Every woodworker eventually discovers that picking the right lumber source matters just as much as picking the right tools. Good wood mills cleanly, stays stable, and gives you fewer surprises once you start cutting.
We put this guide together based on years of wandering through hardwood racks, digging through offcuts, and talking to local mills. The goal is simple. Help you choose smartly so you spend less time fighting warped boards and more time building something you’re proud of.
You’ll see a mix of local suppliers, online sellers, and a few places that feel like hidden gems. Each has its own character, and we’ve tried to highlight the real-world stuff woodworkers actually care about.
Best Places to Buy Wood for Woodworking
1. Local Hardwood Dealers
Hardwood dealers are where we go when we want quality boards we can actually inspect. Being able to hold a board, sight down the edge, and feel the grain tells you more than any online description ever will.
These stores usually store lumber properly, so the moisture stays stable and the boards mill cleanly.
The staff in these shops often come from woodworking backgrounds, which helps a lot when you’re comparing species or trying to choose boards for a specific project. If you’re making furniture or anything where grain continuity matters, these dealers are hard to beat.
Here’s Rich’s take for Woodworker's Ultimate Guide To Wood Selection:
2. Independent Lumber Yards
Independent lumber yards sit in a comfortable middle ground. You get better quality than what you see in big box stores and a wider mix of softwoods, plywood, and exterior boards like cedar or redwood. It is also one of the more affordable ways to buy good material without dealing with low-quality batches.
We like visiting these yards for sheet goods, too. Many of them will cut down 4x8 sheets, which helps if you work in a smaller shop or you prefer not to wrestle full sheets on a table saw. Stock shifts with the season, but when they have something good, it is usually very good.
3. Home Improvement Stores
Most woodworkers end up grabbing something from Lowe’s or Home Depot at some point. These stores are convenient and open late, so they come in handy when a project needs an extra board or a quick sheet of plywood. The selection is basic, but for pine, poplar, and MDF, they work just fine.
You do need to sort through the stacks. Not every board is straight, and some have more twist or cupping than you expect. As long as you bring a moment of patience and maybe a straightedge, you can usually find boards that do the job.
4. Online Lumber Retailers
Online sellers have opened the door to species that are nearly impossible to find locally. When we need exotic woods like padauk, sapele, purpleheart, or consistent color-matched walnut, ordering online is often the easiest option.
Many retailers also do a good job showing clear photos of the actual boards, or at least grading them fairly.
The trade-off is that you can’t sort through boards yourself. Still, for people without local hardwood shops or for specific species requirements, online suppliers come through reliably.
5. Local Sawyers and Small Mills
Small mills and local sawyers are some of the most enjoyable places to buy wood. The lumber is often more affordable, and the selection of thick stock and slabs is usually far better than any typical retail shop. You’ll find pieces with character, unusual grain, and sizes that big stores never carry.
You do need to pay attention to moisture content. Many small mills air-dry their boards, which is completely fine as long as you let the wood acclimate in your shop. If you enjoy working with slabs or want something unique, Sawyers are absolutely worth visiting.
For smaller starter projects, our guide on how to get into woodworking explains which materials are easiest to work with before you start sorting through full hardwood racks.
6. Reclaimed Wood Centers and Salvage Yards
Reclaimed lumber has a charm you simply cannot fake. Old beams, barn boards, and industrial flooring all bring a history with them. These places are perfect for rustic or one-off builds where surface texture and patina matter.
You will spend more time preparing the boards because nails and embedded metal show up where you least expect them. Once cleaned and milled, though, reclaimed wood can produce some of the most rewarding projects.
7. Habitat ReStores
ReStores are one of those places you stop by just to see what’s new. Some days you walk out with nothing. Other days, you find a stack of hardwood cutoffs or partially used sheets of plywood for just a few dollars. It’s unpredictable, but the savings can be incredible.
We like using ReStore finds for shop fixtures, jigs, small projects, and any job that doesn’t require perfect grain matching. If you keep an open mind, you can score some real treasures.
8. Marketplace Listings
Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are good sources for lumber. People often sell boards from remodels, shop cleanouts, or hobby collections they never got around to using. We’ve picked up bundles of cherry, maple, and oak for prices you rarely see elsewhere.
Quality varies, so it helps to bring a straightedge and ask a few questions about how the wood was stored. Once you find a reliable seller, you’ll want to keep an eye on their future listings.
Here’s Rich sharing 16 FREE Ways to Get Lumber For Woodworking:
Final Thoughts
Buying lumber is one of those parts of woodworking that gets easier the more you do it. Each source has its own rhythm. Hardwood dealers are dependable, sawyers bring personality and value, and big box stores fill the gaps when you need something fast.
The best approach is to use a mix of these places and learn what they’re good at. Over time, you will build your own mental map of where to get the straightest pine, the cleanest maple, the flattest plywood, or the nicest slabs.
The more comfortable you become choosing lumber, the more predictable your projects will feel from start to finish. Good boards make the entire process smoother, and once you’ve worked with wood that mills nicely, it is hard to go back to anything else.
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