We specialize is customizing and building premium wooden chess boards. Our zero-risk customization process is the only of its kind. Since we are a small, chess-obsessed wood shop, you get to work directly with our lead designer & carpenter to bring your vision to life - even if you don't know what your vision is. The best part (other than the awesome board) - you get your initial design & quote for free.

Our custom chess board process is only 4 steps, and we keep you involved at all times:

1 - You tell us what you want (Free Inquiry)

• Tell us about your dream chess board
  
• We reply in less than 24 hours - guaranteed
• We will discuss all of the important questions 
  

2 - We tell you what we've got (Free Quote)

• We will agree to a final design concept
• We will break down expected material cost and labour cost
• We will tell you our estimated build timeline
  

3 - Full Detailed Design (Initial Deposit)

• Secure your build-date with a refundable initial deposit
  
• Receive a realistic detailed 3D design within 1 weeks
• You can tweak the design as many times as you like
• We will update the cost & timeline estimates for any changes
• Then you decide: lock in the final price, or receive a full refund

4 - We do all the work (Final Build)

• We order materials and start cutting
• We keep in touch at every major milestone
• We are always open to make changes to the plan along the way if possible
• Final payment any time before shipping

Send us a message to get started!

Build Timeline

Most boards can be finished in 2 - 4 weeks, depending on complexity. 

Build dates are reserved by an initial deposit.

Expected Costs

• All costs are in Canadian Dollars (CAD)
• Shipping for boards up to 2" thick is free
• Custom chess boards range from $900 to $9000 
• Cost is calculated as a sum of materials + shop hours
  • E.g. The material cost for standard maple and walnut hardwood is apx. $250
  • E.g. The material cost for maple and walnut burl is apx. $1250
• Shop hours are charged at $100/hour 
  • This covers labour, maintenance, incidental spending, overhead, and profit
• Standard designs use less shop hours. 
• Custom designs us more shop hours.

Bollinger House is a small husband-and-wife business. We fully stand behind our craftsmanship and quality. We will never ship something that we wouldn't want to give as a gift to our loved ones. We will never rush the process. We will never use sub-standard tools or materials. We believe in fair pay and safe work conditions.

We do cut corners. We cut them squarely, precisely, and cleanly, leaving you with a beautiful piece of art.

100% of our design and carpentry occurs in British Columbia, Canada