Carriers bill the outside of whatever you hand them, plywood walls included.
What crates cost off the shelf
Custom crating is quoted job by job, but stock crates carry list prices, and those set a useful floor for the decision. The figures below are from a published packaging catalogue, checked 2026-07-28. All of these ship flat and assemble with a screwdriver, and the two largest travel by motor freight rather than parcel.
| Model | Inside dimensions | Rated load | Price each |
|---|---|---|---|
| S-18246 | 11 1/3 x 11 1/3 x 11 1/2 in | 250 lbs. | $62 |
| S-20434 | 17 1/3 x 17 1/3 x 17 1/2 in | 275 lbs. | $83 |
| S-22572 | 23 3/16 x 23 3/16 x 23 3/16 in | 400 lbs. | $121 |
| S-16473 | 31 1/4 x 23 1/4 x 23 1/2 in | 500 lbs. | $139 |
| S-18248 | 47 1/4 x 29 1/4 x 29 1/2 in | 2,250 lbs. | $184 |
| S-15188 | 47 3/16 x 39 3/16 x 29 1/2 in | 3,000 lbs. | $209 |
Crates with a pallet attached start higher in the same catalogue, from $115 for a 24 x 20 x 25 in unit up to $535 for an 84 x 48 x 48 in one, and their pallets are heat treated and stamped so they can also be used on export shipments. That stamp is the giveaway that crating and international rules are tangled together in most writing on this subject. Domestically they are not.
What an extra inch of wall costs
Crate walls are thick, and thickness is volume. To put a price on that we quoted the identical 5 lb of contents in three different outer sizes on one lane, changing nothing but the box. Every figure is the complete checkout amount captured on 2026-07-28.
| Outside dimensions | Weight on the scale | Cheapest price returned |
|---|---|---|
| 12 x 10 x 6 in | 5 lb | $13.52 |
| 18 x 14 x 10 in | 5 lb | $20.50 |
| 24 x 18 x 14 in | 5 lb | $36.75 |
Nothing inside changed, yet the price went up by a factor of 2.7. A plywood crate built around a small object does exactly this to a parcel bill, and it does it before any handling charge is added. If a person can carry the thing and the route is a parcel route, a double-walled carton with corner protection usually wins on total cost.
Three things people get wrong about crating
Bare wood triggers a handling charge
Among the situations UPS lists for its Additional Handling charge is a package that is not fully encased in corrugated cardboard, per ups.com, checked 2026-07-28. A naked plywood crate meets that description, as does a drum, pail or tire without a corrugated outer. If a crate is genuinely necessary on a parcel-sized shipment, expect the accessorial and price it in before you build.
ISPM 15 is an export rule
The heat treatment stamp on pallets and crating exists for wood packaging moving between countries. For a shipment that starts and ends inside the United States it is not required, and the US plant health agency states that treatment and an ISPM 15 mark are not required when shipping from the United States to Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the US Trust Territories, per aphis.usda.gov, checked 2026-07-28. If a crate seller is charging you for a stamp on a domestic move, ask what it is for.
Crate weight is billed weight
The plywood, the frame and the fasteners all go on the scale. A stock crate rated to 500 lb is not weightless itself, so a crated shipment climbs on both axes at once, mass and volume. That is fine on a pallet, where density lowers the freight class, and expensive in a parcel network, where every cubic inch is charged.
When a crate is genuinely the right call
Build or buy a crate when the load will meet a forklift, when it is machinery with hard points that would punch through cardboard, when it is going on a pallet anyway, or when the piece is irregular enough that no carton holds its shape. Those are freight jobs, and freight rewards a rigid, stackable, square outer package rather than punishing it. SMKlog sells parcel labels only and does not arrange pallet or freight shipments.
Crating questions
Do I need a wooden crate to ship something heavy?
Only when the load will be moved by forklift, sits on a pallet, or has hard points that would tear cardboard. Anything a person can lift and hand to a parcel carrier is usually better in a double-walled carton, because a crate adds outer inches that get billed.
How much does a shipping crate cost?
Stock crates listed at uline.com on 2026-07-28 ran from $62 for an 11 1/3 in cube rated to 250 lbs. up to $209 for a 47 3/16 x 39 3/16 x 29 1/2 in crate rated to 3,000 lbs. Versions with a pallet attached started at $115 and reached $535 for the largest listed.
Does a domestic shipment need ISPM 15 treated wood?
No. ISPM 15 heat treatment and marking exist for wood packaging crossing international borders. The US plant health agency states that treatment and an ISPM 15 mark are not required when shipping from the United States to Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the US Trust Territories, per aphis.usda.gov, checked 2026-07-28.
Why did my crated parcel cost so much more than the contents suggest?
Because carriers bill outside volume. The same 5 lb of contents quoted $13.52 in a 12 x 10 x 6 in box and $36.75 in a 24 x 18 x 14 in box on the Newark to Atlanta lane on 2026-07-28. Crate walls buy you that increase before any handling charge is added.