Hem-Fir pallet lumber

What hem-fir is

Hem-fir is a lumber trade group from the western US and Canada, combining western hemlock with several true firs. In the pallet world the relevant fact is its classification: the Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets lists it as species class 12, Hem-Fir, and places class 12 in the low-density sort group alongside SPF (class 13), low-density hardwoods (class 7), red alder (class 6), yellow poplar (class 29) and cedars (class 14).

PDS uses the same class numbers, so a PDS spec sheet for a hem-fir pallet shows class 12 in its lumber mix table, with a grade and a percentage.

Where hem-fir sits among pallet softwoods

The sort group is the practical takeaway. Hem-fir belongs with the lighter softwoods, not with Douglas fir or southern yellow pine, even though it grows in the same regions as Douglas fir. See pallet lumber for the full class list.

What we can and cannot tell you

Our research sources establish hem-fir's species class and sort group. They do not give pallet-specific strength, weight or price figures for it, and we will not invent them. For a real design:

• Strength: ask a PDS-licensed manufacturer to run the design with class 12 lumber. PDS carries mechanical property data for each species class.
• Weight: the manufacturer's PDS physical property report gives pallet weight at manufacture and at several moisture levels.
• Price: get it from the mill. Hem-fir availability and price are regional.

Nails for hem-fir

Annularly threaded (ring shank) nails are recommended for low-density hardwoods and most softwoods, and hem-fir falls in both of the relevant groups: it is a softwood in the low-density sort group. Helically threaded nails are the recommendation for medium- and high-density hardwoods instead. Whatever the type, the per-joint count follows the Uniform Standard by board width: 2 nails per joint for boards up to 5-1/4 in, 3 up to 7 in and 4 up to 8 in. See pallet nails and nail quality.

Buyer rules to check

• Home Depot is documented (as of 2026) as excluding species classes 7 and 14. Class 12 is not on that list, but confirm with the current vendor guide.
• Repairs: the Uniform Standard repair rules restrict certain low-density classes (7, 13 and 14 in our research summary) to interior deckboards. Check the current standard for how class 12 is treated in repairs.
• Export: hem-fir pallets need ISPM 15 treatment like any solid wood. See ISPM 15.

Specifying hem-fir on a drawing or RFQ

State it as a species class, not just a trade name, so there is no ambiguity:

Listing acceptable alternates lets a mill quote what it actually stocks. See how to write a pallet RFQ.

How palletdesign.ai handles hem-fir

palletdesign.ai's engine currently offers five species: mixed hardwood, oak, southern yellow pine, SPF and Douglas fir. Hem-fir is not one of them, so the app has no hem-fir weight, price or bending-stress values. If you plan to build in hem-fir, you can still use the app for geometry, parts list, cut list and nail count, which do not depend on species, but have the manufacturer confirm weight, cost and capacity with class 12 lumber data. Any capacity figure in the app is indicative only, not an ASTM D1185 or ISO 8611 rating.