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Author Topic: Bartop prices  (Read 8917 times)

Offline 4x4American

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Bartop prices
« on: February 23, 2015, 08:25:16 PM »
Howdy,

what do yawl think is a good way to price out rough cut bartops? Around here they're real popular in pine, and the prices are all over the place.   I called up 4 different mills today.  I asked how much a rough sawn bartop edged on one side, about 24-30" wide, sawed 3" thick and 8' long went for.  Here were there responses: 1) $25 (but can only go up to 20" wide), (2) $17.50/linear foot  (3) $80 (4) We're no longer in business due to a fire.

So you can see they're sorta all over the place.

I have a customer who wants one with just those specs, and he wants it to be knotty.  So I have to go lookin around for one special log for it.  And when I find it I'm just gonna slab it down through.
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Offline Stevem

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Re: Bartop prices
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2015, 09:03:29 PM »
60 bdf of wood that is not normally available.  I wouldn't sell it for less than $3/bdf.  Hard wood cost more!  Just my two cents!

Did the customer want it dried?  Planed?  Sanded?  More money!

And consideration needs to be taken of what the log will cost you!
Stevem
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Offline Kirk Allen

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Re: Bartop prices
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2015, 10:17:28 PM »
I'm with Stevem on this one!  green off the mill anything over 8/8 starts at $3.00 bf because NO ONE around here has it!
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching!

Offline furu

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Re: Bartop prices
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2015, 10:53:40 AM »
I would have to agree.  A rare or somewhat hard to find item should bring a premium in pricing.  The drying and sanding if they want it drives the price much higher.
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Integrity is not just doing the right thing when no one is looking.
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one else will ever even know.

Offline backwoods sawyer

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Re: Bartop prices
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2015, 03:56:56 PM »
I would have to agree.  A rare or somewhat hard to find item should bring a premium in pricing.

Getting the right log is a good portion of the value, other wise it is $.30 bft for the whole log to be milled up and you are looking at a 3o-36 log to get more then a couple slabs with one milled edge.

I do find $3. bft interesting as I have been selling kiln dried walnut slabs for $3. bft. and barn aged hardwood slabs for $2 bft.
Green off the mill saves a lot of handling. 
I may have to make some adjustments in slab pricing ;D
 




Offline Kirk Allen

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Re: Bartop prices
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2015, 05:08:30 PM »
Green off the mill 4/4 normally goes for $1 bf for #2 stuff. 

Select walnut I will get $2-$3 a bf off the mill.  No less than $4 air dried. 
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Offline 4x4American

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Re: Bartop prices
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2015, 07:31:12 PM »
Thanks yawl.

I haven't even located the log for it yet.  These type bar tops are very common around here especially in pine.  I wish that the other local mills charged more! 
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Offline Tom the Sawyer

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Re: Bartop prices
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2015, 12:03:08 AM »
When you consider that you will have to purchase a suitable sized log (24" or more) and mill the whole log in order to meet a client specification for a single plank... your total costs + profit should be covered.  Of course, the other lumber from the log may sell at some point but you may have to hold it for awhile (sticker it, dry it, etc.). 

When I provide the log for a custom milling project, and they take the entire log, I'll give them a price per actual board foot for the log + normal milling fees.  Price depends on what I have in a particular log.  For example, in these circumstances I've sold walnut for $1.50 p/bf.  A 24"x8' log should yield at least 200 bf.  They pay for what it actually yields.  Milling may average .45 p/bf depending on thickness so they take the whole log for $1.95 p/bf + tax.  That is the most cost-effective way for them, 200 bf of walnut (to their specs) for $400.  I recover the cost of the log, transportation, milling and profit - nothing left to deal with.

If they are just going to pickup (or pick out) a single plank then the price per board foot is quite a bit higher, at least $5 (anonymous dried 8/4 walnut around here is $8 p/bf and higher).  They buy a plank that figures 30 bf (8/4x22"x8' live-edge) or $150.  That covers what I paid for the log, transportation, my cost of milling and a bit left over for profit.  I still have to sticker and stack the rest of the wood.  Each thing I do to the lumber after milling it should be adding value (increasing the price).  At some point it will sell, more profit - kind of like the interest at the end of a CD.   
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Offline 4x4American

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Re: Bartop prices
« Reply #8 on: February 28, 2015, 09:02:05 AM »
Thanks for the reply, Tom.  I hope to be as business savy as you are some day.
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