As a cabinet maker, I've been shopping at MacBeath for years. It's pretty much the only name in the game where you can walk on the floor and purchase just about any hardwood and it be a quick transaction. It was a hell of a lot more convenient when they had the SF location too... but that's ok. They sell raw and surfaced lumber for skilled craftsman and hobbyists. I see reviews about them cutting your materials wrong... if you are shopping at MacBeath you should be able to cut your own lumber precisely. They offer a long list of local vendors who can assist you further with your projects; cutting, fabricating, etc. They offer cut downs of plywood and lumber as a service so you can drive it home, not to do half the work of your project for you. Don't be lame and write a bad review for a lumber supplier when you're too cheap to hire a carpenter to do the work you clearly can't do on your own. read more

To be frank: We found the veneer that we were looking for and they probably have one of the best selection of veneers in the area. But: It was the first time that we planned to apply veneer to some furniture and we had some very basic questions. We talked to two people over there and either they had no knowledge or they just were annoyed that a customer had a question. Some examples: me: "What do we have to use to finish the Walnut veneer and get the dark wooden look?" Mac Beath: "You will have to finish the veneer." me: "Yes, we know. But what would we have to use to finish it?" Mac Beath: "There are all sorts." (Walking through the aisle. Basically pointing to everything.) me: "Right. Which one would you recommend?" Mac Beath: "They are all good." In the veneer section upstairs there is a big sign that tells you how to apply veneer to furniture. The sign warns you not to use a roller to apply the veener and to use a soft scraper instead. me: "Do you guys also have a scraper to apply the veneer?" Mac Beath: "You can use a roller" me: "Hmmm. You have a big sign up there that really points out no to use a roller at all." Mac Beath: "Hmmm." me: "Do you have that kind of scraper?" Mac Beath: "Go to a paint store." On top of that a second guy brought a metal scraper that would absolutely not usable, since it would simply put scratches on the veneer. Overall: The selection they have is great, but their employees are unfriendly, not helpful at all and it seemed to be their company policy to not to help customers that are willing to spend a couple of hundred of bucks with them. read more

To shop here, you must have prior knowledge of your wood, how it's priced, how it's measured for pricing, and especially how you must handle their stock if you want to pick your own, which I can't imagine anybody NOT wanting to do. Most customers here seem to be the type who'll ultimately work on the material themselves, whether contractors or hobbyists. There's a reasonable degree of self-serve to get in and out. They have excellent selection. Quality of the wood is as good as it gets. There's no other place nearby to get some of the species and/or sizes. The more common species like maple and red oak are also competitively priced against the nearby Home Depot, which carries only small boards anyway. However, this business establishment employs a number of mentally retarded individuals, some of whom are hard of hearing. Beware! And so with any mental retardation, there's often a lack of logical reasoning and clear communication. You just have to SHOUT your most basic words, get your stuff, then get the hell out. This is no exaggeration. Occasionally the big boss will walk out the back, and he seems knowledgeable if you can catch him. But you never know. They don't have much time for you. I certain won't accuse them of anything vile or corrupt. I don't wish them gone. This place is a good resource for woodworkers. They provide something that I want, that I need, that I love -- high quality kiln-dried hardwood. And that's why I keep coming back. Now if only they had better CUSTOMER-RELATIONS skills, this place would be a gem. But for over 10 years that I've been the occasional customer, it's always been a mix -- there's marvel, enthusiasm, temperament -- and always some disappointment. Always I get home to convince myself that, yes, I should be glad that I've obtained my material. Basic goal achieved. Don't worry. Be happy. Three solid stars. Never higher. read more

A large selection of hardwood, as you'd expect. But ruined by the most condescending sales staff I've encountered in many years. The tall thin gent was particularly obnoxious. High prices to boot. Quite a contrast with Ashby Lumber, just down the street, where they actually seem to want your business. As other reviewers have noted, it feels like a club that doesn't want you as a member. read more

This place is great. They stock all manner of fine wood products from plywood to burl pieces. They've got a nice selection of pre-finished plywoods that blew me away. I am making a desk and it's great not to have to worry about applying a satin finish at the end. It's already been done to the maple plywood I bought and it looks great. They even helped me out and showed me how to apply a veneer strip along the edge for appearance's sake, and gave me advice on how best to cut the wood. Upstairs, they've got a room full of veneer sheeting. It looks like a map room in the library. Lots of wide, shallow drawers. I never realized that veneer was even available in such huge sizes. They've got lots of "exotics" for the craftsman in you. I love looking at the ebony and purple heart and such. Very cool stuff. And there was a great selection of laminated maple countertops. More than Ashby Lumber had. And of course there's a huge warehouse full of lumber. They deliberately don't dedicate a lot of floor space to construction-grade pine. That stuff is a commodity you can get anywhere and they don't try to compete with Home Depot on it. MacBeath's specializes in finer wood products. The staff is really knowledgeable and I found them very helpful. I'm not an expert carpenter but now I have a good idea about how to build a nice looking desk without too much work and without having to stink up my little apartment with he finishing process. Yay MacBeath's! They're not open Sundays. Open till 3 on Saturdays. read more

Was looking for a hard to find Hawaiian wood. Called just after they closed, hopeful but not expecting to get through. After I didn't get through, I sent them an email hoping to hear back before they closed tomorrow. Andy Landgraf replied to me after only two hours! The epitome of good customer service. They didn't have the rare wood I'm searching for, but next time this will be my first stop. Hope someone at their company sees this and appreciates the great job he is doing. Kudos to you Andy! read more

Materials for the skilled at heart...and I don't mean those working on any 5th grade spice rack. Mac Beath is all about wood materials to feast the eye. The offer new and old growth wood, perfect for either cabinetry or sculptural. Even raw pieces could be drilled and beautifully be placed on a metal base for full aesthetics. Enjoy great selection, hard to get and in quantities you need for that perfect wood solution. I found the staff more knowledgeable than anyone in either Home Depo or your standard / traditional lumber yard. read more

They helped me find flooring that I was told would be impossible to find in stock anywhere (Pacific Floors)! The people here were friendlier than Tulip Floors (who could special order the flooring for me but never got back to me) and they weren't even going to make money off of me! They really seemed to know their stuff and their wood selection seemed like what experts would want. Thanks guys! read more

I LOVE GETTING WOOD! REALLY, REALLY, HARD WOOD! If you want some hard wood too come here. Wood for miles and miles! Oak, Walnut,, Maple, Cherry, ....... ect...ect. Great veneers, wonderful stains, tools, and of course a bunch of grumpy wonderfully knowdegeable old farts that can tell you many a thing. read more

I went in looking for some wood I needed to purchase for a project and completely got the run around. I looked at everything they have and they actually have some really good quality stuff that I would have loved to bring home. I just kind of got the sense they didn't want to be bothered by anything so I'll search elsewhere and hopefully get a better response. read more

I love this place. My father started my off on wood working (hated it then, love it now). During a recent visit, I took him to MacBeath to just wander around. He loved looking at all the available woods. I get my water resistant plywood here, and to boot, it is not all that pricey. They also carry a handful of good products like the General line of wood finishes. Bottom line, go here first for that special piece of wood you are looking for. read more

Loved this business. They were great. I had a project that could not get done and so my bathroom remodel was stalled out, they were able to help me and I cannot be grateful enough. I will definitely use these guys again and cannot say enough nice things about them. I f you need to purchase lumber or need something cut please go see these gentlemen in Salt Lake City, Utah. read more

Came here for just a couple boards. Nice people. Very knowledgeable, Lots of inventory to choose from.

For the amateur woodworker and beyond, MacBeath seems to have it all. A wide selection of species in all sorts of manifestations, and a decent selection of hardware and tooling to go with it. But they seem really, really expensive. Maybe I don't have the right gauge on prices, but I swear that I've seen similar product elsewhere for less. Somebody tell me otherwise, I'll reconsider my rating. read more

Very friendly and attentive staff at MacBeath that have always helped me find just what I needed. I've bought single oak floorboards and plywood veneers (of which they have a huuuge selection) Prices seem pretty high but I expect it for this kind of service and quality (not to mention not having to deal with the oafs and chaos at Home Depot) read more

After searching for a hardwood store in the bay area with a huge variety I found MacBeath. They have so many different types of wood from all over. I found myself looking around for a good hour before making a decision. All of the hardwood lumber is mainly charged by the board foot (thickness(inches) x width(inches) x length(feet))/ 12. Once you see the price tag for one board it seems very pricey but compared to any other option it is a better deal for hardwood. They also have many different types of plywood but I did not look at that all that much. When ever i need something other then pine/fur/spruce like you find at the big box stores I will now go to MacBeath. read more

The guy working the cash register this morning was totally rude to me and makes assumptions that just happen to be wrong. In addition, these guys may be profiting from the cutting down of rain forests as the mahogany lumber they sell by the pallet loads comprises huge boards that seem to me could only have come from very old and large trees like found in rain forests. Oh, I now see from another post that they care not about the forests. I won't be doing business with any of their locations! Go to Urban Ore and reuse old, better, lumber. read more

I have been doing business at MacBeath for the last 30 years , it is one of the best place in California which sell high quality wood , I never experienced a single negative attitude , they are pro . my comment is also directed at a previous post by panzerdivision c . anyone with a nick name like that set them selves apart in society . If you are looking at organic wood , you might want to consider Ikea and the particle board , but then don't expect to have them 3 years from now ...... AS far as exotic wood the importation of raw lumber is strictly limited by the US Custom , the world most famous American guitar manufacturer learned it the hard way. If you are unhappy with a business the least you can do is post accurate comment without being insulting Bottom line people treat you like you treat them . read more

They have what you need, but they will go out of their way to make getting it an unpleasant experience. I'm a woodworking professional, and I get smoke blown up my fundament and/or attitude about every other time that I go here. Prices are high, and you get what you pay for. Get your hardware mail order or prepare to spend more than you should. I will go to any other lumberyard before I go here, but this is always my last stop - they have it. Nothing sustainable, no bargains. read more

All the staff were friendly and offered help. They helped me figure what I needed for my project and even suggested another store for more options. I would definitely use them in the future! read more

Love going to this place. Amazing selection and helpful staff. They load my truck and seem very knowledgeable. Prices aren't the lowest but products seem to be good quality read more

Ok, so i drool when i walk into MacBeath. I have been in the wood working business for roughly 35 years and i have been from Florida to California, to Minnesota and back and i have yet to find more than 2 maybe 3 building supply companies that match or beat MacBeath and that is saying a lot because i have been in stores in 5 different stores. I know there will be some of you out there that will dispute this but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. read more

Excellent store. Fast service. I went looking for an English Oak veneer to replace the water-damaged veneer on an old coffee table and was in and out of the store in no more than 5 minutes (*that* is my kind of shopping!). The selection of veneer was beyond my wildest imaginations. It comes already packaged and boxed and I was offered contact cement (if I'd not been offered this, I'd have had to make a special trip to Home Depot) to for my project and given the low down on proper application. I couldn't have asked for more (well, other than that I had to buy 3 times what I need and spent $100 .... so if anyone out in yelpland needs some Oak veneer, let me know! LOL). Overall, a good experience. read more

This is great place to get exotic and east coast hard woods! Staff is super helpful and very knowledgeable. Fun to just peruse the stacks of wood for inspiration. read more

MacBeath (pronounced 'mack beth' in case you were wondering) is a gem of the East Bay. If you're into woodworking and looking for quality product, it has everything you could ask for. They have plenty of nice individual boards out in the main area, and you can browse the stacks in the warehouse for plenty of interesting species at a reasonable price. Their sheet goods are also top notch, including the pre-finished items. The staff can be a little quirky, but if you are just direct and don't beat around the bush with your questions, they are ready to help. read more

If you love hardwood, this is the place for you. I built a maple vanity, a cherry murphy bed with bookcases, and I'm starting an afrormosia floating vanity. I do all my own milling so I enjoy crawling around the bins and pulling my own stock. I like taking my wife with me so she can see the grain nuances and we can then make a more informed decision about what wood to use on our project. I've found the staff helpful. Saturdays the place is full of hobbyists so allow more time while week days you've got the pros making big orders. read more

Long ago I was madly in love with a woodworker, and he'd bring me to MacBeath's where we would hand select boards of cherry, maple or walnut from their stacks, then bring them home and he'd turn them into furniture. Their wood selection was outstanding and inspiring. Quilted and birds eye maple, quarter-sawn oak, all the best stuff. I hadn't been back in the 17 years since I divorced that woodworker, but went in there this morning to purchase some obscure furniture hardware that they just happened to have in stock! It's almost exactly as I remember. And the staff was super helpful. Love this place. It makes me want to take woodworking classes. read more

I went to the store in search of plywood for a project, having done my homework on plywood. They sent a sales person to me who not up front about his competence. He didn't know plywood cores beyond the marketing tag. He tried to sell me nitrocellulose lacquer and told me I can't apply lacquer it my self because I'm not a professional. He could not offer any advice about routing the edges beyond referring me to a shot that didn't returned my calls or emails. And their prices are quite expensive. Not impressed for a place that specializes in hard wood. read more

No deals here. But they have tons of rare and beautiful hard woods for any project you can think of, plus a helpful staff to answer any questions you may have. read more

Great place, weird reviews. I'm a newbie woodworker and found them to be really welcoming and happy to answer basic questions. Terrific supply of hardwoods and exotics. read more

High priced and some employees have bad attitudes. Cornered their market, so deal with it.

As a cabinet maker I have been to nearly all the Bay Area hardwood yards. Macbeath has the best service and fair prices. Also, you don't need to a pro to shop here, the staff is very helpful. read more

Great selection! Found the perfect piece of Walnut here for a shelf!

Great amazing hardwoods with unfinished edges and lots of character. They even made a couple extra cuts for me which they really didn't have to do. Nice that it's not corporate. read more

I have only been in the San Jose store one time but they have every type of wood you could ever need and a lot of things you may need for your woodworking project. My only Complaint is their Hours of Operation being 7:30am to 4:30pm Mon thru Fri I can't really get their unless I take time off from work. I think if they were to open from8am to Noon or 1pm on Sat they would get a lot of business from the Non Contractor or Professional cabinet maker people like me who are just Hobbyist Woodworkers. read more

I'm so disappointed at the service I received this week. I made two trips to Macbeath to discuss plywood paneling options for my SheShed renovation. While they were helpful in discussing suggestions for width, they didn't tell me that birch pre-finished plywood naturally comes in significantly different shades depending upon when it is harvested. The lightening was dark when my contractor and I picked it up, so we didn't notice the difference until it was installed. When I asked them why there was the difference, they said that they didn't recommend C grade be used for paneling. !!! They said they didn't like to up-sell customers, but in this case it would have just been a fair warning. I wish I had been told. I would have paid more for the higher grade product, perhaps using less of it. Not a happy customer. read more

Is there any reason for these people to be so incredibly rude? Hard to understand how they can stay in business. Good selection of hardwood and veneer plywood if you can put up with the attitude. read more

They have various kinds of wood here. But be warned that you'll be made feel unwelcome if you have any questions. It's that way pretty much everytime I visit. Not all staff, but at least one person will ignore me and stare mutely if I ask something. It seems to operate like a 'members only' place. Kinda like Truitt & White,. read more

great place to search through the racks of domestic and exotic woods. the staff is friendly and knowledgeable. they lack in accessories, but thats not why you're there is it? try not to spend too much. make sure you have a project lined up or you'll make her mad that you keep spending money on tree wood. HA! read more

Well, I'd differ from some of the reviews. First, I admit I go there often as a customer. There are other good hardwood companies, but none in Berkeley. The veneers are good, and there is a pretty good source for fine wood. It is true that if you want some specialty wood such as very fancy quilted maple or such, you are better off ordering from a mill somewhere else. But they do carry a lot of quality wood, and the staff there is quite friendly, contrary to what some others have written. For the most part they are all woodworkers, but for them to be totally familiar with all aspects of woodworking would be pretty hard for anyone to fullfill. Each of them has areas where they are more proficient. They are fair in their measurement and if you get to know them, they will suggest where to look and even call you when a new pallet of lumber arrives. As to prices, I don't find them expensive at all. I shop online too, and of course those stores don't have the overhead of the local shop. And you can pick and choose online which has the best price. Hard to expect a bricks and mortar place to be as cheap, but on many things I've found there they ARE quite inexpensive. Mac Beath, probably does cater to more professionals than the average lumberyard, and thus might not be able to help the inexperienced as easily, but I've heard staff there spend a lot of time with folks that didn't know what they were doing. As to not recommending something as a finish.... Well, it DOES matter what you apply, but everyone has different favorites and ones favorite does not necessarily work for others as well. You can't just say "use this" without knowing the person or at least specifying very completely how to apply it. You can't compare MacBeath to HD, nor to a normal "lumber yard". You have to compare it to a similar type of place, like PALS, or White Bros, or....? Under such comparisons, they come out quite well. read more