Why Certification Matters for Urban Wood and Why a Brand Isn’t Enough

~ Paul Hickman - Urban Ashes CEO

Urban wood refers to wood salvaged or reclaimed from trees removed for reasons other than their timber value. It does not have to come from a city. It can come from urban, suburban, or rural areas, agricultural orchards removed due to declining production, storm or wildfire-damaged trees in working forests that were not yet ready for harvest, or any tree removed for safety, development, disease, pests, or age. Essentially, it is any wood that comes from any tree, that came down for any reason, other than for its wood value.

For decades, the industry of recovering, processing, and selling this material has operated in a fragmented and inconsistent way. Despite its environmental, social, and economic benefits, and many dedicated individuals over the years, urban wood has struggled to gain broad acceptance.

One of the biggest reasons has been a lack of credible, third-party standards and certifications.

No Standards, Little Confidence and Support

Until just a few years ago, there was no consistent and trusted way to verify whether this wood was procured, processed, and documented to meet professional expectations and needs.

This lack of consistent standards and oversight created concerns and unwanted liabilities. It was not so much about whether the trees were truly salvaged but about whether the wood had been properly processed, whether its quality, grading, and drying were reliable, and whether a clear chain of custody existed to substantiate its origin. Architects, builders, specifiers, and end retailers, cautious about inconsistent quality or greenwashing, often opted for other certified options like FSC-certified wood. Entities that wanted to support this material often could not document its benefits and supply chain convincingly enough to justify it to their boards, customers, or stakeholders.

These gaps limited growth, suppressed prices, and greatly hindered investment in the infrastructure needed to scale the industry.

Why Certification Changes the Game

Certification addresses these barriers directly. A credible, third-party, nonprofit certification provides clear standards and independent verification that products meet them. Third-party certification removes any conflict of interest by ensuring that the standards and verification are handled by an independent organization with no financial stake in the sale of the wood. This impartiality gives specifiers and buyers confidence that claims are not just marketing language but are backed by transparent and verified criteria.

It is important to note that to date, the Urban Salvaged and Reclaimed Wood (USRW) standards and certificationremain the only third-party, nonprofit certification program for urban wood in the United States.

Here is how certification benefits the industry and buyers:

1.     Credibility: Certification by an independent nonprofit assures specifiers and buyers the wood meets rigorous and transparent standards. This builds confidence and distinguishes responsible suppliers from those making empty claims.

2.     Traceability: Certification requires a documented chain of custody so wood can be tracked from source to final product. This is essential for carbon accounting, LEED points, and sustainability reporting.

3.     Quality: Standards do not just cover origin. They also address grading, drying, and processing to ensure the wood performs as well as or better than conventional lumber.

While most sourcing in the past has been legitimate, with trees truly salvaged from urban, suburban, or rural areas, the processing has often been inconsistent.

One of the most common problems has been improper drying. Without professional kiln drying to recognized standards, this wood can experience significant dimensional changes, twisting, checking, or warping after purchase, sometimes long after installation. This can lead to structural or aesthetic failures in a project, exactly the kind of risk architects, designers, manufacturers, and retailers seek to avoid.

Third-party verified standards help mitigate these risks by requiring proper handling, drying, grading, and documentation before certification. Self-policing and good intentions can only go so far. Without independent checks, even experienced suppliers can fall short of what a project demands. Certification reassures specifiers and buyers that both the source and the processing meet reliable and professional benchmarks, giving them confidence to specify this wood without fear of unpleasant surprises.

4.     Market Access: Many public projects, corporate buyers, manufacturers, retailers, and green building programs require certified materials. Certification opens doors that would otherwise remain closed.

5.     Fair Competition: Certification levels the playing field by holding everyone to the same standards, rewarding those who invest in doing things right.

Independent certification programs, modeled after globally recognized forest certifications but tailored to the realities of salvaged and reclaimed wood, elevate the industry and give buyers confidence to specify it without hesitation.

It is worth acknowledging that certification comes with some costs and administrative requirements, which can pose challenges for small or emerging suppliers. However, these investments pay off by unlocking access to higher-value markets, reducing risk for buyers, and helping elevate the entire industry to a professional standard.

How a Brand Differs From Certification

It is important to understand the difference between a brand and a certification.

Brands are proprietary names created and managed by private companies. They can tell compelling stories and align with sustainability values, but ultimately they are marketing tools. The standards they claim to uphold are set and audited internally by the company itself.

Third-party certifications, on the other hand, are administered by independent nonprofit organizations with no financial stake in selling the wood. Their standards are developed collaboratively, made transparent, and verified through impartial audits.

Key Differences

Feature	Third-Party Certification (Nonprofit)	Private Brand
Who sets the standards?	Independent nonprofit organization	The company that owns the brand
Who performs the audits?	Independent third-party auditors	Internal or company-affiliated processes
Transparency of standards?	Public, transparent, and peer-reviewed	Proprietary and controlled by the company
Who benefits?	The whole industry, raising the floor for everyone	The brand owner and their partners
Market acceptance?	Recognized by architects, municipalities, and buyers who require impartial certification	Recognized where the brand has established its reputation

Both approaches can contribute to the visibility of salvaged and reclaimed wood, but they are not interchangeable. A strong brand can help market the wood and tell its story, but it does not replace the impartial and verified assurance that comes from third-party certification.

In fact, the two can complement each other. A brand can build its identity on certified material, combining a compelling narrative with documented credibility.

Building Trust in Recovered Wood

For salvaged wood to reach its full potential and unlock its environmental, social, and economic benefits, the industry needs both trusted certification and strong storytelling.

Urban wood certification aligns with broader global efforts to verify sustainability claims across industries, much like certifications in forestry, textiles, and agriculture. It places urban and salvaged wood within a global context of transparency, accountability, and responsible resource use, signaling that the material meets the expectations of today’s environmentally conscious buyers.

Certification gives architects, designers, builders, manufacturers, and retailers the assurance they need to specify this wood with confidence. Brands help communicate the story and engage audiences emotionally. Together, they can transform salvaged wood from a niche idea into a mainstream material of choice.

By supporting independent certification and encouraging brands to align themselves with verified standards rather than self-policing, we can create a robust, credible, and scalable market for wood that comes from anywhere, urban, suburban, rural, agricultural, or damaged forests, as long as it was not cut solely for its timber value.

This Wood Deserves Nothing Less!