SawTallyOpen the appHow to price live-edge slabs
Why slabs aren't priced like framing lumber · last checked October 4, 2026.
Live-edge slabs are usually priced per board foot — but at a higher rate than dimensional lumber. Slabbing is slower, harder on blades, and the finished material is worth far more, so the same board foot is worth more off a slab than off a 2×4.
Build the price in layers
- Base slab rate — your per-board-foot rate for slabbing, higher than your dimensional rate.
- Width surcharge — very wide slabs strain the mill and are scarce, so they carry a premium.
- Figure premium — curl, crotch, burl and spalting raise the value and the price.
- Minimum charge — a small slabbing job still has to pay for setup.
- Drying, billed separately — air-drying or kiln time is its own line, not folded into the saw rate.
Count the board feet right
A slab's board feet is thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) ÷ 12, using the widest usable measurements. On a live edge, measure the average width. Get the count right and the rest of the price follows.
Tally and invoice each slab
SawTally lets you punch each slab's size, apply your slab rate plus any premiums and a minimum, and email or print the invoice on the spot — with drying as its own line. Free to start, stays on your phone.
Pricing varies widely by region, species and market; use your own numbers. Not financial advice.