A free, printable guide from Baird Forestry. Read it here, print or save it as a PDF, or ask Brandon to email it.

Free guide

How a Timber Sale Works: 7 Steps

Name: Baird Forestry, LLC
Address: Mason, MI, US
Telephone: (517) 290-0043
Price range: $$

Selling timber feels intimidating when you have never done it. It does not have to be. Here is the whole process on one page, the way a managed sale actually runs. Print it and follow along, or keep it for when you are ready.

Start with your goals, not a chainsaw. Decide what you want the woods to do over the next 10 to 40 years before anyone talks price.
Walk the woods and take stock. A forester inventories species, size, quality, volume, access, and boundaries, so the decisions rest on what is actually there.
Appraise the timber and design the sale. Decide which trees should sell, which should stay to grow, and what harvest method fits the stand and your goals.
Mark the trees and lay out the harvest. Marking defines exactly what is sold, so every buyer bids on the same sale and the trees you keep are protected.
Advertise and take competitive bids. A sale prospectus goes to multiple qualified buyers, instead of trusting one unsolicited offer to set the price.
Put it in a written contract. Payment before cutting, insurance, access routes, soil and water protection, damage terms, and cleanup all belong in writing.
Monitor the harvest and close it out. Confirm only marked trees are cut and the contract is followed, then walk the woods at the end and plan the next stand.

A written timber sale contract is essential. MSU Extension notes that oral agreements are not adequate, and that buyer-prepared forms may be written to protect the buyer rather than the seller. These seven steps keep the sale on your terms.

Baird Forestry · Michigan Registered Forester · #47097 · (517) 290-0043 · https://bairdforestry.com