The price of firewood

[suprz]

This is not meant to start a war, but is the labor, gas, wear and tear on equipment really worth 200-300 dollars per cord of wood? Especially if the seller is a tree service, and gets the wood from paying jobs? I am looking for honest rational opinions not emotions.. Just wondering what most folks think.

 

[AmarilloSlim]

After I've handled the wood from standing tree to seasoned firewood. Maintained equipment etc. Its worth every darn penny! But no way would I pay that much. That will buy a face cord here though.

 

[Ansky]

I voted fairly priced, because last spring I bought a cord split and delivered for 170, and just a couple weeks ago I bought a cord split and delivered for 180. Of course they were both supposed to be seasoned, but neither were truly seasoned.
I've seen as low as 160/cord if you buy 2 or more cords. Wood is pretty cheap around here in the sticks!

 

[paul bunion]

Also figure in taxes or rent on the lot where it gets processed and stored. In some places that can be quite significant.

 

[Craig S.]

This is not meant to start a war, but is the labor, gas, wear and tear on equipment really worth 200-300 dollars per cord of wood? Especially if the seller is a tree service, and gets the wood from paying jobs? I am looking for honest rational opinions not emotions.. Just wondering what most folks think.

Depending on your location, that seems like a fair price to me for 'seasoned' wood. I see the 160-180 price on CL all the time, but you run the risk of getting wood that isn't really ready to burn.

In most locations, the tree services generally don't have the facilities to split, store, and the time to season enough wood to make it a worthwhile effort for them.

 

[Paulywalnut]

We'll it is a business for the wood guys. Expenses we don't see. Employees are expensive insurance etc.
I know all the work I do cutting splitting stacking I think I have a lot of wood and by the time I have it all stacked
it's never as much as I thought. So it's a lot work involved in the whole process. It's probably fairly priced but it's what the market will except. I wouldn't pay it but some have to buy wood.

 

[BobUrban]

I wouldn't pay it but I wouldn't sell it for those prices either. After the effort involved to get my CSS stash to where it is my price per 3yr seasoned cord would need to be in the 1000$ range to even get me to listen. That said - I would give a cord away to a good friend or neighbor in need - I have plenty and plenty more to come.

 

[teutonicking]

This is not meant to start a war, but is the labor, gas, wear and tear on equipment really worth 200-300 dollars per cord of wood? Especially if the seller is a tree service, and gets the wood from paying jobs? I am looking for honest rational opinions not emotions.. Just wondering what most folks think.

I think $300 is a bit high. You can get a cord of kiln-dried firewood delivered for $300 here.

But I think $200-225 is a fair price for "seasoned" wood. Generally around here that must means they cut it and split it last year and its been laying around in a loose pile for a year. But if you buy it one year ahead, its good to go the following year. Even if you buy it in April, most of it (beside the oak) should be pretty decent by October/November. If you are willing to buy in bulk, around here you can also buy a large dumptruck full (3 cords) for about $500, or about $166/cord.

One way I measure the "fairness" of the price is that I sure would not want to sell my seasoned stacks for $200-$300 a cord. No way! Its worth a lot more than that to me.

 

[BobUrban]

One way I measure the "fairness" of the price is that I sure would not want to sell my seasoned stacks for $200-$300 a cord. No way! Its worth a lot more than that to me.

Exactly why I feel fire wood is under priced!! as well as unrealistic to expect it to be 2yr seasoned and under 20%. Just no way I can see there being any profitability built into the equation for the supplier when the man hours, fuel and wear and tear are considered. I don't know how they do it. Also, makes for just another great argument for getting ahead - WAY ahead!

 

[MrWhoopee]

For me, cash out of pocket is about $40-$50 per cord (permit, fuel, oil, chain sharpening, etc.), then figure 6 hours minimum for travel, cutting and loading, another 4 hours to split. If you are selling, there is the time and fuel to load, deliver and unload. I wouldn't do it for $200/cord, Cordwood is the ONLY home heating fuel that is a truly free, competitive market. Anybody with a saw, truck and work ethic can compete. As a result, prices accurately reflect what it costs (including labor) to produce and deliver. If anything, people who cut wood under-price their labor. Tree services charge the going rate, based on what the independents are charging.

 

[Charles1981]

I order 6 chords for 600$ log length. The seller is a forester and delivers it in a very large but smaller than a semi truck with a "claw cherry picker" i guess you call it. They claim its "seasoned" but I know that wrong but I got into an friendly debate on the phone with the forester but still knew what i was getting into ordering it. I have the ability to wait a year so I am always ahead and with this guy I don't have to order a $1700-1900 22 chord double semi trailer load (but if i did that I would only have to order once every 4-5 years....so tempting.

It takes me about 2 days with my 18inch echo to get it all cut up in stove length pieces and then I just work on splitting it over the next few weeks/months.

So I am paying 100$ a full chord for unseasoned wood (however surprisingly much of it come just under or at 20% moisture content when split and measured...Ash and Oak.

The forester harvested much of the standing trees a few years back and lets them "season" whole and then delivers them and stands by his "seasoned" wood. I've talked to him about my catalyst stove and how it just doesn't burn as well if it hasn't been split and staked and he just mumbled about not liking those cat stoves and how he wouldn't have one for the life of him ect. Oh well.

I would pay 160-200 for a chord of well seasoned hardwood if i needed wood now. I'd have to be pretty hard up to purchase it for 300 no matter what.

 

[bogydave]

My wood is worth more than $300 cord.
My thought is anyone who buys wood & thinks it's overpriced;
should go CSS it themselves.

I do.

 

[MrWhoopee]

My wood is worth more than $300 cord.
My thought is anyone who buys wood & thinks it's overpriced;
should go CSS it themselves.

I do.

Amen to that!
On a similar note, Henry Ford said:
"Chop your own wood and it will warm you twice."
He must not have done it. Between felling, limbing, bucking, loading, splitting and stacking, I get warm a lot more than twice.

 

[charly]

I think most of us feel that our wood is worth a lot to us... People who just buy their wood have no idea all the double handling there is in processing fire wood from start to finish, plus the expense... Any fully insured tree service probably doesn't even have firewood sales pay half their insurance cost alone.. Workman's comp has got to be through the roof by now. My siding guys have had no claims, 4 brothers and a couple non family workers. Their Dad started the business in 1951.. Their insurance is $40,000 a year ...Crazy!

 

[lukem]

Wood is worth what the market will bear. Supply and demand. Simple as that.

I think you are trying to get at how much profit is there in a cord of wood sold for $300. That's going to vary widely depending on equipment and overhead costs.

I would be one broke SOB selling firewood around here for $150/cord.

 

[byQ]

I have 10 cords piled in the front of my property. Either I have to haul it to the back and stack it or sell it. I decided to sell - $175/cord w/delivery (it is kind of an eyesore, too, and I cut some of it too long for a masonry heater, but it's ok for most wood stoves). I've sold about 6 cords to 4 customers. Also, I've already got a bunch of wood in the back.

What I've learned - general observations,
* buyers don't have much of an idea what a cord of wood is so I could see where sellers might take advantage of them.
* 3 of the 4 didn't ask if it was dry or not (it could have been wet) None checked the wood - again seller's could exploit.
* the buyers generally have EPA wood stoves that they use as their main heat source - so you'ld think they would know more about their fuel.
* and none really examined the wood for species of wood - or better said denseness of the wood (btu info). (A cord of cottonwood vs a cord of oak).

This was my first time selling wood so I was surprised.

 

[charly]

I have 10 cords piled in the front of my property. Either I have to haul it to the back and stack it or sell it. I decided to sell - $175/cord w/delivery (it is kind of an eyesore, too, and I cut some of it too long for a masonry heater, but it's ok for most wood stoves). I've sold about 6 cords to 4 customers. Also, I've already got a bunch of wood in the back.

What I've learned - general observations,
* buyers don't have much of an idea what a cord of wood is so I could see where sellers might take advantage of them.
* 3 of the 4 didn't ask if it was dry or not (it could have been wet) None checked the wood - again seller's could exploit.
* the buyers generally have EPA wood stoves that they use as their main heat source - so you'ld think they would know more about their fuel.
* and none really examined the wood for species of wood - or better said denseness of the wood (btu info). (A cord of cottonwood vs a cord of oak).

This was my first time selling wood so I was surprised.

Sounds like your an honest person anyways,, those folks will be back for more next year..

 

[shawn6596]

I just have to laugh at the number of us that said " wouldn't sell mine for that, and I wouldn't pay that." Around Northern Indiana if you have to pay for wood It really ain't worth burning, I would never pay for wood.

 

[PapaDave]

Knowing how much goes into processing firewood, I'd say firewood is underpriced (not a poll option).
The first time I bought firewood, I got it from a guy who I think does nothing but firewood.
He drove an old beat to heck pickup with built up sides. Every time I drive by his place, he's got firewood in various stages of process-ness, and logs off to the side.
Seven years later, he's still driving the same truck, and he lives in a worn down house that could use a lot of TLC (no judgement here).
He should be selling firewood for a lot more than he does, but he'd go out of business.
He has an ad in the local paper telling folks to stock up now for next year, so he gets it, but I'm not sure how many do that around here.
Prices have remained pretty steady for the past few years, instead of keeping up with inflation or whatever you want to call it.
Takes me close to 6 hours to process enough logs into enough splits to equal a cord....not stacked. He might be making $10/hour or so, not counting cost of fuel, equip.wear and tear......
I wouldn't do it.
What kind of detail are we talking about here,....'cause I could keep going.

 

[NortheastAl]

Screwed up and hit overpriced by accident. I think firewood is more than fairly priced, considering. There are costs of saws, splitters, vehicles, employees, land and taxes, plus it is not a year round business. The time involved from when the cut rounds are picked up from a job to when it gets delivered split to a customer, even considering the wood was free, makes 1 cord at $200 more than fair. Unless these guys are cranking out deliveries like crazy, I can't figure out how they make money

 

[n3pro]

The most I've ever paid was $180 a cord C/S/D the least $110 so I that price seems high but as the say in commercials "prices may vary with location". I have never bought any from a tree service, all mine have been bought from people who do it as a side job / seasonal work. I look at as a few others have said, insurance, permits, taxes, equipment, fuel, plus same way with the truck, time, etc. There are a lot of cost not seen. Working with my families property management business, the tenants only see what they pay in rent and assume that 90% is profit and their rent is way too high. Unfortunately, they don't see the expenses nor do they believe it anyway.

Just my view point. As with anything, value is in the eyes of the buyer.

Prices have remained pretty steady for the past few years, instead of keeping up with inflation or whatever you want to call it.

A point I didn't think about, in my five years gas, oil, taxes, etc have all increased yet the price I've paid has remained the same or slightly fallen.

 

[MarkinNC]

I know someone with a tree service. He said if you are not getting paid to cut the firewood you're losing money and I agree with him. I am selling 2 cords this year because I have so much for $200 a cord plus delivery. Lots of shoppers but only one taker so far. I will give it to charity before I give it away. I would like to put the money towards a splitter.

When the cost of buying firewood exceeds the cost of heating with a fossil based fuel, the cost of the wood is not worth it IMO.

 

[red oak]

I can buy a cord of mixed hardwood, mostly oak, for $120. I know a guy that sells for that. I haven't bought any so no promises on if it's seasoned or not - I would always assume wood I bought was not seasoned. If I had to, I would buy it for that price and feel pretty good about it. I can also get a deal from another guy for buying in bulk - I think 3 cords for $350. So I could still heat my home for less than $500 per winter buying wood. Of course it's cheaper, and infinitely more rewarding, to cut and split my own. I don't think I'd sell any of my own wood but I would give some to friends who needed it.

Personally, there's no way I'd spend 200-300 dollars on a cord of wood, even if it was kiln-dried. I'd buy it cheaper in bulk and let it season myself.

 

[madtrapper]

I have been selling firewood for about the last 7 years . We have cleared all the fence rows off our farm as well as the ash borer has hit our ash trees. Also have a lot of dead elm just coundnt see all the wood going to waste so I started cutting and processing my self. I started burning wood a couple of years ago and am easily 4 years ahead for myself. The trees are dying faster than I can cut them. The last couple of years I have sold about 30 cord a year at 135 a cord picked up. I don't deliver. Selling wood over the years I have bought a bigger saw my own splitter a new quad and a trailer to haul behind it. Some of the wood I sell each year has been CSS for a year or more but most of it less. I am always up front with buyers and tell them when it was CSS. I would like to charge more but they can get it delivered for 170 around here may not be dry but most don't care. Am I getting rich no but I enjoy doing it and I have a lot of free time.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

I think getting a cord of beautifully c/s/s kiln dried hard woods delivered to my house, up my 15+ steps stacked on my pallets is worth every penny of the $325 they charge. It is always a true cord, and then some and it takes 2 guys almost 4 hours to unload it all. A local driveway seal company built the kilns so they could keep their crews busy year round, great mom and pop company.

Not that I will never have to buy wood ever again thanks to Sandy pulling trees down everywhere but last year, most of our stash was covered not only by fallen trees but debris (pieces of my house) so we had to buy wood or oil...wood wins every time.

Now, I have 4 cords of my "Sandy" wood plus what's left of the kiln dried. My neighbor a few door down had a lot of trees down too so when we all ran out of flat land to stack, we started piling it in a old barn on his friend's property. The plan now is to go up there with the splitter and trailer and bring it home as we need to replenish the stacks so there is an on going c/s/s process and NONE of us have to buy wood ever again