Heat treated pallets are priced from the pallet’s specification and the size of the order. Here is what moves the price, and how to get the right pallet without paying for more than you need.
By Matthew Bowes, APS Packaging Ltd. Last reviewed 30 October 2026
The cost of heat treated pallets depends on more than the treatment. Heat treated pallets are ordinary timber pallets that have been heated until the core of the wood reaches 56°C for at least 30 minutes, then marked under the ISPM 15 scheme so they can be used for export. The treatment itself is only part of the price. Most of the cost is in the timber and the build, so the specification and the size of the order matter far more than the treatment.
| Factor | Why it matters | How to keep it down |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Bigger pallets use more boards and longer bearers | Use a standard size where the load allows |
| Board thickness and count | Thicker and more closely spaced top boards carry more and cost more | Match the boards to the load, not the heaviest load you ever ship |
| Build | Block pallets use more parts than stringer pallets | Choose two-way entry if four-way is not needed |
| Timber | Wet (green) timber is economical; kiln-dried is lighter and drier but costs more | Use wet timber for most UK and export use |
| Heat treatment | Kiln time and the ISPM 15 mark | Order treated pallets in full kiln loads where you can |
| Quantity | Set-up and kiln loading are shared across the order | Order full loads or set up a regular call-off |
| Delivery | Full loads travel most efficiently | Take full loads, or join one of our regular delivery runs |
Heat treatment is about killing pests: the core of the timber is held at 56°C for 30 minutes, and the pallet is marked. Kiln drying is about removing moisture, which takes longer and makes the timber lighter and more stable. A heat treated pallet is not necessarily dry. Most export pallets only need heat treatment; kiln-dried timber is worth paying for when mould, weight or shrinkage would be a problem, such as with food, pharmaceuticals or long sea passages.
We run two 300-pallet kilns around the clock at our Bideford site and mark pallets under our own registration, FC0542. Read ISPM 15 explained for more on the rules.
You need them if the pallet is leaving the UK, including to the EU. You do not need them for pallets that stay in the UK, unless your customer asks for them. Some businesses use heat treated pallets throughout so that any pallet can go on an export order, which avoids mix-ups in the warehouse but costs a little more on the domestic pallets.
The most common way to overspend on pallets is to buy a heavier specification than the load needs. The opposite mistake, a pallet that is too light, costs more in damaged goods. We work out the safe load for a specification and can supply a spec sheet with the rating. Our guide to UK pallet sizes and load ratings explains how a rating is worked out.
APS Packaging Ltd
Designs our shock pallet and crate specifications, from the isolator count to the bolt pattern, and wrote our guides on shock protection and ISPM 15.
ISPM 15 pallets treated in our own kilns.
Standard and custom sizes, built in Devon.
Standard sizes and how a safe load is worked out.
Heat treatment and the FC0542 mark for wood packaging going abroad.
The price depends mostly on the size, timber and specification, and on the quantity ordered. The treatment is a smaller part of the cost. Send the size, load and quantity for a firm quote.
Heat treatment heats the timber core to 56 degrees for 30 minutes to kill pests. Kiln drying removes moisture over a longer cycle. Export rules need heat treatment, not kiln drying.
Yes. Since the UK left the EU, wood packaging going to the EU must meet ISPM 15, the same as for the rest of the world.
Yes. Kiln loading and set-up are shared across the order, so full loads cost less per pallet.
Talk to us. We treat on site in our own kilns and mark under our registration, FC0542.
Send the size, load and quantity and we will quote.
Email our Sales Team : sales@apspackaging.co.uk
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