Alexander Lumber

Initial service was great. Buyer beware there is a 25% restocking fee for returned ordered items.

I just had some material dropped off from alexander lumber in Joliet and I have to tell you this place is awesome! $ 27 next day delivery, material prices that rival or beat the big box stores, and they’re a union shop! The guy delivering the material has worked there for 30 years. he said it’s a great place to work, and his family is well provided for! Keep local business alive, next time you need lumber or other building supplies check this place out!

Well, I’m glad I waited until my entire experience was complete when dealing with Alexander Lumber, because it drastically changed *after* I’d received my order. You see, I stopped in here about a week or so ago to buy a rather large amount of 1“x2″ hardwood for a large project I was working on. It’s been a long time since I’ve needed enough specialty wood to make a visit to a lumber yard necessary and I’d never been here before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived. The three star rating you see above is an average of my two visits, which I’ll explain separately. (skip to the bottom if you want the quick version)
Initial visit: 4 stars. When I arrived and stepped up to the counter, Woody (yes, that was his name… for real.) asked me if I needed help and I explained my project and what materials I’d need. He was very helpful in not only helping me decide on which hardwood would be least expensive, but went to check right away to see if they had enough in stock for me at the time. Turns out, they didn’t, so we drew up some quick sketches of what I had to have and he said he’d be willing to cut down some larger stock to fill my order more quickly. I was happy, paid him and was told to come back at the end of the week when the whole order would be cut down to size.
Pick up: 2 stars. I got a call a few days after my initial visit and I eagerly drove out to pick up my order. Everything was bundled in the warehouse when I arrived and after getting my invoice, I pulled in to load it up. HERE’S THE IMPORTANT PART… ALWAYS CHECK THE LUMBER BEFORE YOU LEAVE. Unfortunately, I came in on a holiday with shortened hours, so they were closing soon. Still, I knew better and should have insisted that I look over my purchase. In order to fill my order, they ripped 1x4s into 1x2s, but didn’t take into account the size of the blade, so the measurements of my purchase were all different. Despite being charged a $ 20 cutting fee, I ended up ripping all the lumber again in my shop to insure equal widths. Lesson learned.
So in a nutshell, Alexander’s has a helpful front office, but they guys/​gals in the back need to pay better attention to what they’re doing. I recommend trying Menard’s or Home Depot first.