How Much Would You Pay For Firewood?

Last year I wasn't going to burn because my dad was dying of cancer and I had to drive him back and forth to chemo and radiation so much I didn't have the time to deal with it. Besides, my stove was in need of major repairs. Then his cancer went into remission, so I did a temporary patch on the stove and started burning. I quickly went through the dry wood I had on hand and had to buy some new stuff. I was forced to pay $240/cord for green ash. It broke my heart (and my wallet), but I knew I could limp through with the ash since it burns so-so when green. That was the very most I ever paid for wood. This year I got nice ash, cherry and hickory for $150/cord, which I guess is about the going rate.

All told, though, I think the highest price you can pay is to cut and split your own. JMHO.

Yes, I'd say the same thing, especially for wood in CT. What people pay pretty much depends on demand and availability. I might think $100 a cord for 12' lengths is kind of high, but probably not for southern new england.

there was an ad in the paper here for 4x4x8 cord of mixed hardwood at $340, but it is usually around $300...

ronoz said:

Lats year I bought 8 cords of wood delivered in 12' log lengths for $800.00. This year, I am considering paying $120.00/cord for cut-to-length (16"-22") wood delivered instead which would save me the time and hassle of cutting the 12' logs to length myself. What do you guys think? What are you willing to pay for a cord of wood? I burn from 5-6 cords/year here in CT with my Englander add-on wood furnace but I still have to use some oil for hot water and for when I let my wood furnace burn out. I like to stay a year ahead on my wood supply like most of you as well.

Click to expand...

First, it sort of depends upon the going rate in your area and what type of wood it is. It appears the going rate there is pretty high and later you say oak and maple. For cut to length (is it also split?) it will cost you another $20 per cord. If you burn 6 cord then you are looking at $120 extra cost. Is it worth those dollars? To me the dollars spent is just one little factor in the whole equation.

Do you enjoy the cutting and splitting? Do you exercise? Would that exercise do your body any good? These are some questions one must ask of themselves. Some would pay the extra just because they have the dollars. Others have the dollars but still will do the work.

In my case, I certainly could afford to have everything cut, split and even stacked. Yet, I would not even entertain the thought! To me it is part of providing for myself and my family. This alone gives me great satisfaction. It is almost similar to a religious experience to me.

I also greatly enjoy the cutting, splitting and stacking. I do not have to hurry to do it so can work at whatever speed I choose at the moment. I could also not do this and spend some time and dollars at an exercise facility, which, to me would be a bit distasteful. No, I'll get my exercise this way and save many dollars besides.


btw, you might also consider posting this or another thread about this in the Wood Shed part of this forum. You might get some interesting answers there from some folks who don't come to this part of the forum on regular basis.

I never buy my wood, but this year I found someone that delivers logs to the house for 60.00 a full cord. I've been getting locust, hickory, oak, ash and cherry with some maple. I figure its well worth it considering the time it takes to go to the woods and collect the logs. I can get split wood for 120 a cord all hardwoods from the amish. Firewood dealers charge 175.00 a cord to 200.00 a cord.

Backwoods Savage said:

It is almost similar to a religious experience to me.

Click to expand...

As I have suspected all along you are indeed the Pope of firewood! :ahhh:

Ray

Mixed hardwood cut,split and delivered, full cord - $210.00. 1st load was 60% hard maple, 30% White Birch and 10% yellow birch and ash. since I am working 6 days a week right now, I just don't have the time to process my own, so I have to go this route.

rottiman said:

Mixed hardwood cut,split and delivered, full cord - $210.00. 1st load was 60% hard maple, 30% White Birch and 10% yellow birch and ash. since I am working 6 days a week right now, I just don't have the time to process my own, so I have to go this route.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a good deal to me! Even if I paid that much it would still be lots cheaper than heating with oil..

Ray

There are a few firewood dealers in my area and the going rate is $50 csd per face cord for Oak. It's getting tempting for me since I consider this a good price as I only burn 9 face per winter which comes to $450 per season. But then there is the fun of scrounging and sense of providing for myself that gets to me as well. I don't have my own woods to cut but Craigs list seems to always come through with some cheap or free wood through the summer months.

Todd said:

There are a few firewood dealers in my area and the going rate is $50 csd per face cord for Oak. It's getting tempting for me since I consider this a good price as I only burn 9 face per winter which comes to $450 per season. But then there is the fun of scrounging and sense of providing for myself that gets to me as well. I don't have my own woods to cut but Craigs list seems to always come through with some cheap or free wood through the summer months.

Click to expand...

I assume 3 face cords equals 1 cord? If so $150 a cord sounds like a good deal to me..

Ray

raybonz said:

Todd said:

There are a few firewood dealers in my area and the going rate is $50 csd per face cord for Oak. It's getting tempting for me since I consider this a good price as I only burn 9 face per winter which comes to $450 per season. But then there is the fun of scrounging and sense of providing for myself that gets to me as well. I don't have my own woods to cut but Craigs list seems to always come through with some cheap or free wood through the summer months.

Click to expand...

I assume 3 face cords equals 1 cord? If so $150 a cord sounds like a good deal to me..

Ray

Click to expand...

Yep

Indeed, almost a religious experience. Being out in the woods is a great thing. Lots of hazards, lots of aches and pains when it's all over, but the thought of being off the grid for heat has enough motivation to do it and enjoy it. We slashed our electric bill. But in the end, I just like being outside in nature. This year I'll be whipping out the Monster Maul for the first time in many moons. Thankfully I work out so it shouldn't be too bad, even at 55.

Vive la firewood!

The best deal locally is $150 full cord split and delivered. $20 stacking fee. Not sure of the wood species but it looks like a mix of oak, ash, and god knows what limb wood. A little random on the lengths so I need to sort it out for my grandma who has a smaller stove.

What would I pay? If I had to pay I guess I'd want to make sure I was getting a reasonably good deal, which means paying the local price or a little less. All firewood is not equal, so it is hard to shop just on price per cord - besides, not all 'cords' are equal in volume, even though it seems like they should be. If I could I would definitely buy logs instead of c/s/s because I have a chainsaw, enjoy using it, and have lots of space for logs. I guess the answer to your question is I'd pay around $150 for cut/split firewood, and I think I could get logs for well under $100 per cord. However, those are local prices here, and you are not here.

As it stands, I don't have to pay for firewood because I can scrounge enough off the curb and from friends' yards, so I won't pay any cash, just time and effort.

Backwoods Savage said:

To me the dollars spent is just one little factor in the whole equation.

I certainly could afford to have everything cut, split and even stacked. Yet, I would not even entertain the thought! To me it is part of providing for myself and my family. This alone gives me great satisfaction. It is almost similar to a religious experience to me.

Click to expand...

Dennis, I don't mean to put down acquiring one's own firewood when I say it is the most expensive wood. There were times when my time was valueless (unemployed), my bank account empty, and cutting my own made sense, even when I only had to pay $50/cord for c/s/d hardwood. Honestly, I enjoyed the hell out of it. If I had my own forest like you do, I probably would have all the proper equipment to do it efficiently and I would likely do it all very similar to the way you do. At my own pace and in my own time. Plus, I'd have total control over the quality of the product. Species, length, split size and seasoning time all being under individual control are some of the very best reasons to cut rather than to buy.

You obviously take great pride in your work with the wood, and seem to be a very generous man with both your knowledge and your product. If I lived closer, I'd be getting a $25 pickup of your gourmet wood delivered every week until you didn't want to deliver it anymore. But long ago I decided that there were too many things I wanted to do in my life, and the best way for me personally to get on to these things was to pay those who wanted to and were willing to do the things that I used to feel I just had to do myself. Making more money to pay these folks seemed to make more sense than doing it all at a less-than-expert pace.

When cutting your own starts to inhibit your earning potential or your lifestyle, it's time to hand that duty over to the willing and do whatever you'd prefer to do. In my case, I'd rather work with wood than cut it. The time I save by not having to find, fell, cut, split and cart 5-6 cord a year is enough to enable me to make a canoe, or kitchen cabinets for my daughter and so on.

Of course, my argument falls apart when I realize that even burning purchased wood entails lots of work compared to just adjusting the thermostat. No getting around filling that stove several times a day, rotating wood stacks, emptying ashes, etc. I'd be afraid to tally all that time up and put an hourly rate to it, because then I'd have to make a logical decision not to burn at all. So I won't bother with that, because I still enjoy burning. I take pride in the methods I have developed over the years to keep this place warm and the electric meter spinning slowly. Ya, we both make enough money to turn up the electric heat, but I still love playing the game of "Beat the Meter". Fighting a huge monopoly like National Grid is my version of tilting at windmills.

I don't buy firewood, and never have, but I did notice someone selling cords for $225 in a notice on the bulletin board at the local laundromat.

Around here, just west of Denver, if you get a job [if] for wages higher than three or four bucks above legal minimum wage, people are envious. So that is a pretty high price for wood, I feel. I cut, buck, haul, and split all of ours, but it is only around 4 cords a year to heat our cottage. If you get things organized, that isn't a huge job. It is hard work, but, no cash outlay. Of course, as someone pointed out, I have purchased chainsaws, fuel, chain sharpening tools, axes and Fiskar's, and so on. However, I've been doing it since 1975 and a couple seasons of paying someone to sell wood to me covers all my saws and tools.

Just me, but I'd rather do it myself than work more hours for wages and then pay out my wages to make someone else's paycheck. Like I said, just me.

SteveKG said:

I don't buy firewood, and never have, but I did notice someone selling cords for $225 in a notice on the bulletin board at the local laundromat.

Just me, but I'd rather do it myself than work more hours for wages and then pay out my wages to make someone else's paycheck. Like I said, just me.

Click to expand...

I'm with you Steve. I am south of you in Colorado Springs. $10/cord permits through the Forest service is the way to go. They are offering a 10 cord minimum on green wood this year. It sucks because it is green; but it is pine so it dries out fast. But at the same time; I don't have to drive around for 30 minutes trying to find a dead tree worth taking that isn't a mile off the road. Also considering pole/post permits out of Salida for this year.

Steve, you got any secret spots for good wood around here??? PM me, thanks.

ronoz said:

Lats year I bought 8 cords of wood delivered in 12' log lengths for $800.00. This year, I am considering paying $120.00/cord for cut-to-length (16"-22") wood delivered instead which would save me the time and hassle of cutting the 12' logs to length myself. What do you guys think? What are you willing to pay for a cord of wood? I burn from 5-6 cords/year here in CT with my Englander add-on wood furnace but I still have to use some oil for hot water and for when I let my wood furnace burn out. I like to stay a year ahead on my wood supply like most of you as well.

Click to expand...

look in your local reminder or paper for tree guys... or people selling firewood, call them and ask if they are in your area what would the price be cut to your length but not split... you will find many people especially this time of year do not want to haul wood back to their lots from to far a distance, so they will cut you a great price as you are helping them, dont be surprised to find 75-100 for unsplit wood...
pm me your area and i will try to help