Good Faith

Timber Buyers

Learn how to grade and sell your logs

If you have logs to sell in Ohio you can probably earn significant profit if you find a buyer for them.  To be sure you can sell your logs, you should:  

Never deal directly with a sawmill, logger or timber buyer; and

Always get a certified forester on your side to grade your logs and sell them for top dollar.

You can listen to an audio version of this post here, or continue reading below.

How we grade logs to sell them for top dollar

When clients have logs to sell, we take the following steps to grade them. We do this on logs that have already been cut, and not for standing trees. Standing trees are timber, and you can learn how we evaluate timber here.

Step 1: Identify the species

Each species of hardwood lumber has its own market value, so identifying the species of each log you want to sell for lumber is of primary importance.  Once you’ve done that you can begin to take the appropriate measurements to begin to grade them.

If aren’t sure that you can identify them with 100% accuracy then you should contact a forester like us to do it for you.

Step 2: Measure the dimensions of each log

Logs are sold by the amount of board feet present in each log, using one of two formulas: the Doyle Scale of the International Scale. To prepare to use either formula you must measure each log to determine its length and width.

If you use a Biltmore stick to measure your logs, then you can calculate the board feet in each one quickly. If you don’t have this instrument, then you can use a tape measure. 

By multiplying the length of a log by the area of its diameter (at the smaller end) you can get a rough idea of the number of board feet that are potentially in the log. We say “potentially” because nearly all logs have defects in them which reduce the amount of lumber that sawmills can make from them. 

Step 3: Identify all log defects

Almost every log has some defects, mainly in the form of knots. The ones that don’t are known as veneer logs, and those are pretty rare. 

All other logs have a least one defect, and each defect in a log reduces its market value. The timber industry grades, or qualifies, logs primarily on the basis of the number of defects found in them. 

4. Grading your logs for sale

Logs are priced for sale on the basis of their species, dimensions and also their quality — or Grade. 

The grading system that sawmills and loggers use in Ohio classifies logs into eight grades with these properties, or qualifications, for each grade.

Grade Min. Diameter Min. Length Clean faces
Veneer
20″
10′
4
Stave
18″
10′
4
Prime
15″
8′
4
Grade 1
12″
8′
3
Grade 2
12″
8′
2
Grade 3
12″
8′
1
Crosstie
11″
8′
O
Blocking
n/a
n/a
O

Every hardwood log that comes out of a timber stand in Ohio is classified this way when it reaches a sawmill.  

But you should never sell your logs directly to a sawmill or to a logger

Sawmills are legitimate businesses, and so are most loggers. But neither of them are in the business of paying you what your logs are actually worth. They’re in the business of paying you as little as they can, milling them into lumber, and selling it for a much higher price than they paid. 

You should always talk to a certified forester before you speak to a sawmill, because we actually are in the business of getting you maximum value for logs you sell.

Ready to learn what your timber is  really  worth?

Never take a logger's word for it. Reach out to us for an independent evaluation and a free consultation with no obligation. We'll show you how to sell your trees and logs – and get the highest possible price

Our Service Area

We work in 46 Ohio counties, from Lake Erie down to the Ohio River