor. A custom pallet that will not fit the destination is an expensive way to cause an argument.
- 4
Specify construction
Stringer or block, board count, thickness, fastener. Load pattern drives these.
- 5
Prototype and test
One unit, three to five working days. Load it, move it, rack it if that is the plan.
- 6
Build the jig
Once approved. We hold it indefinitely at no charge so the tenth order matches the first.
| Footprint | Across the width | Wasted width | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48" x 40" | 2 (80") | 16" | The standard; pinwheels to 30 positions |
| 48" x 48" | 2 (96") | 0" | Perfect fit, no loading clearance |
| 32" x 40" | 3 (96") | 0" | Excellent for lighter loads |
| 24" x 40" | 4 (96") | 0" | Quarter-width; retail and promotional |
| 36" x 36" | 2 (72") | 24" | Poor tiling; used for keg geometry |
| 44" x 44" | 2 (88") | 8" | Reasonable |
| 42" x 42" | 2 (84") | 12" | Reasonable |
The 32" x 40" row is worth noticing. Three across a trailer width, no waste, and a footprint that suits a great many lighter products better than a 48x40 does. It is one of the most under-used custom sizes in North America.
Living with a custom footprint
The build is the easy part. These are the ongoing consequences, and they are the reason to be sure before committing.
| Standard 48x40 | Custom footprint | |
|---|---|---|
| Recycled supply | Weekly, in volume | None — every unit is new |
| Lead time | Same or next day | 1 – 3 weeks |
| Minimum order | 25 | 50 – 100 |
| Inventory you must hold | None | A buffer, or accept the lead time |
| Resale value | $2.75 – $5.00 as a core | Lumber value only |
| Repairability | Any recycler | Toll repair with us |
| Receiver friction | None | Equipment set up for standard sizes |
| Freight efficiency | Designed around the trailer | Depends entirely on tiling |
- Hold a buffer or accept a one-to-three-week lead time on every reorder.
- Plan toll repair rather than exchange. There is no market to exchange into.
- Mark them as yours. Custom pallets that wander are not coming back.
- Keep the specification document. If we hold the jig you are covered, but a written spec protects you regardless.
- Review annually. Products change; sometimes the reason for the custom size goes away and nobody notices.
Questions people actually ask
What is the smallest pallet you build?
Can you copy an existing custom pallet?
Can custom pallets be heat treated?
Will you buy custom pallets back?
What is the most common custom size you build?
Can you build metric footprints?
How long do you keep a jig?
Will you buy custom pallets back?
Can you modify standard pallets instead of building new?
Let's keep your pallets in the loop
Whether you have 40 broken cores behind the dock or need 4,000 Grade A pallets a month, the conversation starts the same way.