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Shipping Information

Let me start off by saying I'm not in the shipping business, so what it costs me is what it costs you. I routinely and closely monitor the costs associated with shipping and the costs between FedEx and UPS mirror each other and are nearly identical.

All of our lumber shipments are made either by FedEx Home Delivery, FedEx Ground Delivery, FedEx International Priority, FedEx International Economy, USPS, YRC or FedEx Freight(common carriers). Most shipments up to 100 board feet are sent via FedEx Ground Delivery or FedEx Home Delivery. Shipments in excess of 100 board feet are generally sent via YRC or FedEx Freight. Parcels under 40 pounds and under 42" in length can be shipped via the USPS if requested. We will always ship by the cheapest method to ensure that our customer gets the very best rate available to us. Each method of shipping has advantages and disadvantages.

FedEx Shipping Guidelines
Packages sent to a residential address are typically 8 feet or less in length, measure less than 130" in length, width and height combined and are 70lbs or less. These are considered standard shipments. FedEx will also accept packages that measures up to a maximum length of 9 feet however, these shipments will be subject to an $80 oversize-package charge for packages that are 96" or longer. If you wish, we custom cut our lumber to your specs to avoid all oversized charges at no extra cost to you.

FedEx Ground Delivery is used for delivery to business address locations set apart from a residence or home location. Home businesses do not qualify as a business location. FedEx shipments to a business location follow the same general guidelines for 130" in length, width and height combined however, these shipments can weigh up to 90lbs in weight. FedEx will also accept Ground Delivery packages that measures up to a maximum length of 9 feet and 150lbs in total weight but they will be subject to an $80 oversize-package charge.
Complicated...Confused? You now know what I have to deal with on a daily basis.

Questions? ... Email Me.

Please Read Important Shipping And Reduced Shipping Cost Information
Most of our material is shipped via FedEx to your door. It is securely packaged in heavy gauge cardboard and guaranteed to reach you without damage. We get many compliments about our packaging!

Computing shipping cost is always a problem with the items offered on this site because nothing is standard. Every item has a different size and weight which presents multiple problems with software computation. If you are ordering more than one item the actual shipping cost may be much less than the computed shipping cost at checkout. This is because the software does not know how I will package the material if there are multiple items ordered as it computes the shipping cost per item box. More than likely I will be able to package both items in one box and still remain within FedEx shipping specs. This will drastically reduce shipping cost. This situation can be handled in one of two ways.

(1) You can pay the rate computed by the software and I will refund the overcharge via your payment method.

(2) In the "Please Select Box" choose "Contact Us For Best Shipping Rates". You may then checkout and I will charge the reduced rate via your method of payment on my end of the transaction.

The two best ways to reduce shipping cost are when possible have the material cut to less than 48" in length so that the total package length is 48" or less and/or ship to a business location. Packages that are over 48" in length and those that are sent to a home location are subject to an $8 to $12 service delivery fee for each instance. So, having a long package cut to less than 48" in length and having it shipped to a business location can potentially save as much as $24 in shipping cost.

If you would like to know the approximate reduced shipping rate please call or email me and I would be happy to provide you with the info if you provide your shipping address. We are not in the shipping business and we only charge what we are charged plus a small packaging fee to recover packaging materials and time.

Common Carrier Guidelines
Common Carrier has no restrictions when it comes to shipping lumber. It is however a much more expensive method of shipping smaller quantities of lumber. However, for larger quantities of lumber 200 board feet or more it becomes a much cheaper method of shipping. Another added advantage to common carrier shipping is that it is possible to ship 9', 10', 12' or 14' length material by this method at no extra charge. Remember also unless you are a business you will be charged an extra $50 - $70 charge for a non-commercial home delivery. You may of course pick your shipment up at the nearest terminal at no extra cost to you. I always ship via common carrier when quantities are over 200 board feet because this method is much more efficient and cheaper.

USPS Shipping Guidelines
Because of size and weight limitations we discourage using the USPS as your shipping agent. Generally the longest parcel they will accept is in the range of 40" long and 40 pounds in weight. It is however a good choice in sending luthier items, because of their size, to anywhere in the world because of USPS's service range and at times pricing. Please email me about shipping cost if you live outside of the USA and we will gladly get back with you with quotes.

International Shipping
In general, I can ship to any country in the world using one method or another. My primary shipper for international shipments is through FedEx International Priority or FedEx International Economy. These shipment are fast, reliable and to date I have not had an issue with an international shipment. Due to the volume of shipments I make to our international customers, I'm part of a special discount shipping program through FedEx which can see discounts as much as 90% on international shipments. There are some countries however, where FedEx is not the least expensive shipping method and I revert to using the postal service. I will check both services for the least expensive method but if there is only a difference of a few dollars I will choose FedEx over the postal service due to reliability and ease of shipment and delivery.

Of special note with international shipments, I have no way of determining each countries duties, taxes or levies on foreign shipments or the exhaustive customs requirements. Any additional country specific fees for duties or taxes are the responsibility of the customer and are not inclusive of the shipping cost you pay at checkout. I have all required shipping certificates certifying my wood has been appropriately treated which will be included with each shipment. To date, I have a 100% success rate on getting each shipment to the customer without incident.

Lastly, due to the complexities of international shipping, an estimated shipping cost will not be provided during checkout since each shipment needs to be manually computed for the best rate. If you are interested in knowing the cost of an international shipment please send me a note through the "Contact Us" link on the top right hand corner of the homepage. Please include at a minimum the items that you are interested in as well as your postal code and I will get back to you as soon as possible Monday through Friday.

MapleLeaf Shipping Policies

So there you have the dilemmas of shipping choices. I would recommend FedEx for all shipments under 100 board feet and occasionally up to 200 board feet depending on the situation. They deliver to your door and are efficient in doing so. Besides that if you can get your quantities over the 200 pound magic number (60bf) your shipping cost is greatly reduced by as much as 20% over the normal charges per package. This is because I have a contract with FedEx where they extend discounted rates starting at 200 pound shipping weights. I am not in the shipping business so I will gladly extend this discount to you.

I will by default ship all material under 100 board feet via FedEx Ground or Home Delivery so please give me your cutting instruction for boards over 8 foot long when you place your order in the box provided at checkout. Please indicate the shipping agent you want me to use for your shipment if it is different from my default method. Please note.....If I have your shipping address listed in my data base from a previous order and you change your shipping address and do not indicate this change at the initial time of any new order I will not be responsible for any additional shipping charges in getting the item to you.

If we have to store your shipment for more than 30 days, prior to shipment to you, there will be an additional storage charge of $15/month due to the large amount of material coming and going through our shop and the lack of space for storage.

All retail lumber is end coated with protective sealer and is securely bound together to ensure that your lumber gets to you intact and in good shape. After shipment we will notify you of your shipping date and the FedEx tracking number or your common carrier pro number. These numbers will enable you to track your shipment in transit. To track your shipment tune into the appropriate shipping agent's web pages at FedEx or YRC , formerly Roadway Express. Thank you for choosing MapleLeaf Hardwoods for your quality lumber needs.