Hypothetical Lumber Measuring/Cost Question

[Derek Hansen]

Let's say your local lumberyard charges $5.00/bf for 4/4 rough maple, and an additional $0.50/bf for milled pieces.

You pick out a milled board with actual dimensions 3/4"x6"x96".

What is the charge?

Is it 1x6x96/144*$5.50 = $22 since the board started as 4/4 rough?

Or do you use the actual milled measurement and pay 0.75x6x96/144*$5.50 = $16.50?

[Van Huskey]

I suppose it could vary but my limited experience with milled lumber is the milling is charged ontop of or seperate from buying the rough lumber, so you essentially pay for the rough lumber FIRST then for the millng thus the price for the lumber is rough.


One way to consider this is expensive exotics would actually be CHEAPER milled if this is the way it worked.

[Tom Veatch]

All I've ever bought has been calculated based on the nominal or rough cut dimension. 3/4" milled = 4/4 rough = 1" as far as board foot calculations are concerned.

[Derek Hansen]

Okay - thanks for the responses guys. This brings me to my next question...

The real life issue is that I purchased several milled boards of various expensive exotics from my local lumber yard.

Most are 3/4" thick, however a couple are 5/8" and one is only 1/2". I was charged full 4/4 price on all of them.

Should I receive a discount for stock milled to below 3/4"? If so how would it be calculated?

[Glen Butler]

Milled 3/4 is the same as rough 4/4. The board footage is the same, but they will charge you even more per board foot because they surfaced it.

Did you ask them to surface from rough or was it already that way. I have never seen the need to make a board thinner than 3/4 when surfacing it. Sounds like they might be trying to get more mileage out it. Why did you you buy the thin lumber?

[Steven Green]

Each face milled costs a little more. I can buy Red Oak with one good edge a lot cheaper than six good sides. Glen makes a good point unless I was buying PT for a picket fence or something I'd never accept lumber that was less than 3/4.

[Derek Hansen]

Milled 3/4 is the same as rough 4/4. The board footage is the same, but they will charge you even more per board foot because they surfaced it.

Did you ask them to surface from rough or was it already that way. I have never seen the need to make a board thinner than 3/4 when surfacing it. Sounds like they might be trying to get more mileage out it. Why did you you buy the thin lumber?

They were shorts that had already been surfaced - I honestly just didn't notice the difference in thickness when I was picking them out. I guess I need to be more careful next time.

[Tony Joyce]

Some dealers charge by the square foot once you go less than 3/4" dressed thickness. Most thin materials are resawn, surfaced, and sanded so more labor is involved to produce them, even though you're yielding more pieces from a board foot of material.

Note: This is the standard practice in our area and may not reflect everyone's experience.