If a good hardwood tree came down in a storm or is about to be removed, the trunk may be worth milling into lumber, slabs or a mantel instead of firewood. The key is to decide before the crew cuts it up. Send us a few photos and the trunk's size, and we'll tell you whether it's worth saving.
We're a stationary Columbia-area sawmill that mills customers' logs. We don't cut trees down. Your tree service takes the tree down safely; we turn the trunk into wood you can use.
Which trees are worth milling
Not every tree is. Here's what makes a trunk worth the trip to the mill.
Species. Black walnut, white oak, red oak, cherry, hickory, ash, sycamore, maple, elm and eastern red cedar all make usable lumber. Walnut, white oak and cherry are the ones people most often want to save. Soft, short-lived yard trees like Bradford pear, and trees that were already rotten, rarely give much.
Diameter. Measure across the small end of the trunk, inside the bark. Around 12 inches and up is a good start. Under about 10 inches, you get narrow boards and a lot of waste.
Straight length. The useful part of a tree is usually the trunk from the ground to the first big branch. Six to eight feet of reasonably straight trunk is enough for a good set of boards or a pair of table slabs. Longer is better, up to what can be hauled.
Condition. A storm-snapped trunk is often perfectly good wood above and below the break. Splits that run far down the trunk, heavy rot, and trunks full of metal (old fence lines, treehouses, clotheslines) reduce what you'll get.
When in doubt, send photos. We'd rather look at a log that isn't worth it than have a good one go to the chipper. Our guide is my tree worth milling? walks through size, species and straightness in more detail.
What to tell the tree crew before they cut
Most tree crews are used to cutting everything into firewood lengths or chips. If you want the trunk, tell them before they start, and be specific:
- "Please keep the trunk in long, straight sections." Ask for lengths of 8, 10 or 12 feet plus a few extra inches, or the longest straight piece they can safely handle.
- "Cut at the bends and forks, not in the middle of straight wood." A crotch or big fork can be its own piece; some of the best figure in walnut is there.
- "Don't cut it into rounds." Once a trunk is bucked into firewood lengths it can't be milled.
- "Keep it out of the dirt if you can." Grit packed into the bark dulls saw blades.
- "Leave nails and hardware where they are, and tell me if you saw any." Knowing where metal is helps us cut around it.
Ask whether they can drop the trunk at our yard when they're done. Some crews will, and it can cost less than hauling it to the dump. Our guide to tree removal when you want to keep the log covers this conversation step by step. If you work on a tree crew, see our page for tree services.
Getting a log from your yard to the mill
Our mill is stationary, so the log comes to us. The easiest way is usually to have the tree service drop the trunk at our yard, since they already have the loader and the truck; you can also haul it on your own trailer.
While it waits, keep it on blocks out of the sun with the ends sealed. Our custom sawmilling page covers every way to get a log here and how to store it until it's sawn.
Ash trees and the emerald ash borer
The emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle tracked by the Missouri Department of Conservation, is killing ash trees across Missouri. Ash is still good lumber, but the longer a dead ash stands, the drier, more cracked and more brittle it gets, so mill it soon after it comes down. Our guide to milling ash trees killed by the emerald ash borer covers timing and what to expect.
What a single tree can become
A rough way to size it up: a straight log 20 inches across at the small end and 10 feet long holds about 160 board feet by the Doyle log rule. That's enough wood for a dining table and a pair of benches, or a full set of shelves and trim for a room, with some left over. Our pricing page shows how to work out the board feet in your own log.
Common things people make from a storm-downed tree:
- A live edge dining table or desk from the center slabs
- A fireplace mantel cut from the heart of the trunk
- Shelves, cabinet doors or trim for the house the tree stood beside
- Barn siding, fence boards or trailer decking from lower-grade wood
- Cutting boards and small gifts for the family
Cost and timeline
Milling is usually priced by the hour or by the board foot, with a minimum charge. A fee is common if the saw hits hidden metal, which yard trees often carry.
After sawing, the wood needs to dry. A common rule of thumb is about a year of air drying per inch of thickness, so a storm tree from this spring makes a table a year or two from now. Our pricing page has a milling cost estimator.
Get a Quote
Tree down, or coming down? Send photos of the trunk with its diameter and length, and we'll tell you if it's worth milling.