Kamps Pallets, one of the largest pallet recyclers in the United States, buys used pallets nationwide but does not publish one fixed per-pallet price. Like every buyer, it quotes by spec. As a 2026 national reference, sound Grade A 48x40 GMA pallets sell back for about $6 to $9 each, Grade B for $3 to $6, and damaged core for $1 to $3. Your firm rate depends on grade, size, volume, condition, and pickup location. United States Pallets publishes its current rate table below so you can value your load before you call anyone.
Two Questions Hide Behind "How Much Does Kamps Pay"
This search splits in two, and the top results often answer the wrong one:
- Pallet sellers want the per-pallet buy-back rate: what a recycler pays for a truckload of used pallets. That is what this page answers.
- Job seekers want Kamps employee wages, which are reported on Indeed, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter, not on a pallet supplier's site.
If you have surplus pallets to move, you are in the right place. There is no public price list because pallet value is set per load, but the market ranges below are tight enough to estimate your payout within a dollar.
Why No Buyer Publishes a Flat Rate
Kamps, 48forty Solutions, PalletOne, and regional recyclers all price the same way: by spec, against the live lumber market. Five variables move the number on any given week.
Table 1 - What sets your buy-back rate
| Factor | Effect on payout |
|---|---|
| Grade | Biggest driver. Grade A pays roughly double Grade B; core pays least. |
| Size | 48x40 GMA is the most liquid and sets the reference price. Odd sizes pay less. |
| Volume | Full single-size truckloads beat partials; freight per pallet is lower. |
| Condition mix | Sorted, single-size loads pay more than mixed or contaminated loads. |
| Pickup location | Loads near a delivery route or backhaul lane pay more; remote pickups pay less. |
Source: USP buy-back desk, June 2026. Industry pricing practice is consistent across national recyclers.
2026 National Buy-Back Ranges by Grade
Use this as your baseline for any buyer, Kamps included. These are current national market ranges for the standard 48x40 footprint and move with the lumber market.
Table 2 - 48x40 used-pallet buy-back by grade · national · as of June 2026
| Grade | Condition | Typical buy-back (per pallet) | National avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade A (#1) | Sound, reusable, clean, no major repair | $6.00 to $9.00 | ~$7.00 |
| Grade B (#2) | Repaired / companion stringer, usable wear | $3.00 to $6.00 | ~$4.75 |
| Grade C / Core | Damaged; for repair or dismantle | $1.00 to $3.00 | ~$2.00 |
| ISPM-15 heat-treated, reusable | Stamped, export-grade, sound | Top of the Grade A band, quoted per lot | Not separately published |
Sources: UsedPalletRecycling.com state price data 2026; Repackify buy/sell market data 2026; 48forty recycled-pallet benchmarks. National averages: Grade A ~$7, Grade B ~$4.75.
Why the heat-treated row carries no national figure. We publish a number wherever we have one, and here we do not. Our own pricing hub lists ISPM-15 heat-treated export pallets in a single $12 to $22 range that covers new and used export stock together, against $7 to $11 for recycled Grade A. Backing a used-pallet buy-back premium out of that pair would imply roughly $5 to $11 per pallet, several times the $1 to $3 heat-treated premium published elsewhere in this market, because the range is carrying new-pallet cost in it. Rather than print a figure we would not honour, heat-treated stock is quoted per lot against the Grade A band above: sound boards and a legible IPPC stamp put a load at the top of that band or better, and a damaged deck or an unreadable stamp grades it down to the standard rows, because a buyer cannot export it on the stamp alone. Send the lot detail and we will quote it.
Regional Differences
Buy-back prices are regional. Whether you sell to Kamps, USP, or a local recycler, the same load is worth more in a hot market than a cheap one.
Table 3 - Regional Grade A 48x40 adjustment · as of June 2026
| Region | vs national avg | Typical Grade A range |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast (NY, NJ, Boston) | +20% to +25% | $8.00 to $10.00 |
| Coastal California | +20% to +25% | $8.00 to $10.00 |
| Southeast | at or slightly above avg | $6.50 to $9.00 |
| Texas / Gulf | near avg | $6.00 to $8.50 |
| Rural Midwest / South (AR, MS) | below avg | $4.50 to $7.00 |
Source: UsedPalletRecycling.com per-state 2026 data. Northeast and coastal California pay 20-25% above the national average; rural states pay below.
Who Counts, Who Sorts, and What Actually Decides Your Check
The rate you are quoted is not the number on your check. The count and the grade split are, and both of them are decided after your trailer leaves, at the buyer's yard, against the buyer's standard. That is not a loophole and it is not particular to any one company. It is the only way a load of used pallets can be settled at all, because nobody can grade eleven hundred pallets accurately while a driver waits at your dock.
Where it goes wrong is narrower than sellers assume. It is almost never the grading. It is that the buyer arrives at settlement holding a documented count and a documented sort, and the seller arrives holding a rough memory of how many pallets were out back. Two loads that felt identical then settle differently and there is no line item to point at. The table below is the list of decisions that are actually made about your load, where each one happens, and the one thing worth writing down before the doors close.
Table 4 - Where each decision about your load is actually made
| Decision | Where it is actually made | What the buyer publishes | What to record before the trailer leaves |
|---|---|---|---|
| The count | At the buyer's yard, on unload. Not at your dock, and not by you. | Kamps publishes that it will "count and inspect your pallets honestly and report all counts efficiently", and issues Sort and Purchase reports stating the exact quantity purchased and the quality of those pallets. | Your own count, taken by size as the trailer loads, and a photograph of the loaded trailer before the doors close. |
| The grade split | On the buyer's sort line, after unload. | Kamps publishes that it applies a national standardized GMA 48x40 grading system across its locations, so the same load grades the same way at any of its yards. | Your own A, B and core split, counted against those same 48x40 definitions, so the two numbers are comparable instead of merely different. |
| The size mix | On the sort line. | Kamps publishes that it is especially interested in 36x36, 48x40, 48x45 and 48x48, and will look at custom sizes at a minimum of 100. | A separate count for each size. A mixed trailer settled as one total cannot be checked against anything, because there is no line to disagree with. |
| What is not bought at all | On the sort line, as a deduction rather than a rejection. | Kamps publishes that non-wood materials, plywood, laminate, particle board, plastic, and painted or stained wood may incur disposal fees. | Pull them before loading. Disposal comes off the same settlement, so anything in this category was freighted at your cost to earn a negative number. |
| Whether you have a load at all | Before pickup, at scheduling. | Kamps publishes that it buys by the truckload, which it describes as typically 400 or more at one time, and will consider at least 100 large custom-sized pallets. | An honest count before the call. Below the threshold this is a different conversation, and it is a much better one to have before a truck has been scheduled. |
| The pickup mode | Before pickup, and it quietly decides who holds the evidence. | Kamps publishes three programs: scheduled fleet pickup, coordinated yard drop-off, and drop trailers for high-volume sellers. | Which one you agreed to. On a drop trailer you load yourself, your loading record is the only record that exists on your side of the transaction. |
| The rate | At quote. This is the part everyone concentrates on and the least decisive one on this list. | Kamps publishes that it buys at competitive market rates and fair market price, and does not publish a number, which is consistent with every other national buyer. | The quote in writing, together with the grade, size and quantity it was quoted against. A rate with no spec attached is not a quote, it is a range. |
| Payment terms | Not published anywhere, by anyone, which is the point. | Kamps does not state payment terms on its buying pages. Neither do most buyers. This is an absence, not a criticism. | Ask, before the truck is scheduled. Terms are a negotiable part of the deal and the only item on this list that stays invisible unless you raise it. |
Buyer statements above are quoted from Kamps' own published buying and recycling pages as verified in September 2026. Kamps is quoted here because it publishes more of its process than most national buyers do, not because its process is unusual. Published policies change; confirm against the buyer's current pages and your own quote before you load.
How Selling to United States Pallets Works
USP buys used pallets in all 50 states and prices the same way the national recyclers do, with one difference: we publish the rate table above so you are not guessing.
- Minimum: 250 pallets per load, single size only.
- Best rate: full single-size truckloads (~500 to 560 stacked 48x40 in a 53-ft van).
- Pickup: nationwide, lowest cost when it rides a backhaul on an outbound delivery.
- Payment: ACH, same-day to net-7. No listing fees or commissions.
- Quote speed: firm per-pallet rate in under two business hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Kamps pay for pallets?
Kamps quotes used-pallet buy-back by spec rather than publishing one flat price. As a 2026 national reference, sound Grade A 48x40 runs about $6 to $9 each, Grade B $3 to $6, and core $1 to $3. The firm number depends on grade, size, volume, condition, and pickup location.
Is 'how much does Kamps pay' about pallet prices or wages?
Both interpretations exist. If you are selling pallets, it means the per-pallet buy-back rate (roughly $6 to $9 for Grade A 48x40 in 2026). If you are researching a job, it means hourly wages, reported on Indeed, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter. This page answers the buy-back-price version.
Does Kamps buy used pallets?
Yes. Kamps is one of the largest pallet and recycling companies in the US and buys used pallets nationwide, alongside 48forty Solutions, PalletOne, and regional recyclers. United States Pallets also buys in all 50 states and publishes its current 2026 rates.
Who pays the most for used pallets?
Single-size, full-truckload, Grade A loads in high-demand regions earn the most (Northeast and coastal California pay 20-25% above average). A buyer who can pick up on a backhaul pays more because freight per pallet is lower. Compare a firm rate, not a brand.
How do I sell my pallets fast?
Sort to a single size, count them, and submit size, grade split, quantity, and pickup city. USP returns a per-pallet rate in under two business hours, schedules pickup on a route, and pays by ACH (same-day to net-7). Minimum 250 pallets, single size.
What is the minimum quantity to sell pallets?
About 250 pallets per load, single size only, because pickups ride on trucks. A full single-size truckload (~500-560 stacked 48x40 in a 53-ft van) earns the best per-pallet rate. Recurring sellers can set up standing pickups.
Related
- We Buy Pallets - 2026 Rate Table
- Sell Pallets / Buyback Program
- 48x40 GMA Pallet Specs
- Buy New & Recycled Pallets
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