How much additional will You charge/cord

[davegster]

This question is for the fellows selling cut/split firewood: Fuel has been hitting us all a lot harder over the last year. How much more are you planning on charging for full cords compared to last year? I raised my full cord price from 180 to $200 delivered withing 15 miles (compared to last year). I had no problem getting 5 cords sold to one customer when my increase took place. I would like to here from you.

 

[STLfirewood]

$60 per cord. Going from $300 to $360 for all new customers

Scott

 

[Brushwacker]

This question is for the fellows selling cut/split firewood: Fuel has been hitting us all a lot harder over the last year. How much more are you planning on charging for full cords compared to last year? I raised my full cord price from 180 to $200 delivered withing 15 miles (compared to last year). I had no problem getting 5 cords sold to one customer when my increase took place. I would like to here from you.

I'm right with you on last year and this years price. I may even charge a little more for seasoned out of my stockpile. I stack some in the woods at the cutting site when pratical to save handling.
Haven't got much stock this year. Late winter and spring drained stock and I sold a fair amount of green since.

 

[Patrick62]

Same.... sort of.

Last year I was at $150/cd
I am going to stay with that, but with a delivery charge.

I am going to charge what it costs in fuel to deliver the load. Then I got schmart, and decided on a $5 minimum on that. Nobody has complained about it yet.

-Pat

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Last year I was at $150/cd
I am going to stay with that, but with a delivery charge.

I am going to charge what it costs in fuel to deliver the load. Then I got schmart, and decided on a $5 minimum on that. Nobody has complained about it yet.

-Pat

Probably not ! I dont know what the market will bear in your area but that would be cheap for here.

$180 last year to $210 in the mid Winter. $210 now and figure about $260 by mid Winter this year. Delivery on a cord went from $50 last year to $60 this year. They are paying more for the service then they are for the fuel for delivery.

I have a few people that will take it green and let it season for themselves. Last year it was $150 delivered. This year I will deliver it straight from the field, split for $180 since I am only handling it twice and I am within a mile of them going to the house. Wish I had more like this. Saves me some hassle having to stack and store it.

 

[avalancher]

Probably not ! I dont know what the market will bear in your area but that would be cheap for here.

$180 last year to $210 in the mid Winter. $210 now and figure about $260 by mid Winter this year. Delivery on a cord went from $50 last year to $60 this year. They are paying more for the service then they are for the fuel for delivery.

I have a few people that will take it green and let it season for themselves. Last year it was $150 delivered. This year I will deliver it straight from the field, split for $180 since I am only handling it twice and I am within a mile of them going to the house. Wish I had more like this. Saves me some hassle having to stack and store it.

I sure wish I could convince people in our area to buy green wood in the summer, it sure would save the hassle of stacking and storing at my place. I have only two customers that will take green wood in the summer, the rest of my sales in the summer are camp fire folks in the national forest. At least with the campfire wood people they will take what ever burns, giving me a chance to get rid of some of the junk wood that got dragged in.

 

[mga]

$60 per cord. Going from $300 to $360 for all new customers

Scott

are they actually saving anything paying that price?

 

[Wood Doctor]

are they actually saving anything paying that price?

At $360 a cord, one has to wonder, especially in the St Louis area where I believe natural gas heat is available for about $12/mcf or less.

In the Northeast you might get that price for wood, but that's largely because natural gas distribution is rather limited there.

 

[ms310]

From $50 a face cord last year to $60 a face cord plus $1 mile delivery charge/ per load

 

[mga]

At $360 a cord, one has to wonder, especially in the St Louis area where I believe natural gas heat is available for about $12/mcf or less.

In the Northeast you might get that price for wood, but that's largely because natural gas distribution is rather limited there.

i'm not knocking what any one charges for wood. heck, if you can get $500 a cord....more power to ya!!

but, i believe there's a psychological effect here. people think that by buying wood and trying to heat their homes with it, they're actually saving money. however, one has to consider alot of variables ie: cost per therm of natural gas or cost per kilowatt of electricity.

also the efficiency of their wood burning aparatus and the amount of btu's the type of wood they're burning. lots of math to do there.......

as for me....i get all my wood for free. i don't count my time because i'm retired. the money i spend on gas etc still dictates that i'm ahead of the game versus heating with gas, as i'm sure many of you guys are in the same boat.

but, for you guys selling firewood, it's a somewhat risky business because the cost of your time, labor, equipment, gas, etc etc has to be covered by the price of wood. breaking even doesn't cut it. you either make a profit or you get out.

so, my whole point is how much can one get for a cord of wood before the wood is more expensive than natural gas?

 

[blackdogon57]

Burning for comfort

Many of my customers burn for "comfort". Dropped a cord today in a guys driveway in Whitby Ontario - Price $375. He told me he just likes burning wood. Enjoys the work, doesn't mind the mess or the extra cost for wood this year. Most people understand the financial reality for guys like me that sell a few cords a week for extra cash. Cost of delivered logs here is $130-175 per cord. With diesel at 5.00 per gallon its tough to make a buck even when selling for 300-400 per cord.

 

[STLfirewood]

At $360 a cord, one has to wonder, especially in the St Louis area where I believe natural gas heat is available for about $12/mcf or less.

In the Northeast you might get that price for wood, but that's largely because natural gas distribution is rather limited there.

I would say 90% of my customers don't really use the wood for heat. I sell very few cords. Most of my orders are 1/3 of a cord. Most people who buy from me use the wood for honey fires. Honey I want a fire tonight, yes dear. That type of thing. I delivered to a few places last year that had 5 or six bundles on the porch. They told me i was cheap that they couldn't believe they were getting that mush wood for $100. One person even said. Man there must be 40 bundles in there. I do have a couple people that buy 2-3 cords. I cut the price down for them. If they get 2 cords at a time it's $540.


Scott

 

[Wood Doctor]

I would say 90% of my customers don't really use the wood for heat. I sell very few cords. Most of my orders are 1/3 of a cord. Most people who buy from me use the wood for honey fires. Honey I want a fire tonight, yes dear. That type of thing. I delivered to a few places last year that had 5 or six bundles on the porch. They told me i was cheap that they couldn't believe they were getting that mush wood for $100. One person even said. Man there must be 40 bundles in there. I do have a couple people that buy 2-3 cords. I cut the price down for them. If they get 2 cords at a time it's $540.

Scott

Excellent, Scott. That's the market that most wood suppliers should cater to--those who do not seriously heat the house with firewood but who want the aesthetics of a fireplace or insert that a gas log will simply not deliver.

Then there is another market worth looking into--restaurants and hotels that have wood burning fireplaces as part of the decor and those who use firewood for cooking in wood fired ovens and smokers. They are looking for premium, seasoned stock (oak, ash, hickory, elm, locust, hackberry, etc.).

 

[STLfirewood]

Then there is another market worth looking into--restaurants and hotels that have wood burning fireplaces as part of the decor and those who use firewood for cooking in wood fired ovens and smokers. They are looking for premium, seasoned stock (oak, ash, hickory, elm, locust, hackberry, etc.).

I want to get into that also just have't had the time. My plan is to get a kiln in the next couple of years and offer them kiln dried wood. They would pay for not having to mess with bugs. There is also certain areas of St. Louis where there is a lot of money. They would pay for the same services. I have stated before that I would like to get with apartment owners and have the specify that their tenets can only burn kiln dried firewood. They wouldn't have to worry about bugs and flues getting clogged. But before the Kiln I have to get another truck. I don't like taking loans for equipment so I'm saving for one.

Scott

 

[Ohiowoodguy]

The nearest I can figure, using misleading info from the oil companies, is that firewood at $300/cord is about 1/2 the price for heat (comparing BTUs, with an efficient woodburner) for fuel oil, propane, or gas; and 1/3 the price of elecrtric- but I'm no 'expert'. I'm sure someone will crucify me for this.:monkey:

I'm just looking foward to clearing more than $3/hour as firewood prices increase

 

[Wood Doctor]

The nearest I can figure, using misleading info from the oil companies, is that firewood at $300/cord is about 1/2 the price for heat (comparing BTUs, with an efficient woodburner) for fuel oil, propane, or gas; and 1/3 the price of elecrtric- but I'm no 'expert'. I'm sure someone will crucify me for this.:monkey:

I'm just looking foward to clearing more than $3/hour as firewood prices increase

I have no intention of ciucifying you for your statement. However, natural gas is cheaper than both propane and fuel oil. So, even at $300/cord, wood undercuts natural gas at $11/mcf by only about 30% in $/MBTU (million BTU). However, it's a lot easier for people who own a natural gas furnace to (1) pay one bill for their furnace, water heater, range, grill, and clothes drier, (2) turn up the thermostat when it gets cold, (3) not shovel any ashes, and (4) never have to stoke the stove or furnace at night.

If you take natural gas out of the picture, firewood today becomes far more attractive to heat a house just about everywhere in the USA. On the other hand, where there is cheap electricity, a few heat pump advocates will beat their chests.

 

[panhead9]

I think this is true for the most part. If someone is serious about burning for heat generally they will not be buying wood but scavenging cutting etc themselves. If all things are put into perspective it is still cheaper to burn oil/gas than wood if you are buying the fuel nomatter what it is based on labor and maintenence. If I did not have access to my wood lot there wood, (get the pun wood! ) be no way I would pay for wood for fuel It is much easier and about the same cost to burn petroleum.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

I sure wish I could convince people in our area to buy green wood in the summer, it sure would save the hassle of stacking and storing at my place. I have only two customers that will take green wood in the summer, the rest of my sales in the summer are camp fire folks in the national forest. At least with the campfire wood people they will take what ever burns, giving me a chance to get rid of some of the junk wood that got dragged in.

I started advertising on Wichita Craigslist in early July when the price of gasoline was over $4.00 a gallon (now $3.49 here). I put the slant in there "Don't wait till fuel prices go out of site and you can't afford to heat your house." Which at the time was a reasonable concern. Still might be, Winter isnt here yet. I started getting a few takers, even that early.

All summer long there weren't any firewood ads, within 2 days 5 other people were on the bandwagon with their firewood. I sold what I had of excess firewood, that was ready. Then I started selling what was going to be ready when needed. Still getting a few messages asking for some from 2 ads in July.

Come Spring I will be advertising again to "Get yours in early so you know it isn't green" and taking them what I started cutting on Jan 1st. Stuff that shows checking on the ends by then. If I know they want a certain species I can have theirs ready. Instead of selling what I have available , or the next stack in line.

Look at firewood as a service , cater it to the customer, they will reward you.

 

[milkie62]

I am selling green for $180/cord min 2 cords since that is what my dump trailer will hold.1 cord green is $190.I think seasoned in my area will be going for $250-260 ,nobody is selling seasoned yet probably waiting to see what market will bear.

 

[Moss Man]

We process tree length wood and last year it was 95 bucks a cord and this year it is $120-$140 a cord tree length, so we went up accordingly and increased the cut split delivered price $35. a cord.