PLIB’s Grade Stamp Licensing Agreement program authorizes qualified mill personnel to apply the PLIB registered grade marks and issue Certificates of Inspection. The PLIB registered grade marks and inspection certificates are recognized worldwide as evidence of quality.

At the foundation of the PLIB grade service program are the PLIB Supervisors, whose decades of combined mill experience make them highly respected throughout the industry. Our inspectors possess deep knowledge about lumber manufacturing as well as processing, grading, scanning technology, lumber drying, and quality control. Armed with this knowledge and experience, PLIB Supervisors make regular mill visits to check grading accuracy and verify lumber quality as well as to instruct, train, and certify mill graders.

PLIB Grading Service Subscribers receive:

  • Authorization for qualified personnel to grade stamp lumber and issue grade certificates.
  • Regular inspections by knowledgeable and experienced PLIB Supervisors.
  • Grade Quality Reports after every inspection. These reports provide critical data to mill quality control supervisors for use in evaluating and improving grade quality and recovery.
  • Grader instruction, training, and certification. Canadian graders receive formal training in a classroom setting and those who successfully complete the course receive a PLIB grading ticket.
  • Technical support services.
  • Representation by PLIB on industry standards writing committees.
  • Timely communications on current industry issues.
  • Opportunities to explore and expand international export sales through PLIB’s membership in the Softwood Export Council (SEC).
  • Full voting rights as a PLIB member.
  • Listing in the PLIB Member Directory.

PLIB membership and grading services are available to all primary or secondary manufacturers of softwood lumber. For more information or to become a member of PLIB, call us at 253.835.3344 (U.S.) or 604.732.1782 (Canada) or contact us via email.

  1. PLIB/WCLIB registered trademark. Attests to quality control supervision by PLIB.
  2. Mill Identification
. The manufacturing mill’s identity.  It may be a name or assigned mill number.  PLIB may be contacted to identify an individual mill whenever necessary.
  3. Grade Designation
. Grade name, number or abbreviation.
  4. Species Identification.
 Indicates species or species combination.
  5. Moisture Content & How Seasoned. 
Indicates the moisture content/condition of seasoning when lumber was surfaced at mill.
  • MC15 or KD15 = Surfaced at 15% maximum moisture content1
  • S-DRY or KD = Surfaced at 19% maximum moisture content1
  • S-GRN = Surfaced green (unseasoned)
  • HT = Heat Treated2
  • 1MC15 and S-DRY may be air dried or kiln dried.
  • 2The designation HT may appear in conjunction with one of the other seasoning identifiers. Example: S-DRY HT, KD HT, etc. It may also appear alone as a stand-alone HT stamp.