Urban Lumber Los Angeles provides professional kiln drying services to the Greater Los Angeles area, with a focus on sustainability and resource conservation. Using two state-of-the-art iDry Plus Vacuum Kilns, we dry up to 7,000 board feet of lumber per month—ensuring that locally sourced wood is preserved and put to use, rather than chipped into mulch or sent to the landfill. While we do not cut or mill lumber, we serve as a knowledgeable partner from start to finish—advising homeowners, woodworkers, and commercial clients alike. Whether you're salvaging a single tree to make a family table or preparing for a large production run, we’re here to help you get it dried right.

Our origin…

Urban Lumber LA was founded in 2022 by Chris and Karla Miller, inspired by a lifelong connection to trees, land, and meaningful work. That fall, Chris attended a seminar on urban lumber at the Altadena Community Center and met Jeff Perry of Angel City Lumber. Jeff’s passion for salvaging urban trees and reconnecting Angelenos with their local wood deeply resonated with Chris.

Plenty of people love trees. But for Chris and Jeff, there’s no contradiction in appreciating a tree's beauty in life—and honoring it again after it falls, by transforming it into something lasting. Urban forestry is about stewardship: protecting every healthy tree we can, and when one must come down—whether from disease, storm, or development—finding a way to give it a second life through thoughtful reuse.

Chris’s connection to wood runs deep. He grew up on a family farm in Iowa where, every summer, he and his father would hand-select a few trees for harvesting. Over the decades, they planted, pruned, and cared for thousands—planting more than 10,000 in one particular summer alone, with the help of friends and a single-row planter behind an old Farmall tractor. Each year, they would mill a few trees, stack and rotate slabs in barns, and air-dry the lumber—always with the goal of building furniture with their own hands.

But air drying has its limits. Over time, they saw beautiful wood damaged by insects or moisture. They talked about buying a kiln but never took the leap.

That conversation came back to Chris after the seminar in Altadena. He saw an opportunity: learn the art and science of kiln drying in Los Angeles, where demand and community interest were growing. Once established, bring that expertise back to Iowa to finally dry the family’s lumber the right way. That second step is still a dream—but it’s part of the vision that drives Urban Lumber LA today.

Chris and Karla have poured themselves into the work. They take pride in slow, careful drying—and it shows. Even challenging species like coastal live oak have been successfully dried under their care. One standout project involved 5” thick, 12’ slabs salvaged from a tree at Descanso Gardens. Known for twisting and cracking during drying, this oak required a custom plan. The result? Stable, beautiful wood now installed as bar and table tops in Descanso's restaurant, The Farmhouse—a full-circle return to the place where the tree once stood.

How can we help? Reach out to us!