How much do you charge for a cord of wood?

[Wood Doctor]

In St. Louis, there are stake bed trucks full of firewood, prowling the suburbs every weekend. There's generally one or two guys knocking on doors, while a couple more unload and stack. Some of the guys are reputable and some, not so much.
My BIL buys wood from who ever is the cheapest. Some of what he gets looks like it's only days away from total decomposition. Other times, it's so green it drips.
The last time I talked to him about wood, I think he was paying around $300 a cord, dumped in his driveway.
I've offered to supply him with wood, if he'll help me cut and split. He's retired and is much too busy to carve out a weekend or two to help.
Just so no one thinks I'm a ****. I've taken him loads of wood twice in the past. He is always conveniently absent when I show up, even though he was supposed to have been there. If it wasn't for the fact that his wife is my wife's sister, I would have never dropped a stick at his house.

Realistic post. I just got a call from a lady who says she's only got 10 logs left from a supply I delivered in mid-November (about 400 logs). Naturally, she waited until a snowstorm arrived. So, Friday I'll give it a go. Of course, she only wants dry wood that she can burn immediately in a fireplace. Luckily, I have a good supply on hand, but you have to wonder why she waited until she had nothing left before placing a second order in February. The house she lives in makes mine look like a shack and she drives a brand new Caddy, so I doubt that money is a problem.

Yep, I'm under priced.

 

[Guswhit]

I still get calls for truck loads even though I haven't sold any that way for years! You can't believe the people that ask me for firewood locally because they know I supply the parks. When I tell them that I don't have any extra they ALL get upset! They think I can sell it to them now and then recover that amount in no time for my future supply I think. I want to explain the finer point that I would sell them a truck load at the bundled price, but I'm not sure most of them would understand. I'm so glad I have a secluded place to be cutting, splitting and stacking that the average Joe doesn't come along and see what I really have piled up! You have to go through several locked gates to get back to my staging area this time of year.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Maybe it's time for me to raise my price. But, with propane selling locally for a little over a buck a gallon, it's tough to do that. So, I'm stuck on $200 for a full cord or $130 for a truckload racked up as shown in avatar.

It's over $3/gal here.

 

[Wood Doctor]

It's over $3/gal here.

That is hard to believe. How could it be so cheap here and in Minnesota and Iowa? Wait a minute. I think I have it figured out. We were sky high (over $6 a gallon) three years ago when Obama shipped all the USA propane reserve to China. So, perhaps the Feds are trying to even things out.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

That is hard to believe. How could it be so cheap here and in Minnesota and Iowa? Wait a minute. I think I have it figured out. We were sky high (over $6 a gallon) three years ago when Obama shipped all the USA propane reserve to China. So, perhaps the Feds are trying to even things out.

Low demand I'd imagine. Very few people use propane other than for lights, fridge, RV, BBQ, cookbstove, that type of stuff. 2-3 years ago it was over $5/gal.

Fuel oil is about $2/gal if you buy 1000 gal.

 

[sb47]

I just caught the weather and the folks up north are still having below freezing temps. My high today was 87.
It's spring down here and the cook offs are getting underway.

 

[Johnnybar]

That is hard to believe. How could it be so cheap here and in Minnesota and Iowa? Wait a minute. I think I have it figured out. We were sky high (over $6 a gallon) three years ago when Obama shipped all the USA propane reserve to China. So, perhaps the Feds are trying to even things out.

Guess I should consider myself lucky to be in Oklahoma...even cold winters only runs me about $260 for the LP refill once a year. We have 2000 sq ft well insulated and an 80% efficiency furnace that is 30 yr old that equates to the modern wood burners these days as far as efficiency. If I moved and fired up the box stove that's in the workshop to heat the house, I'd need at least 2 cords due to it's poor efficiency. The cost would be competitive if I spent a chunk on a modern 80+% efficiency wood heater but, I would never recoup the initial cost unless LP skyrockets in price down here in gas country.

 

[Guswhit]

My high today was 87.
It's spring down here and the cook offs are getting underway.

I was just watching the "Kingsford BBQ pitmasters" on T.V. last night. Can't wait to get the smoker out myself.

 

[Johnnybar]

I was just watching the "Kingsford BBQ pitmasters" on T.V. last night. Can't wait to get the smoker out myself.

We are expecting 70 on Fri and 80 on Sat...WOW! Sorry OP didn't mean to turn this into a weather thread.

 

[Wood Doctor]

We are expecting 70 on Fri and 80 on Sat...WOW Sorry OP didn't mean to turn this into a weather thread.

That's only temporary. Our memories are sometimes short. I recall last year burning more firewood in March than I did in February. We had more snow in March and the wind blew like mad. Not until mid-April did it resemble spring.

However, early warm spells and spring fever do a number on truckload firewood sales. People beg for the sun. I recall an older guy telling me every February, "Edwin, the sun is getting stronger every day."

 

[sb47]

That's only temporary. Our memories are sometimes short. I recall last year burning more firewood in March than I did in February. We had more snow in March and the wind blew like mad. Not until mid-April did it resemble spring.

However, early warm spells and spring fever do a number on truckload firewood sales. People beg for the sun. I recall an older guy telling me every February, "Edwin, the sun is getting stronger every day."

Down here Feb 14 is the magic date for the last possible freeze. My dad swore by it and always planted the garden on valentines day. I've never seen it freeze here after the 14th.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Realistic post. I just got a call from a lady who says she's only got 10 logs left from a supply I delivered in mid-November (about 400 logs). Naturally, she waited until a snowstorm arrived. So, Friday I'll give it a go. Of course, she only wants dry wood that she can burn immediately in a fireplace. Luckily, I have a good supply on hand, but you have to wonder why she waited until she had nothing left before placing a second order in February. The house she lives in makes mine look like a shack and she drives a brand new Caddy, so I doubt that money is a problem.

Yep, I'm under priced.

That's an odd way to measure wood. I've guessed around 700-800 splits in a cord, so you brought her ~1/2 a cord?

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Down here Feb 14 is the magic date for the last possible freeze. My dad swore by it and always planted the garden on valentines day. I've never seen it freeze here after the 14th.

Where is that? It's snowed here on Memorial Day. I've hit frost while doing dirt work in July.

Feb 14 is still winter here. Roughly October to April. Though it's warming up some and we have about 9hrs of daylight now.

 

[Guswhit]

Where is that? It's snowed here on Memorial Day. I've hit frost while doing dirt work in July.

Feb 14 is still winter here. Roughly October to April. Though it's warming up some and we have about 9hrs of daylight now.

I think he's in Texas. I've had it snow on me as late as May 6th. That was 1988, the year of the bad drought here in corn country. I will never forget it, nearly starved, had just graduated from college and thought I was going to make a mint starting a lawn service business, barely made my mower payments! Ah, youth, wasn't scared of anything back then!

 

[sb47]

Where is that? It's snowed here on Memorial Day. I've hit frost while doing dirt work in July.

Feb 14 is still winter here. Roughly October to April. Though it's warming up some and we have about 9hrs of daylight now.

South east Texas.

 

[Wood Doctor]

That's an odd way to measure wood. I've guessed around 700-800 splits in a cord, so you brought her ~1/2 a cord?

Two-thirds of a cord -- 85 cubic feet. It all depends on the average size of the splits. In my book, it's not an odd way to measure wood by log count anymore. Take a look at 5-log bundles that sell for $5 apiece or a buck a log and 6-log bundles that sell for $6 apiece. Does anyone sell bundles by the cord?

I sell $5 bundles that average 8 to 9 logs per bundle. Nobody complains unless the bundle is so heavy that they cannot load it onto the truck's tailgate.

 

[TheNerd]

I have come into lots of logs and more to come, previously sold to firewood splitters on my property for $50 a cord in logs or cord in the truck.
The pricing seems to be around $300/cord delivered. Arbutus or Madrona is more.
I talked to the guys with bottom window loads and it was $220. Around here anything in a truck is a jag of wood.
I went to load my F250 standard cab long box the same, throwing in by hand and couldn't find when to stop. I am trying to give value with out gouging myself to obtain same value. I needed the load and stacked to gauge actual size at home.
I now use my JD1070 loader and stack the 6 foot bucket about 3 feet tall to load the truck and use 3 buckets. This gives me an accurate amount about 2 face cords at 16 inches(true 2/3 cord). The primary length cut here for wood stoves. I had a volunteer cut some logs up to 20 inches and if they can burn them same price.
I am in a competitive area and even asked the big guys if I could sell, they replied they can't keep up.
Sell it for what you can get. Those that pay don't complain, those looking for a deal always complain. I do not advertise, only leave the pick up loaded. It is price/load but I do know the actual cubic feet. I would not want to load a full cord of wood on my truck and deliver.
I am in the gulf islands, BC Canada if it does not show. Mainly Douglas fir and Arbutus wood for me. The big guys sell a lot of Alder mixed.

I am in favor of donating some wood to the needy if you can. I had a tree fell with a bucket truck for me for free and donated the dead stand fir to the local copper kettle as it did not cost me. The smiles/thanks are priceless.
If an order it is mostly the smaller stuff.(easy to handle for the elderly or infirm.)
Fundraisers where they can bid on the load is very fulfilling in they will way over pay.
My comment on an old topic.
Chad.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Two-thirds of a cord -- 85 cubic feet. It all depends on the average size of the splits. In my book, it's not an odd way to measure wood by log count anymore. Take a look at 5-log bundles that sell for $5 apiece or a buck a log and 6-log bundles that sell for $6 apiece. Does anyone sell bundles by the cord?

I sell $5 bundles that average 8 to 9 logs per bundle. Nobody complains unless the bundle is so heavy that they cannot load it onto the truck's tailgate.

6-8 depending g on size. It's 1+ cu ft, so whatever it takes to fill the holder.

I've never counted how many splits in a cord, just I get around 100 bundles out of a cord and they are around 7 splits each.

I don't delivery less than a cord. I prefer doing 5.5 cord orders (what my big truck holds)

 

[Wood Doctor]

6-8 depending g on size. It's 1+ cu ft, so whatever it takes to fill the holder. I've never counted how many splits in a cord, just I get around 100 bundles out of a cord and they are around 7 splits each. I don't deliver less than a cord. I prefer doing 5.5 cord orders (what my big truck holds)

That means my bundles are too big. Shucks, I doubt I could ever ever get 60 of my bundles into a 1-ton pickup truck. For me, 60 bundles is at least 500 splits.

 

[woodshax]

Location, Location, location.......and the smaller the bundle the bigger the profit. We sell only at state parks so the intended use is for ambiance not heat. Our bags are 2cu ft by volume but you can only fit about 1.3 cuft in a bag....(mixed sized cuts so they can start a fire easily)....$11.65 a bag plus tax and they sell well all year long.....Experiment....raise the price $1 or so and see how much less you sell....and then increase until people start walking away