Tigerwood pricing sits in the middle tier of exotic hardwood decking — more expensive than domestic softwoods, less expensive than ipe or cumaru, and competitive with premium composites on a straight material cost basis. Whether that price is worth paying depends entirely on what you are building and how you are accounting for lifetime cost versus upfront cost.
This guide covers current pricing ranges, what drives the cost, how to compare tigerwood against alternatives on a lifetime value basis, and what to watch for when purchasing.
Current Tigerwood Pricing
Prices vary by region, supplier, grade, and board dimensions, but typical current ranges (2025–2026) for tigerwood decking stock in the United States:
- 5/4x6 decking (most common decking profile): $5.00–$9.00 per linear foot
- 2x6 structural/bench stock: $6.00–$11.00 per linear foot
- 2x4 accent and trim stock: $4.00–$7.00 per linear foot
- 1x6 paneling/siding profiles: $4.50–$8.00 per linear foot
Board-foot pricing (used by specialty lumber suppliers) typically runs $6–$10 per board foot for clear-grade tigerwood. Prices at the low end of these ranges reflect online direct importers with bulk purchasing programs. High-end pricing reflects regional specialty lumber yards with premium grading and full documentation.
What Drives the Price Premium
Tigerwood costs more than domestic softwoods for several compounding reasons. First, it is harvested in South America and must be processed, dried, and shipped internationally — adding freight and import costs that domestic species do not carry. Second, kiln-drying dense tropical hardwood to adequate moisture content takes longer than softwood drying, which adds processing cost. Third, the tooling required to process tigerwood wears faster, adding manufacturing overhead.
The premium over pressure-treated pine is also partly a quality premium — tigerwood in clear or select grade is a finished product requiring no treatment, no additional surface preparation, and no chemical handling precautions. Comparing tigerwood to the cheapest available decking lumber is not an apples-to-apples comparison.
Tigerwood vs. Alternatives: Cost Per Year of Service
The most honest way to compare outdoor lumber costs is to divide total installed material cost by expected service life in years. This normalizes upfront cost differences against performance differences:
- Pressure-treated pine 5/4x6 at $2.50/lft, 15-year life: $0.17/lft/year
- Cedar 5/4x6 at $5.00/lft, 12-year life: $0.42/lft/year
- Tigerwood 5/4x6 at $7.00/lft, 25-year life: $0.28/lft/year
- Ipe 5/4x6 at $11.00/lft, 50-year life: $0.22/lft/year
- Premium composite at $9.00/lft, 25-year life: $0.36/lft/year
By this measure, tigerwood compares favorably against cedar and premium composite decking over a lifetime horizon, and is only modestly more expensive per year of service than pressure-treated pine — while delivering a far superior appearance and no chemical concerns for edible garden applications.
Project Cost Estimates
For common project sizes using tigerwood at a mid-range $7.00 per linear foot for 5/4x6 decking:
- 200 sq ft deck: Approximately $900–$1,200 in decking material
- 400 sq ft deck: Approximately $1,800–$2,400 in decking material
- Single 4x8 raised bed (2x8 stock): Approximately $280–$380 in lumber
- Garden bench (6 ft): Approximately $80–$140 in lumber
These are material costs only. Installation, hardware (stainless steel fasteners add $50–$150 per project), and any substructure costs are additional. The guide to filling raised beds economically is useful context for understanding total project costs when tigerwood is used for the frame — sometimes the lumber is the smallest cost component once high-quality soil mix is included.
Where to Buy Tigerwood
Tigerwood is not commonly stocked at big-box retailers. Sources include specialty hardwood lumber yards, tropical hardwood importers, and online lumber suppliers who ship nationwide. Online purchasing is often competitive on price but requires careful attention to moisture content specifications and certification documentation before ordering.
When evaluating suppliers, key questions to ask: What is the moisture content at shipping? Is the wood FSC certified? What grades are available, and are clear or select grades stocked? Can boards be inspected before purchase or is ordering by specification only? For large projects, requesting a sample board before committing to full quantity is reasonable and most quality suppliers accommodate it.
For gardeners also considering how to structure raised beds and plan material quantities, the raised bed dimensions guide helps calculate board counts before pricing any lumber species.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is tigerwood so much cheaper than ipe?
- Tigerwood is less dense and slightly less durable than ipe, which reduces its premium positioning. It is also harvested from different regions and tree sizes that produce more commercially available volume. Supply chain differences between the two species also affect pricing, with ipe facing tighter supply in some markets.
- Is tigerwood priced by board foot or linear foot?
- Both are used depending on the supplier. Decking lumber is commonly priced by linear foot. Rough lumber and custom dimensions are typically priced by board foot. One board foot equals 144 cubic inches (one square foot of wood one inch thick). Converting between the two requires knowing the board dimensions.
- Are there cheaper alternatives that perform similarly?
- Black locust is a North American hardwood with natural durability approaching tigerwood and is often less expensive. White oak is another domestic option with good outdoor performance at competitive pricing. Neither matches tigerwood's distinctive visual character, but both perform reliably in outdoor garden applications.
- Does buying certified FSC tigerwood cost more?
- Certified tigerwood typically costs 10–20 percent more than uncertified material from the same grade. The premium reflects the cost of third-party auditing and chain-of-custody documentation. For buyers concerned about sourcing ethics, the premium is generally considered worthwhile.