Products · 📐
Custom-Built Pallets
When your product doesn't fit the standard footprint, a stock pallet is a liability. Our shop engineers custom pallets and skids around the actual load, the actual handling equipment, and the actual journey.
We design and build custom pallets and skids for anything a standard 48×40 can't handle — oversized machinery, heavy castings, awkward footprints, and export crates. Built from new or reclaimed lumber, engineered to your load.
Request a quote
Every field routes straight to our yard team. Tell us the product, the volume, and where you are — we reply by email within one business day.
Why it works
Built to keep working.
Engineered to the load
Board thickness, stringer count, and fastener pattern sized to your weight and dynamics — not guessed.
Any footprint
From compact 32×32 skids to 8-foot machine bases, we cut to the dimension you need.
Heavy-duty options
Doubled stringers, plywood decks, lag-bolted blocks, and steel-strapped bases for serious weight.
Reclaimed when it fits
Many custom builds use sound reclaimed hardwood — stronger than new softwood and far greener.
Where it fits
Common use cases
If your application isn't listed, ask anyway — odds are we've done it.
- Heavy machinery and equipment bases
- Oversized or irregular products
- Export crating and skids
- Displays and retail fixtures
- One-off industrial projects
- Metal castings, dies, and tooling
- Printing rolls, coils, and cylindrical loads
- Brewery tanks, kegs, and oversized vessels
- Recurring production runs with a fixed footprint
How a custom build comes together
Send us the load weight, dimensions, handling method (forklift, pallet jack, both), and destination. We translate that into a design — deck style, board count, thickness, and fastening — and quote it.
Once approved, our shop cuts and assembles the run. Prototypes are welcome for high-volume programs: we'll build one, you test it, we refine, then we produce.
Because there's no phone, the whole exchange happens by email — send drawings, photos, or even a rough sketch to info@cincinnatipallet.com and we'll reply within one business day with questions or a quote.
Engineering choices we make for you
A custom pallet is only as good as the decisions behind it. We size every element to the real load and its journey rather than defaulting to a stock recipe.
For heavy or dynamic loads that ride a forklift or truck, board thickness, stringer count, and fastener pattern all step up. For static machine bases, we lean into doubled stringers, plywood or full-plank decks, and lag-bolted blocks.
- Footprints from compact 32×32 skids to 8-foot machine bases and beyond
- Two-way, four-way, or full-perimeter forklift and pallet-jack entry
- Doubled or tripled stringers and heavy deckboards for high load ratings
- Solid-plank or plywood decks for point loads and small-footprint items
- Lag-bolted blocks and steel strapping for loads to 8,000+ lb
- Chamfered leadboards and notches for smooth entry and jack access
- New hardwood, new softwood, or sound reclaimed lumber to fit budget and spec
Reclaimed strength, greener build
Many custom jobs don't need brand-new wood. Sound reclaimed hardwood — dense oak that has already proven itself in service — is often stronger than new softwood and keeps that lumber in the loop.
For heavy skids and one-off bases especially, reclaimed lumber is the smart-money, low-impact choice. If your build is customer-facing or export-bound, we'll switch to new and treat it accordingly.
Prototype to production
For recurring programs we start with a single prototype so you can load it, ship it, and confirm it survives the trip before committing to a run. Then we lock the design and produce on a schedule.
This is where custom pays for itself: a pallet engineered to your exact load protects the product, cuts damage claims, and doesn't waste a dollar on wood you don't need.
Good questions
Custom-Built Pallets FAQ
What's the minimum order for custom pallets?
We handle everything from a single heavy-machine skid to recurring production runs. Small batches and one-offs are welcome.
Can custom pallets be export-ready?
Yes — we can heat-treat custom builds to ISPM-15 and stamp them for international shipment. Tell us the destination country and we'll confirm compliance.
How heavy a load can a custom pallet carry?
We regularly build for 8,000+ lb using doubled stringers, plank or plywood decks, lag-bolted blocks, and steel strapping. Give us the actual weight and whether it's static or moving and we'll engineer to it.
Do you help with the design, or do I need drawings?
Design help is included. Drawings speed things up, but a rough sketch, dimensions, and the load weight are enough for us to start. Email info@cincinnatipallet.com.
New or reclaimed lumber — which will you use?
Whichever fits the job. Sound reclaimed hardwood is often stronger and greener for heavy internal skids; new lumber is the pick for export or customer-facing builds. We'll recommend based on your spec and budget.
How fast can you turn a custom build around?
Local custom runs move quickly because everything happens in our own Cincinnati shop. Turnaround depends on size, quantity, and whether export treatment is needed — email us the details for a realistic window.
Can you match a footprint from an old pallet I already use?
Yes. Send a photo with a tape measure in frame, or the dimensions, and we'll replicate the footprint, deck style, and entry type.
Let's put your pallets back to work.
Buying, selling, recycling, or hauling — one form, one business-day reply, zero phone tag.