Firewood supplier with delivery round
Run a log yard with a processor and a tipper or van, delivering bulk loads and bags to homes and businesses.
- £8k-40k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Estimates for a small start in the UK, not guarantees.
What it is
A larger firewood operation based on rented land or a small unit. You buy timber in bulk, process and dry it, then deliver crates, bulk bags and loads to households, pubs, campsites and holiday lets.
Your first three steps
- Find land or a unit with space for stacking and drying, and check that its use allows this
- Line up regular timber suppliers and price a log processor or splitter against buying in part-dried logs
- Approach pubs, campsites and holiday lets with a delivery offer, and take advance orders before winter
Who pays
Homeowners, rural households, pubs and restaurants with fires or pizza ovens, holiday let owners and campsites.
How it makes money
Price per bulk bag, crate or load, plus delivery, kindling and repeat seasonal orders. Regular trade customers help smooth out the quieter months.
Skills that help
- Safe use of processing machinery
- Buying timber and managing stock
- Driving and route planning
- Pricing and basic bookkeeping
Watch out for
- Planning permission or permitted use for storing and processing timber, so check with your council
- Rules on selling wood fuel, such as moisture limits, can apply, so check with Trading Standards or your local authority
- Public liability, vehicle and goods insurance, and employers' liability once you hire
- Waste carrier registration may be needed if you handle waste wood, so check the rules
- Cash flow is tied up in stock for months, and sales drop sharply in summer
- Serious injury risks from machinery and heavy lifting
Deep research report · UK
Everything you need to start: firewood supplier with delivery round
Researched with live web search for United Kingdom: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a firewood business?
Startup costs are typically around £8,000 to £40,000, depending on your yard or unit, processing machinery, vehicle and how much timber you buy. Cash flow is tied up in stock for months while it dries.
How much can a firewood supplier earn?
Monthly revenue is typically around £2,500 to £12,000, depending on your delivery area, volumes and customer mix. Sales drop sharply in summer, so plan for quieter months and remember revenue is not the same as profit.
What rules should I check before selling firewood?
Check planning permission or permitted use for storing and processing timber with your council. Check rules on selling wood fuel, such as moisture limits, with Trading Standards, and whether waste carrier registration is needed if you handle waste wood.
Other ways to run this business
Similar farming and garden ideas
Local seed and grower supplies merchant
Supply farmers, smallholders and growers with seed, such as grass, cover crops and veg, from a small unit or yard.
- £8k-40k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Small oyster farm on a licensed bed
Grow oysters in bags and trestles on a licensed site and sell direct to local restaurants and shops.
- £8k-40k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Small suckler beef herd on rented grazing
Keep a few breeding cows on rented fields and sell their calves to other farmers, dealers or abattoirs.
- £10k-40k
- Side hustle
- Own premises
Fresh produce wholesaler with a small unit
Rent a small unit with cold storage, stock fruit, veg and other farm produce, and deliver to food businesses.
- £8k-40k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Full-time livestock dealer with own trailer or lorry
Buy and sell stock farm to farm and at marts, moving animals yourself to cut costs and win more deals.
- £8k-40k
- Full-time
- Out and about
Hay and bedding yard with own barn
Make or buy hay in volume, store it in a barn and sell by the bale or load to yards, farms and walk-in customers.
- £8k-40k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Photo: 5598375 on Pixabay