Can't I just sell to a timber buyer directly?

You can. The question is whether the offer you accept reflects what your timber is actually worth in today's market — or only what that buyer is willing to pay today.

Doesn't the consulting forester cost money?

Yes. On most sales it's a percentage of gross sale value. On a competitively bid sale, that fee is typically a fraction of the spread between the high bid and a single-buyer offer — but it's never guaranteed.

Are timber buyers dishonest?

No. Most are doing their job — buying timber for a mill or trader at the best price they can. That's not the same job as representing the landowner who is selling it.

What about the logger who knocks on my door?

A logger's livelihood is moving wood. They may be excellent at logging and still be a poor fit to set the price, write the contract, and oversee themselves.

Resource

Consulting Forester vs Timber Buyer

A timber buyer's job is to buy timber as well as they can. A consulting forester's job is to represent the landowner who is selling it. Treating those as the same role is the most common — and most expensive — mistake a landowner makes.

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Quick Answers

The short version: A timber buyer is the buyer. A consulting forester works for the seller. They are not the same role and they should not be the same person.
When the difference matters most: On stands with multiple product classes, on tracts with access or operability complexity, and any time a buyer or logger approaches the landowner first.

Side-by-side

Role	Consulting Forester	Timber Buyer
Who they work for	The landowner only	A mill, trader, or themselves
How they get paid	Percentage of gross sale value or flat fee	The margin between purchase and resale
Cruise / inventory	Independent — shared with the landowner	Internal — sets their bid, rarely shared
Marketing	Sealed-bid to multiple qualified buyers	One offer from one buyer
Contract	Seller-protective terms	Buyer-protective terms
Harvest oversight	On-site on behalf of seller	On-site on behalf of buyer
Aligned incentive	Higher sale = higher fee	Lower price = higher margin

The landowner's real risk

Underestimated volume, especially on mixed-product tracts
Wrong product class — sawtimber sold as pulpwood
Unclear contract terms (no defined boundaries, no BMP requirements, no holdback)
No competitive pressure on the price
No one on the deck during the harvest

Why sealed-bid matters

A sealed-bid sale puts several qualified buyers in competition at once, under the same written terms, on the same timber. It surfaces what the market is actually willing to pay — not what any single buyer is willing to start at. See how we sell timber for the step-by-step.

Common Questions

Landowner FAQ

Talk to a Forester

Independent representation. Transparent results.

MS / AL Registered Forester #2175

Whether you have ten acres or ten thousand, our team works for the landowner — never the mill. Based in Meridian, MS and serving timberland across Mississippi and western Alabama.

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