Are you looking to buy some wood from hardware stores, but don’t want the hassle of having to cut the wood yourself? You may be wondering: Will Home Depot cut wood for you?
The answer is yes; Home Depot will cut wood for you. Further, Home Depot will make a certain number of cuts free of charge. However, there are some conditions that apply to their wood cutting services, and prices can vary by store. So read the rest of this article to find out the full details.
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Will Home Depot Cut Wood For You?
Home Depot will cut wood for you, but only the wood that they sell in store. This means that you can’t bring your own wood into the store and have them cut it.
Having wood cut at Home depot is straight forward, visit their lumber section and select the wood boards or sheets that you need. The lumber and wood cutting section is typically located at the back of store and has lots of highly visible signs, making it hard to miss.
Most people who buy wood from hardware stores don’t own large trucks or vans that would enable them to transport large boards or large sheets of wood home. With this in mind, the main purpose of Home Depot’s wood cutting service is to reduce the size and length of the lumber. This is so that their customers can transport their wood home in smaller vehicles.
Home Depot’s wood cutting service is available at all of their stores. This means there’s no need to worry if you move to a different state or city, whatever Home Depot is nearest to you will offer the wood cutting service.
How Much Does It Cost To Have Home Depot Cut Wood For You?
So now we know the answer to ‘will Home Depot cut wood for you’, the next question is inevitable, what’s the price? Officially, Home Depot stores will provide 2 cuts free of charge, and then you’ll have to pay for each cut thereafter. However, this can vary as some stores will offer up to 5 wood cuts free of charge. We have found that if you ask very nicely, lumber associates will often give you 5 free cuts. But do not rely on that, as it’s not official Home Depot wood cutting policy.
After your free cuts, the pricing can vary. Typically, Home Depot will charge 25 cents per cut, but some stores may charge 50 cents per cut. If you want to get as many free cuts as possible, and then pay the lowest price possible for each wood cut, then being friendly and respectful to the sales associate will give you a good chance.
Home Depot Wood Cutting Policy: What’s Included In Home Depot’s Wood Cutting Service?
Home Depot have installed panel saws and radial saws in their stores, and have well trained staff who are very skilled at using these powerful saws.
They also have a trim station where you can trim the wood yourself, if that’s all you need. However, you can also get assistance with trimming wood, if you prefer.
Lumber associates will do crosscuts and rip plywood sheets using a panel saw. The panel saws are large enough to hold a full sheet of plywood, so you can get your plywood cut down to smaller practical sizes very easily.
Dimensional lumber that’s 1 inch and 2 inch depth will be cut to length using a modified radial arm saw. Keep in mind that very large or thick lumber cannot be cut at Home Depot. Nor will they do rip any boards.
Will Home Depot Cut Your Own Wood That You Bring In?
Home Depot’s wood cutting policy is that they will not cut wood that you bring in from your home or that you purchased from a different company. Home Depot will only cut wood that you purchase from them in store.
The purpose of Home Depot offering a free cutting service is to motivate people to buy wood from them. Home Depot want to sell as much wood as possible, that means they need to make it as easy and as convenient as possible for customers to buy wood from them.
Offering a free cutting service, followed by very low cost cuts gives customers the incentive needed to motivate them to purchase wood from Home Depot.
What Type Of Wood Will Home Depot Cut?
Home depot will cut whatever wood they sell in store, which is virtually all lumber, project boards and plywood. Lumber wood includes species like pine, spruce, cedar, fir and hemlock.
Keep in mind that the saws at Home Depot have size restrictions, meaning that very large sheets of wood cannot be cut.
What Types Of Cuts Does Home Depot Offer?
It’s mentioned earlier in this article that the main purpose of Home Depot’s wood cutting service is to reduce the size of the wood to make it easier to transport in smaller vehicles.
With this in mind, it wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that Home Depot’s official wood cutting policy is that they offer rough cuts only, rather than project cuts.
What Are Rough Cuts For Wood?
Rough cuts for wood are what they sound like, cuts designed to break down the size of wood so the wood can be transported in small cars and vehicles. Having your wood rough cut will not result in your wood being cut down to small precise pieces. This means that you will have to measure and cut your wood into the size and shapes that you need in order to complete your wood project.
What Are Project Cuts For Wood?
Project cuts for wood are the opposite of rough cuts. They are the carefully measured and precise cuts that you make to assemble or build your wood project. Often, you’ll use a variety of saws to make project cuts, such as a miter saw, a circular saw, a jigsaw or band saw. You may also use various hand saws to create your project cuts.
As you’ve probably figured out, project cuts take a lot of time and effort, and are relied upon for the proper and accurate completion of a project. It would require a lot of time, intensive training and labor resources from Home Depot to offer project cuts. This is why Home Depot have chosen to only offer rough cuts for wood.
Does Home Depot Cut Wood At Angles?
Home Depot’s wood cutting service does not include cutting wood at angles. Their wood cutting service only provides for straight cuts.
If a customer wants an angled cut, it’s likely they are seeking a project cut – an exact cut that allows him or her to accurately complete a project. But this would make Home Depot liable in the event the angled cut was not good enough for the customer to complete the wood project. This would make the customer unhappy and could cause lots of customer service issues.
Making such precise angled cuts requires training. It would also put stress and pressure on lumber associates to get the angle correct right down to the millimeter.
There are also safety issues to consider, as making any cuts other than straight cuts can result in an increased risk of injury.
Does Home Depot Cut Wood Into Shapes?
Home Depot does not cut wood into shapes. Shape cuts and angled cuts both come under the category of project cuts, and are not offered by Home Depot.
The reasons for not offering shape cutting are the same as the reasons for not offering angled cuts. Simply put, offering shape cuts could result in very unhappy customers if the shape is not precise enough for the customer to complete their wood project.
It also takes a lot of time to make several precise cuts and we all know how busy Home Depot stores can be. Considering that, it’s not practical to offer shape cutting as it would result in long queues at the wood cutting section.
Does Home Depot Put Size Restrictions On The Wood?
The size of wood that can be cut at Home Depot varies from store to store, because some stores are larger than others. This means the room available for wood cutting can be a little smaller in come stores, or a little larger in other stores.
On top of the actual physical space available, the saws they use to cut wood have size restrictions. This means that some of the wider project boards you can purchase from them cannot be cut in store. One example is that Home Depot cannot crosscut lumber that’s 4” x 4” or bigger.
It’s best to call up your local Home Depot store and check with them what size restrictions that specific store has.
Where Can I Get Wood Cut Besides Home Depot?
The big box hardware stores don’t have the monopoly on wood cutting services, and there are other places you can get your wood cut down to size.
Get Wood Cut At Lumber Yards or Sawmills
The vast majority of lumber yards and sawmills will also have wood cutting services. Lumber yards and sawmills will typically offer custom and bespoke wood cuts, not just simple rough cuts. This is because they are staffed by highly skilled wood and trades specialists.
The types of custom and bespoke wood cuts on offer will include cutting at angles and cutting wood into shapes. Being that lumber yards normally sell to trade customers; they know how important it is to offer precise cuts that are accurate down to the millimeter.
For these lumber yards, a big part of their reputation depends on being exact with their wood cutting, so you’ll normally find exemplary project cuts and custom wood cutting services from them.
How Much Does It Cost To Get Wood Cut At Lumber Yards And Sawmills?
As you might expect, getting project cuts and bespoke wood cuts done by highly skilled specialists will cost more than big box stores like Home Depot.
Pricing will vary from yard to yard, so it’s best to phone up the lumber yard and ask them directly. With that being said, we have found the pricing is value for money and worth it to avoid the time and hassle of having to cut the wood yourself. Especially if you don’t have the skills needed for making precise wood cuts and cutting shapes.
Get Wood Cut At Maker Spaces
Maker spaces are workshops or rooms that are designed for learning and making things. Makerspaces are generally focussed on woodwork, metalwork and other types of construction and engineering.
The great thing about Maker Spaces is that they have lots of high end tools and expensive equipment installed. This makes them perfect for completing DIY and construction projects.
But moreover, makerspaces have expertly skilled trades people on site, meaning that they will often cut wood for you. And since they have the advanced equipment and tools, as well as expert skills, they will often do custom project cuts and bespoke wood cuts for you.
Another great benefit of maker spaces is that because they have experts craftsmen and women on site, they can also give you advice about your DIY headaches you may be having. For example, if your struggling with how to stop a bed from sliding on a wood floor. Or if you’re looking for ways to remove paint from hardwood floors.
How Much Does It Cost To Get Wood Cut At Maker Spaces?
The pricing for getting wood cut at Makerspaces will vary. Generally, we’ve found them to be a bit higher than Home Depot and other big box hardware stores. But this is to be expected given that they’re making precise project wood cuts for you.
As is the case with Lumber Yards and sawmills, it’s a good idea to phone up your local maker space and ask them about pricing directly.
Final Thoughts on Will Home Depot Cut Wood For You?
If you’ve made it this far through the article then you’ll definitely know the answer to the question; will Home Depot cut wood for you. Home Depot will happily cut wood for you, and even provide a certain number of cuts for free. This is a great option if you only need the wood cut down to size for easy transportation.
Home Depot is very flexible with the type of wood they’ll cut and the size of the wood as well. They really do their best to make things easy and convenient for their customers. It may also be useful for you to know the answer to the question; will Lowe’s cut wood for you?
Keep in mind that even though the answer is yes to; will Home Depot cut wood for you, if you need project cuts and custom cuts then you’ll need to seek out more specialist woodworking companies, like Lumber Yards, sawmills and Makerspaces.