Is getting into the firewood business worth it?

[Itslay90]

What’s your input?

 

[Wisco Shepherd]

Depends on scale, to make a living you have to move a ton of wood and potentially sacrifice its quality or charge a ton for quality wood. I usually can make more money doing other things but if I have extra woods I will trade with neighbors or give it to others. Seems like wood goes farther with neighbors than strangers.

 

[Itslay90]

Depends on scale, to make a living you have to move a ton of wood and potentially sacrifice its quality or charge a ton for quality wood. I usually can make more money doing other things but if I have extra woods I will trade with neighbors or give it to others. Seems like wood goes farther with neighbors than strangers.

Yes that’s soo true, I wasn’t to my neighbors house to cut a tree down for him, didn’t even charge him, when I was done. I told him, if you ever need wood.. come over, four days later he texted me and said, how much would you charge me for 3 cords of firewood. I just think it’s better selling it to neighbors, when you go and posted on Facebook.. you do not know who’s coming to your house. !!

 

[all night moe]

Depends on scale, to make a living you have to move a ton of wood and potentially sacrifice its quality or charge a ton for quality wood. I usually can make more money doing other things but if I have extra woods I will trade with neighbors or give it to others. Seems like wood goes farther with neighbors than strangers.

Agreed. Selling as a business is hard work and devotion of time. If one really wants to, it can be rewarding. A good commercial grade splitter is a must to keep up with demand of seasoned wood. So is a means for delivery also a necessity.

Selling for a little supplemental income is much easier. How many cord do you want to sell? How much of your free time do you want to sacrifice?

 

[Dieselhead]

For me, not without a tractor with forks and a bucket, a processor, a steady flow of reasonably priced or free logs, a large flat yard (commercial/farm) and a dump truck.

That being said the ROI may take a few years if not more.

 

[kborndale]

By me all the wood dealers are tree trimmers. For them it makes sense as they have to pay to dump wood so why not have someone pay you to take their "garbage". They already have most of the needed equipment and space so it's a no brainer.

 

[EbS-P]

If I was to do it it would be a specialty business. Wood for pizza restaurants. All delivered in IBC tote cages. Kiln dried if it was needed/requested. White glove service charging a premium for my product/delivery/tidyness

I don’t see how a single person competes on cost with a tree service that can dump loads of unseasoned wood for nearly zero overhead.

 

[Wildflush]

As a member said above biggest wood seller in my area is a tree company with a large yard for storage. They produce hardwood and pine firewood separately. Large splitter, tumbler and equipment to move longs and load dump trucks for delivery. Big expense. Now a retired local guy near me enjoys splitting and selling wood to a small customer base. He has a kubota, splitter, saws etc and logs are delivered to him for free. Makes a few bucks every season.