10 Best Places That Will Cut Wood for You (FREE)

If you need wood cut there are plenty of options.

Whether you’re completing a DIY projects and you don’t have a saw or your saw has just bit the dust – finding a place to cut wood for you is easier than you might think.

In this post, I’ll uncover some of the best places that will cut wood for you so you can get your projects complete. Let’s dig in!

Best Places That Will Cut Wood for You

1. Lowe’s

Lowe’s is one of the most popular home improvement stores in the nation. With over 1,700 locations across the country – it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a Lowe’s in your area.

Lowe’s will cut wood that’s purchased from the store. This means that you can’t bring in your own wood, but if you buy it from them – they’ll cut it for you.

One thing that I’ve run into in the past is that sometimes their cutting machines are down, which can be super frustrating. So I always recommend calling them beforehand to make sure you can take advantage of their free wood cutting service.

Lowe’s also won’t be able to make more specialty cuts, but they can offer both rip cuts or crosscuts from their free cutting services.

If you need more advanced cuts, your local lumber yard might be a better option.

Finally, most home improvement stores will only cut certain types of wood. For example, they might cut large sheets of plywood, but not exotic woods like hardwoods. Some stores might also avoid pressure treated wood because of the chemicals used to treat them.

2. Home Depot

Just like Lowe’s, Home Depot is another super common home improvement store with over 2,300 stores nationwide.

Home Depot also features free wood cutting services if you purchase wood directly from them. They offer up to 5 cuts for free, but after that they might begin to charge – so keep that in mind when planning ahead.

Just like with Lowe’s, it’s best to call ahead to ensure their wood cutting machine is in working order.

It’s also worth noting that they won’t make every type of cut you need and they might not be as precise of cuts as you want. For example, don’t expect them to make custom cuts like angles or curves. They also might not be capable of cutting wood that is thicker or contains non-wood material.

Therefore if you need an extremely accurate cut, I wouldn’t recommend Home Depot to cut wood for you.

3. Menards

Menards is a smaller home improvement store when compared to the giants like Lowe’s and Home Depot. They have over 300 stores across the country, mainly in the mid-west.

Menards can be more hit-or-miss when it comes to having wood cut.

While many Menards locations will offer a free cutting service – I’ve found that it’s much more unreliable than other places and varies from store to store.

I would highly recommend calling ahead to see what they can do for you before you spend time going to the store.

4. Lumber Yard

Local lumber yards can be great places to get wood cut for you. It only makes sense, since they’re the ones selling lumber in the first place.

Another benefit of getting wood cut at a lumber yard is that they likely have access to equipment that can cut lumber of any size big or small.

Some lumber yards might even offer a self service area for you to cut wood yourself, which can be super convenient if you know how to do it.

5. Ace Hardware (Occasionally)

Ace Hardware is another popular home improvement retailer, but significantly smaller than the likes of Lowe’s or Home Depot.

In terms of cutting wood, Ace is similar to Menards.

It varies from store to store and there are plenty of stores that don’t offer it at all.

Again, you’re not going to get custom cuts for your DIY projects from Ace – but if you need a simple rip cut – some locations can get the job done.

As far as costs are concerned, some Ace Hardware stores may charge a small fee if you have a large amount of cuts to make. But if you have just a few pieces, they’re typically free.

6. Local Hardware Store

If you have a small local hardware store, there’s a chance they can cut wood for you free of charge,

While it’s not guaranteed and will vary from store to store, if you don’t have one of the big box stores in your area, they’re worth a shot.

If they don’t have a dedicated wood cutting machine, they might have a circular saw or table saw dedicated to cutting wood for customers.

7. Local Woodshops

Depending on where you live, you might have a local wood shop in your area that will gladly cut wood for you.

These places can offer more advanced cutting services so if you need more specialty cuts, I’d definitely give them a try.

They’ll have all of the cutting tools needed to cut lumber of most sizes and they can help you get exactly what you’re looking for.

8. Friends and Family

While you might not have the tools and supplies to cut wood, there’s a decent chance you might have a friend or family member that does.

If you need wood cut, consider reaching out to them to see if they’d be willing to help you out.

Even if they don’t want to make the cuts themselves, they may have the cutting tools required so you can do the work.

If you’ve never cut wood before, be sure to use the proper safety gear before getting started.

9. Carpenters & Woodworkers

If you have a local carpenter or woodworker in the area, try giving them a call and seeing if they can cut wood for you.

There’s a good chance they’ll do it, and maybe even for free – depending on the type of cut.

Because they already have the skills, experience, and equipment to cut wood, they can offer advanced wood cutting services for anyone.

Just be aware that they might be busy on their own projects, so they might not be able to cut wood same day like other options.

10. Trade Schools

Lastly, trade schools can be a great place to have wood cut while helping students learn.

These schools will have all of the woodworking tools required to make straight cuts, angled cuts, and more.

They’ll typically offer free wood cutting services, so you won’t have to spend any money to get your wood cut.

How Much Does it Cost to Have Wood Cut for You?

Good news! Many places will offer a free wood cutting service so long as you purchase the wood from the store.

Some stores or locations may begin to charge you after a few free cuts, but it usually cost less than $2 per cut after that – although I’ve never been charged for having wood cut even after 5 cuts.

Additionally, some cutting services may make simple, straight cuts for free but charge for more advanced cuts.

For an exact answer, it’s always best to call beforehand so you know what you’re getting into.

What to Keep in Mind When Using Wood Cutting Services

There are some things to keep in mind when using wood cutting services. Here’s a few tips:

• Tell the associate exactly what you want or need. This will help to avoid mistakes and ensure you get exactly what you want. They can also tell you if they aren’t able to make that cut and who might be able to.
• Ask for their advice! Depending on which wood cutting service you use, there’s a decent chance they’re an expert at what they do. If you need wood cut a certain way, ask them what the best what to accomplish it would be.
• Double check the cut before leaving. Once you’ve had your wood cut, double check that’s it’s what you want before leaving. This will help to ensure you don’t have to come back to get another piece cut.
• Plan for wasted wood. Anytime you’re cutting wood, you’re going to have some waste. Don’t expect it to be any different when someone else do it for you. Just be sure you plan to lose some of the wood being cut so you know how much to buy.
• Don’t expect precise cuts. Most wood cutting services are designed to offer rough cuts that don’t need to be perfect. If you need a more accurate cut, you might want to invest in the tools to do it yourself.

Final Thoughts

There are many different places that will cut wood for you if you’re in a pinch. While not all of them will offer advanced or specialty cuts – many of them will offer basic cuts that can get the job done.

Lowe’s, Home Depot, Menards, Ace Hardware, and local lumber yards are all great places for cutting wood.

I always recommend calling ahead of time to save yourself some time in the future if they’re unable to cut wood for you.

If you need more precision cuts or angled cuts, try to find a local wood shop or call a carpenter or woodworker who can likely get it done for you.

Finally, if you don’t want to mess with finding a wood cutting service, considering purchasing pre cut wood.