Timber Appraisal in Michigan
Independent inventory and value guidance before a timber sale, buyer offer, estate decision, or harvest plan.
Request a timber appraisal →- Overview -
Start with the right decision.
A timber appraisal gives Michigan landowners a grounded estimate of what is standing in the woods before a sale decision is made. Value depends on species, volume, quality, grade, access, logging conditions, buyer demand, sale design, and timing. If your question is "how much is my timber worth," the honest answer starts with those factors measured on your ground, not a number over the phone. Baird Forestry evaluates the timber from the landowner's side so the next conversation is based on measured information instead of a guess or a buyer's opening offer.
Good first step
Bring the property question.
County, acreage, ownership goals, recent offers, program interest, maps, photos, or a short description of what changed in the woods.
Talk with Brandon →The southern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, within about a two-hour drive of Lansing
Independent appraisal
Ready to request an appraisal?
Send the county, approximate acreage, and what prompted the question. A written scope and quote comes before any field work begins.
Request an independent appraisal →- Who this is for -
The landowners we work with.
Owners who received an unsolicited timber offer, are considering a harvest, need estate or ownership-transition information, want to compare sale options, or need to understand whether timber income could support habitat, restoration, trail, or long-term management work.
- What we do -
What this work includes.
Why a free buyer appraisal isn't an appraisal
A common offer in this market is a free timber appraisal from the company that wants to buy the wood. That's a bid wearing an appraisal's name, prepared by the party that profits by paying less. An independent appraisal is paid for by you and answers to you.
Timber cruise and inventory
Species, diameter, quality, volume, and product-class information gathered in the woods before value is discussed.
Value context
Stumpage value, the worth of standing trees, is estimated in board feet under a stated log rule (Doyle, Scribner, or International 1/4 inch) and shaped by species, grade, volume, and access. In southern Michigan the money usually lives in red and white oak, black walnut, hard maple, and black cherry, and a veneer-grade log can be worth several times a sawlog of the same size.
Offer review
A landowner-side review of buyer offers, sale boundaries, proposed trees, payment terms, and risks to the residual stand.
Sale-readiness guidance
Clear recommendations on whether the stand is ready to sell, should wait, or needs planning work before buyers are invited.
Harvest design connection
Appraisal tied to tree selection, forest health, regeneration, access, and the condition of the woods after the cut, including timing constraints like the April 15 to July 15 oak wilt window and frozen-ground access on wet ground.
Next-step documentation
Maps, notes, and appraisal context that can support a competitive sale, family decision, or broader management plan.
- Process -
How we work, step by step.
Clarify the decision
Determine whether the appraisal is for a sale, buyer-offer review, estate planning, land purchase, damage concern, or management plan.
Measure the stand
Collect species, size, quality, volume, access, and site-condition information that affects value.
Interpret value
Estimate value in context of products, markets, harvest design, sale size, timing, and landowner goals.
Choose the next step
Use the appraisal to decide whether to market a sale, negotiate, wait, plan a different harvest, or focus on stand improvement.
Outcomes
What success looks like.
A timber appraisal gives you a better starting point: measured timber, clear assumptions, known constraints, and a landowner-side view of how value and forest condition should be protected. No appraisal promises that every buyer will pay a specific number.
- Related reading -
What to read next.
- Questions -
What landowners usually ask first.
Is a timber appraisal the same as a timber buyer's offer?
No. A buyer's offer is a proposed purchase price from someone trying to buy wood. An appraisal is an independent estimate prepared for the landowner, based on what is present and how the sale could be designed.
Why not just take the free appraisal a timber buyer offers?
Because it isn't independent. The appraiser and the buyer are the same party. In one North Carolina State Extension comparison (Cubbage et al., 1996), landowners who used a consulting forester averaged about 23% more income per acre than those who sold on their own. Independent measurement is what creates that leverage.
Can you tell me what my timber is worth from photos?
Photos can help with an initial conversation, but a useful appraisal usually requires field measurements, species and quality checks, access review, and an understanding of which trees or areas are being considered.
Will an appraisal guarantee a sale price?
No. Timber markets, buyer demand, logging conditions, sale terms, and timing all affect bids. The appraisal gives the landowner a better basis for deciding whether and how to proceed.
Should appraisal happen before tree marking?
Usually the appraisal and sale design should be connected. Value changes when the selected trees, sale boundaries, access, or harvest method change, so the estimate should match the actual decision being made.
Why can't I just look up Michigan timber prices?
Public stumpage reports in Michigan cover state-forest sales, mostly north of the Bay City to Ludington line. There is no published price sheet for private timber in southern Michigan, and that is exactly why a number quoted over the phone means little. Value comes off the stump: species, board-foot volume under a stated log rule, grade, access, and how the sale is designed and bid.
How is timber-sale income taxed?
Timber-sale proceeds are commonly reported to the IRS on Form 1099-S and often qualify for capital-gains treatment rather than ordinary income, which can matter a lot at sale sizes worth appraising. The details depend on basis, holding period, and how the sale is structured, so bring your tax preparer in before the sale closes rather than after.
- Local details -
Confirm the fit before a site visit.
- In their words -
Not only did we get the best possible price for our logs, Baird Forestry helped us receive 4 times what 3 other buyers offered.
Timber sale client
Contact
Ready to talk about your woods?
Tell me about your property: county, acreage, and goals. When the project is a fit we walk the land together, and a clear written scope and quote follows.
By telephone
(517) 290-0043Direct line for landowner inquiries. Calls and messages returned within 24 hours
Brandon Baird · Michigan Registered Forester · #47097 · Works only for landowners, never for mills or buyers.
Service area: The southern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, within about a two-hour drive of Lansing