TIMBER SALES
When someone offers to buy your timber, they know what it is worth. Most landowners do not, and that gap is where money is lost. We work only for you. We never buy timber, we are not paid by the logger, and we do not have a mill to fill. Our job is to get you the best price and leave your woods in good shape.
A single buyer’s number is what that buyer wants to pay. When several buyers compete for the same timber, you find out what it's really worth, and the gap between the high and low bids often surprises people.
Payment terms, what can be cut and what cannot, insurance, road and trail repair, cleanup, and a deadline. Handshake sales are where landowners get hurt, and a written contract is the cheapest insurance you will ever buy.
We check on the harvest regularly while it's underway, making sure the crew is cutting only marked trees, following best management practices for water and soil, and honoring the contract, including trail and landing cleanup before the job closes out.
How a timber sale works
01
We walk your woods
We look at what you have, tell you what it is worth, and tell you honestly whether now is the right time to sell. Sometimes it is not, and we will say so. This first visit is free.
02
We mark the sale
We choose and mark exactly which trees go and which stay. The trees that are still growing into money stay standing. Nothing gets cut that we did not agree on.
03
We take bids
Your timber goes out to competitive bid to buyers we know and trust. You see the offers and you decide. You are never obligated to accept any of them.
04
We run the harvest
We write the contract, hold the buyer to it, and are on site while the work happens. You get paid, the woods are left in good condition, and you are not managing loggers yourself.
Pennsylvania does not license foresters. Anyone can use the title, including someone whose real job is buying your logs. Quinn Frassetta is a Penn State Mont Alto forestry graduate with more than a decade of experience in Pennsylvania woods, and Nittany Forestry Consulting is listed in the state DCNR directory of consulting foresters. Ask anyone who knocks on your door who pays them. Our answer is always the same. You do.
Based in Cumberland County, serving landowners across 20 counties of Central and South Central Pennsylvania. Larger properties elsewhere in the state are welcome, just ask.
BEFORE THE SALE
A good timber sale starts before the first tree is marked.
Selling timber in Pennsylvania is not just a pricing decision. The right sale depends on forest condition, species mix, tree quality, access, markets, regeneration, and what you want the woods to look like ten or twenty years from now.
Timber value
We look at species, diameter, grade, volume, defect, current markets, and buyer demand so you understand what your timber is likely worth before bids are requested.
Harvest readiness
Some stands should be sold now. Others should wait, receive improvement work, or be handled through a different prescription. We tell you if selling is not the best move.
Site conditions
Access, slopes, stream crossings, trails, landing areas, property lines, and wet ground all affect how a sale should be planned and what a buyer can responsibly do.
CONTRACTS AND OVERSIGHT
The contract should protect the woods, not just record the price.
A written timber sale contract should spell out payment, cutting limits, cleanup, road and trail repair, stream protection, landing locations, insurance, timing, and what happens if the work is not completed correctly. We stay involved while the harvest runs so the agreement means something on the ground.
What competitive bidding helps reveal
Different buyers value species, log quality, tract size, access, and timing differently. Competitive bids can expose that spread, create leverage for better terms, and help you avoid letting one buyer define the market.
Selling from one unsolicited offer without knowing volume, grade, or buyer interest.
Cutting too heavily, removing the best future trees, or damaging the stand’s long-term value.
Weak contract language around payment, cleanup, residual damage, skid trails, wet weather, and repair obligations.
Leaving the landowner to manage logging questions, boundary issues, and harvest decisions alone after the sale starts.
Common questions
How much is my timber worth?
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A buyer already made me an offer. Should I take it?
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Do you buy timber?
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How many acres do I need?
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Will my woods be ruined?
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What does this cost me?
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What should be in a Pennsylvania timber sale contract?
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Why not sell timber to the first buyer who asks?
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Can a timber sale improve my woods?
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Do you stay involved during the logging?
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Before you sign anything, talk to us.
The first conversation and the walk of your property are free, and there is no obligation to sell.
Request a Free Consultation