What to charge for firewood

[copedirector]

I'm curious what to charge for firewood. I typically haul in logs up to 16' long on a trailer with a winch. Then they are cut and split at the pile. Once in a while I get wood that is already cut and just needs split. It is all good hardwood(Oak, ASh, Mulberry, Walnut, Locust, Maple,...) . I kept track one time and it took 4 people 5 hrs to drop, cut, and split 1.5 cords. That seemed like a long time. I have family helping me. I do know my fuel usaege/cost just not sure what to allow for wear and tear on equipment. I typically do 20-40 cord per year. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[zogger]

Realistically you are only going to get what is already your local area ballpark amount. If an area od 200 a cord..you aren't going to get 400, nor should you even think about asking just 100.

Prices vary way too much around the US. I have a friend in west virgina in a more or less impoverished area with a lot of guys out of work, but they have trees up the wazoo, so she gets cut and dumped at her yard for 90 a cord, oak. She could get it even cheaper if she got it by the triaxle load. Then you read here they are getting like 300 bucks for pine some places out west. My area is 150 or so a cord for oak/hickory (or 50-70 a "load" or "standing face rick" or whatever they call around 1/3rd of a cord). Pine you'd be rolling in the dough to even get 25 bucks, or even ten bucks a cord, unless you have an "in" someplace to sell campfire wood by the bundle.

So it just depends.

It's too hard to say really, costs vary on production, what you can get, what your local area is capable of paying. rich bucks suburbia, boutique perfect wood, you can get more loot. Whether you make a profit or not, too hard to tell. Even getting my wood here for basically free, just pay or my saws and mix and bar oil, etc..I wouldn't make much on selling cordwood, as opposed to going and working a minimum rage job someplace on the side. If you are using your truck for deliveries, think of the wear and tear as at least around a buck a mile, so deduct that right of the bat.

 

[rmh3481]

IRS standard is around 55 cents a mile for 2012.

 

[copedirector]

The low end is $75 a half cord up to $150 a half cord. There are folks asking $250 a half cord though and I don't know if they get that.

 

[zogger]

The low end is $75 a half cord up to $150 a half cord. There are folks asking $250 a half cord though and I don't know if they get that.

That sounds like great prices in your area then. Try high (if you have the seasoned good quality wood to justiy that), see if you get any takers, you can always drop it a little if that is what it takes.

 

[Jere39]

As already mentioned, pricing of a commodity like fire wood is not a "cost plus profit" deal. It is demand based, and local availability driven.

So, if you hope to get rich, buy corn futures and pray for drought. If you enjoy the outdoors, like to cut and split, and want to cover the cost of your tools and fuels, by all means dig in. As an academic exercise, track your expenses and your time for at least 10 cord, and divide it out for a close approximation of your cost/cord. Good luck.

 

[ponyexpress976]

I hate to say it but Craigslist is a fairly good indicator. Keep an eye on prices for at least a week or two. Prices will probably start to go up in the next few weeks as temps drop and people remember they have not yet purchased heat for the season. Figure a base price for your green wood and go from there. Mine is $150 for green, delivered less than 10 miles one way. No, I dont do stacking....because Donald Trump couldn't afford me stacking it.

 

[mountainmandan]

I put out two adds on craigslist. One is what I think the market will bear, and one is on the high side. If I get any takers on the high add, I see it as a bonus. I word the adds differently, to appeal to different types of customers. It worked well last year.

My problem is that i don't always know which ad they are responding to. I will probably be adding a cheap prepaid cell phone, so I can use different numbers.

Dan

 

[Jim Timber]

Dan, just ask them what price they saw. If they question it, you can say you have premium and regular grade wood. Make up something that differentiates the two so you have a viable reason for different price structures. It doesn't have to be real.

If they come to the property, you just need to have the better or worse wood at a different location. "Would you like what's behind door number 1, or door number 1?"

 

[etc]

In DC, firewood is 300+/cord for seasoned hardwoood. You get plenty of "I will fill your car trunk for $45" and fractions of the cord, 200 for half cord is pretty common. And these are the going prices.

In addition to area variable, you have variables such as hardwood or not, seasoned or not, delivered or not.

I usually cut/split for myself. But I bought over 3 cords for 300, good deal for the area, but it was half-seasoned and not delivered.

 

[Somesawguy]

It's about 250 a cord here for hardwood. Pine doesn't sell, but "hardwood" varies. Some consider poplar hardwood.

If I had plenty of access to free wood, I'd consider selling a couple cord for play money, but it's hard earned money without a processor.

 

[chadsailors]

$55 per rick

There is a guy here at work selling typical seasoned hardwood for our area asking 55 a rick. I have no idea if that's helpful or a decent price. Ive nver looked at buying wood so i cant gove any other opinion. I've never even figured up what it costs me to cut, haul, process and fuel/oil/chains exc. I just know its a lot cheaper than my LP bill in the winter no matter the cost and I enjoy doing it.

 

[haveawoody]

copedirector,
Seems a pretty standard rate is about $225 cord.

You can add to that total with delivery, or deliverey on a stacked unit, all you need is an old flatbed and pallet lift cart or 1/2 forklift that goes on the flatbed.
Customers will pay a bit more if they arrive to a nice neat stack covered and ready to just move to a fireplace.
Added bonus of that is you get long term customers.
I sell everything in 1/2 cord stacked units i drop off and pick up empties when i bring a fresh load.
If a customer wants 1 cord it's 2 stacks, 2 cord it's 4 stacks ETC.
I charge nothing for the service but it's already in the price of the wood so customers are quite happy with the service.

Seperate your wood into premium wood and different choices.
Give them 1/2 cord options that 2 is just a bit more than a full cord price would be.

Mixed hardwood cord $225
Mixed hardwood 1/2 cord $ 120

All white oak cord. $300
All Hickory cord $350
Fruit wood smoker cord. $375

Add $25 to each if you are including a free delivery service in your price schedule.

Hope that helps a bit.

 

[lone wolf]

copedirector,
Seems a pretty standard rate is about $225 cord.

You can add to that total with delivery, or deliverey on a stacked unit, all you need is an old flatbed and pallet lift cart or 1/2 forklift that goes on the flatbed.
Customers will pay a bit more if they arrive to a nice neat stack covered and ready to just move to a fireplace.
Added bonus of that is you get long term customers.
I sell everything in 1/2 cord stacked units i drop off and pick up empties when i bring a fresh load.
If a customer wants 1 cord it's 2 stacks, 2 cord it's 4 stacks ETC.
I charge nothing for the service but it's already in the price of the wood so customers are quite happy with the service.

Seperate your wood into premium wood and different choices.
Give them 1/2 cord options that 2 is just a bit more than a full cord price would be.

Mixed hardwood cord $225
Mixed hardwood 1/2 cord $ 120

All white oak cord. $300
All Hickory cord $350
Fruit wood smoker cord. $375

Add $25 to each if you are including a free delivery service in your price schedule.

Hope that helps a bit.

We cant get that much here, it is around 200.00 . Do you have Red or Black Oak up there just White?

 

[haveawoody]

lone wolf,

We have much more northern red than we do white.
Black oak i have never seen here, could have been mistaken for white pretty easy though

$200 is time to get creative.

Sell the average wood at $200.
For $ 200 people would just get more silver maple and walnut mixed in here.
I don't myself but if people asked for $200 cord wood that's what they would get

Try the premium wood cord sales.
Bet you cut lots of premium wood so why not get it to pay a bit more for you.

 

[lone wolf]

lone wolf,

We have much more northern red than we do white.
Black oak i have never seen here, could have been mistaken for white pretty easy though

$200 is time to get creative.

Sell the average wood at $200.
For $ 200 people would just get more silver maple and walnut mixed in here.
I don't myself but if people asked for $200 cord wood that's what they would get

Try the premium wood cord sales.
Bet you cut lots of premium wood so why not get it to pay a bit more for you.

Hickory, White Oak, Cherry are what I get as far as premium. Then you have Maple ,Silver usually.

 

[haveawoody]

lone wolf,

Well make yourself a cord of all hickory and sell it at 250
All oak 240

Black cherry although it is a decent smoke and firewood i would put it just the mixed piles.

If you have apple wood 300.

Nothing to loose trying eh?
And you can say to customers do you want just the regular firewood or are you looking for top quality premium wood for your woodstove or cooking/smoking?