Custom Sawmill Services

I offer local lumber and custom sawmill services to folks located in central N.C.-- which includes Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Pittsboro, Burlington, Greensboro, etc. Below, I’ve provided an overview of my pricing. Please note that I do not cut down trees and I do not barter milling services for lumber. If you need an arborist, see my Local Contacts page. Also note that I do not offer portable sawmill services: all of my milling occurs at my sawmill facility in Saxapahaw. I typically respond to texts within a couple hours, and calls within the day, so feel free to reach out anytime— 919-698-1228. Thanks! Randall

Sawmill Services Estimate: Free

When we talk on the phone, I will ask you about the dimensions of the trees you wish to have milled, their condition, and your project goals. I can then provide you with a rough estimate of the lumber’s value, the project costs, alternative options, and the timeframe when you can expect to have them milled. 

Milling Capacities

In general, I can mill any size of log. My two main sawmills cut logs up to 36” inches in diameter and up to 20’ long. My largest sawmill cuts logs up to 72” in diameter and 12’ long. My two main log movers (a track loader and skid steer) can move logs up to 4000lbs. My largest skid steer moves logs up to 6000 lbs. My fleet also includes a log truck, dump trailer, chainsaws that can cut 60”, log arches, winches, two kilns, etc. My goal is to help my N.C.-neighbors with all of their logs-to-lumber needs– whether that means cutting slabs from one log or milling an acre of hardwoods. 

Project Cost Formula

Each custom milling job includes three costs— handling/transport, milling by the hour, and blade cost. If you bring me one log, and we get it out of your truck in 10 minutes, then your handling cost is $0. If you send me three dump truck loads of logs that I have to sort and stack, then I charge $140/hr for machine time. Once your logs are on the mill, I charge $140/hr for milling. The hourly milling rate begins when the sawing begins and it ends when I shut the engine off. I do not charge for time related to machine down-time, set-up, consultations, breaks, or mechanical adjustments. I also charge a per-blade fee for each blade I use on your project– $25/blade used and $35/blade damaged (if I hit a nail, rock, etc). The easiest way to determine cost is to call or text me and I’ll give you an estimate over the phone.

Estimating Project Time

Many people ask me how long it takes to mill a log. And, unfortunately, it’s highly variable: If I stack small 10” diameter logs in a queue, then I can process a log every 10 minutes. I’ve also spent an entire morning quartersawing one oak log. It all depends. Some general rules of thumb are as follows: the cleaner, greener, softer, and more cylindrical a log, the faster I can go. A 24” diameter 10’ pine log might take me and my mill 20 minutes to process. The fewer cuts I have to make, the faster I go (cutting four 6x6s from a 12x12 cant goes a lot faster than cutting twenty-four 1x6s). Anything over 36” in diameter is doable, but gets a little more complicated. A hardwood that has been down over a year may require an extra blade change. However, in most cases, it’s safe to assume a ballpark of 45 minutes per log.

Estimating Project Yield and Profitability

My fastest sawmill (a 2023 LT-50) can process up to 1000 board feet per hour. This is especially the case with large diameter softwoods, such as pine. Larger diameter oaks can yield this much or more. With pine prices at $1.50/bf, it’s easy to see how a sawmill can generate over $1000 worth of framing lumber per hour. When you consider costs of specialty hardwoods, such as white oak for $10.50/bf, you can see how it’s easy to generate thousands of dollars worth of lumber in a few hours.

A Note on Stacking 

Unless you are using your lumber immediately, you will need “stickers” or thin wood strips that go between your drying lumber. We can cut these from softwoods you send to me, or you can buy these from me or the hardware store. I sell 1x1x3 stickers for $1/piece. Lowes/Home Depot sell 1x2x8 for $1.78. My stickers are better; theirs are cheaper. If you are going to buy them at the store, I recommend kiln-dried, untreated 1x2x8 “furring strips.” Here is my overview about how to stack your lumber. 

Storage at the Sawmill and/or Lumber Delivery

I’m pretty good at telling folks when their logs are in our daily milling queue– and when their lumber will be ready for pickup. If it’s a small order –say, two logs worth– then there’s no charge for loading when you arrive. I will charge a modest hourly fee if the loading takes 30 minutes or longer. If you pick up your lumber in a week after it’s milled, then there’s no charge for letting it sit at the sawmill. All lumber is best stickered as soon after milling as possible– and you run the risk of damaging your new lumber getting if you let it sit dry-stacked in the rain and sun. 

If you need more time, or you’d like us to stack, sticker, and store your lumber, then we can do that. We charge $1 per sticker and $75/hr for two workers to stack your lumber. We charge $12.50/wk per pallet for storage. This is a good option for our urban and/or busy clients who don’t want to mess up the critically important work of stickering.

If you’d like your lumber delivered to you after milling, we can do that too. Here’s a breakdown of prices for lumber delivery. Generally, it’s $400 per 10k load which includes 30 minutes of off-loading time. Note that it may be cheaper for you to rent a truck, or even a box truck, and pick up your load after milling.

Lucas Slab Mill -- $250/hr

If you have logs larger than 36” in diameter, I can mill them using my Lucas Slab Mill (with a 72” wide capacity). I run that mill at $250/hr, with a two hour minimum, and $100/blade used or $150/blade damaged. The Lucas mill is great for producing extra-wide slabs. It’s also good at turning large logs into “cants” that can then be processed on one of my faster and less expensive sawmills. 

Getting Logs Delivered to my Log Yard

To get your logs delivered to my sawmill, you have three options. (1) You can deliver them yourself with a truck and/or trailer. (2) You can work with your arborist to have the logs delivered on the same day the tree is cut. This is often the best option as it balances cost and convenience. (3) I can pick them up for you. Here’s a breakdown of prices for log pickups. Generally speaking, I do pickup at $650/half day or $1300/full day. For projects including logs over 4,000 lbs, then our best option is to get the help an arborist with a grapple truck, such as The Treeist, Skillin Tree Care, or CS Tree Service. 

Starting in July 2024, I’ll be working with The Treeist to run log pickup circuits in the Durham and Chapel Hill area to help clients move their logs cheaper. 

The Barter Question

I get at least three calls a day from people asking me if I want to pick up their logs in exchange for the lumber. Unfortunately, the answer is almost always no. The exceptions are full truck loads of walnut, cherry, white oak, pine, poplar, or cedar. But, in general, I get it: trees are valuable and hauling them to the dump seems blasphemous. The context people need to know is that I have logs delivered to my sawmill daily for free or cheaply ($15-30/log) so I can’t afford to put my equipment and sawyers on a full day job that results in $100 worth of logs. 

What I do offer is log pick-up services at the flat rate of $650/half day or $1300/full day that is discounted by the value of the logs if they are logs that I need. So, if you have twenty poplar logs that I’m buying at $75/ton, and their value is $750, and it takes me three hours to pickup and load them ($650), then I will remove the logs and pay you the difference ($100). If the value of the logs is less than my cost to move them (eg, 10 logs/$500 log value vs $650 hauling cost) then I would haul them away and you would pay me the difference ($150). 

Please feel free to call or text with any questions. 919-698-1228. Thanks! Randall