TL;DR – Article Summary & Key Points

• Getting a quote from a standing timber buyer can be overwhelming, but this simple guide helps condense important information and questions to ask in one place.
• The value of standing timber is calculated based on estimated stumpage price, tree species, tree size, timber quality, and reasonable access to the trees in question.
• Reputable standing timber buyers will provide a detailed appraisal that includes the full stumpage price, the projected costs, and the prospective total owed to the landowner.
• Inquire about sustainable timber harvesting practices, equipment used, harvesting dates, and other factors that may influence your decision or the bottom-line price.

Free Quotes from Standing Timber Buyers

Who Are Standing Timber Buyers?

Companies that advertise themselves as “standing timber buyers” are typically professional loggers seeking to provide quotes to private landowners or other property owners. The experienced professionals make an on-site visit to the property, evaluate the value of the standing timber, and coordinate the harvest to supply the wood to regional processing mills.

Unlike other standing timber buyers in Pennsylvania, Penn-Sylvan controls the entire means of production from standing tree to finished lumber and can offer the highest-value quotes to property owners on standing timber. There is no “middleman” fee for processing, because Penn-Sylvan controls the whole manufacturing process through its own sawmills and dry kilns in Spartansburg and Centerville.

Question: Are standing timber buyers the same as a tree service company?

Not typically. Most tree service companies specialize in trimming, pruning, and removal of hazardous trees without payment to property owners for the potential value of standing timber removed.

How do Standing Timber Buyers determine Stumpage Value?

Standing timber buyers estimate stumpage value by calculating what the harvested logs may be worth at the mill, then subtracting the costs of cutting and transporting them. With Penn-Sylvan, these costs are minimal as their forestry professionals and lumber mills handle everything from start to finish.

These typical expenses can include logging, skidding, loading, hauling, equipment usage, and additional site preparation or repairs. The typical formula for calculating stumpage value on your property is:

Estimated Stumpage Value = Expected Mill Value – Harvesting & Operational Costs

Additional factors like tree species, tree size, log quality, timber volume, demand, and access to the timber can all influence the value of the final quote. Consider this: you own a five-acre woodlot with a healthy mix of mature hardwoods, and your quote estimates that the tract contains approximately 35,000 board feet, or 35 MBF, of marketable standing timber.

“Stumpage” is the value the timber buyer pays for standing timber designated for removal. Also note that the “residual stand” is the marketable timber and other growing trees not designated for removal that will remain on the land to continue to grow for the future.

• Calculate Total Value → 35 MBF x $650/MBF = $22,750
• Determine Costs → $22,750 – (Logging/Skidding/Loading/Site Costs) = $9,500
• Subtract Costs from Value → $22,750 – $9,500

In this example, a property owner might receive a quote for $13,250 for the value of their standing timber. This number can change as the wood is processed, the value of certain wood species fluctuates, and the quality is determined. With Penn-Sylvan, this quote typically ranges about 10, 15, or even 20% higher than the average due to the reduced processing costs and the ability to capture more of the timber’s downstream value.

How Will This Affect My Property?

This is a valid concern for property owners, and there are plenty of questions to ask Penn-Sylvan’s forestry staff when they visit. Your harvest will be unique, but with decades of experience, Penn-Sylvan’s staff can give you a clear idea of how it will look after harvest and its regeneration potential thereafter.

Contact Penn-Sylvan

FAQs for Property Owners Before Logging

These are some of the most frequently asked questions our quoting and appraisal professionals receive from curious property owners exploring the cost potential of having their property logged.

What equipment do you use to access the trees and remove them from the property?

Our team typically uses modern tree harvesting equipment to access the standing timber and remove it from the property. This includes harvesters, log skidders, forwarders, log trucks, bulldozers, excavators, grinders, and portable mats or bridges. Penn-Sylvan chooses the best equipment to match the particular topography and challenges of each project. All equipment is used when weather permits, and special care is taken to avoid hydric (saturated) soils to protect from rutting and soil erosion. Penn-Sylvan employs the Best Management Practices (BPMs) with its equipment to protect the land and residual timber, regardless of the season or time of year.

Do you remove trees during hunting season?

At any given time of the year, one species of prey or another is “in-season.” Accordingly, Penn-Sylvan will coordinate the timing of harvesting with its landowners based upon what hunting seasons are most important to them. On a side note, while timber harvesting may temporarily affect some hunting activities while crews are on site, a responsible timber harvest always improves the conditions for post-harvest hunting. A responsible harvest provides more reachable “browse” to attract deer and other potential prey, and trails upon which both the hunter and the hunted can move about the property.

Will you plant trees to replace those that are removed?

This is a common question prompted by the standard practice of replanting coniferous (cone-bearing) trees in southern and western “pine plantations.” Coniferous trees are also called “softwoods,” due to their low density, which makes them perfect for framing and construction uses. The plantations upon which pines and other softwoods are harvested require replanting to keep them in straight rows and give them a head start for the next harvest. Also, planted softwood seedlings tend to thrive after a harvest. However, in the hardwood forests that dominate Penn-Sylvan’s region, the forests naturally regenerate from the seedlings and saplings already growing in the residual stand remaining after harvesting.

Moreover, hardwood seeds, acorns, and other nuts that have remained dormant in the humus of the forest floor, sometimes for years or even decades, become activated and sprout on their own. This happens after a timber harvest because more light can reach the forest floor. The natural regeneration of hardwood forests makes trees a truly “renewable resource.” For this reason, Penn-Sylvan takes great care to harvest them responsibly and promote future regeneration of fine hardwoods.

What if my lawn or property is damaged during this process?

Penn-Sylvan is fully insured and contractually takes complete responsibility for any damages that may occur on your land. That being said, Penn-Sylvan makes every effort to avoid any injury to the land and will repair disturbed soils as the harvest progresses and upon completion of the job.