Free Wood Cuts at Home Depot: How It Works (& When You'll Pay)

The folks at Home Depot are happy to cut your store-purchased lumber for free. But there are a few rules to know when it comes to getting free cuts on wood from Home Depot.

Before you go all Joanna Gaines on your next house project, read up on our extensive list of Home Depot hacks to make sure you’re getting every Home Depot discount and freebie possible, then download The Krazy Coupon Lady app to keep Home Depot’s best deals at hand.

1. Get your wood cut twice for free at Home Depot.

Take your lumber of choice to the wood cutting station and ask for up to two cuts of wood for free on up to 10 different pieces of lumber.

TIP: Ask where to find the pieces of leftover wood from other customers’ cuts. If other DIYers didn’t want their scraps, you may be able to score wood scraps for up to 70% off — or even free.

2. You have to buy your lumber at Home Depot to get free cuts.

Plan to purchase your lumber the day you want it cut. Wood purchased outside of Home Depot can’t be cut for free using their equipment. (This is the same as the policy at Lowe’s.)

3. After the 10th piece, additional lumber cuts will cost you $0.50 each.

Each cut after your initial 10 pieces is supposed to cost an additional $0.50/cut, but honestly, I’ve never gotten charged for extra cuts.

This is likely based on your store location and whoever just so happens to be cutting wood on any particular day. So prepare to pay an extra $0.50 per cut, just in case.

TIP: To get all of your cuts guaranteed free, buy and cut your lumber in 10-piece increments or bring a friend to get additional free cuts done on your behalf.

4. Your free cuts must be straight, not angled.

The machine that Home Depot employees use to cut lumber will only work for straight, non-angled cuts.

If you need angled or precision cuts, you can rent a miter saw for four hours for about $40. Exact prices may vary depending on your location, but you can rent the equipment for up to four weeks.

Related: See how tool rental prices compare at Home Depot vs. Lowe’s.

5. You can’t get cuts under 12 inches at Home Depot.

According to their policy, Home Depot will not make any cuts under 12 inches. For cuts that small, you’re better off renting, buying, or borrowing the equipment yourself.

6. Lattice cuts are also off-limits at Home Depot.

While the free-cut option works on most types of lumber, there are a few materials Home Depot will never cut:

• Countertops

• Fiberglass

• Lattice

• Metal

• Vinyl

7. You can also get window blinds and more cut for free at Home Depot.

Hanging window blinds is a pretty common DIY job, so imagine my delight when I learned that Home Depot was happy to cut my window blinds to the exact measurements I needed.

Other materials Home Depot will cut for free include electrical wire, chains, wire shelving, and rope.

TIP: Pssssst! Lowe’s also cuts wood for free! And there’s technically no limit on the number of cuts.