Here are straight answers to the questions we hear most about milling logs, buying lumber and getting wood to and from our yard. If yours isn't here, ask us through the quote form.
What's the smallest and largest log you take?
It depends on the species and what you want from it, but as a rough guide, logs under about 10 inches across the small end give mostly narrow boards and a lot of waste. Around 12 inches and up is where milling starts to pay off. A log needs to be at least long enough for the boards you want, plus a few inches to trim the ends.
Send photos if you're unsure. See custom sawmilling for what makes a log worth milling.
Do you come to my property to mill?
No. Our mill is stationary, so every log is sawn at our yard. Most logs arrive on the owner's trailer or with the tree service that took the tree down. Our custom sawmilling page explains how to get a log here.
How do I get a log to the yard?
Arrange hauling on your own trailer or with your tree service. Send photos and measurements before loading.
Do you cut trees down?
No. We mill logs; we don't take trees down. Hire a tree service for that, and tell the crew before they start that you want to keep the trunk in long, straight sections. Our storm-downed trees page has a list of what to tell them.
Can you mill a log with nails in it?
It depends on how much metal there is and where. Yard trees often carry nails, wire, fence staples and old hardware, and hitting it damages the saw blade. Tell us everything you know about the tree's history so we can look for metal and cut around it.
How much does milling cost?
Custom milling is usually priced by the hour or by the board foot, with a minimum charge. Nationally, mills charge about $75 to $125 an hour or 35 to 75 cents a board foot; that's a national range, not our price.
Our pricing page has a milling cost estimator.
How long until I get my lumber?
It depends on our schedule, and on drying more than sawing. The sawing itself takes far less time than the wait for a spot on the schedule or the months of drying afterward.
Keep in mind the wood is green when you take it home. It needs months to a year or more of drying before it's ready for indoor projects.
How do I dry my lumber?
Air dry it, stacked flat with spacer sticks between the layers and a cover on top; a common rule of thumb is about a year per inch of thickness. Our custom sawmilling page shows how to stack and dry your lumber. Air-dried wood suits outdoor and barn work, but for indoor furniture bring it inside for a few weeks first: MU Extension puts air-dried lumber in Missouri at about 12 to 14 percent moisture and indoor wood at about 6 to 10 percent. We don't have a kiln yet; see kiln drying.
Do you buy logs?
Ask us. Whether a log is worth buying depends on the species, size, straightness and how clean it is, and a single yard tree usually brings less than people expect. Walnut and white oak are the species log buyers look at most. Send photos and measurements and we'll give you an honest answer.
For most single yard trees, having the log milled for your own use gets you far more value than selling it. See custom sawmilling.
Do you sell firewood?
Ask us. Send a note through the quote form and choose "other."
What species do you mill?
Most mid-Missouri hardwoods make usable lumber, including black walnut, white and red oak, hickory, cherry, sycamore, maple, ash and elm, plus eastern red cedar.
See Missouri wood species for how each one saws and dries, and send photos if you're not sure what you have.
How do I pay?
We'll go over payment when we quote your job.
What should I send for a quote?
Photos and three measurements. Send a photo of each end of the log and one of the whole log, the diameter across the small end inside the bark, the length, and the species if you know it. Tell us whether it was a yard tree and what you'd like from it: boards, slabs, a beam or not sure. Our quote form asks for all of it.
Can you mill a hollow or partly rotten log?
Often, yes, if the outside is sound. Many old yard trees have some rot or a hollow in the center, and the wood around it can still give good boards or slabs. If the wood is soft and punky most of the way through, it isn't worth sawing. Photos of both ends tell us a lot.
What are your hours?
Send us a quote request and we'll reply with directions to the yard and when to come. Please message us before you come so we know to expect you.
Get a Quote
Still have a question, or ready to have a log milled? Send us photos and measurements.