How much does a Firewood Delivery Service cost to buy?

A typical Firewood Delivery Service sells for 1.2x to 2.5x seller's discretionary earnings. With estimated SDE of $92K, expect to pay roughly $110K to $230K before adjustments for assets, debt, growth, and local market quality.

How much does it cost to start a Firewood Delivery Service?

Startup costs range from $25K to $140K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Route

Firewood Delivery Service

Q: What are the profit margins for a Firewood Delivery Service?

The average profit margin for a Firewood Delivery Service is around 40%. Main costs are raw logs, splitter/processor payments, truck fuel, labor, bags/pallets, yard rent, and failed batches from wet or poorly seasoned wood. Margin improves materially when the same route sells delivery, stacking, and restaurant-grade hardwood.

A winter cash-flow route selling chopped trees by the cord

Bottom line

Strong cash-flow candidate with manageable operations.

Firewood delivery businesses buy, split, season, bundle, and deliver firewood to homeowners, restaurants, campgrounds, and short-term rentals. The surprising angle is unit economics: a full cord can retail for $350–$700 depending on wood type, delivery, stacking, and kiln-drying, while route density turns the same truck, splitter, and yard into repeat seasonal revenue.

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Acquisition score

Excellent

Avg Revenue

$230K

Profit Margin

40%

Acquisition Multiple

1.2x - 2.5x

Startup Cost

$25K - $140K

How It Works

Operator sources logs or slab wood, processes it with a splitter or firewood processor, seasons inventory, then sells by face cord, full cord, bundle, or subscription delivery. Add-ons like delivery, stacking, kiln-drying, cooking wood, and commercial restaurant supply lift gross profit per stop.

Revenue Range

Low End

$90K

Typical

$230K

High End

$600K

Pros

+Simple equipment and easy-to-understand demand
+Delivery and stacking create high-margin add-ons
+Restaurants, campgrounds, and STR hosts can become repeat accounts
+Inventory can be bought opportunistically when tree crews need disposal

Cons

-Very seasonal in cold-weather markets
-Physical work, storage space, and moisture control matter
-Local firewood movement rules can limit service radius

Best For

Operators with yard space, a truck, and access to cheap logs in cold-weather or cabin-heavy markets

Operating Costs

Main costs are raw logs, splitter/processor payments, truck fuel, labor, bags/pallets, yard rent, and failed batches from wet or poorly seasoned wood. Margin improves materially when the same route sells delivery, stacking, and restaurant-grade hardwood.

SBA Financing Estimator

Adjust the deal — see if it cash flows after debt service

+$3K/mo

after debt service

Deal price — $410K

Range: $160K (1.2×) to $810K (2.5×+)

Down payment — 15% ($62K)

SBA minimum equity injection is 10% for change-of-ownership

Interest rate — 8.00%

Current prime-based SBA rates: 7.5–10.5%

Loan term — 10 years (120 mo)

Standard SBA 7(a): 10 years for business acquisition

Down payment

$62K

15% equity injection

Loan amount

$349K

85% SBA-financed

Monthly payment

$4K/mo

$159K total interest

Monthly profit

$8K/mo

at 40% margin

Monthly cash flow after debt service

+$3K/mo

Down payment paid back in ~18 months — strong return

Estimates only. Excludes owner compensation, capex, working capital draws, and taxes. Margin assumes average occupancy and volume. Actual SBA terms vary by lender and borrower profile.