Timber Cost: This figure is arrived at by taking the volume of timber, (the board footage) required for the frame and multiplying it against the current mill price. This price fluctuates somewhat as we still treat trees as commodities; we are currently using the price of $1.20/board foot to estimate our frames. White pine is currently $0.90/board foot. Delivery by our local mill is $100/1,000 board feet. Our local miller cuts very true timbers and of high quality, gradable lumber. However, we are sometimes required to re-square a portion of the timbers, and we also have to factor in handling/loading, peg cost, and waste allowance. With all this, the embodied cost per board foot of white pine is around $1.15, we then add on a margin for error and unforeseen market rises in delivery and material. The catch is, you only pay what it costs, we just prefer to be on the high side rather than trying to explain at a later date why we are asking you for more money. All frames assume that the timber species is white pine, other species quotes are available for all frames, we just prefer to check with the mill to get the current rate for beech, oak, poplar, spruce, hemlock, etc.

Cutting Labour: Our in shop/in town rate, (within 45 minutes drive of Marmora, Ontario), is $30 per person per hour. Out of town our rate is $35 per person per hour. We do not require per diem reimbursements, and if camping is readily available to your construction site we do not transfer accommodation costs.

We’ve cut thousands of mortises and tenons and have a good sense of how long each frame will take to cut and assemble and raise, it is based on this experience that we estimate the cutting of our frames. That said, you only pay for what we work and never above our estimated hours; travel time is at half our out of town wage.

Raising Labour: This only covers the estimated person hours involved in assembling and raising a given frame. It assumes the availability of a forklift; on larger frames a crane will be required for one to two days for the actual raising. We’ve done hand raising and would love to do more of it, so if you have lots of gung-ho friends and family we’ll make a party out of getting your frame up and pegged.

Raising a timber frame takes a fair amount of planning. There are many things that are out of our control that can delay and add time to a raising. Specifically, weather, site terrain and conditions, or the failure of a general contractor to provide timely scheduling of needed equipment and materials. Obviously we do everything we can to make the process fluid but we have to bill for hours worked when on site.

Delivery: This is a rate for delivery from our shop in Marmora, Ontario to any site within 150 km. We also take care of the unloading labour at your site. Larger frames may require a forklift on the receiving end. Delivery for sites out of this area are quoted on a by-the-job basis and may require a site visit to ensure clean orchestration of delivery.

Total Cost: Simply the sum of all of the above.

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