NHLA Inspection Reports for Hardwood Lumber: What a Graded-Lot Report Should Show

An inspection report on hardwood lumber is only as useful as the fields on it. NHLA National Inspectors grade lots to the NHLA rules, and NHLA runs programs that put its name on a shipment or a mill. The public pages do not show a single certificate form, so a buyer should decide which fields it needs and ask the inspector for them in writing. This page lists the fields, the NHLA programs that exist and the red flags.

Document or program	What it is	What it can tell a buyer
Inspection by an NHLA National Inspector	On-site grading and quality control by an NHLA employee, ordered per day	Grade of the sampled lot against the NHLA rules
Strap and Seal financial guarantee	Serial-numbered strap and seal with documented inspection, domestic shipments only	The shipment was inspected and the guarantee covers a value difference
Facility Grade (FG) certification	Voluntary third-party check of a company’s grading	The company’s grading is checked against the rules over time
Kiln Drying (KD) certification	Check of a company’s drying process and records	The drying process is documented and audited
Mill or third-party grade report	Report from a mill grader or an independent inspector	Only as reliable as the inspector and the fields shown

NHLA programs and fees change. This page is general information as of October 2026. Confirm with NHLA.

Who does the grading

NHLA employs National Inspectors who grade lumber and run quality control checks on site. NHLA says the Chief Inspector oversees the rules so that the inspectors apply them consistently, and that its inspectors work with member companies in North America. The Inspector Training School teaches grading and is part of the National Hardwood Academy. A mill can also train its own graders there.

NHLA quotes inspection as a flat fee per day. Extra charges can apply for expedited service or for travel outside the inspector’s area. Agree in writing who pays and who may be present. Our guide to pre-shipment lumber grading covers how to set up a check before loading.

The NHLA programs

Strap and Seal. Bundles are strapped and sealed with serial numbers, which shows an official NHLA inspector inspected them and that the inspection is documented. NHLA states that it reimburses the buyer for the difference in value if a financially guaranteed shipment has a quality problem. The program is for domestic shipments only, so it does not help an export order.

Facility Grade certification. A voluntary program for NHLA members. Participants let a third party verify their grading, and certified companies may use the NHLA Certified designation. A company with this status is not a guarantee for a specific lot, but it shows that grading is checked.

Kiln Drying certification. NHLA describes it as a check of a company’s drying process and its documentation against industry standards, offered as a lower-cost alternative to an APHIS phytosanitary certificate for similar goals. If you import, ask your broker whether the destination accepts it. Read phytosanitary and fumigation rules before you rely on it.

Hardwood Vendor does not issue or hold any of these certificates and does not certify mills. Ask the mill for the original document and confirm it with NHLA.

Fields a graded-lot report should show

Field	Why it matters
Inspector name, employer and date of inspection	You know who graded and when
Place of inspection	At the mill, in the yard or at the port
Rule and edition	The grade is only defined against an edition of the NHLA rules
Species by botanical name	Matches the Lacey Act and CITES papers
Lot identification	Bundle numbers, kiln charge, shipment or order number
Thickness and surfacing	4/4 rough, S2S and so on
Drying condition and moisture range	Kiln dried, air dried or green, with readings and method
Sample size	How many boards or bundles were graded and how they were chosen
Grade result	Grade summary by footage, such as share of FAS, Selects, No.1 Common
Tally	Board feet by grade, gross or net, with the rounding rule
Exceptions	Boards below grade, with reasons
Signature and report number	Lets you check it later

Tie this to the order. If the PO says FAS 80 percent minimum with the rest Selects, the report must show the share of each, not a single overall statement. For tally layout see lumber tally sheet.

When to order an inspection

• First order from a new mill, before the container is loaded.
• A high-value species or thick stock where one grade difference matters.
• A repeat supplier whose last load had a claim.
• When the contract already names an NHLA inspector as the tie-breaker.

An inspection at origin helps most because a failed lot can be fixed before shipping. At destination it supports a claim. Read the lumber quality claim guide for how claims are usually handled.

Red flags

• A report with no rule edition.
• A grade stated with no sample size or no tally.
• A report from the seller’s own staff presented as independent.
• A Strap and Seal claim on an export shipment.
• An unsigned report, or one without a report number.
• A certificate that names the mill’s program but not the lot.

What to write on the RFQ

Name the inspector (mill grader, third party or NHLA), the timing (before loading), the rule edition and the fields you need on the report. Send your lumber RFQ and we pass it to up to 3 mills or yards that accept those terms.

RFQ line: Walnut (Juglans nigra), FAS and Selects, 5/4 rough, KD, graded to NHLA rules (edition named), third-party report before loading with sample size, grade summary by footage and net tally.