Cedar lumber pricing

[jeepcj]

First post here.  Questions about pricing cedar boards. How do I find the market price for cedar in my area?
What length/ dimension gets a price break, or priced more?
Should I charge more for1x8,1x10,1x12, 2x4,2x6, 4x4, etc than a 1x6? 12-16 foot length the same price as 8ft, what abou 20ft?
What about the slabs, should I throw them in if the customer wants them, or charge extra to provide them? What should they be priced at seperately?
Lots of questions and most are answered by reading the posts here. Haven't got mill yet, but get lumber sawn local and sell from home. Cut my own logs as orders come in. Thanks, Charles

[woodbeard]

Welcome, Jeep!
 I would find out what cedar logs sell for ( you probably already have ) and add your sawing charge to that.
 I buy ( most )  cedar logs for $400/mbf ( .40/bf ) so I charge 65 cents a board foot for the lumber. I charge .70  for larger dimensions, because I have to pay more for the larger logs.
 Cedar slabs can be sold If you find a market for them ( rustic furniture, etc )  As for price, Try asking a buck a piece, but be flexible. They're just slabs, but the profit margin on ERC can be slim if you don't watch what you're doing. If you've got help ( kids ) willing to peel the bark off, you can charge more for the slabs. If the customer brought the logs, that will be according to your policy. Some sawyers always keep the slabs, some let the customer haul them away for free. But do set a policy one way or the other and stick to it. Not that you will have much trouble sticking to cedar slabs  :D  - Orange gojo w/pumice works good for that.

Good luck, and tell us more!

[LeeB]

Can either of you guys give me an idea on cost for 3-4000bf of cedar logs trucked to central Texas? Not having any luck local. Looking for something to saw into siding. Thanks, LeeB ???

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Maybe I should hold back on prices until LeeB gets a deal worked out. I might ruin things. : : :D :D

[LeeB]

same question goes out to you also FDH. Just trying to get an idea what a load of cedar would cost me. LeeB

[Haytrader]

$1.25 for anything 8' an under
$1.50 for anything over 8' cept beams and mantles and that depends on how I feel that day....... ;)
Slabs free

[Larry]

I was talking with another member while back about the price of ERC as I have some I want to peddle.  Seems like the going price is somewhere around $1.00/bf.  

I did a google to find out what cedar products were selling for and found some really interesting stuff.  Saw the boards into 4" X 4" X 3/4" squares and call them moth blocks.  Price goes to $4.06/bf.  Run all the lumber through a planer and package the shavings in little bags and the price hits over $11.00/bf.  Best was not to saw the log for lumber at all.  Cut a 32" long log section, peel off the bark, nail on a base so it will stand up, call it a cat scratching post, and put a $180.00 price tag on it.  I wonder if people really sell this stuff??   ??? ???

[Tex-saw]

I wholesale my 4/4 ERC cedar 8'-12' for 1.15BF 1000bf min. anything over 12' or 10"wide 1.25,but people that come to get a few "select" boards 1.50BF  8)

[Fla._Deadheader]

  We don't get a lot of ERC down here. There is 1 type, YUP, there are different types, That can go for $1.00 per 1 X 12" X 12". That's $12.00 BDFT in 12" width.

  We get $2.00 BDFT. More if we cut it in different shapes.

  We tried planer shavings. In Arkansas, we did a LOT of ERC Planing and sold the baggies for $1.00 each. That was back in the 80's. Down here, the "new" wives "don't want that stinky old stuff in MY drawers". Sometimes I am SOOOOO tempted to ask WHICH drawers.  : : :D :D :D :D :D

[jeepcj]

Thanks for all the input. Been getting some trees cut lately. Lots more to go. Trying to get some more cut while the weather is nice.
Biggest problem is burning off the limbs after trimming, wish I could find a rustic furniture maker to take them instead of burning. Thanks again, Charles

[Larry]

I got my extension news letter yesterday.  They had an article about ERC and this link.

http://www.agebb.missouri.edu/umca/profit/redcedar/index.asp

It's a pretty interesting read.  Never realized cedar was such big business.

[Ron Scott]

Cedar Lumber Decks. Town & Country Log Homes; 8/04

[Cedarman]

We saw about 2 million feet per year for our two mills.  Our retail prices can be found at www.cedarusa.com.  Nationally,cants sell delivered to the end user for about .56 per board foot. Slabs of any quantity are ground into mulch. Price is 30 to 65 dollars per ton depending on where you are located. We are talking semi load quantities here.

Retail prices for cedar seem to be about $1.00 plus or minus .20 per board foot. This is for boards with minimal wane, rot, ingrown bark etc. There are very few mills selling cedar longer than 8 feet long so a premium should be gotten out of long material (IMHO). Many customers want 1 or both sides planed.
Remember, cedar's best wood is in the heart and the low grade is on the outside.  Just the opposite of hardwood.
A ball park figure for good lumber  vs. low grade lumber is about 75 per cent of the lumber is good while 25 per cent is very full of character. This is from average sawlogs. About 50 per cent of each log goes into sawdust, edging strips or slabs.
Prices for logs varies from.35 to about .60 for regular sawlogs.
Average is .40 to .45 cents per board foot on the cedar scale.
Some veneer and large saw logs can command a premium if you can find a buyer. These logs must be fresh.

I have heard that annual usage of cedar in the US is about 60 million feet. Growth is probably 4 or 5 times that.
That leaves lots of cedar to saw.
Cedar is very stable in price with a slow upward trend. About the same as inflation and commercial price is about the same now as it was 10 years ago.

Since most retail orders differ from each other, it might be best to get the order, then saw.  Or saw 3 side cants, keep them out of the sun and resaw later to the desired thickness.

The above is from what I have found in my travels around cedar country.  Prices can vary significantly depending on where you are located and how many other mills carry cedar lumber.  

[Gilman]

Cedarman,
Why saw a 3 sided cant?

[Cedarman]

We saw 3 sided cants so that when we finish resawing we do not have a shim board left. All that is left is the top slab. This is because we never know what thickness our customers may want.  Some want 7/16, some 3/4, some 7/8, some 2
And everything in between.  By having 3 sides it keeps our options open and effiecient use of the wood. We keep a lot of 6 inch wide on hand as this is the most common width. 4 is fairly common. By having 3 sided on hand we can more quickly fill orders than having to saw from scatch.  We use a two head scragg to make most of the cants.