How it works.

It depends entirely on what it is, and we won't guess at a number before we know. Size drives most of it, then detail, wood species and finish. Tell us what you're picturing on the commission form and you'll get a firm price in writing before anything starts. Finished pieces in the shop are priced as listed.

Cash, check, or card. Cash in person, on pickup or on site. Checks in person or mailed to 598 E 64th St, Newaygo, MI 49337, and work starts once the check clears. Card runs through the website, or in person for a finished piece. Whichever way you pay, we confirm the total in writing first.

Yes, a fraction of the total up front, to get on the schedule and cover the wood. Usually about a fifth, a round number we'll name in writing with the quote, never a surprise. The rest is due when the piece is finished.

It depends on the carver's schedule more than on the carving. A weekend event can push everything back, so we won't put a number of weeks on a web page and then miss it. Tell us if you're working toward a date and we'll say honestly whether it fits before you commit to anything.

No. We can't fell a tree or cut it down to size. That part has to be handled by someone else first. Once it's down to a workable trunk or log, we take it from there. A tree service can usually leave you exactly the height you want if you tell them before they start.

Sometimes, so do ask. It isn't something we advertise or have a form for, but repairs do come up and we take the ones worth taking. Send photos and we'll tell you honestly whether it can be saved.

Yes, and on a bigger piece it's usually the first thing that happens. Drawing is real work, so it starts once the deposit is in and you're on the schedule. That way we're both committed before anyone spends an evening on a design. Before that, send photos or describe it as best you can and we'll get close enough to talk properly.

Please do. Some jobs are ten minutes on the phone and an hour by email. Say so on the form and Alonzo will call you instead of writing back.

Yes, that's a big part of the work. Travel is built into the quote rather than billed on top, so the same carving close to home usually comes in cheaper than one a long drive away. Tell us where the tree is and it's accounted for before you ever see a number.

Yes. The thing to know is water: a stump left in the ground keeps drawing damp up from below, and that is what eventually rots a carving out. A good coat of sealer holds it off for a long time, and it can be redone later either by us or by you, and we'll tell you exactly what we use. If you'd rather not chance it at all, we can come back out and cut the carving free of the stump so it can be moved and kept dry.

Old fence wire, nails, and hooks grow into trees and hide there. Hitting one destroys a chain and can hurt somebody. It's the most important question on the form, and "not sure" is a perfectly good answer.

Small and mid-size pieces ship anywhere in the country. Large and monumental pieces are pickup, local delivery, or freight. The shop page prices what it can and sends the rest here for a quote.

Carvings meant for weather get a different wood choice and finish than indoor pieces, so tell us where it's going to stand. Outdoor pieces want a fresh coat of sealer every couple of years.

Yes, and it helps enormously. A pet, a specific animal, a logo, a sign layout. Attach photos on the form and there's far less guessing on both sides.

Your call. Chips and offcuts can stay for you to deal with, or we can haul them away, and it just changes the quote. Say which you'd rather when you get in touch.

We don't fell trees or cut them down to size. That comes before we start. We also turn down wood too rotten to hold a shape, jobs where a truck genuinely cannot reach, and anything near live power lines. We'll tell you quickly if yours is one of those instead of leaving you waiting.