OSRS Ironman Construction Guide (1-99): Mahogany Homes

Construction unlocks some of the most impactful quality-of-life improvements in OSRS. An ornate rejuvenation pool, ornate jewelry box, and portal nexus in your POH save thousands of hours over the life of your account.

The challenge for ironmen isn’t the training itself - it’s sourcing the planks. This guide focuses on passive plank collection via Miscellania, efficient conversion at the Auburnvale sawmill (Varlamore), and training via Mahogany Homes to minimise plank waste.

At a glance:

• Quest to 25 - Free XP from Daddy’s Home, Tower of Life, Enlightened Journey
• Passive plank source - Miscellania (223 mahogany logs/day, 301 teak logs/day)
• Plank conversion - Auburnvale sawmill (Varlamore, closest to bank in game)
• Training method - Mahogany Homes (30-40% fewer planks than traditional methods)
• Target level - 83 Construction, boost to 91 with Crystal Saw + Spicy Stew

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Key Milestones

Level	Unlock	Why It Matters
25	Oak Larders available	Traditional training begins
33	Oak Larder (Kitchen)	First efficient training method
47	Mounted Mythical Cape	Best use of teak planks (requires DS2)
50	Portal Chamber	POH teleportation rooms
52	Mahogany Table	Fastest traditional XP method
65	Restoration Pool	Special attack restore
72	Portal Nexus	Multiple teleports in one portal
82	Fancy Rejuvenation Pool	Full restore (spec + run + HP)
83	Max house (boosted)	Crystal Saw + Spicy Stew = +8 boost
84	Ornate Jewelry Box (boosted)	All jewelry teleports (requires 91, boost from 83)
85	Fairy Ring (Superior Garden)	Fairy ring in POH
90	Ornate Rejuvenation Pool	Ultimate pool (HP + prayer + spec + run + cure)
90	Occult Altar	All three spellbook swapping
91	Ornate Jewelry Box (unboosted)	BiS jewelry storage

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Quest XP Route (1-25)

Questing is the most efficient way to skip the early, painful Construction levels. You can reach approximately level 25 without building a single piece of furniture.

Essential Quests

Quest	Construction XP	Requirements
Daddy’s Home (miniquest)	944	None
Tower of Life	1,000	10 Construction
Enlightened Journey	4,000	20 Crafting, 30 Farming, 36 Firemaking
Icthlarin’s Little Helper	1,000	Gertrude’s Cat
A Tail of Two Cats	2,500	Icthlarin’s Little Helper

Total from these quests: ~9,500 XP (gets you to approximately level 24-25)

After Quests (25-33)

If you’re a few levels short of 33 (Oak Larders), build:

• Wooden bookcases (Parlour) with regular planks to level 15
• Oak dining tables (Dining Room) with oak planks to level 31
• Carved oak tables to level 33

At 33, you unlock Oak Larders and can begin traditional training or start Mahogany Homes.

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Auburnvale Sawmill - The Varlamore Revolution

Before Varlamore, ironmen had to choose between:

1. The demon butler method - teleport to Camelot bank, get logs, teleport to POH, give logs to butler, butler walks to sawmill and returns. ~5,000-7,000 planks per hour, 10,000 gp cost per 8 butler trips.
2. The Woodcutting Guild sawmill - long walk to bank, inefficient.

Varlamore changed everything with the Auburnvale sawmill - the closest sawmill to a bank in the entire game.

What is Auburnvale?

Location: Auburnvale, north of the Auburn Pub in Varlamore NPC: Sawmill Operator Distance to bank: Less than half the distance of any other sawmill in the game

How to Get There

• Quetzal Transport System to Auburnvale (fastest)
• Fairy ring code AIS → run northwest
• Pendant of Ates to Nemus Retreat → run north

How It Works

1. Bank all your logs (noted) in Auburnvale
2. Withdraw noted logs + coins for sawmill fees
3. Use noted logs on the Sawmill Operator
4. Pay the fee (100 gp for regular, 250 gp for oak, 500 gp for teak, 1,500 gp for mahogany)
5. Receive planks directly into inventory
6. Bank planks, repeat

Planks per hour: ~6,000 with simple bank runs Cost: Standard sawmill rates (no butler fee) Requirements: Varlamore access (Children of the Sun quest)

Why Auburnvale is Better Than Butler

Method	Planks/Hour	Cost	Requirements
Auburnvale sawmill	~6,000	Sawmill fee only	Varlamore access
Demon butler	~5,000-7,000	Sawmill fee + 10k gp per 8 trips	50 Construction, butler hired
Plank Make spell	~960	70% of sawmill fee	86 Magic, Lunar Diplomacy

Auburnvale is faster, cheaper, and doesn’t require maintaining a butler. It’s the new standard for ironmen.

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Plank Sources for Ironmen

Construction is bottlenecked by plank availability. Here’s where to get them, ranked by efficiency.

1. Kingdom of Miscellania (Best Passive Source)

Requirements: Throne of Miscellania + Royal Trouble How it works: Assign up to 10 workers to hardwood trees, maintain 100% approval, keep coffer funded

Output at maximum efficiency:

• Mahogany logs: 223 per day
• Teak logs: 301 per day
• Mixed (both): ~121 of each per day

Cost: 75,000 gp per day (minimum 750,000 gp in coffer for max daily investment)

Approval maintenance:

• Rake weeds in the herb patch or flower patch (northeast of castle)
• Chop maple trees outside the castle gates
• Mine coal rocks near the south gate
• Approval decays ~1% per day, so check in every few days

2. Auburnvale Sawmill (Best Active Conversion)

Convert your Miscellania logs into planks here. ~6,000 planks per hour processing.

3. Plank Make Spell (86 Magic, Lunar Spellbook)

Requirements: Lunar Diplomacy + Dream Mentor, 86 Magic Cost: 70% of sawmill cost (saves 30%) Bonus: 90,000 Magic XP per hour while converting planks

Can convert ~960 logs per hour. Good for ironmen who need to level Magic anyway.

4. Wintertodt Supply Crates

Supply crates from Wintertodt contain random logs and planks based on your Woodcutting level. Higher WC = better logs. Not a primary source, but a good passive supplement if you’ve done Wintertodt.

5. Tempoross Rewards

Rewards caskets include regular planks and oak planks. Useful for early-game ironmen.

6. Fossil Island Hardwood Trees

Requirements: Bone Voyage quest, 35 Farming (teak) or 55 Farming (mahogany)

Plant teak or mahogany trees on Fossil Island and bank via the cave. Slower than Miscellania but another passive option.

7. Barbarian Outpost / Port Khazard Plank Spawns

Free regular planks spawn on the ground near banks at both locations. World-hopping can net ~600 regular planks per hour. Only useful for levels 1-16.

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Training Methods Compared

Mahogany Homes (Recommended for Ironmen)

Requirements: None (can start at level 1) How it works: Complete construction contracts for NPCs in Falador, Varrock, Ardougne, Hosidius

XP rates by tier:

• Novice (1-19): 20-40k XP/hr
• Apprentice (20-49): 50-80k XP/hr
• Journeyman (50-69): 80-120k XP/hr
• Expert (70+): 150-175k XP/hr

Why it’s best for ironmen:

• Uses 30-40% fewer planks per XP compared to oak larders or mahogany tables
• Teak planks in contracts give over 100 XP per plank vs. standard 90 XP
• Mahogany planks in contracts give significantly more XP than mahogany tables
• Rewards include Plank Sack (28 planks in 1 inventory slot) and Carpenter’s Outfit (+2.5% XP boost)

How to start:

1. Speak to Amy in Falador (north of the park)
2. Choose your tier (Novice if you’re under level 20)
3. Get a contract and teleport to the house
4. Repair the requested furniture
5. Return to Amy for reward

Optimisation tips:

• Get the Plank Sack first (350 points) - stores 28 planks in one inventory slot
• Use NPC Contact (Lunar spellbook) to get new contracts without travelling back to Amy
• Rimmington POH location - Phials (outside Rimmington portal) will un-note planks for 5 gp each
• Carpenter’s Outfit (2,500 points total) gives +2.5% XP boost

Oak Larders (Level 33+, Traditional Method)

Materials: 8 oak planks per larder XP: 480 XP per build (60 XP per oak plank) XP/hour: ~480,000 with demon butler

Still viable for ironmen with excess oak planks, but Mahogany Homes is more efficient plank-for-plank.

Mounted Mythical Cape (Level 47+, Requires DS2)

Materials: 3 teak planks + 1 Mythical Cape (cape is reusable, not consumed) XP: 370 XP per build (123 XP per teak plank vs. standard 90 XP) XP/hour: ~430,000

Why it matters: Best use of teak planks if you’re not doing Mahogany Homes. The cape is reusable, so you only need 1 cape and an infinite supply of teak planks.

Mahogany Tables (Level 52+, Fast but Expensive)

Materials: 6 mahogany planks per table XP: 840 XP per build XP/hour: ~900,000 (fastest method in game with demon butler)

Ironman verdict: Fastest XP but mahogany planks are extremely hard to source. Only viable if you have a massive mahogany stockpile from months of Miscellania. Mahogany Homes uses mahogany planks more efficiently.

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Boosting Strategies (83 → 91)

At 83 Construction, you can build anything requiring up to level 91 by combining two boosts.

Crystal Saw (+3 Invisible Boost)

Requirements: Complete The Eyes of Glouphrie quest How to get: Search the northeastern cupboard in Brimstail’s cave (south of the Grand Tree) Charges: 28 uses (56 with medium Western Provinces Diary) How it works: Gives an invisible +3 Construction boost. Does not show in your stats interface but works for all Construction activities. One charge consumed per boosted build.

Spicy Stew (+5 Visible Boost)

Requirements: Complete Recipe for Disaster (Freeing Evil Dave subquest) How to get: Make stew with 3 doses of orange spice (from Hell-Rats in Evil Dave’s basement) How it works: Random boost from -5 to +5. Use 3 doses for best chance of +5. Lasts ~1 minute.

Stew boost mechanics:

• 1 dose: -1 to +3 range
• 2 doses: -2 to +4 range
• 3 doses: -5 to +5 range (best chance of +5)

Trimmed Cup of Tea (Reliable +3 Alternative)

If you can’t get the +5 stew boost after many attempts, use a Cup of Tea (4) from the Varrock Tea Stall (requires 20 Construction to build a kitchen). Trimmed tea gives a guaranteed +3 visible boost. Combined with Crystal Saw (+3 invisible), that’s a reliable +6 boost - enough to build level 89 items at 83.

What Can You Build at 83 With +8 Boost?

Item	Base Requirement	Buildable at 83?
Ornate Jewelry Box	91	✅ Yes (+8 boost)
Occult Altar	90	✅ Yes (+8 boost)
Ornate Rejuvenation Pool	90	✅ Yes (+8 boost)
Fairy Ring (Superior Garden)	85	✅ Yes (no boost needed)

At 83 Construction + full boosts, you can build a completely maxed POH except for the Crystalline Portal Nexus (requires 92, need 84 base with +8).

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Recommended Ironman Construction Roadmap

Phase 1: Foundation (Before Training)

Complete these before you start training:

1. Daddy’s Home miniquest - Free 944 XP + supplies
2. Throne of Miscellania + Royal Trouble - Unlocks passive log income
3. The Eyes of Glouphrie - Crystal Saw (+3 boost)
4. Recipe for Disaster (Evil Dave) - Spicy Stew (+5 boost)
5. Set up Miscellania - All 10 workers on mahogany logs, max coffer, maintain approval

Let Miscellania run for 6-12 months while you train other skills. You need approximately 45-60 days of passive collection for 70-83 Construction.

Phase 2: Quest to 25

Complete:

• Daddy’s Home (level 8)
• Tower of Life (level 12)
• Enlightened Journey (bonus XP)
• Other Construction-granting quests

Result: Level 25 without using any planks.

Phase 3: Stockpile Planks

When you have 6-12 months of Miscellania logs banked:

1. Withdraw all logs from Miscellania (noted)
2. Teleport to Auburnvale (Quetzal Transport)
3. Convert all logs to planks at the sawmill (~6,000 planks per hour)
4. Use Sawmill Vouchers from Forestry for double planks
5. Bank all planks

Phase 4: Train via Mahogany Homes (25-83)

1. Start Mahogany Homes contracts (speak to Amy in Falador)
2. First reward: Plank Sack (350 points) - 28 planks in 1 inventory slot
3. Second reward: Carpenter’s Outfit (2,500 points) - +2.5% XP boost
4. Use NPC Contact (Lunar) to get contracts without travelling
5. Train to 83 Construction

Plank estimate for 25-83 via Mahogany Homes: ~18,000-22,000 teak planks or ~10,000-14,000 mahogany planks (or a mix)

Phase 5: Boost to Build Level 91 Items (83+)

1. Bank all materials for Ornate Jewelry Box, Ornate Pool, Occult Altar, etc.
2. Ensure Crystal Saw has charges (28 uses before recharge)
3. Make Spicy Stew with 3 orange spice doses
4. Drink stew, wait for +5 boost
5. Equip Crystal Saw (+3 invisible boost)
6. Build high-level furniture (you now have effective level 91)

Result: Maxed POH at 83 Construction.

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Common Mistakes

• Training too early without planks banked - Construction rewards are front-loaded. Wait until you have enough planks for 70-83, then burst train.
• Not doing Mahogany Homes from the start - Every oak, teak, and mahogany plank is scarce for ironmen. Mahogany Homes gives 30-40% more XP per plank than traditional methods.
• Not getting Crystal Saw + Spicy Stew ready - At 83, you need both boosts to access level 91 items. Do Eyes of Glouphrie and Recipe for Disaster before your training push.
• Using mahogany planks on traditional training instead of Mahogany Homes - Mahogany tables are fast but wasteful. Mahogany Homes uses mahogany planks far more efficiently.
• Not setting up Miscellania early - Every day without Royal Trouble completed and workers assigned to hardwood is a day of lost passive logs. Set it up as early as possible.
• Not taking advantage of Auburnvale sawmill - Many ironmen still use the old Camelot + butler loop when Auburnvale is strictly better.
• Ignoring Sawmill Vouchers from Forestry - These effectively halve your sawmill costs and should be stockpiled.
• Training Construction before having a plan for boosts - If your target is a maxed house at 83 boosted, you need Eyes of Glouphrie and Recipe for Disaster (Evil Dave) done before training.
• Forgetting Phials at Rimmington - If your POH is in Rimmington, Phials can un-note planks for 5 gp each. Moving POH costs 25,000 gp - worth considering for Mahogany Homes training.

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FAQ

How many planks do I need for 83 Construction?

Via Mahogany Homes (recommended): ~18,000-22,000 teak planks or ~10,000-14,000 mahogany planks (or a mix).

Via traditional methods: ~25,000-28,000 oak planks for oak larders only, or ~30,000-33,000 mahogany planks for mahogany tables.

Mahogany Homes uses 30-40% fewer planks, making it far better for ironmen.

Should I use teak or mahogany logs from Miscellania?

Mahogany logs give more XP per plank but take longer to collect (223/day vs 301 teak/day).

Teak logs are faster to gather and work well with the Mounted Mythical Cape method (123 XP per teak plank).

Recommendation: Use mahogany if you’re doing Mahogany Homes and can wait the extra time. Use teak if you want to train sooner or don’t have Dragon Slayer II completed yet.

Can I split workers between teak and mahogany?

Yes. You can assign 5 workers to teak and 5 to mahogany for ~121 of each per day. This hedges your bets and gives you both plank types.

How long does 1-83 Construction take?

Via Mahogany Homes: 80-120 hours of active training (spread across weeks/months depending on plank availability)

Via traditional methods: 50-80 hours of active training but requires significantly more planks

Bottleneck: Gathering the planks takes 6-12 months of passive Miscellania collection. The actual training is quick once you have planks banked.

Do I need to hire a butler?

No. The Auburnvale sawmill method doesn’t require a butler. If you’re doing Mahogany Homes, you carry planks with you via the Plank Sack.

Butlers are only useful for traditional training methods (oak larders, mahogany tables) where you build in your POH. Even then, Auburnvale is a better plank conversion method.

Should I move my POH to Rimmington?

If you’re doing heavy Mahogany Homes training, yes. Phials (outside the Rimmington portal) will un-note planks for 5 gp each, making it easy to restock during contracts.

Moving your POH costs 25,000 gp via the estate agent. You can move it back later if needed.

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Related Guides

• Mahogany Homes Guide - Best Construction XP method using planks from Miscellania
• Ironman Herblore Guide - Prayer potions and stamina potions
• Ironman Farming Guide - Passive herb/tree farming
• Ironman Prayer Training - Getting to 70 for Piety
• Mid-Game Ironman Goals - When to prioritise Construction
• Varlamore Guide - Unlocking Varlamore content
• Miscellania Guide - Optimal worker allocation for passive teak and mahogany logs