Estimating Standing Timber Value

Why This Matters

Standing timber can represent a significant asset—often thousands of dollars per acre depending on species, size, and quality. A thoughtful estimate helps landowners make informed decisions about whether and when to harvest. Ohio Timber Works is here to guide you every step of the way.

To learn how to estimate board feet from trees on your land, see our detailed guide: Estimating Standing Timber Volume.

As a rough benchmark, mature trees with a DBH of 20 inches often yield 250–500 board feet—but actual volumes may vary significantly.

Step 1: Estimating Your Timber’s Volume

Volume—measured in board feet—is the single most critical factor when estimating timber value. One board foot equals a 1‑inch thick board that’s 12 inches wide by 12 inches long (144 cubic inches).

Use industry-standard tables like the Doyle or International ¼” scale, which estimate board-foot content from measurements such as Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) and merchantable height. These tables may be adjusted using form classes like the Mesavage–Girard system for better accuracy.

Step 2: Understanding Species Value

Once you’ve estimated timber volume, the next key factor is species composition. In Ohio and surrounding states, certain hardwoods consistently bring higher market prices due to their appearance, durability, and demand in furniture, cabinetry, veneer, and specialty millwork.

Among the most valuable species in the region are:

• Black Walnut – prized for its dark heartwood and fine grain, widely used in high-end furniture and gunstock production.
• White Oak – durable, rot-resistant, and in demand for flooring, barrels, and exterior applications.
• Sugar Maple (Hard Maple) – known for its hardness and fine finish, commonly used in cabinets and flooring.

Other species such as Hickory, Red Oak, Soft Maple, Beech, and Cherry also have market value, but typically command lower stumpage rates unless they are exceptionally straight and free of defects. Ash, once widely harvested, has seen a major decline in demand due to emerald ash borer damage throughout the Midwest.

Foresters must look at both visible and invisible defects. Some trees appear beautiful while standing but are hollow inside. Others have mineral stains caused by soil composition or past livestock grazing. These issues are hard to detect while the tree stands. However, they will negatively impact timber value.

To see a species-by-species breakdown of typical value categories and end uses, check out the Purdue Extension guide to hardwood timber markets. It’s a trusted reference for landowners across the Midwest and aligns closely with conditions in Ohio.

Our company routinely evaluate mixed hardwood stands. Even if your woods contain lower-value species, selective harvesting or long-term forest management may help improve future timber quality and returns.

Step 3: Using Up-to-Date Timber Price Reports

Accurate, current pricing is essential for realistic timber valuations. That’s why you should refer to the latest Ohio Timber Price Report, published twice annually by Ohio State University Extension in partnership with the Ohio Division of Forestry. This report aggregates stumpage and delivered sawlog price data from mills, timber buyers, loggers, and wood dealers across the state.

When you look at this sheet, you’ll notice grades along the left column. For each species, prices are listed for prime logs, number 1 common, number 2 common, and blocking. An average for all grades combined appears at the bottom of each section. These grades correlate with the quality of lumber that can be cut from a tree. They also determine the value of that lumber.

Long-term data trends are equally valuable. Analysis of the Ohio Timber Price Report from 1960 to 2011 shows that, while nominal log prices have steadily increased, real (inflation-adjusted) prices have been relatively flat for most species—except for white oak, which has seen gains in prime and #1 common grades.

Stumpage prices—what loggers pay landowners—may differ significantly from delivered log or lumber prices. Understanding this distinction helps you appreciate the value chain, from the forest to the mill, and why knowing stumpage keeps your expectations grounded.

Keeping up with these reports also allows for strategic timing. Market demand ebbs and flows—when lumber prices rise, sawmills often increase purchases of sawtimber, which in turn pushes up stumpage rates. Landowners who monitor these trends can often achieve better harvest returns.

Accessibility & Harvest Logistics Impact

Harvest logistics—like the distance to roads, slope, and soil conditions—can affect what buyers are willing to pay. Higher mobilization costs may reduce stumpage rates.

Similarly, the scale of your harvest matters: large, consolidated timber sales often yield better per-unit prices than piecemeal removals.

What You Can Do Next

1. Measure several trees for DBH and estimate merchantable height.
2. Use volume tables (or our volume guide) to estimate board feet by species.
3. Multiply by current Ohio stumpage rates from OSU’s report.
4. Adjust for site conditions and harvesting logistics.
5. Contact the experts at Ohio Timber Works for a free standing-timber assessment and professional quote.

Timber Works explains every step of both the assessment and the logging processes along the way. We make timber harvesting recommendations that consider the unique characteristics of your woods, and address the input and concerns from you, the land owner, above all others.

On the other hand we never pressure customers to sign contracts prematurely, nor do we include ambiguous language about the scope and details of a harvest in the agreements we make. Instead, Timber Works works diligently to ensure your questions and concerns are addressed fully and honestly. Consequently , you can trust that transparency and integrity are at the core of our business practices.