What to Do With a Storm-Fallen Tree (and When It's Worth Milling)

A big wind or ice storm comes through, and suddenly you've got a tree on the ground — or leaning hard enough that it has to come down. The first question is almost always the same: haul it off, cut it for firewood, or is there actually usable lumber in there?

A lot of the time there is. Portable sawyers do this work constantly. They bring a bandsaw mill to your place, cut the logs into boards or beams on site, and leave you with material you can use for a shed, furniture, flooring, or just stick away for later projects. You don't have to drag multi-ton logs to a commercial mill.

When it's usually worth milling

• The trunk is reasonably straight and at least 10–12 inches in diameter at the small end
• You can get a few clear 8- to 16-foot sections
• The tree isn't full of old fence wire, nails, or hardware (common with yard and pasture trees)
• You're okay with green lumber that will need to dry, or you can find someone who also does kiln drying

If the tree is heavily branched, rotten in the center, or mostly limb wood, firewood or chipping is often the more honest answer. A good sawyer will tell you that on the phone or after a quick look.

What it typically costs

Most portable sawyers charge either by the board foot (often in the $0.25–$0.50 range) or by the hour ($60–$125 is common). A single decent-sized log might run $40–$100 to mill, plus a travel or setup fee depending on how far they have to come.

You can get a rough idea before you call with the free board foot calculator. Measure the small-end diameter (inside the bark) and the usable length, plug those in, and you'll have a planning number.

A few practical notes

• Clear a flat-ish working area if you can. The mill needs room to set up and roll logs.
• Tell the sawyer about any known metal, old cables, or previous building sites nearby. Hitting metal ruins blades and slows everything down.
• Green lumber will shrink and can move as it dries. If you need it for furniture or flooring soon, ask about air-drying time or kiln options.
• Some sawyers will also help with bucking the tree into log lengths; others expect the logs already cut and stacked.

Finding someone in Washington

Washington has a strong network of portable and small-scale sawyers — over a hundred listed, including many who specifically do on-site work. Start here:

Portable sawmills in Washington →

If you're in New Hampshire or nearby, the same kind of operators are listed here:

Portable sawmills in New Hampshire →

Or just browse all sawmills and filter by mobile / on-site service.

Most will talk through the job on the phone and give you a realistic sense of cost and timeline. No hard sell required — they do this work every week after storms.