I have gotten into my next year's supply pretty heavily this year. I am going to have to purchase some firewood this spring to kick start my piles. Do you fell price will drop? I am figuring that with the people out of work and stay at home order they may be cutting wood and selling it for extra cash and the market may be some what flooded? Of coarse I live in a rural area. What you think?
Hope not. We know how much it takes to just get our own firewood. The guys selling it have a low margin, high labor job; tough work to make a living. Downeast Maine CSD green cords go for $250. up. We need them to survive at a fair cost to us when we need them.
Actually Roger, I think demand may increase as people seek to cut utility bills. Just a guess though.
For the last twenty years, through the various economic ups and downs, I haven't seen much of a variation in firewood prices . Every now and then in the Spring green fresh cut firewood might be 25% off, but that's generally been a cash flow solution on the vendor's part and a means to push some stock. This area is a bit far from pulpwood sales nor pellet and feedstock sources so that influence doesn't factor in nearly as much as it can and maybe does further north of me.
I live near a national seashore and there are probably 10-12 guys along the roads leading to the park entrance that sell a lot of small stacks of (overpriced) wood to people heading to the campgrounds. Maple, oak ... I think even the tourists know better now than to buy loblolly. A few of the guys have huge piles of split wood. But now the campgrounds are closed and things are pretty unlikely to get much better for many months. I feel sorry for the guys, their business must really be hurting. And then I wonder how low the price of a cord will sink in the next few months. I like doing things myself, but...
Up here the price for chips went down 9 bucks per ton at the mills. I'm hearing local loggers need to consider doing firewood during the slow season which is now, especially with the road bans. Not sure firewood prices will drop or not. They are incredibly expensive up here
What's the CSD and tree length prices up there ? It's +/- $250/cord here....usually sold as green cut months before. Don't know any firewood buyers here who buy "seasoned". Buy green in Spring, burn the following Winter (except the Oaks ).
kind of old post, but in the last few years fewer folks are selling firewood. too much expense and regulation from USFS. Three years ago, it was $85 to 125 a cord in the round. I had a guy ask today while I was cutting with my son for a price. I was honest and told him it would be three hundred for whatever I cut. Mix of Doug Fir, and Lodgepole. No garantee on MC. I wasnt being dishonest, just told him the deal. This makes folks mad, but when they drive up in a 50,00 dollar Rubicon, I feel no sorrow for them. Plus half of them vote for this stuff. Deal, or grow wiser. Split and stacked would be extra. I dont know what will happen by fall. From talking around, a lot of city types will be running their boiliers on straight propane. almost like they are entitled or something.go get it yourself, called free market.
I think with oil being under $30 a barrel there will be a less of a market in North East. Especially for pellets as a ton of pellets is roughly equivalent to 100 gallon of no. 2 heating oil..
I'm quoting higher prices to anyone that stops and inquires. I'm not getting any younger and I can keep busy enough with selling my 1/4 cord bins for a premium.
I don't sell any wood, but if i did, the price wouldn't go down for any reason. Too much work to just give it away...
Dad always tells people the wood is free. They are just paying for saws and labor and fuel to get it to their place.
There's also a class bias about wood heat even here in Maine and Vermont with the most homes in the U.S. using wood heating. My cronies will go play tennis or go pay $$$ for a "health club", but don't want to enjoy humping firewood. It's why you don't see fat wood cutters....here.
