Scarborough Building Supply: The Lumber Yard in Town
A few years ago, a windstorm burst several water pipes on our property. For the weeks that followed, Scarborough Building Supply was practically a second address.
I went through more PVC, primer and glue than I care to remember. The primer-and-glue combination is difficult to forget: bright colors, an extremely potent smell and, when everything goes correctly, water staying inside the pipe again.
The repair required more than one trip. Scarborough Building Supply made the forgotten fitting a short return to town rather than half a day on the road.
This is the contractor and project side of Scarborough's two Boulder Creek stores: lumber, building materials, propane, STIHL service and the supplies behind repairs such as a broken water line.
What it carries
This is the building-materials half of Scarborough's two Boulder Creek stores. Lumber, building supplies, paint, tools, and hardware, aimed at contractors and at homeowners working through the standing list every mountain house keeps. The company runs lumber yards in Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, and Scotts Valley, and it offers delivery.
Two services matter more up here than the catalog suggests. The yard fills portable propane tanks, which is a real errand saved. It can't fill tanks that are attached to or sitting on a vehicle. And Scarborough is an authorized STIHL dealer with warranty repair, listing Boulder Creek among its dealer locations, which covers the chainsaw that stops running two days into storm cleanup.
The chain also does paint matching with Benjamin Moore and Cabot, including sample sizes, and cuts automotive and house keys. It won't duplicate a key stamped DO NOT DUPLICATE.
Services vary by location, and Scarborough runs two stores in town, so call the number below to confirm which counter handles what.
The family behind the name
The yard's name goes back to 1957, when Gene Scarborough, a WWII prisoner of war, left Mississippi with his family for California, settled in Scotts Valley with his wife Nena and their three children, and bought a lumber business called Standard Lumber. Nearly seventy years later there are eight family members across four generations in the company.
The Hardware Connection reported that third-generation owner Morgan Scarborough rejoined the Ben Lomond volunteer fire brigade and worked the CZU fire lines after the company temporarily closed all seven stores on August 20, 2020. During the January 2023 storms, Krista Scarborough told the Press Banner that the company was short-staffed, still had generators for sale, had run out of sump pumps and had closed only its Carmel store for one day.
Hours
Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., checked August 5, 2026.
It's closed New Year's Day, Easter, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day, and closes early on Memorial Day, Labor Day, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve.
Phone (831) 338-6467.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Scarborough Building Supply?
12990 Highway 9, Boulder Creek. Phone (831) 338-6467.
Is it open on Sunday?
Yes, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., per its own page as of August 5, 2026.
Can I fill a propane tank there?
Scarborough says its Boulder Creek and Scotts Valley yards fill portable, uninstalled tanks. It can't fill a tank attached to or on a vehicle. Call ahead to confirm which Boulder Creek store.
What is the difference between this and Scarborough Home & Garden?
This is the lumber and building-materials yard. Scarborough Home & Garden at 13110 Highway 9 handles hardware, garden, household goods, and animal feed.
Do they deliver?
The company offers delivery from its lumber yards. Call for the radius and terms.
Services vary between Scarborough's two Boulder Creek stores, so call before making a special trip.
The yard and the family's nearby Home & Garden store serve different jobs. Check the yard's page before a trip, and tell us if a detail here is wrong.
