Decide on wood grade and accessories before looking at pressure treated wood prices

Wood grade, determined by pounds of preservative per cubic foot of wood product, falls into one of 4 categories -- above ground, ground contact, permanent wood foundation or salt water. You'll need to decide which grade best meets your needs before looking at treated wood prices. You don't want to use a substandard wood just to save a buck if safety is a concern. You'll also need to consider what kind of accessories you'll need to finish your project. Most companies selling pressure treated wood don't cut-to-order and, even if they do, the cost is so much more that it is just plain cheaper to buy the cutting equipment and do it yourself if you can.

I recommend: The Natural Handyman has a great guide for deciding which grade or rating you'll need. ToolsDirect offers a myriad of tools and accessories that can handle working with pressure-treated wood.

Find a variety of treated lumber prices online

Pressure treated wood prices vary greatly from website to website. If you're looking for quality, buying wood from the tried-and-true experts is your best bet. If you're looking to save money there are hundreds of companies who will cut you a deal but might not guarantee the same quality as the larger companies. Also, keep in mind that shipping such a heavy product is expensive, so doing business with your local home improvement store will save you money on shipping.

I recommend: Two of the biggest names in all wood building materials, Georgia-Pacific and Universal Forest Products, Inc., offer where-to-buy guides. Go to LumberMax.com for live embedded chat help as well as a quick quote form for a pressure treated lumber price.

Ensure that your pressure treated wood is environmentally friendly

You can find inexpensive prices for pressure treated wood, but there may be even cheaper -- and safer -- alternatives. Some pressure treated lumber is still treated with chromated copper arsenate, or CCA, which leaches arsenic into the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency monitors companies that use CCA, though it is still legal to use in some building applications. Make sure the company you buy from is using a CCA alternative such as ACQ or another chromium-free and arsenic-free compound.

I recommend: BB&S Lumber offers technical information and specs on their arsenic-free pressure treated lumber. Viance also offers treated lumber pricing for ACQ-treated products, and will send you industry e-mail updates. The Environmental Protection Agency offers other alternatives to pressure treated wood and lists the advantages and disadvantages.