How much should I sell cedar logs for?

[tom30519]

I have a large stand of 40-year-old Eastern Cedars, straight and tall. Over 75 of them have come down in the recent high winds, as the ground is just too wet to hold them this winter.

A neighbour is starting up a split rail fence operation, with a 12-foot hydraulic splitter, and he is helping me pull the trees out to dry ground, and we'll truck them over to his place.

Problem is, I have no idea how much to charge for these trees. He is a friend, but this is a business deal, and he expects to pay a fair price for them. But he has no experience, just starting out, and neither do I.

Does anyone here have an idea how much these trees are worth? I'm in Quebec, but US prices would be a useful guideline too.

Thanks,

Tom.

 

[beenthere]

Well, in the situation you describe, I'd want the 'friend' to tell you what he will pay (and he will need to do that with two things in mind - what his expenses are and what his profit needs to be to stay in business, and two - whether you will 'give' him logs for the price he offers.
Otherwise, go to a local mill and say you have logs for sale, and ask what the price is that they pay.
Or contact your district or state forester, or wood utilization specialist for a state list, that most states have on file. Plus, you can contact a state Woodland Owners Association for similar information (you may want to join up with that group as well, for additional information and fellows in the same business of growing trees).
Both of you might be interested in the ForestryForum.com too. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[EddieWalker]

Why not just split the proffits? You're supplying the trees, he's got the splitter and you're both doing the work. Find out what you can sell them for and work as a team.

The problem with friends is that you will either sell them to him cheap, or ask more than they are worth. Either way it's real easy to get hurt feelings over it.

Eddie

 

[tom30519]

Thanks guys, some good advice there...

I'll hike myself down to the local mill and find out what he pays for cedar, and base my price on that, taking into consideration the time my friend is putting in working in my woodlot.

As for splitting the profits, that would certainly be the simplest and fairest solution if we were sharing all the work evenly, but that's only true of getting the logs out of the woods and hauled to my neighbour's place. After that, his brothers and cousins are all involved in the split rail fence business, and I really don't want to get mixed up in the middle of any family disagreements! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Tom.

 

[6or7dazeaweek]

I would think that the cedars would be more valueable for log home construction as opposed to being split for fence rails. I'd investigate to see if any of the local builders were interested in buying them before cutting them up. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Jon