The volume of timber in a stand is the primary factory in calculating the value of timber. Ten acres is typically the minimum size that will hold enough mature trees to generate attractive offers.
Accessibility is the next main factor. Loggers will typically bid higher for readily-accessible timber, because less labor and equipment are needed to harvest it. Â
The final main factors are species and quality. Mature trees of at least 16-inches in diameter at breast-height (DBH) are mature and merchantable, and most trees smaller than this should be left to grow until a future harvest. Â
Mature black walnut and white oak trees have the most valuable logs of all, and they’re the ones that unethical loggers will invariably under-bid or try to trick you into selling before they’re fully mature.
AshÂ
Beech
Birch
Black Oak
Cherry
Chestnut
Elm
Hickory
Locust
Maple
Poplar
Red Oak
Tulip
Walnut
White Oak
White Pine
Yellow Pine
Yellow Poplar
Timber buyers and loggers can seem friendly and knowledgeable, and some are very good at pretending to be so. But you shouldn’t let them lead you to believe that they’re your friend or ally in the timber business. Â
Loggers are not paid to get you top dollar for your timber. In fact, every single one of them is incentivized to grab your timber for the lowest possible price they can persuade you to accept. Â
They also have many ways to trick unwary landowners including: low-balling, high grading, false scaling, deceitful point of cut scams, under-reporting the harvest and more.
And yes, these things happen here in Gnadenhutten all the time.Â
No matter who they are, or how good you think their business reputation is (and even if they drive a horse and buggy) you should never let a logger onto your land without first talking to an experienced independent forester like us.
September 10, 2026 | Timber sale consultation
A land investor in Ohio asked us to help him sell 490-acres of timber in McDowell County, West Virginia
September 3, 2026 | Timber stand evaluation
A man with 15 acres of timber in Hocking County Ohio near Haydenville asked us to evaluate its harvest potential.
September 2, 2026 | Timber sale inquiry
A landowner with 70 acres of timber in Knott County Kentucky asked us to help him sell some timber before Christmas
August 31, 2026 | Timber stand evaluation
A man with a 53-acre timber stand in Ross County Ohio near Bainbridge asked us to evaluate his timber for a possible sale
August 31, 2026 | Timber sale assistance
A landowner with a 20-acre timber stand in Knott County Kentucky asked us to help him evaluate an offer he received from a percentage logger.
August 29, 2026 | Timber sale consult
A man near Painesville asked us to evaluate his 10-acre timber stand in Lake County Ohio
