In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Sellers, are you Increasing Your Wood Prices?

Discussion in 'The Wood Market' started by buZZsaw BRAD, Apr 3, 2022.

  1. Jim Stokes

    Jim Stokes

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    I'm kinda the odd guy here....live on the Gulf Coast of Alabama, and firewood is use more for entertainment and mood than actually heating most houses. I sell small quantities via special pallets, "small stack" is 12" x 40 , last year was $40, this year will be $50, "large stack" is 24" x 40" was $80 last year, this year is $100. My wife and I split and dry the oak for 3 to 10 months, and sell directly to drive up customers. Last two years, we sold out in Jan., had to buy from other vendors, and raise the prices to the $50/$100 to cover the hauling and extra costs. We sold approximately 20 full cords those years. We don't sell cords or "truckloads" because the price would cause heart attacks. We refer them to Craigslist or Facebook, and suggest buying a moisture meter for buying from them.
    Wife does most of the splitting, but we have to haul it to and from another property for drying, since I live in a subdivision, on a small lot.
     
  2. EODDiver

    EODDiver

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    Anybody selling beech? I am moving into a new freshly timbered property tomorrow (43 acres) and about 1/2 of the wood I’ll be cutting is beech. BTU wise it is right there with oak, but haven’t seen any ads for beech in my area. After a tour today, figure I have about 100-150 truck loads of beech, oak and hickory to cut. My name has spread around as the guy to clean up after logging operations. Will be busy for the next year or two with what I have spoken for.
     
  3. Yawner

    Yawner

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    Heck, good for you, you're making good money and you sold 20 cords? Sheesh, that is a lot of wood of those little stacks. I assume you mean that a small stack is one split wide, 12" tall and 40" wide. That's a lot of sales. You sure are in a busy area 'cause that is a lot of customers.
     
    T.Jeff Veal and amateur cutter like this.
  4. WinonaRail

    WinonaRail

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    I raised my delivery charge yesterday based on fuel prices. Chances are it will go up again by July 4. I may eliminate delivery altogether. Diesel is currently $5.89 here.
     
  5. EODDiver

    EODDiver

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    The fuel has to be figured into the cost of the firewood whether you deliver or they pick it up. I determine my firewood prices by how long it takes me in total to produce a stacked rick times $30 each hour. This hourly rate seems like a lot, but back out your normal maintenance of all equipment, repairs, fuel involved producing the wood and it is less than $20 a hour. Then I add an additional four hours times $15 for delivery and my round trip fuel cost. So my $100 delivery fee to drive 140 miles is a relative bargain vice somebody driving to my woodyard and doing all the work themselves. By delivering, my privacy isn't invaded and I don't have to wait around for someone to show up if they do at all. Also, Nashvillians are very generous tippers. I average $20 in tips and more around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Never had a person picking up firewood give me a tip.
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2022
  6. jrider

    jrider

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    $30 an hour seems like a bargain to me.
     
  7. Meche_03

    Meche_03

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    I agree. Fastfood workers are getting $12+/hr. Machine shop rates are at least twice that...more likely 3.5 times that.

    Depends on the job but some work I don't get out of bed unless I get $50+ per hour. I've got a possible new part time subcontractor job where I need at least $160 per hour or it's not worth the trouble. It's mostly paperwork and I hate paperwork. I'd rather run a chainsaw in the summer than have to sit at a computer for hours.

    Or as I tell my boss, "Somedays, I just want to drive a dump truck."
     
  8. amateur cutter

    amateur cutter

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    Nope, I keep it for myself when I get it. One of the top 3 firewood's in the country imo. Get it all, your customers will love it. Burns long & hot and dries fast.
     
  9. EODDiver

    EODDiver

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    Thanks, will start cutting and hauling it from my cutting site. Probably have 5-10 cords of it on the property I am working on. I mainly go after white oak and hickory.
     
  10. EODDiver

    EODDiver

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    My firewood sales have been doing surprisingly well the last two weeks and all of the ten ricks have been for inside heating. September is normally when I start getting calls for heating wood, so burners are concerned about getting wood for this coming winter. So raised my prices a little more. At $250 a rick for white oak and going higher if demand keeps up. 7499452337.html
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2022
  11. EODDiver

    EODDiver

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    Well, two more orders this evening. Went to $260. I’ll be out cutting in the morning before heading to Nashville. I am panicking about running out of firewood!
     
  12. ole

    ole

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    Well I am having a hard time making a decision. A nearby large campground owner contacted me last week about buying some dry firewood. I do not deal over the phone so he showed up the next day with an 18 foot high sided dump trailer being pulled by a brand new Chevy Duramax ton truck. He inspected what I said I would sell and he brought out his moisture meter and smiled. He then handed me $800 cold hard cash and we loaded 10 face cords into his trailer.

    Over beers when we were done he said quote “I will buy every stick of wood you have if you split it down to 3” and I will pay $90 per face cord I haul”.

    I told him I would have to think about this because I usually don’t split it down that small. At least 2/3 of what he bought so far HE has to re-split before it ready for his bagger set up. That’s his problem not mine.

    My wood is dry and his isn’t so his paying customer campers are not happy. He has a problem.
     
  13. ole

    ole

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    My wife is smarter than I. After a short discussion she said call the guy up and tell him $100 cash per face cord and haul all you want. I just wonder if an extra $20 a face worth it for all the extra splitting down I need to do? From here on he wants nothing larger than 3”.

    I just hauled a load over from my woods. I have about 15 full cords in a huge pile. I showed the guy what I have stashed in the woods. This is what I will need to take down to 3” in order to sell it to him.

    D511B91F-A9C2-49F7-A431-8277DE0BE616.jpeg FFDA75A2-1452-4931-89A0-57CD154C2976.jpeg

    decisions decisions
     
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2022
  14. EODDiver

    EODDiver

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    Hope he bites on the $100 for finer split wood. That is great price for him and he probably will mark it up 300-400% to his customers. A lot less hassle to have one big steady customer that picks up.
     
  15. ole

    ole

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    I still haven’t made up my mind. My brain is programmed to split between 3-6 inches because most of my customers demand some bigger splits for overnight loading. It does take some time to get a 6 inch white oak split dry.
    it is what it is
     
  16. WinonaRail

    WinonaRail

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    Campfire wood is a whole different animal. 90% of what I sell is 3"-4" stuff. My face cords are $125. Granted, I don't have anyone buying 10 at a time but I wouldn't sell it for $90 unless you have a processor that's paid for (probably still wouldn't then). YMMV
     
  17. ole

    ole

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    The campground guy stopped by today with a $500 pre order check. He wants 10 face cords ASAP. $500 cold hard cash in my hand when he picks up the wood. Guess I better keep on splitting.
     
  18. Dok440

    Dok440

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    There you go! No dealing with multiple customers, no deliveries, no marketing, just split it and sell it. Good for you Ole!
     
  19. ole

    ole

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    first time I have had anybody pre pay for half of their wood

    he must really like dry oak
     
  20. Meche_03

    Meche_03

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    Dry wood burns clean with minimum smoke and it catches fire/burns easy. You have 10+ campers burning green wood and every camp site has one angry guy trying to start a fire and a campground of angry people stuck in a smoky, hazy, smelly fog all night not really enjoying the camping experience. Then when everyone leaves every burn ring has partially burned wood that needs to be cleaned up.