What a pallet yard pays for your used pallets is what it can sell them for after sorting and repair, less its own work. PFX publishes what buyers pay for pallets delivered by the truckload, not what yards pay for used ones, so treat the delivered price as the ceiling and expect an offer well below it.
What sets the offer
A yard sells sorted, repaired pallets to buyers. In September 2026 a recycled Grade A 48x40 sells for about $7.95 delivered by the truckload and Grade B for about $5.00, by the PFX index. Your offer is what is left after the yard:
- hauls your pallets to its yard
- sorts and repairs them, with lumber and labor
- grinds what can't be saved
- delivers the finished pallets to its own buyer
What gets a better offer
- Trailer loads. Steady trailer loads of sound 48x40s get the best offers. A smaller pickup usually carries a higher freight cost per pallet.
- Clean, stacked, mostly unbroken pallets. Every broken board or cracked stringer costs the yard labor and lumber.
- Steady volume. Buyers like a regular pickup.
- Pallets you own. Pooled pallets (blue, red or other rental pallets) go back to their owner and are not yours to sell.
Prices by state
Delivered prices follow local costs, and so do the offers yards make. See Grade A and Grade B by state on the prices page, and every grade in your state with a free account.
How to sell
Get at least two offers, and ask each buyer how they grade, how they handle rejects and whether haul-away is free. The full walkthrough is in how to sell used pallets.
FAQ
How much do pallet companies pay for used pallets?
It depends on the size, the condition and how many you have. PFX publishes delivered prices, not what yards pay: this month a recycled Grade B 48x40 sells for about $5.00 delivered by the truckload, and a yard pays well below that for used pallets, because it still has to haul, sort and repair them. Trailer loads of sound 48x40s get the best offers.
Why do yards pay so little for used pallets?
A yard still has to haul, sort and repair them, and some will be scrap. What you are offered is what is left of the delivered price after that work and the freight.