Local cost for firewood

[wickedawesome]

Hi there,

I am a new owner of a wood stove insert. I've been doing some searching locally (Westchester County, NY) for firewood to purchase. I haven't yet checked with the local tree companies, but several kiln drying companies that deliver to my area offer "face cords" for around $300 delivered. If I am reading that right, that's around $900/cord. Does that seem insane? Is this just the NYC/Westchester standard upcharge?

Thanks,
Carl

 

[Rickb]

Seems insane to me but im from the midwest.

 

[sumpnz]

Where I'm at $200 per full cord is on the high side. But down in Seattle $250 is fairly average. $900/cord is about the equivalent price for campfire bundles that you can buy at gas stations.

 

[fossil]

Does that seem insane?

Yes.

 

[BrotherBart]

Depends on whether I am selling, or buying.

 

[Pennsyltucky Chris]

$200 a cord for hardwood around here.

 

[CLVTCH]

220-270/ cord for jackpine, 380-590/ cord for birch. Needless to say, I'm glad I found a free source.

 

[paul bunion]

Across the Tappan Zee and into NJ you can get all the unprocessed wood you could ever want delivered for free from tree services. I don't see why it would be that different on your side of the river. Split and kilned are different because you are paying for that service and many of the buyers are probably looking for some weekend fireplace ambience. Thus they can get more and what you see is probably what the NYC commuters are willing to pay.

 

[matt1@]

You might be able to get better prices from a local tree service like you said. Give it a shot. I was given the name of a guy in my town that cuts trees along the main power lines and sells the wood for reasonable prices.

 

[wickedawesome]

Thanks for the replies. I figured it was out of hand and the idea of this wood being used as ambient firewood makes sense. My concern with tree companies was unreliable seasoning. But, I think I will have to power through. Hopefully I will get lucky (and hopefully it will stay mild into November).

 

[BillLion]

Thanks for the replies. I figured it was out of hand and the idea of this wood being used as ambient firewood makes sense. My concern with tree companies was unreliable seasoning. But, I think I will have to power through. Hopefully I will get lucky (and hopefully it will stay mild into November).

Yeah, I'd keep looking. At $900 per cord you're better off heating with gas or oil.

 

[BillLion]

BTW: $175-$275 hardwood delivered here in CT.

 

[BrotherBart]

At $900 a cord you can save a fortune by going to thrift stores and burning coffee tables.

 

[Craig S.]

At that price, just buy some evi-blocks or bio bricks, and stock up on green wood for next year.

 

[Rebelduckman]

$100-150 down here in Dixie around my neck of the woods. I've never bought any and I hope I never have to

 

[ridemgis]

$350/cord here in RI for kiln dried. $250/"seasoned" cord.

 

[dafattkidd]

At those prices you are way better off with compressed firewood. Kiln dried wood is the most unreasonable.

If you're going to be buying wood, Maybe this is a good plan: this year get a few tons of compressed wood, and buy 3-4 cords of green wood for next year- and if you have the space 3-4 cords of wood for the following. Then buy 3-4 cords each year as you burn it. The first year is always the hardest.

 

[BigCountryNY]

If I am reading that right, that's around $900/cord. Does that seem insane? Is this just the NYC/Westchester standard upcharge?

Congrats on the new stove and welcome to the forums! I'm not too far north of you and I haven't come across anything that wildly outrageous. This is my first full winter in my house and I just put in my stove last month. I'm probably going to burn compressed logs mixed with some cord wood this winter so I can work on getting ahead for following years. That would be far and above better than paying $900 for a cord of wood. Hot Bricks is right up the road in Waterbury, CT - I haven't found anyone locally that sells compressed logs yet. But I haven't been searching too terribly hard.

 

[JTRock]

BTW: $175-$275 hardwood delivered here in CT.

Where??? I am in the Bristol area and could use some seasoned

 

[BillLion]

Where??? I am in the Bristol area and could use some seasoned

Well, that's the problem. That's the cost, but availability is another issue. I started another thread about firewood running out earlier than ever this year. https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/is-firewood-selling-out-fast-this-year-in-your-area-too.131888/

 

[iBurnWood]

I'm not sure how you came to the figure of around $900/cord using "face cord" measurement, as face cord is not a standard of a fixed measure. Sure 4ft x 8ft x ??? is the wood 12" long? 14"? 16"? If I buy cut/split wood I check to see the average length of each piece so I can calculate the value. 20" pieces offer 25% more wood than 16" pieces.

Be sure to know the length so you can calc. more accurately.

Good Luck.

iBurnWood

 

[Ricky8443]

$180 / cord unseasoned, $250 cord seasoned here. Delivery usually free less than 10 miles. Tack on extra $50 for hand stacking. Thats southeastern PA.

 

[wickedawesome]

I'm probably going to burn compressed logs mixed with some cord wood this winter so I can work on getting ahead for following years.

That is the conclusion that I have come to as well.

I'm not sure how you came to the figure of around $900/cord using "face cord" measurement, as face cord is not a standard of a fixed measure. Sure 4ft x 8ft x ??? is the wood 12" long? 14"? 16"?

The places that I am looking list the log length as 16" so I was basing it on that. After contacting a company, I was told they could discount it to about $225/face cord if I buy 3 at once. So theres that.

Like many have suggested, I'll be ordering some compressed bricks and mix that in with the wood I bought this summer (not nearly as much as it has turned out!). Thanks to everyone for the replies!

 

[Silenced38]

$120 a cord. Seasoned with 2 stroke smoke and bar oil. The local guy has about ten cords forsale and still cutting.

 

[mudr]

Im in upstate ny near rochester. $70 per face cord (16 inch) plus or minus $5. Something is not right with your price.