From a single salvage run to millions of board feet saved — here's how Norfolk Lumber became Virginia Beach's reclaimed wood headquarters.
Tell us about your project and we'll get back to you within one business day.
In the spring of 2015, a condemned tobacco warehouse in downtown Norfolk was scheduled for demolition. Inside its walls were thousands of board feet of heart pine — slow-grown, tight-grained timber that had been standing since the early 1900s. The demolition contractor planned to send it all to the landfill.
Our founders saw something different. They saw a century of embodied energy, a wood species that no longer exists in commercial quantities, and enough material to build something extraordinary. They negotiated a weekend to extract what they could. Two trucks, three friends, and forty-eight hours later, Norfolk Lumber had its first inventory: 12,000 board feet of irreplaceable heart pine.
That wood went to three local renovation projects. The contractors loved it. The homeowners loved it more. Word spread. Within six months, we were getting calls from demolition crews, property managers, and other contractors asking if we wanted “the old wood” before they tore things down.
The answer was always yes.
Every piece of wood that comes through our yard gets evaluated for reuse. What can't be sold as lumber becomes mulch, biomass fuel, or raw material for wood products. Nothing is wasted.
We tell you where the wood came from, how it was graded, and what it's best used for. No guesswork, no greenwashing — just honest information about honest material.
We're a Virginia Beach business that hires locally, buys locally, and reinvests locally. Our success is our community's success.
Norfolk Lumber started when our founders salvaged 12,000 board feet of heart pine from a condemned tobacco warehouse in Norfolk. What was headed for a dumpster became the material for three custom home renovations.
We leased our first yard on Murray Road in Virginia Beach — a half-acre lot with a portable sawmill and a vision to become the region's go-to source for reclaimed wood.
A Norfolk craft brewery commissioned us to supply 6,000 board feet of reclaimed barn wood for their taproom interior. The project won a local design award and put Norfolk Lumber on the map with architects and interior designers across Hampton Roads.
Growing demand led us to invest in a full milling operation: a band saw, planer, and kiln. We could now process rough reclaimed timber into dimensioned, project-ready stock.
We formalized partnerships with 40 demolition contractors, property managers, and municipal agencies across Virginia and North Carolina. Our salvage scouts began traveling up to 200 miles to recover lumber from barn teardowns, factory decommissions, and bridge replacements.
We added flatbed trucks and a regional delivery network spanning Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and the greater DC area.
We installed a 72kW rooftop solar array across our warehouse and mill buildings. Combined with LED lighting, energy-efficient kiln controls, and a paperless office, we cut our grid electricity consumption by 94%.
Our new deconstruction team began offering selective demolition services, recovering reusable lumber before buildings come down.
We took delivery of our first two electric flatbed trucks, beginning a transition that will see all five delivery vehicles go electric or hybrid-electric by end of 2026. The first year of operation saved 14.6 tons of tailpipe CO₂ emissions.
Norfolk Lumber has diverted over 2.8 million board feet of lumber from landfills, partnering with contractors, architects, designers, and homeowners across the Mid-Atlantic.
Norfolk Lumber is built by people who believe that the most sustainable building material is the one that already exists.
Founder & CEO
James spent 12 years in commercial construction before founding Norfolk Lumber in 2015. After watching thousands of board feet of perfectly sound lumber get crushed and landfilled on demolition sites, he built a business to change that equation. He holds a B.S. in Construction Management from Virginia Tech and is a certified lumber grader through the National Hardwood Lumber Association. James oversees company strategy, major client relationships, and salvage operations planning.
Head of Operations & Wood Science
Sarah holds a Master's degree in Wood Science and Forest Products from NC State and joined Norfolk Lumber in 2017 as our first full-time hire. She manages grading, inventory systems, kiln schedules, and quality control. Her expertise in species identification and structural grading ensures every board that leaves our yard meets or exceeds industry standards. Sarah has authored several articles on reclaimed wood performance for trade publications.
Salvage & Deconstruction Lead
Marcus leads our salvage team — the crews that go out to demolition sites, barns, and industrial structures to extract reusable lumber before the wrecking ball swings. A former Marine with 8 years of experience in structural demolition, Marcus brings precision, safety discipline, and an uncanny ability to identify valuable wood species hidden under layers of paint and grime. He manages relationships with our 40+ demolition contractor partners.
Client Relations & Sales Manager
Emily is the first voice you hear when you call Norfolk Lumber and the person who makes sure your project gets exactly the right material. With a background in interior design and 6 years of experience in building materials sales, she bridges the gap between client vision and material reality. Emily manages quotes, coordinates custom milling orders, schedules deliveries, and maintains our relationships with architects, contractors, and designers across the region.
What started as a half-acre lot with a portable sawmill has grown into a comprehensive reclaimed lumber processing operation. Here is what we work with today.
2.5 acres | Capacity: 500,000+ board feet
Our outdoor yard spans two and a half acres along Murray Road in Virginia Beach. Organized into species-specific zones, the yard holds our full inventory of raw and processed reclaimed lumber — stacked on concrete bunks with air-dry spacing for optimal seasoning. Heavy-duty forklifts can access every zone, and the entire yard is fenced, lit, and monitored 24/7. Customers are welcome to walk the yard and hand-select boards during business hours.
4,800 sq ft | Processing: 5,000 BF/day
Our enclosed milling facility houses a Wood-Mizer LT40 band saw, a 24-inch four-sided planer, a 36-inch resaw, and a variety of shapers, routers, and sanders. We can take a rough salvaged timber and turn it into surfaced, dimensioned, tongue-and-groove, or ship-lapped stock — all under one roof. The mill runs on 208V three-phase power supplied entirely by our rooftop solar array. Dust collection feeds sawdust into a silo for distribution to local farms for animal bedding.
2,400 BF capacity per charge | 5-10 day cycles
Our dehumidification kiln dries reclaimed lumber to 6-8% moisture content for interior applications or to 12-15% for exterior use. Unlike conventional heat kilns, our dehumidification system operates at lower temperatures (90-130°F), which preserves the color and patina of reclaimed wood while still killing any insects and bringing moisture content to specification. We run approximately 30 kiln charges per year, processing over 70,000 board feet annually.
3,200 sq ft climate-controlled
Our warehouse stores premium and specialty inventory — kiln-dried heart pine, American chestnut, and other high-value species that need protection from the elements. The adjacent office handles sales, project coordination, and administration. The building is equipped with rooftop solar, LED lighting throughout, and a paperless document management system. A customer showroom displays samples of every species and finish option we offer.
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Recognized for our comprehensive sustainability practices including solar-powered operations, zero-waste processing, and regional leadership in construction waste diversion.
Coastal Virginia Magazine
Voted the top building materials supplier in Virginia Beach by readers for the second consecutive year, with special recognition for our reclaimed lumber expertise and customer service.
Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce
Honored for developing a scalable model that turns construction demolition waste into premium building products while creating local jobs and reducing landfill pressure.
Mid-Atlantic Chapter, U.S. Green Building Council
Selected for our contributions to green building projects across the region, including supplying reclaimed lumber for three LEED-certified buildings in a single calendar year.
Virginia Beach Business Alliance
Recognized for community engagement including our annual Habitat for Humanity lumber donation program, high school woodshop mentorship, and local hiring practices.
Reclaimed Wood Magazine
Named one of the top 50 reclaimed lumber dealers nationwide based on volume, quality, sustainability practices, and customer reviews.
We believe a business is only as strong as the community it serves. Here is how we show up beyond the lumber yard.
Since 2019, we have donated over 35,000 board feet of reclaimed lumber to Habitat for Humanity of South Hampton Roads. Our donated materials have contributed to the construction of 12 affordable homes, providing flooring, shelving, trim, and accent features. We also supply off-cuts and seconds at cost to Habitat ReStore locations for resale.
We partner with three local high schools — Bayside, Kellam, and First Colonial — to provide reclaimed lumber for their woodworking programs. Our team visits quarterly to teach students about wood identification, sustainable forestry, and career paths in the building materials industry. In 2025, two graduates from the program joined our team as full-time employees.
For every 10,000 board feet of reclaimed lumber we sell, we fund the planting of 50 native trees through the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's tree planting program. Since 2021, we have funded the planting of 680 trees across the Chesapeake Bay watershed, contributing to riparian buffer restoration and stormwater management.
Every spring, we host a free two-day workshop at our yard teaching homeowners, contractors, and hobbyists the techniques of barn salvage and lumber reclamation. Participants learn species identification, safe extraction methods, grading basics, and simple milling techniques. The workshop draws 80-100 attendees each year and is open to the public at no charge.
We sponsor the Virginia Beach Maker Faire and the Norfolk Arts District annual woodworking exhibition. We also maintain a "maker bin" at our yard — a curated selection of small reclaimed pieces, off-cuts, and unique finds priced for individual artists, hobbyists, and small-batch furniture makers.
After major storms and hurricanes, we mobilize our salvage crews to help recover downed trees and damaged structures. Recoverable wood is processed and made available to affected homeowners at cost. Following Hurricane season in 2024, we recovered over 18,000 board feet of storm-damaged hardwoods from residential properties across Virginia Beach and Norfolk.
Board feet of lumber reclaimed since 2015
Trees preserved by choosing reclaimed
Tons of CO₂ emissions prevented
Individual projects supplied
Demolition contractor partners
Full-time team members
States served across the Mid-Atlantic
Landfill diversion rate from our yard
Solar array powering our operations
Board feet donated to Habitat for Humanity
Restaurants and breweries supplied
Trees planted through our reforestation fund
Every board we reclaim is a chapter in a larger story of sustainability. Whether you're buying, selling, or just curious — we'd love to hear from you.