How Much Does Mahogany Wood Cost?

Updated on August 17, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 10 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

Mahogany wood currently costs about $7.50 to $17 per board foot for 4/4 genuine or Honduran mahogany in published U.S. retail examples. The wide range reflects the seller, grade, quantity, surfacing, and whether you are buying locally or ordering specialty lumber. Woodworkers Source currently lists 4/4 genuine mahogany at $12.99 per board foot, while Bell Forest charges $17 per board foot for orders under 10 board feet and $12.75 at 100 to 499 board feet.

African mahogany and sapele usually cost less. Current small-quantity African mahogany is around $10 per board foot, while sapele is around $9 per board foot. Those woods may be used as alternatives to genuine mahogany, but they are not the same species.

The biggest pricing mistake is buying by the word “mahogany” alone. Genuine mahogany, African mahogany, sapele, and woods sold as Philippine mahogany come from different genera and can have very different prices, appearance, density, grain, and trade controls.

Article Highlights

• Genuine mahogany 4/4: current public U.S. examples span roughly $7.50-$17 (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 15 to 34 minutes, before taxes) per board foot.
• Woodworkers Source genuine mahogany: currently $12.99 per board foot.
• African mahogany: about $10 per board foot in small quantities, falling below $8 in one 100+ board-foot price tier.
• Sapele: roughly $9-$9.10 per board foot in current small-order examples.
• Bulk discount: one current genuine-mahogany price falls from $17 to $12.75 per board foot at 100+ board feet.
• Board size matters: an 8-foot by 8-inch 4/4 board contains about 5.33 board feet.
• Legal trade: genuine bigleaf mahogany is legal to buy in the U.S., but international trade is controlled under CITES and imported wood is subject to Lacey Act rules.

How Much Does Mahogany Wood Cost?

Current dealer listings show why a single “$10 (about 20 minutes at $30 per hour) per board foot” mahogany estimate is not enough. Bell Forest’s genuine mahogany price schedule charges $17 per board foot for less than 10 board feet of 4/4 stock, $15.30 for 10 to 99 board feet, and $12.75 at 100 to 499 board feet.

Wood	Current 4/4 price	What to know
Genuine/Honduran mahogany	$7.50-$17/bf	Wide current public retail spread depending on seller and quantity
Genuine mahogany, Woodworkers Source	$12.99/bf	4/4 Select & Better, sold by board foot
African mahogany	$10-$10.20/bf	Typical small-order examples, bulk pricing can be lower
African mahogany, 100-499 bf	$7.65/bf	Bell Forest volume tier
Sapele	$9-$9.10/bf	Current small-order examples
Sapele, 100-499 bf	$6.75/bf	Bell Forest volume tier
Genuine mahogany 8/4	$14.99-$18.50/bf	Thicker stock also contains more board feet per board

Woodworkers Source currently lists 4/4 genuine mahogany at $12.99 per board foot. At the low end of the current published market, The Wood Yard’s August 2026 in-store price list shows Honduran mahogany at $7.50 per board foot. Different grades, surfacing, board selection, and sales channels mean those prices should not be treated as identical products.

What “Mahogany” Means

Genuine mahogany usually refers to Swietenia macrophylla, also called Honduran, bigleaf, or American mahogany. The mahogany species breakdown from The Wood Database separates Swietenia from several woods that carry mahogany in a common or trade name.

African mahogany is generally Khaya species. Bell Forest currently prices 4/4 African mahogany at $10.20 (about 20 minutes at $30 per hour) per board foot below 10 board feet, $9.20 at 10 to 99 board feet, and $7.65 at 100 to 499 board feet.

Sapele is Entandrophragma cylindricum. It is related botanically and often considered as an alternative where a reddish tropical hardwood is wanted, but it is not genuine mahogany. Current quartersawn sapele pricing starts at $9 per board foot for 4/4 stock and drops to $6.75 in the 100 to 499 board-foot tier.

“Philippine mahogany” is looser still. The term is commonly applied to Shorea species also sold under names such as meranti or lauan. Buyers should ask for the actual species or trade group rather than assuming a board labeled Philippine mahogany is a cheaper version of Swietenia.

How to Calculate a Board Foot

Hardwood lumber is commonly sold by volume rather than by the number of boards. One board foot equals 144 cubic inches. Woodworkers Source explains the measurement in its hardwood ordering guide.

For lumber measured in inches, use:

Thickness × width × length in inches ÷ 144 = board feet

A 4/4 board that is 1 inch thick, 8 inches wide, and 8 feet long works out to:

1 × 8 × 96 ÷ 144 = 5.33 board feet

At Bell Forest’s small-order genuine mahogany price of $17 per board foot, that board costs about $90.67. At Woodworkers Source’s $12.99 rate, the same nominal board footage costs about $69.28. At $9.10 for sapele, it costs about $48.53.

That creates a difference of roughly $42 between the $17 genuine-mahogany example and the $9.10 sapele example for just one 8-foot board.

Thick Mahogany Gets Expensive

Thickness affects the bill twice. Thicker stock can carry a higher price per board foot, and the board itself contains more board feet.

Bell Forest currently charges $17 per board foot for small quantities of 4/4 genuine mahogany and $18.50 for 8/4. An 8-foot board that is 8 inches wide contains about 5.33 board feet at 4/4 thickness, but approximately 10.67 board feet at 8/4.

The 4/4 board therefore costs about $90.67 at that seller’s current rate. The same nominal width and length in 8/4 costs about $197.33. The cash price more than doubles because the lumber volume doubles and the rate per board foot rises as well.

Surfacing also affects what arrives in your shop. A board sold as 4/4 may start near 1 inch rough but be thinner after planing. Check whether the quote is rough-sawn, S2S, S3S, or S4S before comparing two suppliers.

Bulk Buying Can Save Hundreds

Quantity pricing is unusually visible in the current mahogany market. Bell Forest drops 4/4 genuine mahogany from $17 below 10 board feet to $15.30 at 10 to 99 board feet and $12.75 at 100 to 499 board feet.

That final tier is 25% below the small-order rate. If a commercial shop hypothetically bought 100 board feet at the small-order rate, the lumber would cost $1,700. At the published 100+ tier, the same board footage is $1,275, a difference of $425.

The Wood Yard’s August 2026 lumber list uses another discount structure, cutting eligible lumber prices by $0.35 per board foot at 20+ board feet, $0.70 at 50+, and $1.05 at 100+. Its published in-store prices also show how much hardwood markets differ by seller.

For a small furniture project, buying 100 board feet solely to reach a lower rate usually makes little sense. For a cabinet shop, furniture maker, or several planned projects, the quantity tier can materially change material cost.

Mahogany vs Walnut, Oak, Maple

Mahogany is expensive, but it is no longer accurate to say that it always costs more than premium domestic hardwoods.

The Wood Yard’s August 2026 4/4 base prices include $6.10 per board foot for red oak, $8.35 for hard maple, $10 for white oak, and $16.50 for black walnut. Its sapele price is $9.10, while its listed Honduran mahogany price is $7.50.

The comparison also changes by grade. The same yard lists figured 4/4 walnut at $22 per board foot, above many ordinary genuine-mahogany listings. Species alone does not determine which board is more expensive.

For a lower-cost outdoor or woodworking comparison, current cypress lumber prices commonly sit below genuine mahogany. Builders considering sheet material rather than solid hardwood can also compare the cost of marine-grade plywood, especially for boat and moisture-exposed projects.

Shipping and Board Selection

The per-board-foot price may not be the delivered price. Bell Forest states that shipping is not included in its custom-lumber board-foot rates and charges a minimum $15 shop fee for custom cutting.

Some online packages use the opposite model. Woodworkers Source sells preselected genuine-mahogany packs with free ground shipping in the contiguous U.S. The tradeoff is that packs use defined board lengths, widths, and quantities rather than giving the buyer the same random-lumber pricing structure.

Long stock can be especially expensive to ship. The same supplier notes that lumber longer than roughly 7 feet can face carrier restrictions, while 8-foot-and-longer shipments may need truck freight when they become large enough to make freight practical.

Wide, long, clear, quartersawn, and strongly figured boards can also cost more than ordinary stock. If your project can use narrower boards joined into a panel, you may avoid paying for unusually wide material.

Legal Mahogany and CITES Rules

Mahogany is not illegal to buy in the United States. The legal issue is how internationally traded wood was harvested and entered commerce.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists mahogany among the species controlled under CITES Appendix II. Appendix II allows international trade but controls it through permits or re-export documentation. It is not a blanket ban on ordinary lawful mahogany sales.

The Lacey Act addresses illegally harvested plants and plant products entering U.S. commerce. APHIS states in its current Lacey Act declaration rules that the importer of record or its agent files required declarations. Since January 1, 2026, those declarations are filed electronically through ACE or APHIS’s LAWGS system rather than on paper.

An ordinary woodworker buying lumber from a U.S. hardwood dealer does not personally file an import declaration simply to purchase a few boards. A buyer can still ask the supplier what species is being sold and where it was sourced. FSC certification or another sourcing certification may provide extra chain-of-custody information, but it should not be confused with a universal legal requirement for every retail board.

When Genuine Mahogany Is Worth Paying For

Makes sense if:

• You specifically want the color, stability, workability, and appearance of genuine Swietenia.
• The lumber cost is a relatively small part of a high-value furniture or instrument project.
• You need matching stock for restoration of older mahogany furniture. The cost of wooden furniture restoration can make species matching more important than finding the cheapest substitute.
• You can buy enough lumber at one time to qualify for a useful quantity discount.

Does not make sense if:

• Your plans work equally well with African mahogany or sapele.
• The project will be painted or heavily stained so the natural wood appearance adds little value.
• Shipping long or wide mahogany boards costs more than buying a suitable hardwood locally.
• You are paying a genuine-mahogany price for wood identified only by a vague “mahogany” trade name.

What We Verified

• Checked: current small-order 4/4 genuine mahogany pricing reaches $17 per board foot at one major specialty dealer.
• Confirmed: another current seller lists genuine mahogany at $12.99 per board foot, while an August 2026 in-store yard price is as low as $7.50.
• Cross-referenced: African mahogany is sold as Khaya, while sapele is Entandrophragma cylindricum, not genuine Swietenia.
• Verified: current quantity tiers can reduce the quoted board-foot rate by about 25% on genuine mahogany.
• Checked: mahogany remains lawful to buy in the U.S., while CITES and Lacey Act rules govern parts of the international trade and import process.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does genuine mahogany cost per board foot?

Current public U.S. 4/4 examples range from about $7.50 to $17 per board foot. Specialty online sellers currently list rates of $12.99-$17 for ordinary small purchases, while quantity discounts can lower the rate.

How much does African mahogany cost?

Current small-order examples are around $10 per board foot for 4/4 stock. One current supplier drops to $7.65 per board foot for orders of 100 to 499 board feet.

Is sapele cheaper than genuine mahogany?

Usually in the current examples. Sapele is around $9-$9.10 per board foot for small 4/4 purchases, compared with $12.99-$17 at two specialty genuine-mahogany sellers.

How much does one mahogany board cost?

An 8-foot-long, 8-inch-wide 4/4 board contains about 5.33 board feet. At $17 per board foot, its lumber value is about $90.67. At $12.99, it is about $69.28.

Is Philippine mahogany real mahogany?

Not in the strict botanical sense. Philippine mahogany commonly refers to Shorea species such as meranti or lauan rather than Swietenia. Ask for the actual species before comparing its price with genuine mahogany.

Is mahogany more expensive than walnut?

Not always. One August 2026 lumberyard lists ordinary 4/4 black walnut at $16.50 per board foot and figured walnut at $22, while current genuine-mahogany prices vary from below that level to about $17 in the examples used here.

Is mahogany illegal in the United States?

No. Legally sourced mahogany can be bought and sold in the U.S. Bigleaf mahogany is controlled in international trade under CITES, and U.S. importers can have Lacey Act declaration obligations for imported plant products.