I'm confused, I'm planning out a rather large (for me anyway) project and am trying to determine the least expensive way to buy the lumber. I got a price sheet from one of the leading hardwood lumber companies in town. Their prices are in line with everyone else, sometimes a few pennies cheaper and they are the only ones who publish a price sheet.
Anyway, my assumption is that rough lumber takes less effort for the lumber company, so it should be cheaper. That appears to be wrong:
Rough Walnut, 4/4 is $4.60 bd/ft
Milled Walnut 1x6 (.75" x 5.5") is $3.55 per lineal foot.
An example using an 8' board:
((1 * 6)/12) * 8) * $4.60 = $18.40 (4 rough board feet)
Mill that rough piece down to standard size, and you get
((.75 * 5.5)/12 * 8) = 2.75 ft.
$18.40/2.75 ft = $6.69 per lineal foot for the rough board.
If you were to buy that same 8' board already milled to standard 1x6 size,
((.75 * 5.5)/12 * 8) * 3.55 = $9.76
So, if my calculations are correct, you are paying roughly 88% more so that you can mill it yourself! I don't understand, I would assume that the more you do yourself, the cheaper it is. Surely I'm doing something wrong.