To find the cheaper lumber quote, first make sure each supplier is pricing the same material and quantity. Convert quotes to a common board-foot basis, add the costs that apply to your order, and compare the resulting delivered price alongside grade, availability and timing.
Start with one specification for every supplier
A low price is only useful if it covers lumber that fits the job. Send each supplier the same written specification and ask them to identify substitutions or missing details rather than making assumptions.
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- Species and grade
- Nominal or actual dimensions, as appropriate, plus lengths
- Quantity and required tally basis
- Moisture or drying condition
- Surfacing or other processing
- Delivery destination
These details affect what is being priced. A quote for a different grade, moisture condition, length or dimension is not an apples-to-apples offer, even if its total looks lower.
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For each offer, note the supplier, quote date and expiry, currency, quantity or pack configuration, availability, lead time, minimum order, pickup or delivery terms, and stated exclusions. Lumber prices change, so a rate without a date and scope is weak evidence for a decision. WWPA explains the scope and methodology of its statistical reports; Natural Resources Canada publishes a dated lumber-price series.
#1 Best Overall
- By Crafters, For Crafters: Crafting and building with wood is our number one priority. Bringing you more of the wood craft supplies you love is our job. Please dont hesitate to get in touch
- Versatile Wooden Sticks and Lumber: These wooden pieces take paint, stain, and other embellishments well. Short lengths are suitable for many projects - from DIY decks to framing
- Pre-Cut and Pre-Sanded: Tired of cutting sanding and measuring your lumber? We've done it for you with less then a 1/64 inch tolerance. The lumber we produce comes pre-sanded and pre-cut to 12 inch sizes - craft ready. For Smaller than 12" pieces, you can easily cut them
- Quality Construction Material: Our wood and lumber are made from beautiful, quality wood - only the best for our woodworkers and DIYers! These are cut and prepared in the usa
- Sustainably Sourced Wood: All of our wood comes from sustainable forests. This insures that every tree is replaced and regrown for future generations
Convert every offer to the same volume basis
Calculate board feet
A board foot is a volume of 144 cubic inches, according to NIST Handbook 130 (2026). For a rectangular board, calculate:
- Length in inches: thickness in inches × width in inches × length in inches ÷ 144
- Length in feet: thickness in inches × width in inches × length in feet ÷ 12
- Multiple boards: board feet per board × number of boards
For example, a 1-inch-thick × 6-inch-wide × 8-foot board contains 1 × 6 × 8 ÷ 12 = 4 board feet. Twelve boards contain 48 board feet. This is illustrative arithmetic, not a market quote.
Rank #2
- Some of the species we carry are: Walnut, Red Oak, White Oak, Poplar, Cherry, Birch, Soft Maple, Hard Maple, Hickory, Cherry, and Red Grandis. You will get at least 3 different species
Convert quoted units
Suppliers may quote by piece, pack, linear foot, board foot or MBF. One MBF is 1,000 board feet. Convert each quote to a rate or total for the same quantity before ranking it. For a quote in dollars per MBF, divide that rate by 1,000 to get dollars per board foot; for a quantity priced at that rate, multiply the board-foot quantity by the rate divided by 1,000. Practical conversion guidance is available from LumberFlow’s board-foot calculation guide.
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Do not assume the board-foot figure on two quotes was calculated the same way. Nominal versus actual dimensions and rough versus surfaced thickness can change the dimensions used for billing. Ask each supplier which dimensions and tally convention the quote uses, then compare on a consistent basis. If the bases differ or remain unclear, make that uncertainty visible rather than treating the totals as directly comparable.
Rank #3
- Solid Hardwood - Select White Hard Maple
- Perfectly Kiln Dried - Our maple is kiln dried to ensure stability and reduce warping, cracking, and splitting
Calculate material cost and delivered cost separately
- Calculate the material total for the shared quantity using the supplier’s quoted unit and tally basis.
- Add the charges that apply to that purchase, such as delivery or freight, handling, surfacing and applicable taxes.
- Divide the delivered total by the shared board-foot quantity to get delivered dollars per board foot. Multiply that rate by 1,000 for delivered dollars per MBF.
Keep unknown fees visible as unknown; do not silently treat them as zero. A quote calculator can help with unit conversion and landed-cost arithmetic, but its result depends on the details entered. Board Foot Calculator describes its landed-cost calculations and limitations.
Use a comparison sheet that exposes differences
Put the offers side by side. A practical table should capture the quote as well as the details that make its price meaningful.
Rank #4
- Beautiful Grain
- Perfectly Kiln Dried
- Two sides sanded to 3/4" thickness
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Supplier and quote | Supplier; quote date and expiry; currency |
| Material | Species, grade, dimensions, lengths, moisture condition and surfacing or processing |
| Quantity and tally | Quantity, pack configuration, quoted unit and billing/tally basis |
| Costs | Quoted rate, material total, freight and other charges, delivered total, normalized delivered $/BF or $/MBF |
| Logistics and exceptions | Availability, lead time, minimum order, pickup/delivery terms, substitutions and exclusions |
| Decision notes | Specification match and any practical trade-offs or unresolved questions |
Compare value after normalizing price
Once the specifications, quantity and tally basis match, compare the normalized material price and delivered cost. Then weigh availability, lead time, quote validity and supplier terms against the job’s requirements. The lowest delivered rate may not be the right offer if it depends on an unacceptable substitute or cannot meet the schedule.
Use published lumber indexes as context, not a local quote
Market indexes can help explain the date and direction of wholesale pricing, but their scope may not match a construction purchase. WWPA says its western-mill indexes use wholesale invoice information, remove freight to report F.O.B.-mill prices, and exclude special charges, discounts and commissions. Its stated index coverage is approximately 8 billion board feet of shipments each year; that is the association’s reported data coverage, not a national market total or a local retail price. WWPA’s methodology and FAQ provide those qualifications.
Best Value
- Many Uses - This product is suitable for new home construction, renovation projects, and more and has been tested for many different jobs.
- High Quality Appearance - Every piece meets the stamped grading standards for strength and high quality appearance. They are also strong and durable.
- Versatile - Our Lumber can be primed and painted or sealed and stained. It has many uses and can do many jobs while having a high-quality appearance.
- Meets High Standards - Every stud meets the stamped grading standards for strength and highest quality in appearance. Framing studs are ideal for a wide range of uses from framing of houses to basic interior structural applications. Studs come in several widths for structural framing, structural walls, interior and protected exterior walls or can be used for a variety of craft and non-structural projects.
- Farm Plastic Supply - Farm Plastic Supply offers premium lumber products for all uses and jobs. Our lumber products are quality and are very durable. Our Lumber is very dependable and has been a favorite among many of our customers.
Natural Resources Canada displays dated prices in dollars per thousand board feet, including observations and averages, but the series is not necessarily the price a local yard will charge. Consult the current table for its latest observations; do not compare an index figure directly with a delivered retail quote without accounting for geography, product mix, transaction level and freight basis.
Can a calculator tell you whether a lumber quote is fair?
No. A board-foot calculator can normalize dimensions, units and costs; it cannot establish whether a price is fair or choose a supplier. Fair comparison requires current quotes for the same specification, quantity, tally basis and destination, plus an understanding of what each price includes.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
