Services · 🔨
Custom Fabrication
When off-the-shelf won't cut it, we go from sketch to sawdust. Our fabrication service engineers and builds the exact wooden structure your product needs to travel safely.
Our shop designs and builds wooden shipping solutions to spec: custom pallets, heavy-duty skids, export crates, and box systems. Send a load and a destination; we'll engineer and build the right structure from new or reclaimed lumber.
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.
How it works
Three steps, no runaround.
Share the challenge
Load weight, dimensions, fragility, handling method, and destination — the more detail the better.
We design it
Our team specs the structure, materials, and fasteners, and quotes the build.
We build & refine
We produce a prototype if needed, you test it, and we scale to a production run.
Why us
What you get
Fifteen years of doing this in Cincinnati, distilled into a service you can rely on.
- Engineered to the real load, not a guess
- Pallets, skids, crates, and box systems
- New or reclaimed lumber options
- Prototype-to-production for recurring runs
- Export-ready ISPM-15 available
- Design help included — a sketch is enough to start
- Built in our own Cincinnati shop for fast turnaround
- Fewer damage claims from packaging built to fit
From one-off to production run
Some fabrication jobs are a single heavy skid for a machine that ships once. Others are a recurring container that leaves your dock every week. We handle both, and we design differently for each.
For recurring programs we prototype first: build one, ship one, learn, refine. The result is packaging that protects the product, survives the trip, and doesn't cost a penny more than it needs to.
It all happens under one roof at our Este Ave shop, from the first sketch to the last nail — no outsourced steps, no lost details between vendors.
What we design and build
If it's a wooden structure that has to protect a load in transit or storage, we can engineer and build it. Custom footprints, heavy-duty bases, fully enclosed crates, and modular box systems all come out of the same shop.
Tell us what the load is, how much it weighs, how it's handled, and where it's going. We translate that into deck style, board thickness, stringer or block count, fastener pattern, and — where needed — walls, lids, and bracing.
- Custom pallets in non-standard footprints and entry types
- Heavy-duty skids and machine bases rated to 8,000+ lb
- Export crates, fully enclosed and ISPM-15 heat-treated
- Collar-and-lid box systems for returnable loops
- Solid-plank and plywood decks for point loads and small items
- Internal bracing, blocking, and chocks for fragile or shifting loads
Engineered to the journey
A crate that sits still needs different bones than a skid that rides a forklift and a truck. We size every element to the real dynamics — static, dynamic, and racking loads all change the design.
That's why fabrication done right cuts damage claims: the product travels in a structure built for its exact weight, fragility, and handling, not a stock guess that's either too weak or wastefully overbuilt.
Materials: new, reclaimed, and export-treated
We build from new hardwood or softwood, sound reclaimed lumber, or a mix — chosen to fit the load and the budget. Reclaimed hardwood is often stronger and greener for heavy internal skids; new lumber suits export and customer-facing work.
For international freight we heat-treat to ISPM-15 — kiln to a 56°C core for 30 minutes — and apply the recognized HT stamp, so crates and skids clear customs without fumigation or surprises.
Good questions
Custom Fabrication FAQ
Can you build export crates?
Yes — including heat-treated, ISPM-15 stamped crates and skids for international freight. Tell us the destination country and we'll confirm compliance.
Do you help with the design?
Design is part of the service. Give us the load, its weight and fragility, the handling method, and the journey, and we'll engineer the structure — a rough sketch is enough to start.
Do you build one-offs or only production runs?
Both. We'll build a single heavy skid for a machine that ships once, or set up a recurring production run for packaging that leaves your dock every week.
How does prototyping work?
For recurring programs we build one unit first so you can load it, ship it, and confirm it survives the trip. Then we refine the design and lock in the production run.
Can you build fully enclosed boxes and crates, not just pallets?
Yes — enclosed export crates, collar-and-lid box systems, and braced containers are all part of fabrication, in addition to open pallets and skids.
New or reclaimed wood — which will you use?
Whichever fits the job and budget. Sound reclaimed hardwood is strong and green for heavy internal builds; new lumber is best for export and customer-facing work. We'll recommend based on your spec.
How do I start a fabrication project?
Email info@cincinnatipallet.com with the load details, dimensions, and destination — attach drawings, photos, or a sketch. We reply within one business day with questions or a quote. No phone needed.
Let's put your pallets back to work.
Buying, selling, recycling, or hauling — one form, one business-day reply, zero phone tag.