Yup, as I'm sure Wingshooter can attest to, in NEO (and most other places too no doubt) it seems that every Tom Richard and Harry that has a chainsaw has a small firewood operation...often times it appears to be kids from what I've seen (good for them!) but the result is giveaway pricing...like $75-80 for a pickup truck load (1/4 to 1/3 cord...ish) way too cheap for me to bother with selling much wood...I have sold a bit the last couple years, but mainly in February when everybody else is running out, and truly dry wood is impossible to find. I have tried selling bagged firewood for firepit wood, even offering delivery for the nearby city, but have had no takers yet, even with the quantity being double what you'd get buying those bundles from the gas station...I think I would have sold some a couple times now if I would have been available immediately when people have inquired...oh well, more for later when prices go up...which seems like it has to happen, sooner or later! I think the abundance of EAB Ash is adding to the quantity of sellers too...but that is slowly starting to dry up, so that may affect the "me too" sellers.
After seeing the influx of new posters asking about woodstoves in some of the survival forums, I am wondering if it would hurt to have a few cord of seasoned wood available for sale. Ash supply is starting to dry up around here in Ashtabula County. A major tree service has stopped selling firewood, although a garbage company, all all things, is starting to sell roll-off sized loads of unstacked, 16" cut slab wood. I think they drop a dumpster off at an Amish saw mill and swap it and it to their yard when full. Selling wood for heating has been a tough sell, but things might be a bit different this coming heating season.
I'm probably the odd man out as most of my sales come from my roadside stand. It's primarily small stacks and some bundles. My prices haven't changed. When I do get larger bulk orders for delivery, I changed at the beginning of the year to charging per mile, no exceptions. My mileage price has gone up twice and nobody batts an eye. I didn't increase my price for a repeat customer but the next order will reflect my current mileage charge.
No chart really. It's just $2 per loaded mile. Distance doesn't matter. I'll charge my neighbor $2 if he doesn't want to come and get it. Most deliveries I have are 15-35 miles away. I don't publish my rate but I also don't advertise bulk delivery.
Wow, amazing how different things are in different regions. I have enough customers close enough that 15 miles is about the maximum I will drive.
Very few people heat with wood in my area. They're mostly fireplace and backyard fire pit customers. Those are the customers I really want. I just deliver as a service when needed.
I raised mine from $240 a cord to $300 and might go higher, say, $360. And that is customer picks up. I found that I don’t need to deliver to sell all I want. I have a few loyal, older customers I will deliver next year but might phase that out, too, giving them a guy who will deliver my wood to them for a fee. If I deliver and stack, I will also charge. At least $80. I agree with Nashville guy… been saying for years… prices are too low. And that was before the latest inflation jump. It’s just a ton of work, some is dangerous.
Sold a rick of white oak for $240 today in Brentwood which is just south of Nashville. It was a 160 mile round trip and cost me $40 in diesel fuel. Had to pull my wheelbarrow loaded up six steps about 30 times. Killed my wrists jerking the wheelbarrow up each step. Was to a songwriters 7,500 sqft house with a screened in patio with a huge fireplace. Made my day with the $40 tip he gave me, so $280 total. $20 is my average tip in that area. I think $300 a rick starting in October is in the cards since I was selling it for $275 a rick this past December into January when nobody but me had firewood. If you have the time and a dependable truck, sellers shouldn't be afraid to drive a good distance for bigger bucks.
In Nashville, there are four big commercial outfits that sell firewood. And believe all of them provide other services such as tree trimming and general yard work. So they get paid twice for their firewood. And they mostly sell "mixed firewood" which means tree trimming remnants. I price my firewood just below theirs in the spring and a little higher in the winter. I can deliver same day or next while they may take a week or more. Just like toilet paper, burners want wood today not next week. I don't even try to compete with the chainsaw joes who are cutting up storm damaged trees from their yards and posting a rick of firewood for sale at money losing prices. Quality hardwoods such as white oak and hickory only come from forest property. I am very new to this firewood business, but I try to bring all my business sense, education, and other career experiences to the game. Just like Warren Buffett, I don't need the extra dollar, but get a thrill out of making more or them. And the songwriter who purchased my white oak today cut his firewood burning expense in half while getting great firewood that burns 2-3 times longer than the store bought bundles of soft wood he was previously purchasing. I later texted him and hoped the awesome white oak flames would inspire him to write his fourth Grammy award winning song.
I thought a "rick" was a 1/3 of a cord? How small is the wheelbarrow? Either way, bring a plank next time to lay down over the steps. Straddle the plank with your feet on the steps and roll the wheel up the plank.
I am always trying to learn new tricks; thanks. I have the perfect piece in my garage I'll keep in the truck from now on. Will help protect the bed of my truck also. I try to use overhead views and street view on google to get some intel on my deliveries. The customer didn't inform me about steps just that I needed a wheelbarrow. I typically deliver 50 cuft vice 43. Customers notice the extra and believe helps with tips and loyalty. My cobalt duel is 7 cuft. The thing weighs a ton empty being steel. So was loading it half or less and white oak even dry is heavy wood. I advertise free delivery, wheelbarrowing, steps and stacking. I build this into my price. Found a lot of people would just have me dump the wood on their driveways to save the expense of wheelbarrowing and stacking. I make double per hour wheelbarrowing and stacking than cutting and splitting the wood and wheelbarrowing is a great strength building exercise that I enjoy after driving 60-75 miles. With "free", nobody has told me to just dump the wood.
Have you tried a plastic tub wheelbarrow? Game changer. I rarely use my metal one and the tire is probably flat on it as i type. Got my first two wheeler a couple years ago and prefer that over a single. Took some getting used to. If you get one be mind full of dropping rounds hard into in especially when cold, as it will crack it. 60-75 miles...wow! Good on you, some lucky customers. My farthest is close to 40 miles one way and i get an extra $60 for drop delivery, but customer is very happy as they burn only outdoors and had only had partly dry wood in the past.
I bought a 6 cuft Craftsman plastic duelly off of CL two months ago for $75 and hardly a scratch inside. It is my go to when delivering and pushing heavy loads up hills when cutting. I stupidly left it at my wood cutting site instead of bringing it home like I do most everyday. Lesson learned, always be prepared for the firewood order. I normally only use the Kobalt around my woodyard. And I cut a piece of plastic roofing vent material to lay in the tub for protection.
Blew a hydraulic hose on my splitter last night. $40 with tax to have a new one constructed. Back in action though. There went my $40 tip from yesterday. I try to price in repairs and maintenance when selling wood. A deer ran into the side of my truck during a delivery last November and created $5,500 worth of damage. I was just out my $1,000 deductible. I immediately raised my prices $20 to recovery that cost. Took fifty deliveries though. It blows my mind when I see ads for a rick priced for less than $100 when there are so many visible and hidden costs involved.
Speaking of hidden costs, the CDC says there were 36,000 chainsaw accidents in 2020 costing $350 million in medical expenses. That is $972 per accident by my math. And then there is hearing loss. My wife can attest to that. And vibration syndrome. I think I have a mind case of this in my left hand after cutting too many days and months in a row. My hands only feel fine in July and August when the saw is put to bed. What I am saying is price this stuff in also. Good thing we mostly communicate via media since most of us couldn't hear what the other person is saying. I believe my splitter is louder than my saw. I use double hearing protection at all the times when cutting, splitting, lawn mowing etc. Might have been the loud rock music from my teens that really caused most of the damage.
Hate to admit this, but I left my Husky behind once. I noticed right away when I returned home something was missing. I was pedal to the metal getting back to it. I always do an inventory and a 360 now before departing a site.
