How much to charge for custom sawing

Pricing your portable-sawmill service · last checked September 25, 2026.

There's no single "going rate" — what works is a price structure that covers your blades, fuel and time and the risk of a dirty log. Most custom sawyers use one of three ways to charge, plus a minimum and a couple of surcharges.

The three ways to charge

1. Per board foot

The most common method for clean logs. Typical range is about $0.20–$0.50+ per board foot, depending on region, species, log size and how much you're cutting. Big, clean logs and larger jobs trend toward the lower end per board foot; small runs go higher. You tally the board feet you actually cut and multiply by your rate.

2. By the hour

Roughly $65–$110 an hour for the mill and operator is common. Charge hourly when logs are dirty, frozen, or might hide metal — a per-board-foot price won't pay for a blade a fence staple just destroyed. Hourly also fits odd, slow jobs (live-edge slabs, huge cants, lots of repositioning).

3. Flat rate per job

Good for repeat work you know well, or when a customer wants one number. Only quote flat once you can estimate the board feet — use the log-scale calculator to size the logs first.

Always add a minimum

A minimum charge (say a half-day or a set dollar figure) keeps a two-hour drive for a handful of logs from losing you money. It's the single most-forgotten line item among new custom sawyers.

The surcharges that protect you

• Dull-blade / metal fee — a set charge per blade damaged by nails, staples, fencing or embedded dirt. State it up front.
• Travel / mileage — beyond a set radius, charge per mile or a flat trip fee.
• Help / labor — if the customer can't offbear (stack the boards), you either bring help or charge for the slower pace.
• Waste and cleanup — sawdust and slabs; agree who deals with them.

How to actually make money

Two sawyers can charge the same rate and one goes broke — because they never subtract blades, fuel and maintenance. Track your expenses against each season's income and you'll see your real profit per board foot, and know when to raise your rate.

Price the job in seconds

SawTally keeps a running board-foot tally as you cut, applies your rate (per board foot, hourly or flat), honors your minimum, and prints or emails the invoice at the mill. It also tracks blades and fuel against your income so you know your season profit. Free to start.

Open the app free

These are typical ranges gathered from public sawing-service guides and sawyer forums; rates vary widely by region and job. Confirm what's normal in your area and price for your own costs. Not financial advice.