Hardwood Prices Per Board Foot
Current price ranges for walnut, cherry, white oak, maple, and 10+ species. Use these numbers to estimate lumber costs before you quote a custom furniture or woodworking project.
Updated March 2026
Hardwood Pricing Table
Prices below represent typical retail ranges from US hardwood dealers and specialty lumber yards as of early 2026. Rough-sawn prices are unplaned lumber from a sawyer or mill. Surfaced prices are for S2S or S4S stock from a retail hardwood dealer. Your local market will vary by 20 to 30 percent in either direction.
| Species | Rough (per bf) | Surfaced (per bf) |
|---|---|---|
| Black Walnut | $6 – $12 | $10 – $18 |
| White Oak | $5 – $10 | $8 – $15 |
| American Black Cherry | $4 – $8 | $6 – $11 |
| Hard Maple | $3 – $6 | $5 – $9 |
| Red Oak | $2 – $5 | $4 – $7 |
| Ash | $3 – $6 | $5 – $9 |
| Poplar | $2 – $4 | $3 – $6 |
| Alder | $2 – $4 | $3 – $6 |
| Hickory | $3 – $6 | $5 – $8 |
| Eastern Black Walnut (Slab) | $12 – $30 | $18 – $50+ |
| Douglas Fir | $2 – $4 | $3 – $6 |
| Eastern White Pine | $1 – $3 | $2 – $5 |
Add a waste factor: When buying rough-sawn lumber, budget 15 to 25 percent more volume than your finished part list requires. Defects, warp, and milling loss are normal. Wide or figured stock often has more waste than standard-grade boards.
Black Walnut Price Per Board Foot
Black walnut is the most in-demand domestic hardwood for custom furniture, and it commands the highest price among commonly available species. As of early 2026, typical retail pricing from a hardwood dealer runs:
- Rough-sawn (from a local sawyer or mill): $6 to $12 per board foot
- Surfaced S2S or S4S (from a hardwood dealer): $10 to $18 per board foot
- FAS grade with long clear runs: $14 to $22 per board foot
- Wide slabs (live-edge, figured): $20 to $50+ per board foot
Walnut prices vary by region. The central US (Indiana, Ohio, Missouri) where most walnut grows tends to have the lowest local prices. Buyers on the coasts pay a freight premium of $1 to $3 per board foot on top of mill prices.
Why walnut is expensive
Black walnut grows more slowly than maple or oak, produces less clear lumber per tree, and faces strong export demand from Europe and Asia. Its rich chocolate-brown color requires no stain, which drives premium pricing for furniture and cabinetry.
For most custom furniture projects, walnut is worth the material cost because customers associate it with quality and craftsmen can charge accordingly. A walnut dining table commands a higher selling price than the same design in red oak, and the material cost difference rarely exceeds $200 to $400 on a typical table.
Use our board foot calculator to compute total walnut material cost for your project dimensions.
Cherry Wood Price Per Board Foot
American black cherry is one of the best values in domestic hardwoods for furniture work. It machines cleanly, finishes beautifully, and darkens to a rich amber-red with age and light exposure. Current retail pricing:
- Rough-sawn: $4 to $8 per board foot
- Surfaced S2S or S4S: $6 to $11 per board foot
- FAS grade: $9 to $13 per board foot
Cherry is grown primarily in the northeastern US and Appalachian region. It remains more affordable than walnut while still signaling premium craftsmanship to buyers. For bedroom furniture and traditional-style pieces, cherry is often the first choice for shops targeting the $3,000 to $8,000 furniture segment.
Cherry patinas over time: New cherry is a light pinkish-tan. After 6 to 18 months of light exposure, it deepens to the rich reddish-brown associated with antique cherry furniture. Inform customers of this so they understand the long-term look of the piece.
White Oak Price Per Board Foot
White oak has surged in demand over the last decade, driven by its use in Scandinavian-influenced furniture design and its compatibility with water-based and oil finishes. It is now priced close to walnut in many markets. Current retail pricing:
- Rough-sawn: $5 to $10 per board foot
- Surfaced: $8 to $15 per board foot
- Quarter-sawn (for ray fleck figure): $12 to $20 per board foot
Quarter-sawn white oak is significantly more expensive than flat-sawn because the yield per log is lower. It produces the distinctive ray-fleck figure popular in Arts and Crafts and mission furniture styles and in contemporary Scandinavian designs.
How to Estimate Lumber Costs for a Project
Build a parts list
List every part in the project: top panels, legs, aprons, drawer fronts, case sides, shelves, and any secondary wood components. Record the finished dimensions (length, width, thickness) for each part.
Calculate board feet per part
Board feet = (thickness in inches × width in inches × length in inches) ÷ 144. For a dining table top that is 1.5" thick × 36" wide × 84" long: (1.5 × 36 × 84) ÷ 144 = 31.5 board feet finished. Add 20 percent waste to get 38 board feet to purchase.
Add waste
Add 15 to 25 percent to your total board footage for defects, warp, and milling loss. Use 20 percent as a default. Figured or wide stock and rough-sawn lumber both warrant 25 percent or more.
Multiply by species price
Multiply total board feet (with waste) by your actual lumber cost per board foot. If you pay $12/bf for walnut and need 38 board feet, your material cost is $456. Always use your actual supplier price, not a guideline number, when building a real quote.
Add material markup
Most shops add a 10 to 20 percent material markup to cover sourcing time, delivery costs, and the risk of material defects discovered mid-project. This is standard in custom work and should be clearly stated in your quote.
Skip the math
Enter your project dimensions and species in the board foot calculator. It computes volume and material cost instantly.
Open the Board Foot CalculatorFrequently Asked Questions
- How much does walnut cost per board foot?
- Black walnut typically runs $10 to $18 per board foot for surfaced lumber from a specialty hardwood dealer, and $6 to $12 per board foot for rough-sawn from a local sawyer or mill. Wide figured slabs for live-edge tables can reach $25 to $50 per board foot. Prices vary by region, grade, thickness, and whether the wood is kiln-dried or air-dried.
- What is the current price of black walnut per board foot?
- As of 2026, black walnut runs approximately $10 to $18 per board foot for surfaced (S2S or S4S) lumber in common grades, and $14 to $22 per board foot for FAS (firsts and seconds) grade with long clear runs. Rough-sawn walnut from a local sawyer is typically $6 to $12 per board foot. Demand for walnut has kept prices elevated, and supply from central and eastern US forests remains the primary price driver.
- How much does cherry wood cost per board foot?
- American black cherry typically runs $6 to $11 per board foot surfaced from a hardwood dealer, and $4 to $8 per board foot rough-sawn. Cherry is one of the most popular domestic hardwoods for furniture because it machines well, finishes beautifully, and costs significantly less than walnut while still reading as a premium species to customers.
- What is the most expensive domestic hardwood?
- Among widely available domestic hardwoods, black walnut and figured maple (curly, birdseye) command the highest prices at $10 to $20 per board foot or more. Specialty figured slabs, large-format live-edge pieces, and bookmatched walnut can reach $30 to $60 per board foot. Exotic imported species like ebony, rosewood, and bocote are more expensive but subject to import restrictions.
- How do I estimate lumber cost for a furniture project?
- Multiply the board feet required by the price per board foot for your species, then add a waste factor of 15 to 25 percent for defects, rough-sawing, and dimensional loss during milling. A dining table top in walnut might require 25 to 35 board feet of rough lumber to net 20 board feet of finished material. Use CraftQuote's free board foot calculator at customwoodquote.com/calculator to compute volume and cost automatically.
- Why is walnut more expensive than maple or oak?
- Black walnut grows more slowly than maple and oak, produces lower volumes of clear lumber per tree, and faces strong export demand particularly from Europe and Asia. Walnut's rich chocolate color requires no staining, which drives demand for furniture and cabinetry. Maple and white oak are faster-growing, more abundant, and produce higher yields of clear lumber, keeping their prices lower despite comparable workability and strength.
Related Resources
Calculate total lumber volume and material cost for any project dimensions across 12 common species.
Full methodology: material costs, shop rate, labor, overhead, and profit margin targets for custom woodworking.
Cabinet-specific pricing: cost per linear foot, door styles, hardware, and how to build a cabinet quote.