Inside pallet accessories
Top caps and lids: the part everyone forgets to order
A collared pallet without a lid is a walled tray. With one it becomes a sealed, stackable unit — and that single change is usually what makes the system pay.
Request pricing
Everything marked with a star is required. The rest helps us quote faster.
Pallet top caps and lids close a collared pallet so it can be stacked, protected from dust and handled as a unit. RePallet Co. stocks plywood and boarded lids for 48" x 40" and Euro footprints and builds custom sizes.
Plywood lids run roughly $22–$38; boarded lids $16–$26. Both are reusable and repairable, and both fold into the same return-freight volume as the collars they close.
Types
Plywood lid
A single sheet with a rebated or framed edge that drops into the collar. Best dust protection, best load spreading, heaviest.
Boarded lid
Deck boards on two cleats, matching the pallet's construction. Lighter, cheaper, repairable with yard stock, less dust-tight.
Framed cap
A shallow lipped frame that locates over the collar rather than inside it. Fastest to fit, best where speed matters more than seal.
Reversible base-lid
A lid that doubles as a slip base for a second unit. Useful in double-stacked racking.
Stacking safely
The reason to fit a lid is almost always to stack a second load on top, which means the lid is now a structural member. Two things decide whether that is safe: how the load beneath is distributed, and whether the lid spans the collar or rests on the goods.
- The lid must bear on the collar, not the contents. If the goods are proud of the collar, add another collar rather than compressing the load.
- Distribute the load beneath. A dense item in one corner turns a stack into a lever.
- Respect the pallet, not the lid. The bottom pallet in a three-high stack carries everything; it should be Grade A.
- Band the stack if it will move by forklift rather than pallet truck.
- Two high is comfortable, three is a policy decision — and it should be written down, not improvised.
Load stacking calculations
The moment you fit a lid you are usually planning to stack something on it, which makes the lid a structural member. Two numbers matter.
| Configuration | Load on the bottom pallet | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Single unit, 800 lb | 800 lb | Any sound pallet |
| Two high, 800 lb each | 1,600 lb | Grade A base; lid must span the collar |
| Three high, 800 lb each | 2,400 lb | Grade A base; band the stack |
| Two high, 1,500 lb each | 3,000 lb | Grade A base; plywood lids |
| Three high, 1,500 lb each | 4,500 lb | Approaching static limit — review |
| Any configuration on a rack | — | Do not stack on a rack beam |
Materials and how they wear
| Material | Weight | Dust seal | Load spreading | Cycles | Repairable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plywood, 12 mm | ≈ 22 lb | Best | Best | 40 – 70 | No — replace |
| Plywood, 9 mm | ≈ 16 lb | Good | Good | 30 – 50 | No |
| Boarded, matched deck | ≈ 19 lb | Moderate | Good | 60 – 100 | Yes |
| Framed cap | ≈ 14 lb | Poor | Moderate | 50 – 80 | Yes |
| Reversible base-lid | ≈ 24 lb | Good | Best | 50 – 80 | Partly |
Plywood lids delaminate at the edges rather than breaking, which is why they have a shorter life despite being stronger. Boarded lids last longer precisely because we can replace one board rather than the whole unit — the same logic that makes wooden pallets repairable in the first place.
Questions people actually ask
Can I use a lid without collars?
Are plywood lids ISPM 15 exempt?
Do you build custom sizes?
How long do lids last?
Do lids need to be ISPM 15 treated?
Can I use a lid as a base?
How tight should a lid fit?
Do you make lids for non-standard collars?
What is the cheapest way to close a collared stack?
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.