Shop Grade/Seconds Lumber

Shop grade or seconds is lumber a mill or yard has pulled out of its regular grades, for defects, off sizes or handling damage, and sells for cut-up use. In yard terms it has no structural stamp and no design values.

Note that agency rules also define Factory and Shop grades, which are graded by the yield of clear pieces a remanufacturer can cut from a board, not by strength. A listing labelled shop may mean either, so ask which.

For packaging, seconds work where you cut short, sound pieces out of longer boards: crate cleats, blocking, spacers and dunnage. Plan for more waste than with stamped grades and inspect each board for the section you will use.