# Need to know the average price of fire wood for a cord?



## AppalachianStan (Nov 22, 2011)

I know BAD time to buy fire wood. I have about a cord of fire wood split and stacked. Would like to know the average price to start buying up for a few years to come.
If there is anyone in my area that has really dry firewood let me know I need to get some more for this year?


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## pen (Nov 22, 2011)

Around here it's about 150 a cord for hardwood

pen


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## snowleopard (Nov 22, 2011)

I'm not from SC, but my experience has been that by watching CL, I can generally get a feel for what wood is going for locally.  You could also post that you were looking for firewood, and see what the offerings look like.  It can take awhile to find a dealer that will be straight with you, but here's some of the things I've learned about buying wood around here: 
>prices in early spring are about half the price of mid-winter;
>if you're picky about your species, you can get some wood in March that will burn in November if it's properly split, stacked, and protected from rain; 
>don't pay someone for firewood in advance, even if they have references, unless you know them; 
>better to buy green and season it yourself so you know what you're getting; 
>better to pay a few extra bucks for C/S/S so you can measure it before you cut the check.  If you built the racks with measurement in mind, you don't need to throw a tape measure on it--you'll know what a cord will look like; 
>ask them over the phone if they cut to order or have a standard range; if they cut to order, ask them how they measure that, then make sure they know your length limit; 
>tell people before they bring the wood that you'll be measuring it to see if it's a full cord--if you wait until they're in your yard, it's a little more awkward to bring that up;
>if they claim it's seasoned, ask them what the moisture content is, and tell them you'll be using a moisture meter on any wood they bring over; 
>if you find a good dealer, stick with him or her; let the dealer know in advance that you'll be looking for __# of cords for the year, and you'll need them by such-and-such a date, and 
>ask them if they can fill that order by that time.  Set the date about a month before your cut-off time so that you have other alternatives if they don't come through, and let them know that's your cut-off date, that you'll have to look elsewhere if they don't get the load delivered;
>don't write the check until the wood is unloaded; I've heard stories about people stacking crap wood on the bottom of a load and topping it off with pretty stuff;
>pay by check, not cash; if there's a problem, at least you have a paper trail to prove payment.  If they need some cash (my experience has been that wood sellers arrive after banks are closed with an empty tank of gas--it's covered at wood-sellers' school, I think), then tell them that you'll write a check for part of the wood, and write the balance paid in cash on the check;  
>better to pay a little extra for someone reliable than to deal with some of the duds that are out there selling wood. It saves a lot of grief over the long run.  

Good luck.  A lot of us have a rough first year of burning because of wood.  You get through it, get smarter, and have the war stories to share later.


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## Dieselhead (Nov 22, 2011)

anywhere from 200 to 250 in southern CT for hardwood seasoned, delivered.


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## ColdNH (Nov 22, 2011)

pen said:
			
		

> Around here it's about 150 a cord for hardwood
> 
> pen



cut split and seasoned??? If so, at that price I wouldnt be scrounging!

cut split and seasoned hardwood in NH goes for 250-300 a cord at this time of the year. wait till spring and you can get it for 200-250 seasoned and 180ish a cord green.


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## lukem (Nov 22, 2011)

ColdNH said:
			
		

> pen said:
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You can get a cord of "seasoned" mixed hardwood (usually oak, BL, ash, and maple) delivered for 120 - 160 per cord delivered here, without really even shopping around for a good deal.  Most guys are 40/pickup load delivered.

Check the local newspaper classifieds, grocery store bulletin boards, and craigslist.


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## basswidow (Nov 22, 2011)

$ 40 for a pick up load delivered?  Wow.   

Around here,  they charge $ 170 - $ 200 and bring a pick up bed load and call that a cord.    

Honest sellers will charge around $ 100 a pick up load.


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## bluedogz (Nov 22, 2011)

200-250 around here, delivered, less if dumped, more if stacked.

Of course, scrounging changes the game.


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## Fifelaker (Nov 22, 2011)

$70-80 per cord here in northern Mi. deliverd in 10 cord loads.


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## pen (Nov 22, 2011)

ColdNH said:
			
		

> pen said:
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Very few selling truly seasoned wood, but yes, if you can find it that's still the price approximately.

pen


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## Wood Duck (Nov 22, 2011)

Around here I see signs for hardwood at around $175 per cord. Most mention seasoned wood, but who knows what that means? I haven't paid much attention but I think that price includes delivery.


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## ISeeDeadBTUs (Nov 22, 2011)

I pass a very small time operator every day that has a very well stacked FACE CORD for $60. I've never bought wood, but I don't know how anyone can make much of a profit on it at less than $300 a cord.


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## PapaDave (Nov 22, 2011)

If I could get c/s/d for that price, I wouldn't bother processing my own. That's what I pay for log loads.
I could turn around and sell it at double the price and nobody would bat an eye.
Where are you in N. Mi? Should I assume Fife Lake?


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## Waulie (Nov 22, 2011)

> $70-80 per cord here in northern Mi. deliverd in 10 cord loads.



That seems pretty low to me too.  I don't buy wood, but I routinely see adds here for $40 to $60 per cord (which is a face cord of course).  So, $120 to $180 per cord here.


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## ISeeDeadBTUs (Nov 22, 2011)

Fifelaker said:
			
		

> $70-80 per cord here in northern Mi. deliverd in 10 cord loads.



That's a 53' trailer, wood stacked 4' high, 6' wide, and weighing ~ 15 ton. For $800.

Really?!? 

It costs more than that for it in log form here.


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## Waulie (Nov 22, 2011)

> Thatâ€™s a 53â€™ trailer, wood stacked 4â€™ high, 6â€™ wide, and weighing ~ 15 ton. For $800.
> 
> Really?!?
> 
> It costs more than that for it in log form here.



You know, since a "cord" in Michigan is a face cord, maybe that's what Fifelaker meant?  That would be more in line with the prices I see an hour away.


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## woodchip (Nov 22, 2011)

Probably be a good time to buy unseasoned firewood over the next couple of months. 

Make sure you let the seller know you want unseasoned, and they might do a good deal if you didn't look like you were too anxious to buy. 

The sap's down on hardwoods now, so you've got a good head start, and as you burn away you can replenish the racks at your leisure whenever dry outside.


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## bogydave (Nov 22, 2011)

$250 average here. + delivery charge.
Varies from birch, spruce or a mix.
Called seasoned but some has been in a "haystack pile"  loaded in a dump with a front end loader, or cut & split & loaded on a truck ready to deliver.
Cheaper to buy in the Spring & summer if you buy several cords & wheel & deal some. 
Go on CL & pick a city, type in "firewood".  Example:
http://anchorage.craigslist.org/for/2665591717.html


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## AppalachianStan (Nov 22, 2011)

We have a place in Rock Hill SC that sales fire wood. The place just got one of them log, cut and split machines this summer. The guy most be doing really good to buy one. So I was needing to know the average price so I would not have sticker shock. Thanks to all.


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## bogydave (Nov 22, 2011)

AppalachianStan said:
			
		

> We have a place in Rock Hill SC that sales fire wood. The place just got one of them log, cut and split machines this summer. The guy most be doing really good to buy one. So I was needing to know the average price so I would not have sticker shock. Thanks to all.


Heres 2. 2nd one says seasoned 1 year ?? Oak takes 2 - 3 years if stacked in the sun & wind.
Great price if here in Alaska, not sure for your area, I'd buy this year for next from how I see it piled (not stacked well to dry )
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/grd/2715370004.html
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/for/2715323659.html


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## Mt Ski Bum (Nov 23, 2011)

Out here it is $150 for a cord of cut/split/stacked/seasoned Lodgepole Pine


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## Fifelaker (Nov 23, 2011)

Waulie said:
			
		

> > Thatâ€™s a 53â€™ trailer, wood stacked 4â€™ high, 6â€™ wide, and weighing ~ 15 ton. For $800.
> >
> > Really?!?
> >
> ...


 No that is a full cord 4X4X8 I don't know if it's a 53' or not but a full semi will cost $750-$800 depending on how far they have to haul. "face cord prices range anywhere from $45 to $65. But I still scrounge.Oh yea it is all hardwood oak and maple mostly.


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## Jerry_NJ (Nov 23, 2011)

I'm in North/Central NJ, and paid $200 for a cord of mixed hardwood about a month ago.  Size/volume looked good at delivery, dealer had a dump trailer (looked near new and must have cost more than some pickup trucks) that would hold two cords if the wood was stacked in.  He also had a near new pickup truck, heavy duty, must have had near $60.000 of investment in my driveway.  The trailer had a dump of split wood in it, and that took up a lot of the space in the trailer.  He assured me the load was at least 1 cord.  When I stacked what looks to be a good quality wood, still at least a few cubic feet of small stuff, not what I consider cord wood, and came up with about 80% of a cord.  So, my true price was closer to $250.  This explains how he could afford the class equipment he was operating.  The truck had a farm advertizement on the side, so wood is just a side-business.  

My bottom line is cost of a cord is $250.

Have you considered using any of the compressed logs.  I'll buy a few packages of the Eco logs from Tractor supply if they have a sale again.  On sale a 25 pound package of 8 bricks cost $2.99 and that makes them competitive with Cord wood in the $250+ range, and the logs are nice an clean, bug free, can be stacked in the inside wood bin.  Off the top of my head the eco logs are about 6KBTU per pound, about the same a seasoned oak.  So, 25 pounds is 150KBTU for $3 (No sales tax on fuel in NJ, unless the fuel is electricity, co figure).  I think a gallon of heating oil is over $3 an has only 130KBTU, but I digress, a problem us old guys have, or at least some of us.  

I have a lot of on the property white pine, I've let it age for a couple of years in the "round"... I may spit some of that an burn it along with my hardwood and eco logs.


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## smokinj (Nov 23, 2011)

Here the going rate for a cord is 150.00 (Really much closer to 1/2-3/4) So 200-225.


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## AppalachianStan (Nov 23, 2011)

See what you guys say on this add?
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/for/2639267543.html

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/grd/2667367764.html

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/for/2659042041.html


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## LLigetfa (Nov 23, 2011)

LOL  21 replies and not one of them from SC.  I can post my price too and the drive would be a lot less than from Alaska.

8 foot logs of Birch go for around $90 a cord but of course that's not firewood.  Same guy will sell you the Birch as firewood for $90 a level pickup bed.  It was bucked, split, and heaped this Summer so needs another year for EPA stoves.


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## Jerry_NJ (Nov 23, 2011)

LLigetfa,  you say:  "...of course that's not firewood."  Just my luck, the trees the October snow in NJ took down on my property were White Birch, which I know is not great firewood, but I'll burn it anyway...next year I guess as it is still "green" cut into rounds last week and not yet split.   I think Black Birch is better firewood, but have never burned or even seen Black Birch, must grow somewhere else, maybe Mars. 

NJ is a little closer to SC than Ontario, especially NW Ontario, and I too gave a price in US dollars.  I think the Canada $ is still higher than the US $ so that adds to your price for us "southerners" :  )


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## LLigetfa (Nov 23, 2011)

Jerry_NJ said:
			
		

> LLigetfa,  you say:  "...of course that's not firewood."


Not denegrating Birch.  Just meant that it's not firewood until after it's been bucked and split.  Some peeps still wouldn't consider it firewood until it's seasoned.

$1 US is worth 1.05 CDN today.


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