Selling firewood

[Homelitenut]

I deliver within 10 miles for free. After that they pay more and not necessarily by the mile, but by the number of traffic lights and congestion.

Sounds pretty good.

 

[Homelitenut]

Shrink wrap is probably the most common. If you are selling bundles to individuals try using twine. Also, if you could supply restaurants that need firewood for pizza cooking, smoking, BBQ, etc. that would be repeat business year-round for you. Go big.

Thats a great idea! thanks!
I need to get cuttin! so it'll be seasoned by winter.

 

[svk]

Member @chucker is someone you would maybe want to talk to. He's a great guy and does this for a living.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Unless you plan to ensure the wood is truly seasoned, I would focus on just selling it "as is".

If you want to do seasoned wood, what you cut now will likely not be seasoned until summer/fall 2016.

 

[shamusturbo]

@jrider hit all the high points. I would add, if you live next to a highway, make everything self-serve. WYSIWYG! What you see is what you get!!! Plus the wind from the traffic is great for drying (taking away the moisture) from the wood. If you want to label it, do it in cords or a fraction of a FULL cord. Don't get in a rush to sell what you have. The time will come. The wood doesn't necessarily go bad. Keeping the wood clean and off the ground (wood pulls moisture from the ground when they are in contact). Pallets and 275 gal. chemical containers work awesome for storing and moving. Make an investment in your equipment and take care of it so it is worth something when you want to upgrade to newer/bigger models. Get in a habit of wearing ear plugs.

 

[zogger]

If doing oak, plan on your sales two years from now. If you want some sales this winter, separate out the fast drying wood like ash or tulip poplar. Ash you should get regular local hardwood prices for, tulip poplar, even though the same amount of work, you can't charge as much. Tulip polar is nice summer campfire wood though and dries FAST once cut split and stacked.

Bundles is where it is at for most per cord though, but most people want bulk. IF you can develop a good bundle outlet (s) and also cooking wood, man, it's decent loot. Bulk heating wood is just a "bulk" business, you have to process and move a lot to make much.

I don't do much, a few cords a year to go out bulk and one bundle outlet. I deliver bundles, but bulk, they pick up. My wood is absolutely the best in the area though, I have zero competition there. I had to get years ahead before I had enough for myself stacked up then enough extra to sell. I sell the primo oak and hickory, and burn everything else. I separate out all the really good stuff, dedicated stacks, everything else for me, I don't care, A to Z species, in the stack as it gets cut. I still burn some primo, but it is the dog legs and weirdo ugly chunks mostly, stuff I don't want to go to someone else.

 

[ppkgmsy]

I've been selling firewood for 19 years now and sell more wood each and every year. There is no one answer with advertising as you have to change as the times change. First couple years I actually paid a small amount to advertise in the local paper. Then craigslist was the answer for me before it even became popular. A problem with CL though is too much riff raff with guys selling cheap green short loads but advertising as full and seasoned. Next thing you know people are asking why you are so expensive compared to them (easy answer is buy a cord from both and find out for yourself but its really not worth the hassle) Recently, I have used community facebook pages to either put an ad up on or respond to a person looking to buy wood. This exploded on me in a good way this past fall. I had a waiting list just to deliver wood 2 to 3 weeks long and people were still lining up. When someone put up a new post asking about firewood, half a dozen people who recommend me before I even logged on to see the thread.
You have to start with quality, it has to be clean, seasoned, and should all be cut to the same length (16" works best for my market). If you are selling oak, it better all be oak, not some sort of hardwood mix. If you sell hardwood mix, no pine, no exceptions. Be picky about pieces that have rot or are punky. Customers don't want to pay top dollar for that. Get to know your market for split sizes. My people like it split fairly small so even though larger splits decrease my time, they will also decrease my customer base. I have a lot of women and older folks who don't like handling the big splits. They aren't going to be happy if they have to resplit pieces. Show up on time for delivery. I can't stress this one enough. If I'm going to miss my delivery time by more than 10 minutes, I'm calling or texting them to let them know. Deliver full cords or fractions of, never short someone.
So basically, treat your customers like you would treat your mom if you were bringing her firewood and you will have a great customer base before you know it.

Well done, friend. Success still comes to those who are honest and work hard.

 

[Homelitenut]

Member @chucker is someone you would maybe want to talk to. He's a great guy and does this for a living.

Thanks!

Unless you plan to ensure the wood is truly seasoned, I would focus on just selling it "as is".

If you want to do seasoned wood, what you cut now will likely not be seasoned until summer/fall 2016.

Thank you! I still have much research to do. we burn green or seasoned in our owb so never really payed much attention when people talk about moisture content all ears now!

If doing oak, plan on your sales two years from now. If you want some sales this winter, separate out the fast drying wood like ash or tulip poplar. Ash you should get regular local hardwood prices for, tulip poplar, even though the same amount of work, you can't charge as much. Tulip polar is nice summer campfire wood though and dries FAST once cut split and stacked.

Bundles is where it is at for most per cord though, but most people want bulk. IF you can develop a good bundle outlet (s) and also cooking wood, man, it's decent loot. Bulk heating wood is just a "bulk" business, you have to process and move a lot to make much.

I don't do much, a few cords a year to go out bulk and one bundle outlet. I deliver bundles, but bulk, they pick up. My wood is absolutely the best in the area though, I have zero competition there. I had to get years ahead before I had enough for myself stacked up then enough extra to sell. I sell the primo oak and hickory, and burn everything else. I separate out all the really good stuff, dedicated stacks, everything else for me, I don't care, A to Z species, in the stack as it gets cut. I still burn some primo, but it is the dog legs and weirdo ugly chunks mostly, stuff I don't want to go to someone else.

Thank you for the tips! I've read on hear where some people just say when it was cut and split and let the customer decide. thoughts on that?

 

[srb08]

Thanks!


Thank you! I still have much research to do. we burn green or seasoned in our owb so never really payed much attention when people talk about moisture content all ears now!
Thank you for the tips! I've read on hear where some people just say when it was cut and split and let the customer decide. thoughts on that?

I have a neighbor who sells seasoned hardwood, cut to 16", for $200 a cord, if you pick it up.
If he delivers it, it's a minimum of $50 more.
If he stacks it, it's an extra $100
Most of his business is pick up. He sells out by Dec, every year.
We're located 35 miles W of St. Louis.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Thank you for the tips! I've read on here where some people just say when it was cut and split and let the customer decide. thoughts on that?

It's what I do. I don't have the room or labor to stack several hundred cords to season it.

I do have a small amount of dry Poplar I use to make bundles (maybe 10-15 cords) but the money out of bundle wood is worth that. I don't stack that stuff, just have a pile.

 

[Homelitenut]

I have a neighbor who sells seasoned hardwood, cut to 16", for $200 a cord, if you pick it up.
If he delivers it, it's a minimum of $50 more.
If he stacks it, it's an extra $100
Most of his business is pick up. He sells out by Dec, every year.
We're located 35 miles W of St. Louis.

Thank you that helps knowing what to charge price wise.

It's what I do. I don't have the room or labor to stack several hundred cords to season it.

I do have a small amount of dry Poplar I use to make bundles (maybe 10-15 cords) but the money out of bundle wood is worth that. I don't stack that stuff, just have a pile.

I don't have a lot of room either it sounds like a pretty good idea to me. thank you.

 

[Chainsaw_Maniac]

My advice it to only take advice from people in the same state or climate type as you.

To tell you what to do if you are selling wood in Ontario, Canada would be totally inaccurate. This is the only area I have sold wood in.

 

[Homelitenut]

My advice it to only take advice from people in the same state or climate type as you.

To tell you what to do if you are selling wood in Ontario, Canada would be totally inaccurate. This is the only area I have sold wood in.

I agree! still good to hear other ideas about what other people are doing thank you!

 

[TeeMan]

Market seasoned wood. It will be far easier to sell and for the normal consumer (not as experienced with burning) it will cause far less issues when they realize "Hey, I need some firewood, it's cold now." You can probably sell some green wood as a small portion of your business for people who either want to buy it green for a bit cheaper in the off-season and let it season at their house vs. buying seasoned wood in the late Fall or dead of Winter at higher prices. You could also market green wood to the people who want it green for specific purposes such as green pecan wood for smoking or BBQ.

Also, keep a very detailed record of your customers. I'm not sure what software tracking you may want to use, but setting up a simple Excel sheet with their names, contact info, purchase size preference (as another member mentioned older people want smaller splits), etc...can save you time and keep you ahead on your repeat business. You can even start calling them the following year, if you need the business, but it should come to you if you sell and deliver quality firewood. It would be good to have your "regulars" as key contacts and count on them to spread your reputation by word of mouth to their family/friends. If you advertise on Craigslist put a couple of photos on your ad...photos draw people to the ads over the ones that don't, they just do.

Definitely offer pick-up for a lesser charge!

 

[TeeMan]

Speaking of bundles...
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/bundles-sold-out.272330/

 

[Homelitenut]

Market seasoned wood. It will be far easier to sell and for the normal consumer (not as experienced with burning) it will cause far less issues when they realize "Hey, I need some firewood, it's cold now." You can probably sell some green wood as a small portion of your business for people who either want to buy it green for a bit cheaper in the off-season and let it season at their house vs. buying seasoned wood in the late Fall or dead of Winter at higher prices. You could also market green wood to the people who want it green for specific purposes such as green pecan wood for smoking or BBQ.

Also, keep a very detailed record of your customers. I'm not sure what software tracking you may want to use, but setting up a simple Excel sheet with their names, contact info, purchase size preference (as another member mentioned older people want smaller splits), etc...can save you time and keep you ahead on your repeat business. You can even start calling them the following year, if you need the business, but it should come to you if you sell and deliver quality firewood. It would be good to have your "regulars" as key contacts and count on them to spread your reputation by word of mouth to their family/friends. If you advertise on Craigslist put a couple of photos on your ad...photos draw people to the ads over the ones that don't, they just do.

Definitely offer pick-up for a lesser charge!

By pick-up you mean customer picking up the wood as opposed to me delivering?

 

[svk]

By pick-up you mean customer picking up the wood as opposed to me delivering?

Yes he does. Although I'd argue you can more than pay for your time by delivering. When I cruise the CL ads up here I'm seeing picked up wood for about 35% less than delivered. If I was selling wood and delivering 20 minutes away and getting $200 a cord that's $70 in my pocket for at most two hours of time. You aren't making $35 an hour processing wood

Secondly if someone gets hurt on your property it's a major liability.

 

[TeeMan]

By pick-up you mean customer picking up the wood as opposed to me delivering?

You need to feel your market out. There will always be people wanting to pick-up especially if you are visible from the road and get people driving by.

 

[Homelitenut]

Yes he does. Although I'd argue you can more than pay for your time by delivering. When I cruise the CL ads up here I'm seeing picked up wood for about 35% less than delivered. If I was selling wood and delivering 20 minutes away and getting $200 a cord that's $70 in my pocket for at most two hours of time. You aren't making $35 an hour processing wood

Secondly if someone gets hurt on your property it's a major liability.

I think delivering would be a good idea in my area of course pick-up also. and I'm really thinking about bundles at a small local gas station. A rack would be best to sell bundles on as opposed to just on the ground in front of the store? make it look better quality pride in my work sorta thing? and would it be best to have a little sign on the rack with my name and phone #? I read in uncles thread where they're putting small bundles of kindle in the bundle would that be necessary ? the trash from splitting and maybe some shreds from noodling would that be good for kindling.

 

[svk]

You need to feel your market out. There will always be people wanting to pick-up especially if you are visible from the road and get people driving by.

You make a good point there.