CUSTOM CRATING · WOODSTOCK WORKSHOP
Custom crating, built in Cape Town
Custom timber crates built to your item’s exact size in our own Woodstock workshop — for paintings, sculpture, designer furniture and export freight. Every export crate is ISPM-15 heat-treated and stamped. Crates from R1,500, and we can collect, store, clear and ship it for you too.
Related: See our designer-furniture export crating hub — the specialist commercial-export proposition for South African furniture makers and galleries.
Get your instant crate estimate
Enter your dimensions and item details. Confirmed quote follows by reply.
Crates from R1,500 · No contracts · No minimums
At a glance
| Workshop | Our own crating workshop in Woodstock, Cape Town |
| Timber | ISPM-15 heat-treated and stamped — accepted for export worldwide |
| Price | From R1,500 per crate (see the table below) |
| Minimums | None — one crate or a production run |
| Extras we can add | Collection, storage, export clearance, FedEx/DHL freight |
| Track record | Official carrier, Investec Cape Town Art Fair (fourth year) — 4.8★ on Google |
Who we build crates for
Artists, galleries and collectors
Paintings, sculpture, ceramics and mixed media, packed with acid-free tissue, foam and corner protection, then crated to size. We can collect from your studio, gallery or home anywhere in Cape Town, store the work in our facility, handle the export paperwork and SARS clearance, and ship with FedEx or DHL. Selling a work that may need a SAHRA export permit? The owner applies for the permit — tell us at quote stage and we’ll plan the shipment around it.
Designer furniture makers and exporters
Tables, chairs, cabinets and lighting braced inside the crate so nothing moves. Built to the millimetre, so you don’t pay freight on empty space. See our designer-furniture export crating hub.
Businesses exporting goods
ISPM-15 export crates and timber packaging for machinery, parts, electronics, instruments and samples. One-off or repeat orders, no minimums. Each crate is weighed and measured for your freight booking; we can also do the export clearance and freight if you want one supplier.
Crates only — we build, you collect
Already have a courier or forwarder? We build the crate (empty, or packed with your item) in Woodstock and you collect it, or we deliver it on a dedicated trip. Same ISPM-15 timber and stamp, same price table.
What to send for a crate quote
Photos (front, sides, any fragile parts) · height × width × depth in cm · approximate weight · what it is and what it’s made of · destination country (or “crate only”) · the date you need it by. WhatsApp +27 72 312 3034 or info@jlog.co.za.
We crate anything that matters
If it’s fragile, oversized, high-value, or irreplaceable — it needs a proper crate. JLog builds custom timber crates for:
Fine art — Paintings, sculptures, ceramics, mixed media, prints. Foam-lined, acid-free tissue, moisture barrier. Condition photos before and after packing are available on request.
Designer furniture — Tables, chairs, cabinets, lighting, mirrors. Internal timber bracing holds the piece rigid in transit. Crates built to the millimetre around your piece, not padded out with packing peanuts.
Antiques and collectibles — Silverware, clocks, rugs, taxidermy, glassware. We assess fragility, material, and route before specifying the internal protection.
Electronics and instruments — Servers, medical equipment, laboratory instruments, audio equipment. Foam-engineered interiors with shock-absorbing base layer.
Machinery and industrial equipment — Motors, pumps, fabricated parts, tooling. Heavy-duty plywood with internal timber cleats and crane-liftable base where required.
Ceramics and glassware — Double-walled crating with closed-cell foam cavities for each piece. Zero item-to-item contact.
How we build it
Crates from our workshop
Every crate follows the same process — no shortcuts, regardless of size or price.
1. Measure — We take your item’s exact dimensions and weight, assess the fragility and destination, and specify the timber grade and internal protection required.
2. Cut and assemble — Plywood sheets are cut to size on our workshop bench and assembled with screws — not nails. Screws don’t loosen in transit. The crate is square-checked before lining.
3. Line and brace — Closed-cell foam is fitted to the interior walls, base, and lid. Timber cleats or foam blocks are added to prevent the item moving inside the crate under any orientation.
4. Pack and photograph — Your item is wrapped in acid-free tissue, aerothene, or conservation-grade materials appropriate to the medium. It is placed into the crate and secured before the lid is screwed down. Condition photos are available on request.
5. Mark and stamp — The crate exterior is marked: FRAGILE, THIS SIDE UP, DO NOT STACK. All export crates carry the ISPM-15 heat-treatment stamp. The stamp is applied to the timber at source — there is no separate certification fee.
6. Weigh, measure, dispatch — The finished crate is weighed and dimensioned for freight. It is either collected by FedEx or DHL, handed to a forwarder, or held in our Woodstock warehouse pending despatch.
Why ISPM-15 matters for your export
If your crate is leaving South Africa, it must be ISPM-15 compliant. Full stop.
ISPM-15 is an international phytosanitary standard requiring all wooden packaging in international trade to be heat-treated to 56°C for 30 continuous minutes. The treatment kills insects and larvae that could otherwise hitch a ride into another country’s ecosystem.
Countries enforcing ISPM-15 include the USA, UK, all EU member states, Australia, China, the UAE, and most of the world’s significant trading partners. A non-compliant crate will be held at destination customs and may be returned to South Africa at your cost — or destroyed.
Every JLog export crate is built from ISPM-15 certified timber as standard. The stamp is part of the build. There is no extra fee.
What a crate costs
Pricing is based on external dimensions, timber grade, and internal protection required. The estimator above gives you an instant range. Below are typical build costs for common item types.
| Item type | Typical crate size | Typical build cost |
|---|---|---|
| Small painting (unframed) | 80 × 60 × 15cm | R1,500 – R2,200 |
| Large framed artwork | 150 × 120 × 25cm | R2,500 – R4,000 |
| Sculpture (medium) | 60 × 60 × 80cm | R2,800 – R4,500 |
| Side table / chair | 80 × 80 × 90cm | R3,000 – R5,000 |
| Dining table | 220 × 110 × 80cm | R7,000 – R12,000 |
| Electronics / server rack | custom | From R4,500 |
| Machinery (industrial) | custom | From R6,500 |
Prices include ISPM-15 certified timber, internal foam lining, external marking, and the ISPM-15 stamp. Collection, freight, and packing materials (acid-free tissue, aerothene, moisture barrier) are quoted separately.
All-in export quotes — crating + collection + freight + export clearance — are available on request.
Cape Town’s specialist crating team
JLog is the official carrier for the Investec Cape Town Art Fair — for the fourth year running with crating, transporting, and clearing high-value, deadline-critical work for galleries and collectors shipping across South Africa and internationally.
Our dedicated crating team have built export crates for galleries, auction houses, interior designers, furniture makers, ceramicists, and collectors. Every crate that leaves our Woodstock workshop is built to the same standard — whether the contents are worth R5,000 or R5,000,000.
We ship to: UK · USA · Europe · Australia · UAE · Asia · and worldwide, except sanctioned destinations, via our FedEx and DHL direct accounts.
Crating questions
How much does a custom crate cost in Cape Town?
From R1,500 for a small unframed painting. A large framed artwork is about R2,500–R4,000, a dining table R7,000–R12,000. Price depends on size, timber and internal protection; ISPM-15 timber and the stamp are included.
Are your crates ISPM-15 compliant for export?
Yes. Every export crate is built from heat-treated timber and carries the ISPM-15 stamp, which the USA, UK, EU, Australia, China, the UAE and most other countries require for wooden packaging.
Can I buy a crate without your shipping?
Yes. We build the crate in our Woodstock workshop and you collect it, or we deliver it on a dedicated trip. You’re free to use any courier or forwarder.
Do you make export crates for businesses?
Yes — one-off or repeat orders for machinery, parts, electronics and samples, with no minimum order. We can add export clearance and freight if you want it handled end to end.
Do you handle SAHRA export permits for art?
No — the owner or seller applies to SAHRA. Tell us at quote stage if a work might need a permit and we’ll build the timing into the shipping plan.
Can you collect the item for crating?
Yes, anywhere in Cape Town — from studios, galleries, homes and business premises.
How long does it take to build a crate?
Most standard crates are built within 1–3 working days; oversized crates take 3–5 working days. Rush builds can be arranged — tell us your deadline when you ask for a quote.
Is my item insured while you crate and ship it?
JLog carries goods-in-transit insurance; we’ll share the details on request. For high-value art we also recommend the owner’s own fine-art policy, and we can declare the value on the export paperwork.
Can I drop an item off at your workshop?
Yes, by appointment. WhatsApp +27 72 312 3034 or call 021 300 6099 first so we can have the right materials ready. We can also collect anywhere in Cape Town.
Get a crate quote
Send us the item dimensions, weight, a photo if you have one, and the destination. We’ll come back with a confirmed quote.
Request a white-glove art quote
Crating, condition reports, careful transport, insurance — handled end-to-end by our fine-art team.
- WhatsApp: +27 72 312 3034
- Email: info@jlog.co.za
- Phone: 021 300 6099
Or use the estimator at the top of this page for an instant cost range.
No contracts. No minimums. No nonsense.
Related services
- Fragile goods shipping — specialist courier handling for fragile items that don’t need a full crate
- Art and luxury shipping — white-glove art logistics including crating, export paperwork and FedEx/DHL direct
- Export from South Africa — full SARS export clearance, documentation, and international freight
- Import duty calculator — calculate landed cost for any HS code