How Much Is a Pallet Worth in 2026?
The honest UK pallet value breakdown: what Grade A, B and C pallets sell for, Euro EPAL premium, what drives bulk pricing, and what you realistically get paid for surplus.
The short answer
A used UK standard wooden pallet is worth £2 to £6 in 2026, depending on grade and condition. A Euro EPAL is worth £6 to £10. A new pallet sells for £12 to £18. Plastic pallets hold higher value: £50-£200+ new, £10-£30 used. Volume matters enormously: 500 pallets fetch a better rate than 50.
Used wooden pallets: what they're worth
- Grade A UK standard (1200x1000mm): £3-£6 to the seller. Near-new condition, no repairs, clean.
- Grade B UK standard: £2-£3 to the seller. Visible wear, sometimes minor repairs, still structurally sound.
- Grade C UK standard: £0-£2 to the seller. Significant wear, often free-collection only.
- Grade A Euro EPAL (1200x800mm): £6-£10 to the seller. Higher value due to EPAL certification.
- Grade B Euro EPAL: £4-£6 to the seller.
- Grade C Euro EPAL: £2-£4 to the seller.
New pallets: retail pricing
A new UK standard pallet costs £12-£18 in 2026 depending on spec and volume. ISPM15-treated (heat-treated) adds £4-£6 per pallet. New Euro EPAL runs £14-£22. Bespoke custom pallets start at ~£20 depending on size and complexity.
Plastic pallets: they hold more value
New plastic pallets cost £50-£200+ depending on spec. Used plastic pallets in good condition fetch £10-£30 to the seller (not far off their new cost if HDPE and food-grade). Damaged plastic pallets are recyclable but carry lower resale value than wooden equivalents.
What drives the price
- Quantity: the biggest driver. 500+ pallets nearly double the per-pallet price vs 50 pallets.
- Location: North West UK yards pay better rates because transport costs are low. South East London rates are higher for buyers, meaning lower margin for sellers in central pickup areas.
- Sort required: pre-sorted same-size pallets pay higher. Mixed batches of various sizes and grades pay lower because the reconditioner has to sort before reselling.
- Seasonality: Q4 (retail peak) drives up prices; Q1 softens. Export seasons (late summer for Chinese New Year shipping) nudge HT prices up.
- Certification: EPAL-stamped Euros pay 30-50% more than non-EPAL Euro-sized pallets. HT stamps pay 10-20% more than untreated.
How to actually sell yours
Call a pallet reconditioner with a photo and a rough count. They quote on-the-spot, collect for free, and pay cash or invoice. See our sell-your-pallets page or cash-for-pallets in Liverpool for local pickup. Paid same-day in most cases.
Pallet value: common questions
A used UK standard wooden pallet averages £3-£5 in 2026, Grade A-B. Grade C drops to £1-£2. Euro EPAL averages £5-£8 across all grades. These are seller-side prices; buyer-side retail is typically £1-£2 more per pallet.
Yes, substantially. Pallet collection requires a flat-cost truck visit, so selling 50 vs 500 pallets barely changes the collection cost but changes the per-pallet price significantly. 500+ pallets at Grade A can fetch the high end of each grade's range; 50 pallets the low end.
Euro EPAL pallets are worth more on the continent where they circulate in the EPAL pool. UK standards are worth more in the UK where 1200x1000mm dominates racking and retail DCs. Don't ship pallets across the Channel chasing marginal price differences; freight eats the margin fast.
Bulk B2B pricing. Single pallets bought from DIY retailers or small one-offs can cost £25-£40 each. Volume orders direct from manufacturers are much cheaper. Ask any UK reconditioner for a bulk quote; you'll see the real market rate.
UK pallet prices ticked up 15-25% in the 2021-2023 timber-inflation period and have broadly stabilised since. Expect modest 2-5% annual moves based on timber costs, energy (heat treatment), and freight. Sharp moves usually follow timber-market shocks.
Technically no. CHEP pallets are rented, never sold. Finding a CHEP pallet in your yard means someone sent you goods on one. Either return it to the original sender or arrange a free CHEP pickup. Selling CHEP pallets is theft and could result in legal action from CHEP.