How It Works
Lumber Minneapolis is a referral service. You submit a request, we pass it to partner suppliers, a partner supplier follows up, and you deal directly with that supplier.
Four Steps from Request to Supplier
We do not own a yard or a mill. Partner suppliers in our network set prices and do the work. The same four steps apply whether you are buying lumber or have lumber to sell.
Submit Your Request
Start with the form on this site. Tell us what you are looking for, or what you have to sell, and where you are in Minneapolis-St. Paul or the Twin Cities metro. The quote request is free and there is no obligation.
Good to Know
The form is the only way to reach Lumber Minneapolis.
Key Details
- Project type, such as flooring, beams, siding, or furniture
- Species preference, or a note that you are flexible
- Dimensions and quantity, as closely as you can estimate them
- Timeline and location
- For sellers: species if known, quantity, condition, and where the lumber is
Not Sure of the Details?
Send what you know. A rough description of the project is a fine place to start, and the supplier can ask for anything else they need.
We Pass It to Partner Suppliers
We pass your request to partner suppliers in our network. That is the whole of our role: we connect the request with suppliers. We do not hold lumber, inspect it, or set prices.
Good to Know
Your contact details and project information are shared so that a supplier can respond to you.
Key Details
- Your request goes to partner suppliers rather than a sales desk of our own
- Requests from the Twin Cities metro and nearby Minnesota are accepted
- Availability depends on partner suppliers
Why a Referral?
Reclaimed lumber comes in irregular lots, so what one supplier has can differ from what another has. Sending one request to our network saves you from describing the same project over and over.
A Partner Supplier Follows Up
A partner supplier follows up with you using the contact details you gave us. This is where you find out what is available, what it would cost, and what options there are for your project.
Good to Know
A quote does not commit you to anything. Compare it with your other options.
Key Details
- Availability is confirmed by the supplier
- Pricing is by quote from the supplier
- Questions about grade, moisture, and condition go to the supplier
- Pickup and delivery are available through partner suppliers
Questions to Ask
Ask whether the wood has been de-nailed, what its moisture content is, what the grade means, and what is known about where the wood came from. Our buying guides can help you decide what matters for your project.
You Deal Directly with That Supplier
If you go ahead, your order is with the supplier. You agree on the material, price, payment, and pickup or delivery with them, and any later questions about the order go to them as well.
Good to Know
Lumber Minneapolis is not a party to your order.
Key Details
- The order and payment are between you and the supplier
- Delivery or pickup is arranged with the supplier
- Terms, including returns, are set by the supplier
- Sellers agree on price and removal with the supplier
Get the Details in Writing
Before you pay, confirm species, grade, quantity, dimensions, price, and delivery in writing with the supplier.
How Reclaimed Wood Is Typically Prepared
This is a general description of how suppliers in the trade work. Practices differ from one supplier to the next, so ask the supplier who quotes you what has been done to the material. Lumber Minneapolis does not do this work.
Sourcing
Suppliers in the trade buy or recover wood from barns, warehouses, homes, and other structures being renovated or taken down. Good sites are often checked first for species, condition, and hazards such as lead paint.
Inspection and Sorting
Wood is typically checked for rot, insect damage, and heavy splitting, then sorted by species, size, and likely use. Boards that are not suitable for one use may suit another.
De-Nailing and Cleaning
Nails, screws, and other metal are pulled by hand, often with the help of a metal detector, since a buried nail can wreck a planer blade. Surfaces may be brushed or cleaned.
Grading
Many suppliers sort wood into their own grades, often borrowing NHLA terms. Grading looks at soundness, defects, nail-hole density, and appearance.
Drying and Storage
Lumber is usually stacked on stickers, the thin spacers that let air circulate between layers, and kept under cover. Wood from damp or outdoor sites may be air-dried or kiln-dried before sale.
Milling
Some suppliers plane, resaw, or profile wood themselves, and others work with a local mill. Old, dense wood can be hard on blades, so it often has to be fed slowly with sharp tooling.
Milling Terms You May Hear
These are common terms in the trade. If your project needs any of this work, include it in your request and ask partner suppliers what is available.
S2S / S4S Surfacing
S2S means surfaced on two sides, and S4S means surfaced on all four. Surfacing brings rough boards to a more uniform size.
Tongue-and-Groove
A milled edge in which the tongue of one board fits the groove of the next. It is commonly used on flooring and paneling.
Shiplap
Boards with rabbeted edges that overlap. Shiplap is used on walls, ceilings, and exterior siding.
Resawing
Cutting a thick piece into thinner boards. A mill can resaw thick stock to get more coverage from the same piece.
Skip Planing
A light pass through the planer that leaves some of the original surface. It takes off the worst of the roughness and keeps some patina.
Beam Cleaning
Exposed faces of a beam are brushed or surfaced while hidden faces are left rough. Wire brushing can keep a hand-hewn texture.
Common Questions About How It Works
Who will contact me?
A partner supplier in our network follows up using the contact details on your request. From then on, you deal with that supplier directly.
Who sets the price?
The partner supplier does. Pricing is by quote and depends on the species, grade, quantity, any milling, and pickup or delivery.
Can a supplier match wood I already have?
Mention it in your request and ask the supplier. Matching depends on species, age, and finish, as well as on what is available, so a close match is not always possible.
Is reclaimed wood free of nails?
Not always. It depends on how the supplier has prepared it. Ask before you buy, and scan any reclaimed board yourself before you run it through a saw or planer.
Ready to Work with Reclaimed?
Whether you need flooring, beams, or a stack of dimensional lumber, or you have wood to sell, start with a free, no-obligation quote request.