Most landowners see a timber price report once, get confused by the columns, and assume the number on the page is what their tract will bring. It's almost never that simple. Reading a price report well is the difference between a realistic sale expectation and a frustrating surprise.
What a price report actually is
A regional timber price report — TimberMart-South is the most widely cited in the Southern U.S. — is a quarterly statistical summary of reported timber transactions in a defined region. The numbers are an aggregation of real sales, sorted by product class and price type, presented as means and ranges. They are a snapshot of what the market has been paying, not a quote for what your tract will bring.
Stumpage vs delivered: the most important distinction
Every price in a Southern timber report is reported as either:
- Stumpage — the price paid to the landowner for the standing tree, before any logging or trucking cost is deducted. This is the number you actually receive.
- Delivered — the price paid at the mill gate, after the wood has been cut and hauled. Logging and hauling typically eat $15–$25+ per ton out of the delivered price before it gets back to stumpage.
Confusing the two is the most common mistake landowners make. If a report shows pine sawtimber delivered at $48/ton, the corresponding stumpage might be $25–$30/ton — meaningfully different on a 100-ton load.
Product classes — what the columns mean
- Pine pulpwood. Small-diameter pine destined for paper, pellets, or oriented strand board. The lowest-value product class but typically the highest volume on a first thinning.
- Pine chip-n-saw (CNS). Mid-diameter pine cut into small lumber and chips. The bridge product between pulpwood and sawtimber.
- Pine sawtimber. Large-diameter pine cut into dimensional lumber. Where most of the per-acre value lives in a mature pine stand.
- Pine poles. Premium-grade, straight, knot-free pine for utility poles. A meaningful premium over sawtimber when stand quality supports it.
- Hardwood pulpwood, hardwood sawlogs, mixed hardwoods. Reported separately because the buyer pool and the pricing logic are completely different from pine.
Regional zones
Mississippi and Alabama are typically split into north and south reporting zones because the markets are genuinely different. South Mississippi and south Alabama benefit from a denser mill cluster, more competition, and stronger pole demand. North Mississippi and north Alabama have a thinner buyer pool and a different hardwood market. A "Southern" average number doesn't help your tract — the regional number does.
Means, ranges, and high/low — read the spread
A typical report shows a regional average, plus a high and low for each product. The spread between high and low is often as informative as the mean. A narrow spread suggests a stable market. A wide spread suggests price volatility, regional variation, or thin reporting — which usually means your tract's actual outcome depends heavily on competitive marketing.
What the report does not tell you about your tract
- Tract size and access. A 40-acre tract on a dirt road with a soft creek crossing brings less than the regional average. A 300-acre tract on a paved road with truck-friendly decks brings more.
- Stand quality. A 16" sawtimber pine with sweep, fork, and fire scar prices closer to CNS than to clean sawtimber.
- Haul distance. Every additional mile to the mill eats real money out of stumpage.
- Buyer mix. Some markets are dominated by one or two buyers — others have a dozen competing. Your stumpage outcome depends heavily on which one you're in.
- Time of year. Wet-weather quarters slow logging and soften stumpage. Dry-weather quarters firm it up.
How to use a price report well
- Confirm it's a stumpage report — or do the delivered-to-stumpage math yourself before you draw any conclusions.
- Look at the right region — north MS for north MS, south AL for south AL, not a Southern average.
- Match product classes to your cruise. A report number on pine sawtimber matters only in proportion to how much of your stand is actually sawtimber.
- Read the spread, not just the mean. Where your tract lands in that spread depends on stand quality, access, and marketing.
- Treat the report as a baseline, not a quote. Your competitive sale outcome could be 15–30% above or below the regional mean depending on the factors above.
What replaces guessing
The price report tells you what the market is doing. A measured timber cruise tells you what your stand is. A current stumpage appraisal combines the two into a defensible per-acre value for your specific tract. A competitive sealed-bid sale is what tells you what your tract is actually worth in dollars on the closing statement.
The takeaway
A price report is a useful starting point and a dangerous stopping point. Use it to set realistic expectations, but don't let it set your reserve, anchor your negotiation, or convince you to sell or wait. The number that matters is the one a competitive sale on your specific tract produces.
If you want to know what your specific tract is worth in the current Mississippi or Alabama market, talk to a registered forester. The first conversation is free.
Talk to a Registered Forester About Your Timber Sale
If you are weighing a sale on a Mississippi or Alabama tract, start with our Mississippi timber sales service page or contact Eric Entrekin, Registered Forester (MS & AL) for a tract-specific review.