Your Guide to Black Walnut Tree Harvesting & Selling
Black walnut trees are highly desirable to timber buyers. If black walnuts are among the trees you have growing on your property, you have opportunities to consider. The question is, would you be willing to give up some of your trees?
To answer that question, you must first have a full understanding of the benefits. Let’s start with the obvious one: money. People want black walnut timber, and you can provide it by selling trees from your property. The amount of money you’ll get from the transaction depends on a variety of factors including the number, size and quality of the trees. We’ll dive deeper into these details later in the article.
The other benefit of black walnut tree harvesting is that it can improve the quality of your woodlands if your logging company practices selective harvesting. This is because removing large, mature trees thins the canopy and allows more sunlight and moisture to reach the ground. All plants — not just the remaining trees —can flourish under these improved conditions. Additionally, the black walnut tree harvest can clear trails, which makes the area more appealing to wildlife including deer and game birds. If you’re a hunter, this is something you’ll surely appreciate.
Are you more intrigued by the prospect of selling your black walnut trees now? If so, it’s important to educate yourself about what to look for and expect so that you can have the best possible experience. This guide is a good start. As you read through it, you’ll learn things like:
Why black walnut timber is in demand
The factors that impact black walnut tree value
The current price of black walnut
How the process of harvesting black walnuts works
Who buys black walnut trees near me?
How to identify the best logging companies near me
And lots more
Let’s get started!
Why Black Walnut Timber is In Demand
Typically, demand for black walnut timber is quite high, which benefits landowners like you thinking about selling trees. Black walnut is a beautiful, dark wood that can be processed for a variety of uses. Items that can be made from black walnut timber include:
Furniture
Doors
Trim
Flooring
Cabinets
These are applications with universal appeal. The customer could be a homeowner or a business. As a result, as long as the economy is doing well, demand will remain strong for black walnut timber.
China is the biggest buyer of black walnut wood by far. In fact, the Chinese purchase as much as the next nine countries combined. If China continues to buy at that rate, logging companies here in the United States will have a strong interest in harvesting black walnuts where they can find them.
The Factors That Impact Black Walnut Tree Value
Even if all of your black walnut trees are located in close proximity, it doesn’t mean they’ll all be worth the same amount. Multiple factors impact black walnut tree value. In the previous section, we discussed demand, which is one of the biggest. If demand for black walnut trees is high, their value will increase.
The other factors that influence black walnut tree value are more specific to each individual tree.
Size – The more timber a tree will yield, the greater its value. Except in rare circumstances, you can expect trees that are taller and wider to be more valuable than ones that are shorter and narrower.
Veneer Rating – The quality of a tree’s wood can be expressed by its veneer rating. The wood is sliced thinly into veneer and graded based on condition. Large knots, scratches and other damages result in a lower lumber grade. The highest-grade lumber has little or no defects.
Color – As previously mentioned, black walnut is known for its beautiful, dark wood. In terms of value, trees with darker wood are worth more than those with lighter wood. Sunlight affects wood color. Black walnuts located deeper in the woods that grow slower will be darker than those on the edge of the woods that receive more sunlight and grow faster.
Related reading: Black Walnut Tree Value: What to Know
The Current Price of Black Walnut
It’s human nature to seek the best possible deal. Selling black walnut timber is no exception. You’ll want your timber buyer to pay a competitive market price for your trees. But what is that price?
Let’s talk about price per board foot first since it’s a common metric of timber value. As of 2022 when this guide was written, $5 to $10 is the expected price of black walnut per board foot, with the highest-graded timber perhaps bringing even more than that.
The current price of black walnut per tree starts at around $300 and could be as high as $1,000. Some of your black walnut trees could sell for even more if they are among the select few that are exceptionally large and/or high-quality.
The exact prices you can expect to get for your black walnut trees may depend on some or all of these factors:
Quality – Veneer rating and quality were mentioned in the previous section. The higher the quality of the wood, the higher the value.
Harvest Size – The number of trees sold and harvested can impact the price. This is because clear-cutting or a large-scale harvest, as opposed to selective harvesting, enables logging companies to reduce their fixed costs because they get more timber from a single property.
Property Condition – Easily accessible and navigable property can contribute to higher tree prices. Why? Because the logger will use less fuel and need less time to complete the harvest if it’s quick and easy to get to the trees they are cutting down.
Property Location – Black walnut trees can fetch higher timber prices if they are located closer to a timber processing outlet (mill or shipping facility).
Regulations – Black walnut timber prices can be influenced by local or regional regulations that increase the timber buyer’s operating costs.
Related reading: What is the Price of Black Walnut?
How the Process of Harvesting Black Walnuts Works
Before you finalize the sale of your black walnut trees and give the green light to your timber buyer to perform the harvest, it’s good to get an overview of the harvesting process. You won’t want to be left guessing about what is happening and why.
Each logging company will have its own tree harvesting process. Here’s an overview of the process MK Timber uses for black walnut tree harvesting:
Step 1: Landowner Meeting – The landowner and logging company meet to discuss intentions for the property and the black walnut trees. This discussion will enable the timber company to put together a plan to ensure goals are met.
Step 2: Property & Tree Assessment – Your logger will go out on the property to determine how easily accessible the woods are and what the size and condition of the trees are. If it is confirmed that the black walnut trees are fit for harvest, they’ll be marked at chest height for easy identification.
Step 3: Tree Count & Quote Generation – The marked trees will be tallied up, and a line-itemized quote will be provided.
Step 4: Contract Completion & Payment – A contract will be prepared that details the harvest and outlines the terms and conditions. Once the contract is finalized and signed, you will be paid for your black walnut trees. The timber company will usually have one to two years to complete the harvest.
Step 5: Tree Harvest – At harvest time, the logging company will first access the woods via a route that minimizes disruption to the property. They will harvest the marked black walnut trees and move them to a nearby landing area, which could be a field or clearing. Finally, they’ll process the trees and remove the processed timber from the property. Up to 20 trees can usually be harvested in a day.
Related reading: An Overview of the Process of Harvesting Black Walnuts
Who Buys Black Walnut Trees Near Me?
Once you have made the decision that you are ready to sell your black walnut trees, the next step is to find a timber buyer. You must answer the question, who buys black walnut trees near me? How easy it is to answer that question may depend on things like where you are located and who you know.
For example, if you live in an area where logging isn’t a major industry or something you frequently see, the logging companies that do work in the area may not have enough brand recognition for you to immediately think of them.
What about your family, friends or acquaintances? Can they refer any companies to you? Many timber buyers get business from word-of-mouth advertising. If you don’t know of any timber companies to consider, ask around and see if anyone you know can provide suggestions.
If that doesn’t turn up any options, your best bet is to search the web. Just pull up Google and perform a relevant search. Something like these:
Who buys black walnut trees near me?
Logging companies near me
Timber buyers near me
Loggers near me
Timber companies near me
If you aren’t satisfied with the results of one search, try another. It may or may not yield different results depending on how the companies’ websites are optimized for search. The great thing about how Google provides results for these kinds of searches is that it will display a map with markers designating the location of businesses that may be relevant to your search. You can see where they are in relation to you, view other information about the businesses (contact info, reviews, etc.) and visit their websites to learn more.
Related reading: Who Buys Black Walnut Trees Near Me?
How to Identify the Best Logging Companies Near Me
Hopefully, you’re able to find at least a couple of black walnut timber buyers worth considering. You just need to decide which one to do business with. There are several factors to think about. Here are a few of the major ones:
Proximity to You – Are they local? Are they known in your area, and do they have a good reputation?
Black Walnut Tree Harvesting Process – What is the step-by-step process they use to prepare for and complete a black walnut tree harvest?
Black Walnut Timber Prices – How much can you expect to be paid for your black walnut trees? Is it a fair, competitive offer?
Related reading: The Property Owner’s Guide to Identifying the Best Logging Companies/Timber Buyers & How to Assess Logging Companies Near Me
Be a Confident Black Walnut Tree Seller
There you have it — a crash course on the key things to know if you’re wanting to sell black walnut trees. We feel this guide does a good job of covering the main topics and answering the important questions. However, if you have additional questions or want to learn even more, feel free to contact us.
Want to Sell Your Black Walnut Trees in Illinois?
If you are located in central Illinois and are looking to sell black walnut trees, consider what MK Timber has to offer. Located in Lacon, Illinois with a service area that includes several counties and communities, we’ve built a strong reputation on our consistent prices and tree harvesting processes.
You won’t need to worry about going back and forth in order to get a fair price for your black walnut trees. We give our best price the first time!
Our knowledgeable and experienced logging team takes pride in making the experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible. They’ll answer all your questions and address your concerns so you’ll have nothing to worry about. Not only will you get a fair price for your black walnuts, but we’ll also do everything possible to minimize disruption to your property.
When all is said and done, your woods will be improved, and you’ll have money in the bank!
To learn more or to start the discussion about selling your timber, contact us today.