Material sourcing guide

Structural timber, specified by member and connection

Coordinate structural timber members, connection requirements and fabrication scope before comparing offers. A clear member schedule keeps each section, grade and quantity tied to the project drawing.

Squared timber beams and a laminated timber beam with visible cut ends.
Squared timber beams and a laminated timber beam with visible cut ends.
01 / Materials & uses

Start with the right material groups.

Sawn and engineered sections

Separate solid sawn sections from glued or laminated products. State the target member reference so suppliers price the required form.

Fabricated timber assemblies

For pre-cut frames, trusses and panelized elements, list member references, joint locations and any supplied plates or brackets.

Connections and protection

Identify required fasteners, brackets, sealants and coatings as separate lines. Do not merge connection hardware with bare timber volume.

02 / Package boundaries

A material price is only part of the package.

Your material schedule
01Sawn and engineered sections
02Fabricated timber assemblies
03Connections and protection

One schedule, clearly separated scopes. This is a request outline, not an installation drawing.

Included materials

Include structural timber members, cut lengths and fabricated assemblies under the project member schedule.

Connections & interfaces

Define connection plates, fasteners, brackets and protective treatment separately from the timber supply.

Confirm separately

Confirm sawing, drilling, fabrication, lifting, unloading and erection responsibilities before order award.

03 / A comparable request

Six details that make offers clearer.

Member schedule and drawing revision
Attach the current structural timber schedule and drawings so every offer uses the same revision.
Product and section designation
State the exact member designation, section size and project-prescribed performance requirement from the design.
Timber source and condition
Describe the required raw material form, moisture condition and visual or machine-graded requirement clearly.
Cutting and fabrication scope
List cuts, notches, holes, end profiles and assembly work using the member schedule rather than assumptions.
Connection package
Ask suppliers to identify plates, fasteners and brackets against joint references and connection details.
Delivery condition and access
State delivery phases, member bundles and site access limits; request unloading and lifting arrangements.
Illustrative request lines
Item & descriptionQuantity
ST-01Sawn softwood sections cut to member schedule lengths; further machining and connection hardware excluded.14
ST-02Engineered timber beams per member reference list, including required end cuts and connection bracket provision.36 piece

Example quantities only; no live prices or supplier offers. Use your project schedule for final values and ask suppliers to list deviations.

04 / Compare the whole offer

Three checks before you decide.

Same member references

Compare offers against the same member reference list and ask suppliers to identify proposed substitutions.

Timber versus hardware supply

Check bare timber, fabricated members and connection hardware line by line before comparing totals.

Cutting and treatment scope

Confirm whether sawing, drilling, edge treatment and protective coating are included or priced separately.

05 / Practical questions

Details worth clarifying early.

How do I separate beam supply from connection hardware?

Use the joint references from the structural drawings. List beams by member mark and keep plates, fasteners and brackets as separate package lines.

Does a sawn section price include cutting to exact lengths?

Only when the supplier states it. Ask for an explicit breakdown of raw section, cutting, drilling and any protection treatment.

07 / Your next step

Turn your material schedule into a request.

Create a Matravo account to prepare your request. For account or sourcing-flow questions, visit support.