# How much should I pay for pine logs to cut for lumber???



## jason6586 (May 3, 2011)

I put an ad up on my local craigslist looking for pine logs to use for some lumber. I have a neighbor with a band mill and i want to put some away for a future project. My questions is how much is a fair price for saw logs like this and how do people charge? Any info would be great.

Thanks


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## nw axe man (May 3, 2011)

jason6586 said:


> I put an ad up on my local craigslist looking for pine logs to use for some lumber. I have a neighbor with a band mill and i want to put some away for a future project. My questions is how much is a fair price for saw logs like this and how do people charge? Any info would be great.
> 
> Thanks


 
Since you're on the logging/forestry site I'm assuming that you have some experience working with trees/logs.
I have a sawmill and the way I work it is to find some trees that someone needs to take down. Work out a deal with them to take the trees down for the logs. If you've got a small sawmill like mine (mills up to 16' logs) this could work out ideally for you. Saturday and Sunday afternoon my son and I hauled home sixteen 16' logs with an average diameter of 24". I had worked out a deal with a landowner that needed to take down some houses around her home and her rentals. For the amount of pine that you probably would be working with this might just be the way to get it done. Works for me.


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## jason6586 (May 3, 2011)

nw axe man said:


> Since you're on the logging/forestry site I'm assuming that you have some experience working with trees/logs.
> I have a sawmill and the way I work it is to find some trees that someone needs to take down. Work out a deal with them to take the trees down for the logs. If you've got a small sawmill like mine (mills up to 16' logs) this could work out ideally for you. Saturday and Sunday afternoon my son and I hauled home sixteen 16' logs with an average diameter of 24". I had worked out a deal with a landowner that needed to take down some houses around her home and her rentals. For the amount of pine that you probably would be working with this might just be the way to get it done. Works for me.


 
Well I put an ad on CL and got a few guys that wanted to sell me some logs that are 12"-36" diameter by 8' long. They all ask how much i pay and I don't know what a fair price is. Any ideas on a range?

Thanks


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## nw axe man (May 3, 2011)

You know, I've never bought a log to mill so I wouldn't have a clue. I know that fir logs out here on the left coast are at a premium with the Chinese buying up everything they can. Our mills here are suffering with the poor economy and now the logs slipping out from under them. I hate to hear of the suffering of people all over the world going through disasters but it might be the only thing that pulls our woods workers through.
Sorry I can't help you with a price for those logs. Make a ridiculously low offer and see what they say. That will at least get them off dead center and let you know where they stand.


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## slowp (May 3, 2011)

Call your county forester, or DNR. I know the county where I lived there had a pretty good county forestry dept. 

I also just went to a talk about niche marketing logs. Calling the DNR and or the Tree Farm people was suggested. Or we can pay for a subscription to a log price version of the Wall Street Journal. 

I'd call the county first.


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## nw axe man (May 3, 2011)

Good thinking there, Patty. Looks like a pretty nice day for ducks. Going out to cut more firewood?


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## slowp (May 3, 2011)

nw axe man said:


> Good thinking there, Patty. Looks like a pretty nice day for ducks. Going out to cut more firewood?



I'm waiting to see if it will dry out a bit. The sun is out here. It is more of a splitting job now. Due to the oak stuff, it looks like I have enough and more firewood for next winter. 

I went to what is called, Fun in the Forest last Saturday. The marketing talk was quite interesting. A guy in the audience asked about where a 15 foot dbh Sitka Spruce could be marketed. After making sure it was diameter, and not circumference, the speaker answered that the best thing to do is advertise it in the Seattle area for a "sponsor" and sell it standing...you'd put a plaque or some sort of recognition for the sponsor(s) on it. 

He said yes, a mill would buy it but it wouldn't be worth anything extra and in fact, a penalty might be put on because of the size. 

The rest of the classes were a bit elementary. But a good review. The DNR was handing out a book with lots of pictures on Forest Practices. I have one now.


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## lfnh (May 3, 2011)

Closest current report 

Wisconsin DNR apparently has nothing current that can be easily found...

fwiw


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## Humptulips (May 3, 2011)

slowp said:


> I'm waiting to see if it will dry out a bit. The sun is out here. It is more of a splitting job now. Due to the oak stuff, it looks like I have enough and more firewood for next winter.
> 
> I went to what is called, Fun in the Forest last Saturday. The marketing talk was quite interesting. A guy in the audience asked about where a 15 foot dbh Sitka Spruce could be marketed. After making sure it was diameter, and not circumference, the speaker answered that the best thing to do is advertise it in the Seattle area for a "sponsor" and sell it standing...you'd put a plaque or some sort of recognition for the sponsor(s) on it.
> 
> ...



Around here a 15' spruce would be worth pulp wood price minus 20% for splitting it. The question would be how you would haul it.:tongue2:


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## jason6586 (May 3, 2011)

like i said im looking for a ball park starting point. These logs would be 8'+. I have no issue with loading or hauling. I'm just looking for a price range because everyone that is contacting me doesn't know what there worth.

Thanks


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## Sagetown (May 3, 2011)

jason6586 said:


> I put an ad up on my local craigslist looking for pine logs to use for some lumber. I have a neighbor with a band mill and i want to put some away for a future project. My questions is how much is a fair price for saw logs like this and how do people charge? Any info would be great.
> 
> Thanks


Around here no one wants Pine, and the folks that want them off their property have to pay to get them taken down and hauled away.


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## ogden (May 3, 2011)

i recently had a logger come and look at my trees and he told me he wouldn't give me over $150 for my white pines and they're pretty big


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## slowp (May 3, 2011)

I don't know what area you are in, but you can also check with the DNR, USFS, and anybody else and find out what their minimum bid is for pine trees. That'll give you an idea. You can also find out what was the winning bid on some recently sold timber. 

Red pine was what was sold in the _up nort _part of the state.


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## madhatte (May 3, 2011)

slowp said:


> I also just went to a talk about niche marketing logs.



That's a talk I would have loved to attend. I am always getting pinged with questions about "What's this worth? How do I sell it?" and I only ever have half an answer. Usually I know an end user or a buyer or a band mill owner, but lining it up so that the end user gets the product they want is an uphill battle.


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## earache (May 7, 2011)

Easiest thing to find current log/bolt rates is to call one of your local sawmills and talk to the log buyer. Ask them what they are paying for the grade pine you are looking to saw. Most likely they will give you a price per thousand mbf. If you don't get anywhere with that, let me know. I can get some numbers to you.


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