Just as you want the best price for your tree, the estimator wants to get your wood for as cheap as possible. So it is vital that you find an honest professional to help you estimate the value of your woods and not waste any lumber they remove. You don’t have to remove your entire woods either. You just can take some valuable trees or low quality trees out to get some extra money.

Yard Trees vs. Forest Trees

There is a specific reason why trees in the woods are more sought after than trees in your yard. A tree in the yard will have more white sapwood, while a tree in the forest will have dark heartwood. The sapwood isn’t able to be used for veneers so the tree is not as desirable. Forest trees are also usually free of any foreign objects, like nails, which can also hurt a tree’s value. Often times there are many obstacles, like fences or power lines, that can make removing a yard tree more expensive than in the forest. Even though yard trees have little commercial value, they could still be evaluated by your local arborist.

The Ideal Tree

A tree company will remove any tree for you, after all, wood is wood. There are just some trees that are worth more than others. The prices of wood changes with demand, type of wood, and the season. Some factors that determine worth is the grade of the logs, their diameter, how logs can be made from the tree, and any defects. A veneer tree or log is used for products like furniture and therefore appearance is important. Trees used for veneer purposes are the most valuable. Walnut trees are always one of the most demanded trees in the wood industry. Oaks, maples, cherry, and ashes are also valuable trees. A high-quality veneer tree with a large diameter can be worth a lot but they are rare. A common rule is the bigger the log, the more it is worth. 

The ideal tree should be

• Straight, round, and healthy

• Have a centered pith

• Uniformed color and growth

• No defects

• Large or small heart depending of the type of tree. Sapwood and small hearts are trees like maples, ashes, and birches. Heartwood and large heart are trees like cherry, oaks, and walnut.

Determining the worth

If you want to estimate a tree’s or your forest’s value it is best to contact a professional. They will give you an honest price and usually provide the services to remove the trees for you. It is crucial to let professionals remove your trees so there will be no damage to the roots of the tree. A poor logger can damage your tree and the future value of your tree. If you aren’t ready to let go of your woods just yet, your local arborist can help you manage your woods to produce future value.