Opinions.....$$

[hopm]

Have someone asking about buying some 1x6 pine to use for siding. My logs I cut from my property. Everything from stump to hack....I'm the only one who has touched it. Cut on a small manual band mill. Not much expense other than labor. I priced it at .45 a bdft. Am I within reason? High....low....give me your opinion. I know there are many variables, but I just want to start to get a handle on what is a fair price for me and the buyer. I been sawing for about 15 years and I have sold 1 small load.....I always give it away. I have come to the point I need to generate a little pocket money and any guidance you might give would be greatly appreciated.

[Ljohnsaw]

I don't sell but that seems pretty cheap since they are YOUR logs.    IMHO, I think it would be worth more.

[Ricker]

I get .50 cents bdft up here in Maine for the same product. I'd say your price I'd fair.

[East ky logging]

50 cents bf here in ky is what I get

[WV Sawmiller]

   Sounds low IMO.

   Where are you located? Regions and availability make a difference in pricing however a big factor is how much it cost you to cut and process the wood and how much you expect for your labor. Since the wood was grown on your land you may not have as much into it. If you already had it cut, Why? Were you thinning the trees or blowdown or salvage or such? If you cut them for a specific purpose will you have to replace it with another tree off your place?

   I sell my rough cut lumber I get from thinning and salvage, mostly poplar but some ash (which I will likely go up on now) for $.75/bf in my area. People aren't beating down my door to get it but they aren't upset at the price when they do come see it so I figure I am pretty fair on my pricing.

[ChugiakTinkerer]

I'm pricing timbers from a local mill and am looking at $0.75 per b.f. for my smaller timbers on up to $0.95/bf for the big ones.  He sells kiln dried t&g poplar at 1x4 for $0.50/b.f. and 1x8 at $0.85/b.f.

His prices are low for my area.  Actually I'm not sure if that's per board or board foot:
(Craig's list postings are not allowed, please read and follow forum rules).

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Setting a price in the "blind" is not really the way to go.
Its better if you know what other sawmills in your area are selling at first.
Once you know what your competitors are selling Pine at you'll have an idea of what you need to sell for.

I have a hydraulic mill. I sell Pine at .60 a bf. 12 inches wide and wider are 75 cents a bf.

You said you had a manual mill. Your prices need to be set to pay yourself and your mill and pay for your logs even if you have your own logs.

There is another member on here that HAD a manual mill. I heard him say he sold his Pine at $1.00 a bf.

So it all boils down to what Pine is selling for in your market.

[AnthonyW]

I have a hydraulic mill. I sell Pine at .60 a bf. 12 inches wide and wider are $75 a bf.

$75 a bdft for extra wide pine?

I was going to say the local mill sells kiln dried finished pine for just over $1/bdft, IIRC.

[drobertson]

Not sure which species you have, white or yellow, but for syp, that is  fair price,figure log value around .20 cents a foot ,  adjust saw bill from there,

[bkaimwood]

I'm at a buck a bf, average...some things more, some less. I pay little attention to what everyone else is selling stuff for. Their pricing has nothing to do with business structure, for the most part. I know what the log costs, i know what it costs to saw...I go from there. I typically only check out other mills pricing when I have difficulty moving it...or otherwise try to find out why...there are few situations where being the cheapest is what you should do...I've only been in business going on 3 years, but there's a record number of sawmills for sale in my region in those 3 years...I suspect mostly, these individuals didn't know what they were getting into, or tried to be the cheapest guy out there. I recently had a friend, and a tree service/logger ask me if I thought it would be a good idea to get a mill. Firewood sales have been slow here the last 2 winters, due to mild winters,another part of his business. A full on logger told him how he could triple his money on log loads by sawing it into valuable lumber. I told him IMO...you should buy a sawmill and add it to your operation if you live to saw...but if you are going to buy a sawmill solely based upon thinking about making big bucks, you'll regret it. You have to have a passion for what you do. This guy has limited grasp to the logistics involved in running a mill. Yes, there is lots to be made...but ALOT in between.... sorry for going off on a tangent, just saying to not worry TOO much about what everyone else is doing...But yup, you aren't charging enough...

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

$75 a bdft for extra wide pine?

Typo....should be 75 cents a bf.

[ozarkgem]

I don't have pine but everything I have starts at a 1.00. 1x12x8' pine at the lumber yard here is 16.00

[killamplanes]

Also keep in mine if you have bought logs or logs from your own property they still have the same value. you will eventually run out of logs in your timber and have to buy logs from someone. The only free log is one brought to a mill and dropped of therefore you have no time transportation or risk in that log. All you would have is the value of converting log into lumber but I very seldom see a FREE log theres usually a catch. Metal in it, or not really a log more like firewood,etc. But I would value what your local prices are, don't get crazy to high to low. Here low end 1x lumber would go as low as .55 bdft. but it wouldn't be much, pallet wood..

[hopm]

Everyone I have talked to locally are at 500 per thousand....I was hoping to stay a bit below.

[Den-Den]

There has been no mention of grade so far.  As a manual mill owner, $0.50 seems reasonable for knotty pine and much too low for clear boards.

[paul case]

I think you are too cheap.

I found that 1x6x12' fence boards are a product that many lumber yards here get a premium for and they are made from engineered wood of some sort and painted white. A common old 1x6 real wood would be a special order. Price should reflect availability of the product at the big box stores.

well you asked for my opinion?

PC

[drobertson]

Everyone I have talked to locally are at 500 per thousand....I was hoping to stay a bit below.

This puts the bottom starting price at .75/bdft. If stickered a buck

[hopm]

It is stickered and has from a year to six air drying time.