Wood pricing?

[Kent E. Matthew]

I'm trying to determine whether or not my local lumber yard is worth doing business with. Here are there F&S pricing on some common hardwood. Maple. 6.09. Oak, 4.61. Cherry 5.79, Lauan, 8.73 bft. How do these stack up with your local prices?

[John Lanciani]

Unfortunately wood prices, like most commodity prices, are really only relevant to your geographical location due to scarcity of supply and transportation costs. My cost in New England for wood has no bearing on your cost.

[Steve Peterson]

It seems in line with what I would pay in northern California. You could also check out some of the online places. There prices are probably cheaper, but shipping is expensive and you don't get to see it before you buy it.

Steve

[Mark W Pugh]

I would say you have no other choice, except on-line ordering, if this is the only local available source. For me, local could be within a 1.5 - 2.0 hour drive.

[Don Selke]

Here in Phoenix where there are no forests or mills within miles, transportation is the governing factor on local lumber prices. It is what it is here so you pay or sit and watch TV. Every time the price of fuel rises, so does lumber prices. With todays economy we only have two or three hardwood suppliers in the area when there used to be five or six.

[Keith Hankins]

Depends on where you are at. I'm in PA so retail for cherry is in line. I buy in bulk so I get better pricing. The oak, maple see really high. I'm on the east coast so my pricing can vary greatly. (Last cherry I got a year ago was 3/bf)

[Rich Riddle]

Those prices would be very high here, but we are in the edge of hardwood central.

[Mark Bolton]

Very high for here too but quantity and location are an issue. I try to buy in volume here as well and I think the last load of red oak was in the 1.30/bf range for FAS. Even buying a single board wouldn't put it that high. But as stated I'm in the land of red oak. My prices on cedar are likely through the rood for someone in PNW.

[Jim Andrew]

I just use local grown wood. You might check on forestry forum to see if there is someone in your area with a mill. Or look on craigslist. Last time I checked there were 4 ads for lumber in a radius of 60 miles.

[Jamie Buxton]

Like others have said, all you can do is make the best deals you can in your local area. Prices elsewhere are not relevant.

However, just for grins here's what one lumber dealer in San Francisco charges per bdft for those species (4/4 roughsawn, <250 bdft): maple $3.20; red oak $3.21; cherry $3.93; lauan $5.04.

[Jim Neeley]

Then there's the choices of roughsawn vs S2S (surface 2 sides) vs S3S (two faces and an edge).

Each step beyond the first requires extra equipment and labor (and impacts price).

Jim

[Brett Robson]

Those prices are in the ball park of what the local yards here charge, except for the maple, that's a lousy price for that. Anymore I only buy poplar locally. I've found a couple online sources that sell the hardwoods for less than the local prices, including shipping.

[Jim Matthews]

If the quality is good, and the boards are wide
the price differential reflects fuel costs in shipping.

Any workable local species from nearby Sawmills?

[Joe A Faulkner]

Makes me glad to live in Indiana where I have access to several owner operated mills as well as a wholesaler who services several custom cabinet makers. If you want to get a better idea of prices here, do a web search on Bonesteel Lumber or Cassens Trees. I have another local source, a heavy excavation equipment operator who years ago got tired of burning trees when putting in roads for subdivisions and started milling stuff. He only carries 3/4" stuff, but it all goes for $3 bf and is planed and straight edged (walnut, cherry, hard maple, hickory). He has some figured stuff that goes for $5 bf. These are for the most part all locally harvested; though the wholesaler takes in shipments from Michigan and Kentucky.

[Jerry Olexa]

$3-3.50/bf is common for roughsawn cherry here in Illinois if you find the right sale or WWer...Timing is everything.