Where to Buy Lumber in Pueblo, Colorado
Lumber can be divided into two categories:
Specialty lumber, which is typically used for fencing, decking, or siding.
Commodity lumber, which is typically used for building structures (e.g., roof trusses).
Most lumber suppliers focus on one or the other.
Note: You may need smaller pieces of wood for projects such as cabinetry or furniture making. However, these projects often require an entirely different set of products (i.e., wood laminate, bamboo webbing) so suppliers for those projects are not covered here.
In this guide, we cover eight places to buy lumber in (or near) Pueblo, categorized by what they sell. Since we know the most about our own company and products, we’ll take a deep dive into our own lumber yard: Rocky Mountain Forest Products.
Rocky Mountain Forest Products offers a wide selection of hardwood and softwood materials (as well as some composite material) for fencing, decking, and siding projects. Our product experts will help you find the right grade, size, and style for your project — reach out or stop by today.
Specialty Lumber Suppliers
Specialty lumber suppliers will typically have various sizes and shapes of softwood and hardwood products for fencing, decking, and siding. Some will also offer composite materials (e.g., Trex decking) and other materials such as iron railing, stain, etc. that are needed to complete fencing, decking, and siding projects.
Although many specialty lumber suppliers sound the same on the surface, there are differences to look for that will impact how much you spend and the final result of your project.
The first consideration that most people immediately think of is the variety of supplies offered — do they give you options and have what you need? This is a great place to start, but there are also other factors to consider. We cover some of these differences while discussing our own lumber yard, Rocky Mountain Forest Products. We’ll also cover Rush’s Pueblo Lumber Co.
Rocky Mountain Forest Products
Rocky Mountain Forest Products is one of the only specialty lumber companies near Pueblo. We cater to contractors and DIYers who are building fences or decks, or putting up siding.
Most lumber yards use a distribution chain where there are several middlemen (e.g., remanufacturing facilities, other lumber yards) between them and the mill. This has a couple main disadvantages:
Each step you add to the distribution chain typically adds to the final purchase price for the consumer.
More middle men means they’re further removed from the source, which means they have less control over the product.
On the other hand, Rocky Mountain Forest Products purchases lumber directly from the mill, which means:
Cost-savings: Mill-direct lumber is typically cheaper without compromising on quality. We pass these cost-savings on to you.
Fast availability: We always have a large supply and a large variety of materials available. Plus, we can accommodate any custom design you need. Other lumber yards often only have a small sample and then order more of what you need. Even if they have fast delivery, it’s still faster (and often cheaper) to simply walk out with what you need in one trip.
Consistent quality: Wholesalers will often lump multiple grades of wood together and sell it for one price. This means you may be overpaying for lower quality wood, you won’t know the specific quality of wood you’re getting, and you’ll have fewer grades of wood to choose from. All of our products are graded and priced according to their true quality.
Most of our staff has been with us for 3+ years and have extensive knowledge about all of our products. Plus, we’ll follow up with you throughout your project to see if we can offer any further assistance and to see how your project turned out — or, in the case of contractors, we follow up to see if you won the bid.
Rocky Mountain Forest Products has showrooms in Colorado Springs, Denver, and Arvada. We deliver anywhere in Colorado, including Pueblo. We also ship orders anywhere in the continental United States.
Overview of Products
Rocky Mountain Forest Products offers three grades of lumber:
Rustic, which may have visual defects on all four sides but is structurally sound.
Standard, which may have visual defects on two or three sides but these can often be hidden by turning the defect away from the main viewpoint.
Premium, which will be visually appealing on all four sides.
This allows you to decide whether visual appeal or price is your main concern. It also lets you decide what you mean by ‘visually appealing’. For example, some prefer the rustic look because it adds character while others prefer the more pristine look of premium wood.
Note: When deciding which type of wood is best for your project, cedar is better suited to the dry, Colorado heat than pressure treated pine. While pressure treated pine is resistant to rot, mold, and insects, it will warp, twist, and crack in dry, hot climates. On the other hand, cedar and redwood are naturally resistant to rot, mold, and insect damage and will hold up under dry heat. That’s why we always recommend cedar or redwood over pressure treated pine for fencing, decking, and siding built in Colorado (hardwood lumber is also a good option for decks).
Most of our wood products fall under three categories:
Fencing
Decking
Siding
Fencing
We offer any length or width you need for any style of privacy fence, post and dowel fences, split rail fences, and ranch rail fences. We also provide additional materials for building a fence, such as mesh, nails, etc.
For more information on fencing, read our guide on fencing supplies in Colorado Springs.
Decking
We offer a wide variety of softwood and hardwood decking materials including cedar, redwood, pine, ipe, mahogany, red balau, garapa, and more. We also offer a selection of composite decking. We also provide additional materials for building a deck, including stain, railing, post caps, and more.
For more information on decking, read our post on decking lumber.
Siding
We offer many different siding options including log lap, shiplap, bevel, tongue and groove, and log siding. We also support custom designs.
Rocky Mountain Forest Products also offers reclaimed lumber and beetle kill pine for those who want a unique effect for their project.
Finally, we offer beams and timbers for structural projects where you want the supporting frame to be structurally sound and visually appealing.
Customer Reviews
“The staff from the counter to the loading are outstanding in service…As a contractor pressed for time, they are aware of that and get you out as fast as they can… The quality of the products are superior to what is available at the big box stores. It is well worth it to purchase products from Rocky Mountain Forest Products.”
— Don. L
“Their prices were competitive with the big box stores plus they also sell No. 1 grade lumber which the big box stores do not carry. I worked with Blake on ordering the materials and he was very knowledgeable in helping me order the correct amount of materials… I would not hesitate to order materials from them in the future and I would not hesitate recommending their services to friends and family.”
— Randy and Karen O.
“The salesman was very personable. The cedar pickets are very clean and cut accurately. An excellent product. Everything was banded and ready to be picked up. A very good experience.”
— Carol B.
“Whether you need a board or a truckload of lumber, Rocky Mountain Forest Products is it! I’ve bought lots of exotic hardwood for a deck project from these guys and it’s always been a great experience.”
— Wayson L.
Reach out or stop by today to see how Rocky Mountain Forest Products can help you save money and choose the right wood for your project.
Rush’s Pueblo Lumber Co.
Rush’s Pueblo Lumber Co. offers hardwoods, reclaimed wood, and more. It’s a family owned business that’s been around for over 100 years. Reviews suggest that their staff is knowledgeable and that they offer a wide selection of lumber products.
Commodity Lumber Suppliers
Commodity lumber suppliers typically sell dimensional lumber for framing and supporting buildings. Among commodity lumber suppliers, the biggest factors to consider are:
Availability and variety of building materials
Staff expertise
Here are two commodity lumber suppliers in the Pueblo area to consider.
Pueblo Truss Co. specializes in prefabricated floor and roof trusses for residential, commercial, and industrial building projects. They deliver anywhere in Pueblo.
Pueblo Wood Products provides crates, pallets, rough cut green (i.e., untreated) pine lumber, and landscaping material such as sawdust and wood chips.
Big Box Stores
These suppliers are in their own category because they tend to share some common disadvantages and because many of them offer both commodity and specialty lumber.
Some disadvantages of big box stores include:
Grades get mixed together: To simplify pricing and inventory, most of these stores lump multiple grades of wood together and sell it for one price. This means you’ll likely be overpaying for low quality wood and you won’t have any control over the quality of wood you receive.
Low supply in stock: Because these stores try to sell everything from lumber to screwdrivers, they have less room for large supplies of any one product. That means you’ll likely have to order the materials you need, which isn’t always possible.
Inventory gets shuffled around between stores: As stores bring new products in and rearrange their store, they often share and trade inventory with other distant locations. Often, this results in lower inventory because all of the best material is typically bought first and they won’t order more until the lower quality materials are purchased as well.
Lack of expertise: Most of the staff at big box stores are temporary workers with little to no expertise on the products they’re selling. This means you’ll be on your own to choose the right product for your needs.
Higher prices: Because these big box stores often use a long distribution chain, prices are often high.
Despite these downsides, there are several big box stores to choose from in the Pueblo area:
Lowe’s offers a wide selection of building supplies from dimensional lumber to lattice composite decking.
Home Depot is better known for supporting DIYers with small home improvements and remodels rather than big contractors. They offer a selection of decking, fencing, and siding materials and some dimensional lumber.
Builders FirstSource is focused more on commodity lumber than specialty lumber, however, they do have a limited selection of decking, siding, and fencing materials.
Cameron Ashley Building Products has a selection of decking, siding, and dimensional lumber. They focus more on construction projects rather than small home projects.
Rocky Mountain Forest Products is one of the only specialty lumber suppliers in the Pueblo area. We offer a wide selection of products and will support you throughout your entire project — reach out or stop by today.
