How to Sell Trees in Michigan

Michigan is famous for its abundance of trees. There are more than 30 million trees in the state, more than three trees for every resident. Both evergreens and deciduous trees blanket the Great Lakes State. Michigan has more than 19 million acres of forested land, more than 65 percent of which is privately owned. Private owners frequently harvest timber from their lands and sell the trees they remove.

Tree marking tape

Spray paint

Inspect your acreage, making note of the type, size and condition of your trees. You do not have to do an accurate count, but you will want to have a working knowledge of the trees you wish to sell. While you are making your inspection, mark the trees you do not want removed. Mark them with biodegradable spray paint or flag tape made for this purpose. Marking materials are available from hardware stores or home and garden centers.

Contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Private Forest Lands Management Program, to determine if you are eligible for Michigan property tax reduction credits under its program to encourage responsible stewardship of forested lands.

Make a sketch of your acreage and mark roads, gates and trails that will allow tree cutters to access the property. Visit the State of Michigan website to utilize their interactive tool to access and print subdivision plat maps. The large amount of lakes, marshes, rivers and streams in the area are often difficult to navigate. A detailed plat map of your land will assist timber buyers in determining the cost of removing timber from your land.

Determine if your trees are marketable as timber. If you have standing dead or damaged trees, they may marketable only as pulpwood or firewood. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends getting the expertise of a professional forestry consultant: "These experts provide a wide variety of services for a fee: tree planting advice, forest management, timber cruising (determining timber value), and timber sale preparation and supervision." Timber prices vary according to the time of year, your location's distance from a sawmill, and market fluctuations. A small variance in the market can mean a substantial difference in your final sale price. It is wise to consult an impartial professional, especially if you have a large amount of timber you wish to harvest. The Michigan State Forest Stewardship program may pay up to 50 percent of developing a forestry management plan for your property. Contact the Michigan State Department of Natural Resources for a referral to a qualified professional.

Contact local Michigan timber buyers and request they inspect the property and bid on the purchase of the trees. Make an appointment with each buyer. Walk the property and make notes of the buyer's comments and observations. A knowledgeable "timber cruiser" or timber estimator can accurately determine the amount of board feet that can be harvested from your land and the market value of each species of timber. Visit the United States Department of Agriculture's interactive website to obtain current timber prices in Michigan.

Negotiate a contract with the buyer specifying the amount of wood the buyer is removing, the methods and equipment to be used. If the buyer is going to clean up the stumps and debris, clearly lay out those provisions in the contract. Contact the Michigan State University Extension office to obtain a sample timber contract.

Request proof of liability insurance from the buyer and all subcontractors. Include specified insurance requirements in the verbiage of your contract.

Determine if you have established seedlings or saplings that can be dug up, balled and wrapped or potted for sale to landscape contractors. Contact a landscape contractor to bid on the project. You may also decide to dig up trees yourself and sell them at the local farmer's market.