Your math is 100% correct. By the time my friends pick it up in summer some of it is down to 18% to 25% according to my wood moisture meter. My shed has little ventilation and the roof is not insulated so some days it is like an oven in there. But the wood really needs to get out in the sun wind rain to finish it off. If I added up how much beer we drink in the shed after they load the wood up I am prolly losing money. My wife says I should get a beer license
What town or county are you in? I used to live in Ulster and Dutchess County. I moved to NC 18 years ago. The firewood market here is strong and almost none of my customers use the firewood I sell for heat. It's mostly fire pits, outdoor fireplaces and indoor fireplaces. I target the most affluent areas I can get to within an hours drive and bring 4 or 5 half cords with me. I only sell full cords and half cords, $175 a half and $300 for a full cord, $50 to stack a half & $100 to stack a full. Add $50 if I need to use a wheel barrow. I pretty much only sell oak with a little hickory mixed in sometimes. Tell your friend to target the places with the most expensive homes, resort communities, etc. I advertise on craigslist, all the prices are clearly stated and I don't want to be bothered with people wanting a $75 load of firewood. I exclusively deliver and delivery is free. This business model has worked for me and I can barely keep up with the demand. Heading into the city tonight to dump and stack.
Hey there...we are way north of the Thruway. He doesn't have as many big customers...but he does sell out every year...so, must be decent enough business.
I'm getting $250 a cord for oak and $230 for mixed hardwood delivered within 10 miles. Anything over 10 miles includes a delivery charge.
It's a good model because city folk can be stupid and willing to buck up. I would never pay it but then I do my own work... and I live 25 miles outside the city. Do your prices go up in the season?
By the way, I can get a full cord of DRY cherry here for $175 if I fetch it and stack it. But lately I have been getting cords of Douglas Fir and Cedar free. I had to split and stack it myself. I don't care what kind of wood it is. I find free wood to be best wood. If that requires more trips to the stack or more residue to clean, so be it. Just burn "hot".
No, I keep my prices the same in the season or out of the season. Cherry at $175 is a steal. It's not that city people are stupid, they don't have the room, equipment or the ability to process wood where they live. it's just easier and makes more sense for them to buy it. It's no picnic delivering in the city, very tight driveways, hard to get to stacking areas, traffic, extra fuel, so you have to charge a premium to make it worth it.
Stupid may be too strong but I find they are willing to pay for convenience. I know I would be if I didn't get into it or just didn't want to deal with it. Having you deliver it and do the work may have made it worth my time. But at some dollar point, it's not. If I am breaking even, why deal with the mess and headaches of firewood? That's where I question the city folk. I don't think many or all figure out how much they pay out for firewood versus alternative heat souces.
True, there is something beautiful about a natural flame in a fire, but I don't value it that much if I can just flip the furnace switch across the hall at the same price.
They don't really use it for heat. I doubt they turn their heat off at all. It's a luxury for them, a big family gathering, cocktail party, Thanksgiving, Christmas, that is their time to enjoy their home and the fireplace is a focal point. Then the outdoor fire pit people burn to hangout outside.
