Wood Price Survey Time Again

[songofthewood]

around here in western ky you can't give wood away

Last years ice storm?

 

[avalancher]

I seriously doubt that I am going to sell any wood this winter,we have been plagued by guys out of work and selling wood cheap.Going price here is $150 per cord for oak split, delivered,and stacked.I have seen prices going for less than $100,and I am just not that interested in working that hard for that kind of money.I have my regular customers who have learned to avoid those kind of deals, but as far as running an ad,forget it.Ill keep my wood till prices go back up to what I consider a reasonable amount.I figure if I cant get $175 for a cord of red and white oak seasoned for a year and dropped on your doorstep,Ill just keep my wood.

 

[Skier76]

In CT, I'm seeing $225-$250 per cord delivered.

In Southern VT, anywhere from $160-$180 per cord delivered.

 

[Oldtimer]

Cut split delivered green here(Central Maine) is $165. on average, seasoned is $190.-$210. and dry is $210. on up. Much lower than last year, not sure exactly why though.

It's cheaper because heating oil and K-1 is cheaper...AND because money is scarce...if you want to sell, you'll drop the price to what people can afford.

Here, an average green cord price is $180, seasoned is $225, bone dry is $275 with a 2 cord minimum.

I got out of the cut/split/delivered firewood game. It takes me most of a day to chop, yard, limb, buck, split, load, and deliver a cord of wood.
In the same amount of time, with roughly the same labor involved, I can cut 7 cords of tree length....and I get $100 per cord delivered for that. After trucking and landowner payment, I still make $400.

$180 vs $400. Not a hard thing to figure. On top of that, I take at least a few sawlogs off the trees in the process....

 

[Oldtimer]

I seriously doubt that I am going to sell any wood this winter,we have been plagued by guys out of work and selling wood cheap.Going price here is $150 per cord for oak split, delivered,and stacked.I have seen prices going for less than $100,and I am just not that interested in working that hard for that kind of money.I have my regular customers who have learned to avoid those kind of deals, but as far as running an ad,forget it.Ill keep my wood till prices go back up to what I consider a reasonable amount.I figure if I cant get $175 for a cord of red and white oak seasoned for a year and dropped on your doorstep,Ill just keep my wood.

I tell ya, $175 for seasond red and white oak would be a screaming deal here.
I'd buy every cord of that you could send me if I could. White oak is superb firewood, the best. Here, that cord would bring a premium price. Come January, and 2 feet of snizzle....easily $300 a cord.

 

[avalancher]

I tell ya, $175 for seasond red and white oak would be a screaming deal here.
I'd buy every cord of that you could send me if I could. White oak is superb firewood, the best. Here, that cord would bring a premium price. Come January, and 2 feet of snizzle....easily $300 a cord.

That is what makes me sick sometimes.At our preferred price of $175 delivered and stacked ,we often hear "Man, you firewood guys are rip off artists.What makes you think firewood is that valuable?"

I know most folks have no idea what kind of work and expense it takes to produce a cord of wood, not to mention the equipement you need to do it with.There have been times when I have seriously considered getting out of this game, even if its just Christmas and toy money.But, as the wife puts it, if I wasnt doing firewood, I would either just be spending money somewhere, or would just get into trouble with all that spare time.

 

[Wood Doctor]

That is what makes me sick sometimes.At our preferred price of $175 delivered and stacked ,we often hear "Man, you firewood guys are rip off artists.What makes you think firewood is that valuable?"

I know most folks have no idea what kind of work and expense it takes to produce a cord of wood, not to mention the equipment you need to do it with. There have been times when I have seriously considered getting out of this game, even if its just Christmas and toy money. But,as the wife puts it, if I wasnt doing firewood, I would either just be spending money somewhere, or would just get into trouble with all that spare time.

+1. The biggest factor holding down the price for firewood is cheap natural gas and propane--alternative fuels in general. I recall three years ago when NG reached $14/MCF and propane got to $3.50 a gallon, firewood seemed really cheap. Those days are gone.

I think for awhile our market is now defined by the aesthetics--people who burn firewood for atmosphere and comfort, not those who seriously heat their homes with it. Yes, there will be some diehard woodstove burners, but their numbers continue to dwindle.

I still like the exercise and keeping the saws tuned up and using my truck productively is a great hobby. I'd rather do that than throw around a basketball and play handball, which is an expense that produces practically nothing.

 

[TJ-Bill]

I'm seeing $180-$200 a cord for hard wood if you pick it you. $225-250 dropped in your yard.

I paid $130 a cord for a 16' tadem load dropped in my yard all hardwood.

 

[dingeryote]

I saw a guy today that popped up outta nowhere. $135 cord, "Hardwoods", you pick up.

I had to stop and eyeball the pile and per chance haggle with him.
Hell, for 100 bucks a cord I'll BUY it and drop it onto the MIL pile to keep her from burning Fuel oil in her old furnace.

As it turned out though, it was "Hardwoods".
Meaning no confers. Poplar,Sassafrass, Cherry, silver maple, and some punky ant ridden woofah wood that mighta been willow, and half was as green as Ireland.

There's lotsa the same thing going on around here.
It's gonna be a tough season for the bigger firewood outfits.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[Mr. Firewood]

I am at $235 delivered and dumped for full cords and $90 a rick delivered, stacking is an extra $20 a rick and I do not budge on the stacking price because I have to pay someone to stack it

with the tornado that tore the area up by me I am already seeing alot more sprey-paint on plywood signs for firewood:censored:

 

[BPS. LLC]

I try to keep 75% of my sales in multiples of two cord deliveries, since that's what I can haul. I can overload my trailer at 2.5 cords, but I will only do that for a 5 cord order. Many customers think oak is the only wood that will burn so I separate it.

100% oak $200 cord, free delivery with two cord order

Mixed, still about 50% oak, $185, free delivery with two cord order.

I avoid stacking whenever possible and actually I only have a few elderly customers that I do it for and may only do it for new customers that are elderly and/or handicapped. To me its just not worth my time.

 

[Junkrunner]

Everybody and their uncle sells wood here. The price locally varies from 90 to 120 bucks seasoned, split, hardwood, delivered.

 

[USMC0802]

$150-$200 for "seasoned" split wood. Usually includes delivery.

 

[Wood Doctor]

You Need Big Bucks

Based on what I read here on this thread, the same principle applies this year, last year, and the year before.

If you want to make a million bucks by collecting, processing, and delivering firewood, there is only one solution: start with two million bucks.

:bang:

 

[Butch(OH)]

Based on what I read here on this thread, the same principle applies this year, last year, and the year before.

If you want to make a million bucks by collecting, processing, and delivering firewood, there is only one solution: start with two million bucks.

:bang:

Yup, same here. Processed firewood is cheaper now than when I did it for pocket cash while still in school in 1974. The local cheapo guy is just over $100 per full seasoned cord delivered in the county. His wood is seasoned and mixed hardwoods, his operation is just down the street from me. Lots of Amish and unemployed around here, not a good combo for decent firewood selling prices.

 

[lumberjach]

165 a cord deliverd and stacked in chattanooga.

 

[Doingitwell]

Here in ID, prices are all over the map. I sell wood currently and charge a straight up $140 delivered within a reasonable distance and dumped. I don't stack and most likely never will. My trailer holds exactly 2 cords safely, when STACKED, that's enough practice for me. We have a few different species here so from what I've seen lately, prices are anywhere from $125-$230. I'm assuming that those people are delivering honest cords. Prices will be creeping up soon, around the end of this month I'm guessing.

 

[Henry G.]

$120 a half cord mixed hard/soft wood delivered. Same as last 2 years. No discounts for multiple loads, I have more customers than wood. If I had more time and wood I could sell almost unlimited amounts, there are so many flakes around here.

 

[Cambium]

Anyone who sells it for more than $200 in my area is a rip off. Got a farm/nursery who sell a full cord for $350. Its like going to Nordstrums for a $180 sweater.

I calculated $200 a cord = about $40 an hour... Thats fair for this kind of labor. Just like a skilled trade.


For Each Hardwood Mix Cord(estimated)
1 hour to cut logs into pieces
1 hour to stack logs if not splitting right away
1.5hr to split
1 hr to stack
1 hour to load & deliver

Thats not including any expenses ie: gas, paying for logs, or chain & bar oil.

So under $150 is not worth for this hard back breaking labor.

 

[spike60]

Prices are a fairly steady $175-$180 around here. Guys report business has bounced back vs last year which was depressed due to more than normal carryover wood from 2008. Two years ago, when oil prices jumped over $4, many people bought way more wood than normal, so they ended up buying less last year.