How much will it cost to build my first wooden boat?

When you decide you want to build a wooden boat, you will need a workshop and some tools. And of course, you'll need materials for your boat.

I've written this post to give you an idea of the cost of these things.

Cost of a boatbuilding workshop and tools

The cost of setting up a workshop depends on:

• What tools and facilities you have available already
• Whether you will be buying new or used tools
• Whether you will buy machinery or have your wood milled elsewhere

So the cost could range all the way from almost nothing if you buy used hand tools at flea markets to perhaps 10.000$/€ if you want a full-featured workshop with brand new quality tools and machinery.

Video: How to set up a boatbuilding workshop

Video: The tools you need to build a small wooden boat

Cost of materials for a boat

When you buy a boat from a professional boatbuilder, the materials will usually only be a small fraction of the cost of the boat, because boatbuilding is so labor intensive.

But for a home builder the materials cost can have a significant impact on the project budget.

For a small boat project, you will need wood, fastenings (screws, nails, rivets bolts etc.), waterproof glue, metal fittings, varnish and paint.

Example: The Fiddlehead Canoe

The price of materials of course depends on which boat you are building. In the following, I will use the Harry Bryan designed Fiddlehead Canoe as an example

The price of wood can vary a lot, depending on your local availability. You might be able to buy good quality wood at a local boatbuilder or lumberyard for less than 500$/€. But at a high-end lumberyard selling kiln-dried furniture-grade wood, you might have to double that figure.

If you don't have a bandsaw and a thickness planer, the cost of having your wood milled will be added to that.

If you are on a tight budget, you will probably save a lot of money by using wood that is native to the area where you live. But you have to make sure that the wood you use is suitable for boatbuilding.

If you want to learn more about this, I've made a video about finding good wood for your boat:

Video: Good boatbuilding wood - and how to find it

If you prefer, the boat can be built out of marine plywood instead of natural wood. The cost of good quality plywood for a Fiddlehead canoe will probably be around 1000$/€. If you decide to use plywood, note that you will still need a few natural wood pieces for frames, stems, sheer clamps, backrests etc.

The cost of bronze fastenings, brass fittings, glues, varnish and paint for a Fiddlehead Canoe should be between 300 and 400$/€.

I hope this has helped you get a ballpark idea of what the budget for your boatbuilding project will be.

If you want to take the first steps to become a boatbuilder, please sign up for my free mini course on Getting Started in Boatbuilding.

- Mikkel Pagh