If you decide to buy or sell reclaimed lumber on the wholesale market there are a few things you must consider.

Quantity- Selling lumber by the semi-load will get you a lower price per foot, however you will have a lot more buyers willing to buy on shorter notice. Once you get down to selling lumber in 1,000-5,000 board feet, larger companies will be less likely to buy your wood unless it meets a specific order. This is because the cost of shipping can be 250% higher per foot for less than truckload quantities.  

Liability- If you send the wrong species of lumber, or part of the load doesn't represent what the buyer was expecting, you can find your wood across the country with a buyer who has no use for it and no payment. You then will be stuck paying to ship it back if you cannot find another buyer quickly. 

 Insurance- The most difficult and least mentioned part of dismantling is insurance. When I first started I wanted to get specific insurance that would completely eliminate and risk by the landowner of a building. The insurance agents I spoke with said that considering the nature of the business, old, possibly failing buildings, the risk was so high that if I could even find insurance, it would cost several thousand dollars per month. This is not cost effective for the small time guy. The best bet is finding a large insurance company who offers a variety of policies for more situations than small town agents. Workmans compensation is a must!

Watch out for Robbers and THIEVES! The first time I sold a load of lumber to a large company, I told the owner payment must be by cash or certified check. He replied that I need to be extremely careful if I accept certified checks. He lost 1 entire semi-load of chestnut the week before because he accepted a certified check. "It was a real check, I thought it was as good as cash!" he told me. Well, it turns out the second the guy drove off with the lumber he was on the phone reporting the check stolen. When the reputable seller deposited the check he was told it had no value whatsoever. He was trying to track the guy down, but the cell phone was a pre pay and he didn't have genuine information on the thief. There are a number of expensive lessons out there and many more smooth talking crooks. 

• Deal in CASH only - Meet at the bank for transaction
• Verify buyers address and relevant information 

Use checks only when dealing with reputable companies.