NC and Virgina Sawyers...

[brucetp]

Well first of all I'd like to say I am the proud new owner of a Woodmizer LT40!  Just got it about a week ago and have barely had time to use it.. (sometimes these day jobs get in the way of everything fun)   Anyway I need some advice!  One of my neighbors is already asking asking me if I would saw some logs for him.   Would any of you be willing to give me some idea of what your charging people?... even a range would be helpful.    I figure I'd give him a price break since he's a neighbor and all but truthfully I have no idea what a good price would be!   :D

Thanks!
Bruce

[kelLOGg]

Welcome to the forum, fellow North Carolinian. Where abouts are you?  I've head of prices ranging from 15 to 26 cents/bdft in my area. I charge .20 and I custom saw mostly as a lucrative   :Dhobby.

[Nudgewood]

I cut for half the wood. Cherry or maple I'll take a third but then I get to choose it and he takes what's left.

%<

[fat olde elf]

Sent you a personal message........Glad to see another Tarheel on the Foum....keLOGg is in the range for pricing, too many guys cut for too little, but I guess they know what they are worth....I like TOM'S customer philsophy, keep them happy and they will bring you more business...I also cut on shares and try to be fair....
Good luck !!

[brucetp]

Thanks for the replies!  I'm up on the Virgina / NC border somewhat close to Danville, VA.    Yea I've been reading where people are charging as much as .50 or more per bf or as little as 5 cents in different parts of the country.   I have about 10 acres of woods and was just planning on spending some time sawing my own wood for building a couple of barns.   I wasn't ready for someone to ask me to saw for them already.    Anyway, thanks for the info!

[wwsjr]

Welcome the sawmill business. I spend almost the first year saying no to the people who stopped by wanting me to saw for them. Like your plan, I needed to saw for myself to build a couple of buildings and learn to do quality sawing before I sawed for anyone else, that was 5 years ago.

I am located in NE MS. There are about 5 portable mills in a 25 mile radius of me who are about same price.  I charge $.20 BF if the customers bring logs to my site, and $.25 BF at their location if within 20 miles, mileage beyond that. There are other mill south of me who charge less, don't see how with the cost of fuel, etc. I have the advantage of being retired and do not have to saw every day, therefore if I saw, I do not want to saw for free.

[rewimmer]

Hello brucetp,
I live just outside Salem Virginia and I charge .25 on soft wood and .35 on hard wood. I make sure customers logs or clean and green or the price goes up. If you are ever up this way, stop by and visit our mill.
I am learning to construct a web sight and have a few outdated pic's on it now.
http://home.comcast.net/~rewimmer/sawyer1.html
Hope you enjoy making sawdust.
Robert in Virginia

[Don P]

I'm glad to see you post again Robert, was wondering about you today. Have you recovered from the salmonella?

Welcome to the forum brucetp. I'm near the border too, a bit west of Galax. Mine's a hobby mill so I usually just saw a tree here and there for a neighbor. I've sawed for halves a couple of times. I tell them to stack it in 2 piles and I get to pick the pile I want, keeps em pretty evenly distributed defectwise. Better than I could do, I've seen some heavy contemplatin back there  :D.

[rewimmer]

Thank you Don P for the thoughts.
The Salmonella infection caused me to get Reiter's syndrome which is a direct result of a Salmonella infection.
I did buy a safer brand of peanut butter and I am back to making sawdust.
Robert in Virginia

[dad2nine]

Well around here in my neck of the woods prices range from .19 a BF to .40 a BF, so I settled in on 25/25/25/25/25 (just remember 25). .25 a BF, 25.00 for log trash blade damage, $25 setup fee within 25 miles of my house and $25.00 on site mill move charge. If they want it QS'ed I typically jack up my Bf price by an additional .50 a BF. If they want veneer (1/4 thick) I charge the BF if it were 4/4. If they want a bunch of 2x2 I tell them I wont cut them because it's such a pita.

If they bring me the logs I wave the setup fee and the on site mill move charge. and use a Bobcat to load and unload, but still charge .25 a BF and $25.00 for damaged blades.

Other times I do a 50/50 we stick the logs total up the BF and I cut 1/2 the BF and the other half is mine.

Just remember hoesty is the name of the game, toss in a few freebe boards and you'll be a hit. I think my customers remember the few free boards more than they do what they bought.

[Ivey]

Have not been doing this long, but just a few months. Have had no complants with .25    Have heard of .20- .30 in this area.

[brucetp]

How do you guys handle labor?  I mean does your prices include bringing someone with you or is it expected that the customer will have people there to help?

[TexasTimbers]

Robert, Reiter's is no longer a "Syndrome" but has been classified as an official "disease" for quite a few years although you can still see references to it as a syndrome. I know I have had to educate several doctors on the disease everytime I have got a new one because I am quite the expert on the disease. I got it while we lived in Japan in the late 60s. I was not diagnosed with it though until 1983 when the USCG sent me to a civilian specialist at the University of Alabama Medical center who specialized in "unidentifiable diseases".
As you know it is a Triad didease and I am thankful that mine is limited to the migratory arthritic and deteriorating eyesight. I don't know your age but the disease is mostly prevalent in white males often "burns out" between the mid 30s and 40s or it get worse. Mine seems to be staying the same.
I would be very hesitant to accept one doctors' opinion that you have it. You just recently had salmonella and you have already been told you have Reiter's? Hmmmm. I would be very suspect of that opinion.

Did he look for the tell tale gene?

[dad2nine]

How do you guys handle labor?  I mean does your prices include bringing someone with you or is it expected that the customer will have people there to help?

Ox (teenage son) is $15.00 an hour, 2 ox is 25.00 an hour.

I myself with the mill count for two ox (25.00 an hour) if they want to do it by the hour. But can honestly say it don't matter much to me either way. I have fun and it's just a hobby of mine.

Thanks