Timber Mills & Logging Companies That Buy Trees For Lumber

Here is a guide to finding companies and lumber mills that buy trees. We will review a list of tree buyers and other timber suppliers.

You may have a few commercially viable trees in your yard, or maybe you own a large piece of land filled with hardwood trees that you’d like to sell for wood.

Do sawmills buy trees? Yes, some do. Who is the largest timber buyer in your area?

Let’s find out.

Find Local Tree Logging Companies

Some companies buy trees for lumber; you must find them and negotiate.

These wood companies purchase a wide range of high-quality wood, including pine, cottonwood, oak, and walnut.

The tricky part for you would be determining the monetary value of these trees.

Keep reading, as I will discuss all you need to know about selling your trees to lumber and timber buyers who may be interested.

Determining The Price Of Your Trees

Putting a price tag on your trees could be tricky, especially if you’ve never sold trees for lumber.

Several factors can influence the market value of your trees, primarily the type of tree. To put a figure to it, you can have the buyer come over and look at them.

Factors that can determine the price of your trees include the following –

Accessibility: If the area where your trees are located is easily accessible, the buyer can negotiate a favorable deal with you. However, if the room is located in a remote area or is not easily accessible from major roads, it would be more challenging for the buyer to reach the site and harvest the wood.

Poor accessibility to the wood usually means the buyer will pay less for it.

Geographical location: Timber prices vary by state since a particular type of tree may be very common in one state and scarce in another.

In a state where a particular type of wood is widespread, you would expect such wood to be cheap.

Location of property: If the trees you plan to sell are very close to the wood companies, you can get an excellent deal. The less distance they travel to obtain the wood, the higher the price they would pay for it.

Size of the tree: This one’s a no-brainer. The larger the tree, the more expensive it will be.

Condition of the tree and quality of wood: A healthy tree can attract a far better price than a sick and degraded one.

Dead and brittle branches will attract zero interest from buyers.

Type of tree: This is also a no-brainer, as the type of tree you’re selling plays a significant role in deciding how much you can get for it.

Hardwood species, such as oak, cherry, and walnut, are more expensive than fir, pine, and other softwoods.

How Much Do The Trees Sell For?

How much do loggers pay for trees? How do I find companies that buy trees for lumber?

The truth is, you really can’t put a finger on the exact amount the lumber companies will buy your trees. You can make estimates all the same.

After questioning some lumber buyers here and there, I compiled a list of figures. These are just estimates, though, and they aren’t far off.

• Black Cherry: $400 to $800 per MBF
• California Redwood: $700 to $900 per MBF
• Douglas Fir: $150 to $300 per MBF
• Hard Maple: $300 to $800 per MBF
• Pine (Yellow, Spruce, or Hemlock): $75 to $250 per MBF
• Red Oak: $300 to $600 per MBF
• Red Pine: $50 to $160 per MBF
• Soft Maple: $100 to $400 per MBF
• Walnut: $900 to $1,400 per MBF
• White Ash: $150 to $600 per MBF
• White Oak: $250 to $600 per MBF
• White Pine: $100 to $250 per MBF

As I have mentioned, certain types of wood cost more or less in certain states. To get more accurate estimates, you can quickly search online and see how much the kind of wood you have is sold in your area.

Nonetheless, the only way to be 100% sure about how much you’ll get is to have the actual buyer come over to inspect the trees and negotiate with you.

What You Need to Know Before Selling Trees

Having fewer than a handful of trees or multiple trees for sale can also influence the lumber company’s decision to buy or not buy.

• Tree Companies That Buy Trees

Most lumber companies will not be interested in buying just one tree for lumber. They’ll be more interested in purchasing as many as 20 to 30 trees, which would be worth their time and investment.

Most lumber companies are looking for voluminous purchases, but one or two smaller lumber companies may be willing to buy one or two trees from you. You have to find them.

If you’ve never sold trees for lumber before, there are some key terms you should understand first. Knowing these terms will help you deal better with the lumber-buying company.

Logs: Many lumber companies purchase trees in their natural log form. This means the tree has already been cut down.

Remember that tree felling is dangerous work, so I don’t recommend doing it yourself. Transporting a truck full of logs is also risky, especially when they are not properly bound to the moving truck.

To be safe, do not sell your tree as logs.

Sawlogs: Any softwood or hardwood species with little appeal can be sold as sawlogs. Trees that fall into this category include cedar, pine, and spruce.

Standing timber buyers: These are trees that are growing on the seller’s property. Most people who sell their trees for lumber sell them as standing timber.

Stand trees: This term refers to several trees found in woodland areas, commonly across many acres.

Stumpage: This means the amount you can be paid for your trees, which can be measured in acreage (for large portions of woodland). Generally, stumpage is calculated in units Per Thousand Board Feet (MBF).

A timber buyer is a company that purchases trees from tree owners.

It is common for the timber buyer to be responsible for harvesting the trees and transporting them to their sawmill for cutting and resale.

A timber buyer converts the tree to furniture wood or sawdust.

Veneer logs: Wood with beautiful grain is called a veneer log. Examples of such wood include walnut, maple, oak, and cherry.

Veneer logs attract a higher selling price, but most lumber buyers are willing to pay it, thanks to the quality and appearance of the wood.

Yard trees: Yard trees refer to a single tree or a handful of trees for sale in your yard at home. They are easy to access, and most lumber buyers aren’t interested in them because there aren’t many.

Loggers & Companies That Buy Trees for Lumber

Oak trees are the most sought-after tree variety by companies that buy trees for lumber. This doesn’t mean they can’t show interest in other types of trees.

You can find other lumber companies that buy pinewood, cottonwood, and walnut.

The quickest way you can find companies that buy wood is through the internet, but the most trusted means would be to reach out to your state’s Department of Forestry.

Each state in the US has a list of sawmills, wood buyers, and professional foresters you can contact to purchase your trees.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service provides an interactive map covering every state, including the timber prices in each, as well as the contact information for lumber companies.

Who Buys Trees For Lumber?

If you were to use a search engine to find companies interested in buying your trees, you would be advised to go through trusted websites.

Fraudulent dealers are lurking to find trees they can prey on, especially those located in rural areas.

Another way to find buyers for your trees is to ask a close friend or family member who has had experience selling their trees to lumber companies.

This is a method you can trust, as I don’t expect someone close to you to provide you with misleading information. The only issue with this is—what if none of your immediate family members or friends have had such an experience?

Posting ads online is another way to find buyers for your tree.

You can target Facebook or Instagram ads to reach your local audience. If an interested party comes across your advert, they may be interested in doing business with you.

They must visit the site to confirm that the wood is of good quality. If they are satisfied, you can expect to receive a check.

Tree Buyers Directory

Here’s a list of popular companies that buy trees for lumber by region –

• Midwest: Midwest Hardwood Corporation
• Missouri: American Walnut
• New Hampshire and Vermont: Stillwater Forestry, LLC
• New York and Pennsylvania: Gutchess Lumber
• Northwest part (Washington, Oregon): Cascade Hardwood
• Southeast region (North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida): Canal Wood
• Western US: Sierra Pacific Industries

FIND LOG DEALERS

Conclusion

There are sawmills, lumber companies, and mills that buy trees for lumber. The state or region where your trees are located will determine the price of the wood.

Other factors, such as location, accessibility, and wood quality, will also influence the price lumber companies will pay for your trees.

Good luck!