How much do you charge for a cord of wood?

[Mowingman]

I sell by the rick because:
1. A rick is a very accurate way to sell wood. The customer knows exactly what he is buying. If he wants 18" length wood, he knows he will get a 4x8 stack of 18" long wood. If he wants 20" lengths, he will get a 4x8 stack of 20" length wood.
2. The guy I took over the business from has sold wood here by the rick for over 45 years.
3. Everyone within 100 miles of here sells wood by the rick.
4 All wood cutters who supply me sell by the rick
5. A cord, which is 128 CF, is very hard to measure out when you are selling/buying wood of lenghts other than 24"
Just a little someting to think about here.
For you guys who sell wood by the cord that is some other length than 24". How do you, or the customer know that they are getting a true cord? Do you have the wood all prestacked into various size shaped piles, based on the lenght of the pieces, then measure every pile before you sell it to the customer?
What if you are selling 24" wood, and some of the pieces are a little under 24", or some are longer than 24"? Are you then cheating the customer since he is getting short pieces here and there? Or, are you cheating yourself since a few pieces might be over 24".
Now, to address the original question, I get $280/cord for 24" long wood, which I sell as 2 ricks. I get
$373.00/cord for 18" wood (which I would have to sell as 2.67 ricks of 18" wood at $140/rick.)
Ok, I am tired, but I think my math is correct.
Anyway, I am sticking with selling ricks, as that is the way the market works here.
Jeff

 

[forestryworks]

I sell by the rick because:
1. A rick is a very accurate way to sell wood. The customer knows exactly what he is buying. If he wants 18" length wood, he knows he will get a 4x8 stack of 18" long wood. If he wants 20" lengths, he will get a 4x8 stack of 20" length wood.
2. The guy I took over the business from has sold wood here by the rick for over 45 years.
3. Everyone within 100 miles of here sells wood by the rick.
4 All wood cutters who supply me sell by the rick
5. A cord, which is 128 CF, is very hard to measure out when you are selling/buying wood of lenghts other than 24"
Just a little someting to think about here.
For you guys who sell wood by the cord that is some other length than 24". How do you, or the customer know that they are getting a true cord? Do you have the wood all prestacked into various size shaped piles, based on the lenght of the pieces, then measure every pile before you sell it to the customer?
What if you are selling 24" wood, and some of the pieces are a little under 24", or some are longer than 24"? Are you then cheating the customer since he is getting short pieces here and there? Or, are you cheating yourself since a few pieces might be over 24".
Now, to address the original question, I get $280/cord for 24" long wood, which I sell as 2 ricks. I get
$373.00/cord for 18" wood (which I would have to sell as 2.67 ricks of 18" wood at $140/rick.)
Ok, I am tired, but I think my math is correct.
Anyway, I am sticking with selling ricks, as that is the way the market works here.
Jeff

I scale the logs and take off 15% or so and then add an armload or two extra, depending on how much extra my buyers pay me. And they ALWAYS pay extra. This works better for me than falling, processing, stacking, measuring, loading, and then unloading. I only stack once or not at all.

You'll never get EXACTLY the volume of a cord, you'll either be a little over or a little under. I've always sold a little over since they pay so well.

 

[BSD]

make it stop!

 

[Hedgerow]

I sell by the rick because:
1. A rick is a very accurate way to sell wood. The customer knows exactly what he is buying. If he wants 18" length wood, he knows he will get a 4x8 stack of 18" long wood. If he wants 20" lengths, he will get a 4x8 stack of 20" length wood.
2. The guy I took over the business from has sold wood here by the rick for over 45 years.
3. Everyone within 100 miles of here sells wood by the rick.
4 All wood cutters who supply me sell by the rick
5. A cord, which is 128 CF, is very hard to measure out when you are selling/buying wood of lenghts other than 24"
Just a little someting to think about here.
For you guys who sell wood by the cord that is some other length than 24". How do you, or the customer know that they are getting a true cord? Do you have the wood all prestacked into various size shaped piles, based on the lenght of the pieces, then measure every pile before you sell it to the customer?
What if you are selling 24" wood, and some of the pieces are a little under 24", or some are longer than 24"? Are you then cheating the customer since he is getting short pieces here and there? Or, are you cheating yourself since a few pieces might be over 24".
Now, to address the original question, I get $280/cord for 24" long wood, which I sell as 2 ricks. I get
$373.00/cord for 18" wood (which I would have to sell as 2.67 ricks of 18" wood at $140/rick.)
Ok, I am tired, but I think my math is correct.
Anyway, I am sticking with selling ricks, as that is the way the market works here.
Jeff

Damn... I wish I could get $300 a cord here... The funny thing is, for those of us who are trying to bring a product to market, and please customers, this measurement thing can be a real pain... I had a fellow stop by Tuesday morning and said he'd take everything I got... I had 20 cords left... Problem is, he started measuring, and decided he didn't want 2 of the stacks cause they were too long... He re-sells it in KC, and most of his customers want 16" and under... He said he could sell all the 12 and 14" he could get his hands on. But the 18 and 20 that's popular around here just wouldn't fly... Guess we're gonna have to break it down into cubic inches...
:crazy1:

 

[Hedgerow]

make it stop!

Now THAT'S funny right there!!!
:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[GeeVee]

I sell by the rick because:
1. A rick is a very accurate way to sell wood. The customer knows exactly what he is buying. If he wants 18" length wood, he knows he will get a 4x8 stack of 18" long wood. If he wants 20" lengths, he will get a 4x8 stack of 20" length wood.
2. The guy I took over the business from has sold wood here by the rick for over 45 years.
3. Everyone within 100 miles of here sells wood by the rick.
4 All wood cutters who supply me sell by the rick
5. A cord, which is 128 CF, is very hard to measure out when you are selling/buying wood of lenghts other than 24"
Just a little someting to think about here.
For you guys who sell wood by the cord that is some other length than 24". How do you, or the customer know that they are getting a true cord? Do you have the wood all prestacked into various size shaped piles, based on the lenght of the pieces, then measure every pile before you sell it to the customer?
What if you are selling 24" wood, and some of the pieces are a little under 24", or some are longer than 24"? Are you then cheating the customer since he is getting short pieces here and there? Or, are you cheating yourself since a few pieces might be over 24".
Now, to address the original question, I get $280/cord for 24" long wood, which I sell as 2 ricks. I get
$373.00/cord for 18" wood (which I would have to sell as 2.67 ricks of 18" wood at $140/rick.)
Ok, I am tired, but I think my math is correct.
Anyway, I am sticking with selling ricks, as that is the way the market works here.
Jeff

Your math is not correct. In about third grade you start learning "most common denominator" You might have been sick that year.

 

[redheadwoodshed]

There really ain't no reason to get ugly, whatever you and your customers can be happy with, whether you call it thingamajiger or whatever, as long as everybody gets a fair shake.
I know one guy who gets 50$ a pickup load.You go by his place, load your truck with as much or as little as you want,6' or 8' bed no matter.He's happy, his customers are happy.That's what matters.

 

[blackdogon57]

There really ain't no reason to get ugly, whatever you and your customers can be happy with, whether you call it thingamajiger or whatever, as long as everybody gets a fair shake.
I know one guy who gets 50$ a pickup load.You go by his place, load your truck with as much or as little as you want,6' or 8' bed no matter.He's happy, his customers are happy.That's what matters.

well said !

 

[Mowingman]

I am too tired to do math, worked 14 hours yesterday, got 5 hours sleep, and worked 12 hours again today.
Anyway, my point is, that when selling by the rick, you do actually make more money/(cord), as the wood length decreases.
As mentioned, the customers have been happy for 40 years+, and I am happy.
Jeff

 

[anymanusa]

I used to pay $80 for a face cord or 'rick'. Now I cut my own.

 

[1harlowr]

As long as the customer is happy, that's all that matters. If they want a truck load, and are happy with it, who's business is it other than the sellers and buyers.

Next thing some of you will want is to make sure that $50 truck load of wood has $3.50 in taxes added. Oh and don't forget to claim that $50 on your taxes this year. Now that $50 load is
$50+ $3.50 for sales tax+ $12.50 income taxes (Fed, State, Local)= $66

And don't forget to take your moisture meter when you deliver that cord if you are advertising "seasoned wood". I'm sure some areas has the exact moisture content sesaoned wood has to be.

Sell a fair product at a fair price and everyone will be happy. Don't try to compete with the hacks that are selling today and will be gone tomorrow.

 

[tomsteve]

i'm not a seller here either, but after seeing some of the prices, no matter face, pulp, or full cord, i wont complain about firewood prices around here.

 

[wdchuck]

Aside from the fact that i"m not too brite, a cord of wood occupies 128cuft. that is 85%wood, 15% air with all the wood stacked in the same direction or parallel for you smart folks.

When I deliver wood to a new customer it is on a pallet, two rows of wood that measure 4'x4'x16" so that equals a third of a cord, unless they order a full cord which is three pallets of split wood. Each pallet holds exactly the same amount, every time, at time of delivery. 43cubic feet or a touch more. If they want to hop up into the truck with a tape measure just to sleep better at night its fine by me.

See, what happens when I stack the wood on pallets from the splitter and wait a few summer months is the stack shrinks by 6" or so, therefore I have to top off each order just before it goes out.


Pricing is as follows:

Keep the little woman happy........$$
Hardest and hottest mix.

Hot fire to keep the one nite stand happy on the bearskin rug.....$$
Mixed hardwoods, they're too busy.

The crotchety, old , sheep ran away, cheap, sorry a$$ hermit............$$
Pine, spruce, willow.....happy to get any at all.

 

[Guido Salvage]

As long as the customer is happy, that's all that matters. If they want a truck load, and are happy with it, who's business is it other than the sellers and buyers.

Next thing some of you will want is to make sure that $50 truck load of wood has $3.50 in taxes added. Oh and don't forget to claim that $50 on your taxes this year. Now that $50 load is
$50+ $3.50 for sales tax+ $12.50 income taxes (Fed, State, Local)= $66

And don't forget to take your moisture meter when you deliver that cord if you are advertising "seasoned wood". I'm sure some areas has the exact moisture content sesaoned wood has to be.

Sell a fair product at a fair price and everyone will be happy. Don't try to compete with the hacks that are selling today and will be gone tomorrow.

It is amazing how some people can turn everything into a government conspiracy to increase taxes. My sole point is that there is a standard unit of measurement available (one cord=128 cubic feet) and that sales should occur in some increment of that measure. Without a standard means of comparison, how is the consumer to know if your $50 load a good deal and in line with the competition's prices? Selling by the cord (or fraction thereof) eliminates any question as to what the consumer is receiving.

 

[Hedgerow]

It is amazing how some people can turn everything into a government conspiracy to increase taxes. My sole point is that there is a standard unit of measurement available (one cord=128 cubic feet) and that sales should occur in some increment of that measure. Without a standard means of comparison, how is the consumer to know if your $50 load a good deal and in line with the competition's prices? Selling by the cord (or fraction thereof) eliminates any question as to what the consumer is receiving.

I agree... But ya' gotta educate them pesky customers and get them to turn from their rick-ed ways... One at a time... It'll be a slow process...
:beat_brick:

 

[cheeves]

Since there is so many folks with a chainsaw selling wood on this forum, i'd like to get a feel what a cord is worth nowadays.

I live in the city and get a face cord split and deliver for $95 each. Lenght is 12". It seems the price goes up $5 every year.

I usually get between $75 and $100 a truck load. Gave up selling by the cord. Too many hassles. Give some away too. Deliver within reason.

 

[logbutcher]

I usually get between $75 and $100 a truck load. Gave up selling by the cord. Too many hassles. Give some away too. Deliver within reason.

Some of you sellers sound like you're ALMOST PREGNANT. :bang:

Now with the rick, with face cord this and face cord that , Bush cord, Chopped Liver measure, we now have The Truck Load. "A truck load". :eek2: Tightly stacked ? Loose thrown ? Measured cut ? Split large ? Split small ? Piled to the lower window ? Piled to the sides ? How the H would anyone buy vague ? And how can you make real $$$$ to "...deliver within reason...." ?

What ever happened to get a product, market it, give value, satisfy the customer, make an honest $$$$$$$$$$ ? Nice that you give it away ( as in "the first profession" ), butt .............

Curious minds want to know. :confused2:

 

[tomtrees58]

well we don't give it away lol but to day i delivered 8 full cords with 1 of my sons in 5 hrs to 8 homes around town man i am beat:tongue2:

 

[burningwood]

Since there is so many folks with a chainsaw selling wood on this forum, i'd like to get a feel what a cord is worth nowadays.

I live in the city and get a face cord split and deliver for $95 each. Lenght is 12". It seems the price goes up $5 every year.

Sold some this year, .62 of a cord $100.00. All the wood had been cut,split and stacked in full wind & good sun for over a year. My stacks are 4 feet high, sixteen feet long and the wood is cut 14.75 inches long for feeding the Lopi Liberty north/south.

The majority of the wood was beech and sugar maple with some nice cherry, I also sold him some ironwood. From memory I think we sold him over four cord of seasoned wood this year.

bw

 

[Wood Doctor]

Since there is so many folks with a chainsaw selling wood on this forum, i'd like to get a feel what a cord is worth nowadays.

I live in the city and get a face cord split and deliver for $95 each. Lenght is 12". It seems the price goes up $5 every year.

$200 a full cord = two 1/2-ton pickup truckloads, split and stacked, mixed hardwoods. That's my price. Everybody tells me to raise the price. Whenever I do, my sales drop like a stone.