7 Places To Sell Trees For Lumber

Do you have some hardwood trees residing in your yard or garden? 

While trees can have environmental benefits and protect your home from the sun, selling them off could help you earn some quick cash! 

Many companies and contractors are always looking for more wood to utilize in lumber. Depending on the tree type and location, they can offer you good money for the tree.

Where to Sell Trees for Lumber

Craigslist

Craigslist is a vast market where you can sell almost everything and meet potential buyers.

The vast audience looking for wood on Craigslist makes it an ideal place to sell your wood. Take prominent pictures of your goods, and list them on the platform.

You’d be surprised what people buy on Craigslist – everything from used appliances to unique jewelry. It’s an ideal platform to cash in on your unused stuff, thanks to its vast number of shoppers.

Sell Your Trees

Sell your trees is a dedicated platform for selling wood and wooden products. Sell Your Trees is an excellent place to sell your lumber since other people are selling their products here too.

Reviewing other listings will give you an idea of how much your wood might sell for and set a fair price. Since it is a platform for wood, you are likely to attract a prospect soon by setting fair prices. 

Midwest Hardwood Corporation

As the name suggests, the Hardwood Corporation is located in Midwest. If you reside in the Midwest or nearby area, you can contact them to check with them if they are looking to buy some wood. 

If you live in the Midwest and successfully strike a deal with them, you will end up making a good profit in no time! 

Cascade Hardwood

Cascade Hardwood is a great choice for those living in the Northwest. Their interest is more aligned with buying pine trees for lumber. However, regardless of your wood type, you can contact them and sort out the details. 

With their contact information available on their website, they are hard to miss!

Lumber Yards

Lumber yards, or timber yards, raw logs into various lumber products used in industries like construction and furniture making. If you’ve got high-quality trees, lumber yards might be interested in buying them.

The price will depend on the species, quality of wood, and current market demand. Remember, they often prefer certain tree types, and not all trees may be suitable.

Facebook Marketplace

You can sell almost anything on Facebook Marketplace these days, from prom dresses and antiques to lumber.

The benefit of using Facebook Marketplace is that it’s free, and you can easily reach local buyers.

This reduces the logistic complexities often involved in selling and transporting lumber. Simply list the type of trees you have, their condition, and your asking price.

Local Sawmills

Selling trees for lumber to local sawmills can be a viable option, particularly if you have mature, high-quality trees. Sawmills process raw timber into usable lumber, which is used for a variety of construction and manufacturing purposes.

In many cases, local sawmills are keen on sourcing timber locally, both to reduce transportation costs and to support the local economy. Some sawmills may even offer to come out to your property and assess the trees themselves.

More Money Making ideas:

11 Ways To Make Money In a Small Town (Side Hustles & Business Ideas)

How to Make Money in One Hour – 10 Easy Ways to make $100 or more

5 Places To Sell Wheat Pennies

Selling Trees For Lumber: Things to Know Beforehand

Lumber Terminology:

As you try to sell your trees for lumber, you are likely to come across the following terms: 

Different Shades of Logs: 

This one is a no-brainer, and you likely know about it. The lumber buyers refer to an already-cut tree segment as a “log.” 

However, any log being at least eight feet long and having a 6-8 inches diameter is called a “Sawlog.” Given that the sawlog has a bigger size and an increased diameter, they sell for more than logs. 

Another kind of log that interests potential buyers are “Veneer Logs.” These logs are perfect and clear of defects, including knots or insect damage. Due to their quality, the veneer logs can sell for a very good price. 

Standing Timber:

The growing trees that will be removed from the property by the buyer are called “Standing Timber.” However, when giving value for the standing timber, the buyer may also tell you about “Stumpage.” Stumpage is the current value of the wood on your property. Stumpage is referred to the uncut timber ready to be cut on your property. 

Selling Trees for Lumber: How Much Profit to Expect

Figuring out how much profit you can earn by selling trees in your yard can be tricky. To determine the apt value for your trees, it is necessary to be mindful of several factors, including: 

Accessibility:

Accessibility is a major concern for the buyer when shopping for trees. If the trees are located in an area that is easy to access, you can strike a good deal with a buyer. 

However, if the trees are located in a remote area, or the site conditions make it difficult to harvest them, you will want to adjust your prices. Since accessing the trees will be difficult for the buyer, he is likely to offer a lower price. 

Your State:

The profit you make from selling trees is subjective to your state. The price for the wood you are offering will also depend on the rarity of trees in your yard. If the tree type is scarce in your state, the buyer will offer you a much better price. 

Additionally, if the tree business in your state is widespread, the buyer is likely to offer a relatively lower price. 

Distance:

A buyer may offer you a very good value for the trees if the tree site is located close to their company. Since they will not have to travel far to fetch the wood, the buyer will save a hefty amount on transportation. 

Hence, the lesser the distance a buyer travels for the goods, the higher they are likely to pay for it. 

Size and Type:

The size and type are the basic factors when estimating your profits from selling the trees. The bigger the tree is, the bigger your profits will be. 

Similarly, the kind of tree you are putting up for sale goes a long way in determining your profits from the sale. Some trees, especially hardwood species like Oak, Walnut, and Cherry, sell for a much higher price than trees like pine or other softwood. 

Estimated Values for Some Trees 

Still, contemplating how much a logger might pay you for the wood? 

Well, we researched on our end and got estimated values from different lumber companies. Although the price they may offer might vary a little, these estimates will give you a good idea of what kind of money you can expect to make. 

Note that the estimates for each tree type are given per MBF, otherwise known as thousand boards per foot:   

Black Cherry: 

$400-800/MBF

California Redwood: 

$700-900/MBF

Hard Maple

$300-800/ MBF

Red Oak

$300-600/MBF 

Walnut 

900-1400/MBF

Pine

$75-250/MBF

Final Words

Selling your trees for lumber may seem a bit out of the ordinary, but believe it or not, there’s money to be made. So, if you’ve got surplus trees and you’re not quite sure what to do with them, why not transform them into a fun profit-making endeavor?

Sure, you won’t be buying a private island from selling lumber, but it’s an intriguing side project to dive into.

With the right local and online marketplaces at your fingertips, there’s no reason why you can’t connect with ready buyers and turn your trees into a tidy sum of extra cash.