Built for Your Item
Custom Crating in Denver, CO — Built On-Site or In Our Shop
Specialized Moving Services builds custom wood crates for items that can't ride in a cardboard box: artwork, machinery, electronics, stone, glass, heirlooms, and anything else that's valuable, fragile, oversized, or oddly shaped. We've been crating in the Denver metro since 1988 — every crate is measured, cut, and built for the specific item it protects, either on-site at your home or business or at our shop at 2021 W. Bates Avenue in Englewood. We serve Denver, Englewood, Aurora, Lakewood, Boulder, and the entire Front Range.
What a custom crate from SMS includes
There is no standard crate. Every job starts with the item: its dimensions, weight, fragility, value, and where it's going. From there we spec the crate construction. A ceramic sculpture headed across town needs different protection than a server rack headed overseas.
- Solid-wall or ventilated slat construction, sized to the item — not to the nearest stock box
- Interior blocking, bracing, and cushioning so the item can't shift inside the crate
- Foam lining, corner protection, and suspension cushioning for fragile and finished surfaces
- Skid-mounted bases for forklift and pallet-jack handling on heavy pieces
- Vapor-barrier wrapping for moisture-sensitive items (see our vapor barrier packaging service)
- IPPC / ISPM-15 heat-treated lumber and bug stamp for anything shipping internationally
- Photo documentation of the item before and after crating
On-site crating anywhere in the Denver metro
Most crating companies make you bring the item to them. We bring the shop to you. Our technicians build crates in driveways, loading docks, gallery floors, and factory floors across the Denver metro — the item gets measured, protected, and sealed into its crate without leaving your custody. That matters when the piece is too fragile, too heavy, or too valuable to move twice.
If the item can travel safely, you're also welcome to bring it to our Englewood facility and we'll crate it in-shop. Either way, the construction standard is the same.
Who uses our custom crating
Homeowners and individuals: crating a grandfather clock before a cross-country move, a marble tabletop, a chandelier, framed art, a flat-screen TV, or a family heirloom that simply cannot be replaced. If a mover told you an item 'needs to be crated' — this is the service they meant.
Moving companies and van lines: we work as a third-party crating subcontractor for movers across Colorado. Your crew keeps loading; we show up, build the crate, and hand you a photo-documented, ready-to-load piece. One call, one invoice, no drama on move day.
Businesses, manufacturers, galleries, and contractors: trade-show equipment, prototypes, instrumentation, signage, stone and glass, medical devices. If your freight carrier requires it crated, we build to the carrier's spec.
Crate construction, in plain terms
A crate is not a big box. A proper crate is an engineered enclosure: a lumber frame that carries the load, sheathing that protects the contents, a base built for how the crate will be lifted, and an interior that immobilizes the item. We build with kiln-dried and heat-treated lumber and structural panel sheathing, fastened with screws — not nails — wherever a crate may need to be opened and resealed for inspection.
Weight matters as much as fragility. A 900-pound machine base needs a skid and blocking rated for the load and for the forklift that will move it. An 80-pound mirror needs foam suspension and a rigid shell. We've built both, thousands of times, since 1988.
How it works
- 1
Tell us about the item
Send dimensions, weight (or a guess), photos, and the destination through our quote form or by phone. Photos help us quote accurately the first time.
- 2
Get a quote
We quote promptly — typically within one business day. The quote covers materials, labor, and on-site travel if we're building at your location.
- 3
We build the crate
On-site at your home or business, or in our Englewood shop. The item is wrapped, cushioned, blocked, and sealed, with photos taken along the way.
- 4
Load out
We hand off a crate ready for your mover, freight carrier, or our own specialty moving crew — labeled, documented, and built to survive the trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does custom crating cost in Denver?
It depends on the item's size, weight, fragility, and whether we build on-site or in our shop. A small crate for framed art costs far less than a skid-mounted machinery crate. Send us dimensions and photos through the quote form and we'll give you a firm number — quotes are free and we typically respond within one business day.
Do you build crates on-site?
Yes. On-site construction is our specialty — we build at homes, offices, galleries, job sites, and loading docks across the Denver metro. You can also bring items to our Englewood facility if that's easier.
Can you crate something for international shipping?
Yes. We build IPPC-certified crates from ISPM-15 heat-treated lumber with the bug stamp international customs requires. See our export crating page for details.
How fast can you build a crate?
Standard jobs are usually scheduled within a few days. We also offer emergency same-day service when freight is waiting — call (303) 762-1694 as early in the day as possible.
Will you crate items a moving company won't touch?
That's most of our residential work. Grandfather clocks, marble and glass, chandeliers, pianos, and artwork — the items movers exclude are the items we crate every week.
Do you work with moving companies as a subcontractor?
Yes — third-party crating for van lines and local movers is a core part of our business. We carry insurance, provide COIs on request, and invoice like the trade partner we are. See our commercial page.
Related services
- Export Crating — ISPM-15 heat-treated, bug-stamped wood crating that clears international customs — built for freight forwarders and exporters.
- Fine Art Crating — Museum-grade crates for paintings, sculpture, antiques, and mirrors — built on-site in homes and galleries.
- Machinery & Equipment Crating — Skid-mounted industrial crates for machinery, equipment, and instrumentation — built on your plant floor.
- Commercial & trade partner services · Residential services