Custom Milling

We offer custom sawmill services to anyone who delivers logs to our facility in Saxapahaw, NC. Here’s an overview of our custom milling process and pricing. Also, please check out our FAQ pages where we’ve answered over 200 frequent questions. Please note that we do not cut down trees or barter milling services for logs or lumber. If you need an arborist, see the Local Contacts page.

Overview of Capacity and Cost

At our facility in Saxapahaw, we run three sawmills. You or your arborist can deliver logs to us, and we will mill them into whatever dimensions you like.

Milling Capacities

In general, we can mill any size of log. Our main sawmill cuts logs up to 36” in diameter and 26’ long. Our largest sawmill cuts logs up to 72” wide and 12’ long.

Project Cost Formula

Each custom milling job includes two costs— milling by the hour and and per-blade cost. For most jobs, we use our medium-sized sawmill (a Woodmizer LT-50) and charge $155 per hour for milling. We also charge $25 for each blade used, or $35 for each blade damaged. For extra large logs —or those over 36” in diameter— we use our larger Lucas Mill and charge $250 per hour and $100 per blade used (or $150 per blade damaged). Please see our pricing page for project minimums.

Estimating Project Time and Cost

How long does it take to mill a log? The short answer is most average-sized sawlogs take 45-60 minutes to mill, and therefore cost $105-155 to process.

The more thorough answer is that the larger your log is, the longer it takes to mill.

A 10” diameter cedar logs may take us 10 minutes to mill into a 6x6 post. We’ve also spent an entire day quarter-sawing one 60” diameter log. Some general rules of thumb are as follows: the cleaner, greener, softer, and more cylindrical a log, the faster we can go. The fewer cuts we have to make, the faster we go. Anything over 36” in diameter is doable on our fast mill, but takes no less than an hour. A hardwood that has been down over a year may require additional blades. However, in most cases, it’s safe to assume a ballpark of 45-60 minutes per medium-sized saw log (16-24” diameter, 8’-12’ long).

Get in touch and we’d be happy to give you a ballpark quote. Check our custom milling price sheet for project minimums and details about stacking and storage.

Large Logs

If you have logs larger than 36” in diameter, we can mill them using our Lucas Slab Mill (with a 72” wide capacity). We run that mill at $250 per and charge $100 per blade used or $150 per 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 our faster (and less expensive by the hour) sawmills. 

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 us, or you can buy these from us or the hardware store. We sell 1x1x3 stickers for $0.75/piece. Lowes/Home Depot sell 1x2x8 for $1.78. Our stickers are better; theirs are cheaper. If you are going to buy them at the store, we recommend kiln-dried, untreated 1x2x8 “furring strips.” Here is our overview about how to stack your lumber. 

Storage at the Sawmill and/or Lumber Delivery

We’re good at telling folks when their logs are in our milling queue– and when the lumber will be ready for pickup. If it’s a small order –say, five logs worth– then we’ve included the estimated loading time in our milling cost. We 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. Beyond a week, we charge $12.50 per pallet per week for storage. All lumber is best stickered as soon after milling as possible. You run the risk of damaging your lumber 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 $0.75 per sticker and $75/hr for two workers to stack your lumber. We charge $12.50 per week per pallet for storage. This is a good option for our busy clients who don’t want to mess up the critically important work of stickering — or for folks who are building homes and need the lumber to dry off-site before being incorporated into the home build.

If you’d like your lumber delivered after milling, we can do that too. Deliveries under 2000 lbs are $275, and deliveries over 2000 lbs are $550.

Getting Logs Delivered to the Sawmill

To get your logs delivered to the sawmill, you have a few 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) You can hire one of our log-hauling contractors to pick up your logs and deliver it to the sawmill.

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 no: we do not accept logs or lumber as payment.