How to compare haulable and economical lumber purchases

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Switch between Fits in my SUV (8' sticks) and Most economical in Settings to match your lumber list to how you haul stock home.

Getting lumber home in a hatchback or SUV often matters just as much as minimizing board-foot cost. Sawdust's Lumber buying preference lets you switch between standard eight-foot sticks and longer 12- to 16-foot boards so your shopping list and cut sheet match how you actually buy stock.

1. Set your Lumber buying preference in Settings

  1. Click Settings in the top workshop bar.
  2. Locate Lumber buying and choose between the two stock-planning modes:
  3. Fits in my SUV (8' sticks) (default): packs cuts onto standard eight-foot (96") boards whenever an eight-foot stick is available and long enough for the individual part.
  4. Most economical: considers longer 12- to 16-foot stock when longer boards reduce waste or lower the total purchase cost.
Sawdust Settings modal showing Language, Local stock, Units, Precision, and Lumber buying options: Fits in my SUV (8' sticks) and Most economical.

2. Compare the resulting cut layout and shopping list

Open Publish -> Print or Publish -> Guide to inspect the updated stock packing diagram and bill of materials. Where the two modes differ, you can compare the board counts, offcut waste, and total lengths required.

Sawdust cut sheet showing six mitered struts packed onto two 96-inch 2x4 boards with offcuts labeled.

Continue with How to read a Sawdust cut sheet and How to write and share a woodworking guide in Sawdust.