Wood Pallets
Custom-Made Wood Pallets
Custom-made wood pallets in Galician pine or eucalyptus, built to your dimensions, load rating and racking system at our own sawmill.
- ✅ Shipping across Europe
- ✅ ISPM 15 treatment available
- ✅ Our own sawmill in Galicia
Not every load fits a standard EPAL or EURO pallet. When the footprint, the weight, the racking system or the handling equipment calls for something else, a custom-made wood pallet is the answer. At Maderas Caamaño we build bespoke pallets at our own sawmill in Berdoias, Vimianzo (A Coruña, Galicia), matching length, width and height, load rating, deck-board count and spacing, block or stringer type, and wood species — pine or eucalyptus — to the exact brief a customer gives us.
Buyers who come to us for custom pallets tend to be heavy machinery manufacturers, automotive and industrial component makers, exporters of oversized or irregularly shaped goods, and companies that need a pallet to fit within centimetres of tolerance inside a rack, a shipping container or an automated palletising line. It's also the right call for loads well beyond what a standard EPAL is rated for, or for short production runs where reworking an off-the-shelf format simply isn't worth it.
We work with our own timber sourced from Galician forests, which lets us control the whole process from log to finished pallet and keep lead times reasonable even for unusual geometries. We supply customers across Spain and export to Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Ireland, with heat treatment and paperwork prepared for both intra-EU and international shipments. Unlike a closed catalogue, the starting point here is whatever the customer supplies — a dimensioned sketch, a reference pallet to match or improve on, or simply a load that doesn't fit anything standard. From there we work out, together with the client, the combination of timber, board thickness and reinforcement that gives the strength required without overbuilding the pallet, and we confirm lead times before the saw ever starts.
Specifications
| Dimensions | Made to order, per customer drawing or sample (length x width x height) |
|---|---|
| Wood species | Galician pine or eucalyptus, chosen by application |
| Static load capacity | Sized to design and reinforcement, up to heavy loads |
| Dynamic and racking load capacity | Engineered from the actual load figures the customer supplies |
| Entry type | Two-way or four-way entry, per order |
| Base type | Block or stringer construction, per application |
| Moisture content | Adjusted to destination and use, from green timber to air-dried |
| Heat treatment | Available in line with ISPM 15 for export outside the EU |
| Finish | Sawn, unplaned finish as standard; planing available on request |
| Lead time | Indicative, confirmed per order based on volume and design complexity |
| Minimum order | Scales from a small trial batch to full-truckload production runs, confirmed once your design and volume are set. |
How we build a custom pallet
Every custom pallet order follows the same route through the sawmill, even though the specification changes completely from one customer to the next: first the drawing or sample is turned into a concrete bill of materials, then the timber is cut and prepared to the required thickness, and finally the pallet is assembled and dimensionally checked before it goes to dispatch. The process starts with the technical brief: overall dimensions, clearance height under load, maximum weight, the handling equipment involved (manual pallet truck, forklift or AGV) and whether the pallet needs to be reversible, two-way or four-way entry. From that we work out the number of blocks or stringers, the thickness of the top and bottom deck boards, and the board spacing the load needs so it neither sags nor drops through the gaps.
All the timber is sawn, dried and assembled on site in Berdoias, which means we can accommodate an out-of-standard piece without depending on a third party or a fixed-size catalogue. We handle short and medium runs, from single units to test a design through to recurring batches once a pattern is validated, and we keep the same pattern on file for every repeat order so the load keeps fitting the same way over time.
Before committing to a large order, we can produce a single test pallet or a small pilot batch so the customer can confirm on their own line that it fits, holds and handles as expected. That step catches problems early — a board that needs to be thicker, a corner that needs reinforcing, a block that needs repositioning — before a full run is committed, so the cost of any adjustment stays limited to the trial piece rather than the whole batch.
Because everything happens under one roof, we can also turn around small corrections between orders — a customer who finds, three months into using a batch, that the deck boards need to be a few millimetres thicker for a rougher warehouse floor doesn't have to start the design from scratch; we adjust the existing pattern and keep the rest of the specification unchanged.
Wood species: Galician pine and eucalyptus
We build custom pallets in either Galician pine or eucalyptus, and we help customers pick between them based on how the pallet will be used. Pine offers a good strength-to-weight ratio, takes nails and staples easily, and is straightforward to repair, which makes it the usual choice for pallets that will be handled often or need simple spare parts. Eucalyptus is denser and more resistant to compression, so it performs well under concentrated loads and in pallets that see heavy warehouse handling.
Both species come from Galician forests and are dried to a target moisture range that reduces the risk of splitting and weight loss once the pallet is out in circulation. When a project calls for it, we combine species within the same pallet — denser blocks paired with lighter deck boards, for example — to balance strength against final weight without over-engineering the piece.
The moisture level a pallet leaves the sawmill at has a direct effect on how it behaves in transit: timber that's too wet loses weight and can distort slightly as it dries out in circulation, while timber that's too dry is more prone to splintering under forklift handling. We adjust drying to the pallet's final destination and to the time of year it's made, aiming for a middle ground that holds up equally well in a covered warehouse and on a multi-week sea crossing.
Dimensions, tolerances and load rating
A custom pallet is defined by more than length and width: board spacing, the thickness of each component, block type and overall height all determine whether the load sits securely and whether the finished unit clears the racking gap or the container door it's meant for. We work to tight dimensional tolerances so a batch made today and another made months later remain interchangeable on the same installation.
For load rating we start from the static, dynamic and racking loads the customer specifies, and size boards, blocks and reinforcement accordingly; when it suits the order, we also build to dimensional patterns close to the European EPAL/EURO wood pallet footprint but with one or more dimensions altered, useful when partial compatibility with standard racking is needed alongside a specific adjustment.
We also factor in the pallet's expected life cycle: a single-trip export pallet calls for a different approach than one that will circulate continuously inside a plant for years, affecting reinforcement, minimum recommended thickness and even whether it's worth standardising spare parts for future repairs. A single-use pallet can be optimised for weight and cost, while one destined for intensive rotation needs more structural margin built in from the initial design.
We're also happy to work from an existing pallet rather than a fresh drawing: send us a sample, and we can measure it, note where it's under-specified or over-built for its actual job, and propose a revised version that fixes what doesn't work while keeping what the customer already knows performs well on their line.
Applications by industry
Custom pallets solve very different problems depending on the industry:
- Heavy machinery and capital equipment with irregular or very heavy bases
- Automotive and industrial components with line-specific formats
- Natural stone, ceramics and construction materials with concentrated loads
- Wineries and food producers with specific case or container formats
- Dynamic racking or shelving systems with non-standard dimensions
- Export of oversized parts that need to fit the exact space inside a container
In many of these cases the custom pallet is paired with industrial wood crates and packaging built to the same dimensional logic, so the load-plus-pallet combination takes up the smallest possible volume in transit.
Outside heavy industry, we also build lighter custom pallets for trade-show displays and one-off installations where a specific format matters more than maximum load capacity, as well as pallets reinforced at the centre for coils, rolls or other loads that concentrate weight at one point on the deck rather than spreading it evenly.
Forest sourcing and sustainability
Our raw material comes from actively managed Galician forests, drawing on a tradition of working pine and eucalyptus that goes back generations in this part of A Coruña. Sourcing timber close to home shortens the journey from forest to sawmill and lets us trace the origin of every batch that goes into production.
Our purchasing and manufacturing approach is aligned with the sustainable forest management principles promoted by FSC - Forest Stewardship Council, favouring suppliers who respect the replanting cycles of Galician woodland. Wood is also a renewable, biodegradable material compared with plastic or metal alternatives, an argument that carries increasing weight for customers with their own footprint-reduction targets across their supply chain.
Offcuts and trimmings from pallet production aren't wasted — they're routed into our biomass line, where they become pellets, firewood or wood chips, so a single log serves first as structural timber for a custom pallet and afterwards as fuel or raw material for other uses. This cascading use is common at sawmills of our size and cuts down on the volume of by-product that leaves the site with no further use.
Heat treatment and export to Europe
For shipments outside the European Union — the United Kingdom, Switzerland or any destination subject to international phytosanitary rules — we heat-treat the timber in line with ISPM 15 requirements and mark the pallet accordingly, avoiding customs holds over non-compliant packaging. Within the EU, where the project allows, we also build to dimensions close to the EPAL - European Pallet Association standard to make logistics easier within networks that already run on that format.
We prepare export paperwork in both Spanish and English, coordinate manufacturing lead times with the collection date set by the carrier, and offer the delivery terms typical of international trade — EXW, FOB or delivered, depending on what suits the operation. We work with freight forwarders covering road and sea transport to Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Ireland, with lead times confirmed on each order according to the sawmill's current workload.
Within the EU, many companies rely on pallet pool exchange, swapping a damaged pallet for a sound one right at the loading dock; because a custom pallet by definition sits outside that pool, we flag it clearly at quotation stage whether the customer needs to plan their own recovery or return arrangement, so reverse logistics isn't a surprise once the product is already moving through the supply chain.
Why build your custom pallet with Maderas Caamaño
We're a family-run sawmill in Vimianzo with direct control over the whole process: timber purchasing, drying, cutting and assembly all happen on the same site, with no manufacturing subcontracted to a third party. That means we can adjust a dimension, trial a species combination or tweak a reinforcement without the delays of going through a middleman, and we can explain in real technical detail why a given design will hold the intended load.
If an order also calls for timber for other uses, we can combine a custom pallet run with kiln-dried (KD) timber from the same batch, useful when a customer needs both packaging and construction or joinery-grade material with controlled moisture content in the same shipment. We take on both small orders and recurring runs, and we keep the same point of contact throughout the project, from the first drawing to delivery at destination.
Before confirming an order, we put together a detailed quote breaking down timber, labour and heat treatment where it applies, so it's clear which part of the cost comes from the species chosen, the structural reinforcement and the quantity ordered. We prefer that transparency to a flat price with no explanation, because on a made-to-order product every technical decision has a direct, traceable effect on the final cost, and the customer should be able to weigh that trade-off with the same technical information we work from ourselves at the sawmill.
Applications & uses
- Heavy machinery transport
- Irregularly shaped industrial parts
- Loads for specific racking systems
- Export of oversized components
- Concentrated loads: coils and rolls
- Trade-show displays and installations
- Short runs outside the EPAL standard
Gallery
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a custom pallet and an EPAL pallet?
An EPAL pallet follows a fixed set of dimensions and pattern, while a custom pallet is built to whatever dimensions, load rating and board spacing the customer specifies. It's the right choice when the load, machinery or racking doesn't fit a standard format.
What information do you need to build a custom pallet?
A dimensioned drawing, a sample to match or improve on, or simply the load's measurements and the handling equipment involved is enough to start. We use that to define timber, thickness and reinforcement before confirming the order.
Can I choose the wood species for my pallet?
Yes, we build in Galician pine or eucalyptus, and can even combine both species within the same pallet if the design calls for it. We help you choose based on intended use and load type.
Do custom pallets come with ISPM 15 heat treatment?
Yes, where the destination requires it we heat-treat the timber in line with ISPM 15 requirements and mark the pallet accordingly, which is necessary for export outside the European Union.
Is there a minimum order for custom pallets?
We take on single test units as well as short runs and recurring batches; the practical minimum depends on design complexity, so we confirm it in the quote for each project.
Can you build a pallet identical to one we already use?
Yes, if you send us a sample or its measurements we can replicate it or suggest targeted improvements to strength or weight while keeping the rest of the specification that already works for you.
