There's no money in selling firewood

[ChoppyChoppy]

We get around $240 a full cord here in upstate NY .Talked to a guy in New Hampshire that is selling it for $350 and can't keep up. Doesn't make sense, 100 gallons of fuel is equivalent in BTUS to 1 full cord of wood and fuel is selling for $1.80 a gallon.

Diesel here is $2.48

 

[flotek]

The old timers got it right when they coined the phrase " firewood is a poor mans business "

 

[Gypo Logger]

Diesel here is $2.48

Ours is double that here, and you are farther north. Go figure!
John

 

[Gypo Logger]

The old timers got it right when they coined the phrase " firewood is a poor mans business "

Ya, if there was any money in the firewood business the Mafia would be involved. Lol

 

[hunter0182]

Well I have between jobs a few times in the last 20 years and firewoos kept us going,I would guess it depends on what you think your time is worth and your wood resources.I have made anywhere from $5000.00 to $20,000 a year.I do it on the side.I like the woods and cutting .and i also have someone working part time helping me.I have managed to buy two splitters and 6 stihl ms 390 & ms 391 saws, 2 5x10 trailers with wood money.so I guess it just depends we get about 120.00 a cord here in Georgia give or take about 10.00 .I also have a wood burning stove in my den which heats the whole house ,my heater probably on comes on a few times during the winter.

 

[hunter0182]

Yes I was being sarcastic. If you’ll look at my past post I have gone into great detail about how I get things done. This business is not for the lazy man, its hard work and you have to go through a learning curve and do lots of research. If you have some sort of common since you’ll figure it out. You’re not going to start up and have great results rite away. It takes time to build a good customer base.

Top things that work.

Number 1 is answering the phone: if someone is shopping and you let it go to voice mail, they will most likely find someone else before you get back to them.

Number 2 be friendly, honest and be willing to answer any questions they have. And trust me people can ask some pretty dumb questions.

Number 3 say what you will do and do what you say.

Number 4 is be on time for your appointments.

Number 5 only sell a quality product.

Last year I did lots of deliveries and did pretty good. This year I did very little deliveries and did about a third better then I did the year before.
Basically business 101

Ok there’s 5 good tips for everyone to ponder.

 

[hunter0182]

I actually stopped delivering wood,I do have about 15 old cutomers that I still take wood to ,but now i just tell the I dont deliver.most have no problem coming to get it.Iwas spending way to much time on the road.I have gained business.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Pretty sure he ment splits not logs.

That's correct. I counted splits just yesterday. They averaged 100 per row, one under and three over. The wheels take up some room, so that row would need some mounding up.

 

[Gypo Logger]

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I wouldn't see much business if I didn't deliver. Around here if people are buying wood they generally expect that it will be delivered. I deliver local for free (10 miles). Over that I charge per mile.
People that pickup I charge $25 less per cord. This year I've sold maybe 15-20 cords on pickup orders, the rest has been delivered. I've done about 400 cords so far this year.

I actually stopped delivering wood,I do have about 15 old customers that I still take wood to ,but now i just tell the I don't deliver.most have no problem coming to get it. I was spending way to much time on the road. I have gained business.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

That's correct. I counted splits just yesterday. They averaged 100 per row, one under and three over. The wheels take up some room, so that row would need some mounding up.

Well I'll count for grins here in a bit. I just came in to warm up before stacking the wood in my truck. Each row is 1/4 cord in my small truck.

edit: OK I stacked 1/2 a cord. First row was 123 splits, 2nd row was 130. My truck bed is about 8ft wide and I stack it about 3.25ft tall.

Not sure how you are fitting 100 splits in one row on the bed of a Ford Ranger, must be some small splits. How much wood do you haul with a full load?

 

[Wood Doctor]

Well I'll count for grins here in a bit. I just came in to warm up before stacking the wood in my truck. Each row is 1/4 cord in my small truck.

edit: OK I stacked 1/2 a cord. First row was 123 splits, 2nd row was 130. My truck bed is about 8ft wide and I stack it about 3.25ft tall.

Not sure how you are fitting 100 splits in one row on the bed of a Ford Ranger, must be some small splits. How much wood do you haul with a full load?

I figure about 85 cu ft per load. Note the side rails and height of the stack on my avatar. Makes all the difference in the world. I've measured the stack after unloading many times and 85 cu ft is the average. The actual split log count is going to depend on the average size of the splits. Most of my customers are using a fireplace or an open fire pit rather than a stove and they prefer smaller splits and a fire that's easier to light.

I really do think there is a partial load market out there that most of us have not made much effort to tap. Many of my customers get nearly two years of burning on a full load. And, the smaller, one row sale might be very attractive for people who don't want to buy 10 bundles for $50 and get only 60 or 70 split logs. A single row of 100 logs for $40 is a half-price bargain.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I have a 1 cord min for delivery. For pickup they can come grab 2 sticks or 10 cords. Big thing is I'm not going to drive around for $20 or $30 of wood. About the only time I have folks wanting under a cord is for a camping trip. I have bundle wood for that... a generous cu foot bundle for $5 or they can grab some loose wood as well.

 

[hunter0182]

I know what you are saying.I have only sold about a 100 cords,we have not had much cold yet ,was 75 today , my business normally comes later when the real cold hits,right now are a buch of kids around here selling wood,but they run out as usual and mine spikes,Isell wood to a big BBQ cook off they have in savannah ,3 hours away .Iasked a few people who came over last week from SC. why they come all the way over here to get wood and they said the guys over in SC were selling mixed sweetgum and popular and they didnt want that.all i cut is oak hickory and cherry,

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

It was pretty warm today, got to about 30*. We have gone some years without ever seeing as hot as 75* in the summer!

 

[logger450]

Valley Firewood what species fw is dominant up there?

 

[Marine5068]

Our hardwood firewood price is about $300/cord right now.
So in US dollars that's about $240-$250 and it continues to rise yearly.
Ten years ago the going rate here was around $150/cord picked up.
It's profitable if you have some time and can get logs fairly cheap or have a woodlot to cut from. That's the key.
I live in a rural area near some small cities.
Belleville is about 35,000 people and Kingston and it's metro area is about 290,000 folks. Peterborough is about 79,000 and rural area around is about 80,000.
Of course if you're near Toronto and the urban and metro area around it, you have about 11,000,000 to 13,000,000 people.
If you have the ability to deliver firewood sales could be increased by about 50%, but lots will still pick it up for themselves or others.

 

[Deleted member 83629]

cord is 200$ here and i just paid 1.66 per gallon for gasoline diesel is 2.19 here off road diesel is 2.07.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Valley Firewood what species fw is dominant up there?

Birch, spruce and poplar species (cottonwood, aspen)

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

cord is 200$ here and i just paid 1.66 per gallon for gasoline diesel is 2.19 here off road diesel is 2.07.

Gas here is around 2.30, diesel is 2.48. Not sure on off road, I normally only have to fill once a month or two, was 2.35 about a month ago.