Current delivered log prices for 26 hardwood species by grade, and what moved since the last Kentucky Division of Forestry survey — compared region by region.
in Region 1 (west) · Region 2: 5 of 12 · Region 4: 5 of 11
Compared region by region — same Kentucky Division of Forestry survey region, same price column — between the Q3–Q4 2025 report (January 2026) and the Q1–Q2 2026 report (July 2026).
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Marketplace asking-price index (seller asks, sanity-gated, n≥3 per species)
Species
Unit
Median ask
Range
Samples
Realized-sale index (seller-recorded sale prices & accepted offers, n≥3)
Species
Unit
Median sold
Range
Sales
The asking-price and realized-sale indexes publish automatically as marketplace volume grows. Sellers: recording your sale price when you tap “Mark Sold” is what builds the first real Appalachian marketplace price index — aggregate-only, never your individual deal. Machine-readable data: price-index.json.
The same delivered prices converted from $/MBF to $/BF
Log prices are quoted in $/MBF — dollars per thousand board feet. To get
the price per single board foot, divide by 1,000: a log at $500/MBF is $0.50/BF.
The table below does that conversion for every major species, using the same
Kentucky-region delivered figures (KDF Q1+Q2 2026) shown elsewhere on this page.
Log $/BF is not lumber $/BF. These are prices for logs delivered to a mill.
Sawn, dried, graded lumber sells for several times more per board foot — the difference pays for
sawing, drying, grading, and waste. If a quote is compared against a hardwood-lumber retail price,
it will always look low. Compare log offers against log prices.
What is standing timber worth?
Stumpage vs delivered price — and why they differ
Every price on this page is delivered-to-mill — what a mill pays when the logs
arrive at its gate. A landowner selling trees that are still standing is paid
stumpage, which is a different and considerably lower number, because whoever buys
the timber still has to fell it, skid it, load it, and haul it.
As a working rule, stumpage runs roughly 30–50% below the delivered price for the
same timber. The gap is the harvesting cost: logging typically $150–$300/MBF, trucking
$30–$80/MBF depending on haul distance, plus a consulting forester's commission of 10–15%
if one is used.
Worked example. White Oak sawlogs delivered run $340–$920/MBF. Standing white oak
of the same grade would therefore be worth roughly $170–$644/MBF as stumpage,
depending on how far it is to the mill, how difficult the terrain is, and how much volume is on
the tract. Small, scattered, or hard-to-reach timber sits at the bottom of that band; a clean,
roadside, high-volume tract sits at the top.
Two free tools here can put a number on it without a site visit:
the Timber Value Estimator
takes species, volume, and state; the
AI Tree Grader grades a standing
tree from photos using USDA Forest Service NE-333 rules. Both are estimates, not appraisals —
for a figure to sign a contract against, have a registered consulting forester cruise the tract.
Timber price FAQ
Common questions about log and lumber prices
Per the Kentucky Division of Forestry Delivered Log Price Report (Q1+Q2 2026), White Oak sawlogs trade $340–$920/MBF Doyle delivered-to-mill, with prime #1 logs reaching $1,850/MBF. Stave bolt quality (8+ rings/inch, 15"+ diameter) commands $800–$3,200/MBF for bourbon barrel cooperage. Veneer-quality White Oak reaches $2,450–$6,500/MBF.
Per KDF Q1+Q2 2026: Black Walnut sawlogs trade $350–$1,475/MBF Doyle delivered, with prime #1 logs reaching $4,000/MBF. Veneer-quality walnut (18"+ clear, exportable) commands $3,125–$8,000/MBF ($3.12–$8.00/BF). Export demand from Europe and Asia remains strong. Walnut is consistently the highest-value hardwood in the Appalachian timber market.
Red Oak sawlogs trade $300–$560/MBF Doyle delivered (KDF Q1+Q2 2026), with prime #1 logs reaching $750/MBF. Red Oak is one of the most abundant hardwoods in the Eastern US — widely used for flooring, cabinetry, and millwork.
Black Cherry sawlogs trade $225–$450/MBF Doyle in Kentucky (KDF Q1+Q2 2026), with prime #1 logs reaching $600/MBF and veneer-grade logs $510–$610/MBF. Note that Pennsylvania Allegheny Plateau cherry commands substantially higher prices ($550–$800/MBF for prime, $1,500–$3,000+ for veneer) due to historical reputation. Cherry is valued for fine furniture and cabinetry.
Black Walnut is consistently the most valuable hardwood in North America. Per KDF Q1+Q2 2026, walnut veneer logs trade $3,125–$8,000/MBF Doyle, with sawlogs $350–$1,475/MBF. White Oak veneer ($2,450–$6,500) and stave bolts ($800–$3,200 for bourbon cooperage) are also premium. Hard Maple and Chestnut Oak round out the top tier.
MBF stands for thousand board feet — the standard unit for pricing logs. Prices on this page are $/MBF on the Doyle log scale, the standard in Appalachia (other scales: Scribner, International ¼"). All KDF values are delivered-to-mill — what a logger receives at the mill gate. Stumpage (standing-tree value to landowner) is typically 30–50% lower because the buyer pays for harvest + haul.
Stumpage is what a landowner is paid for standing timber, before harvest. As a rule of thumb, stumpage equals roughly 50–70% of delivered price after deducting logging costs (typically $150–$300/MBF), trucking ($30–$80/MBF depending on distance), and forester commission (10–15%). For exact figures, a Kentucky-registered consulting forester can cruise your timber and quote stumpage based on local mill bids.
Kentucky's 4 KDF survey regions show meaningful variation. Eastern KY (Region 3 + 4 Appalachian) commands premiums for veneer-grade logs due to proximity to export channels and higher-quality timber. Western KY (Region 1) trades 15–30% below state averages due to lower buyer competition. Mountain WV and PA Allegheny cherry commands the highest cherry premiums (40%+ above KY).
JMLogMarket is a free marketplace for loggers, sawmill operators, and landowners to post listings and connect directly with buyers — no commission, no middleman. Active buyers are located across Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, and the broader Appalachian region. Post a listing free →
It depends far more on species and grade than on volume. On current Kentucky-region figures, delivered sawlogs run from about $100–$205/MBF for beech at the low end to $350–$1,475/MBF for black walnut, with veneer-quality walnut reaching $3,125–$8,000/MBF. Standing timber (stumpage) is typically 30–50% below those delivered figures. See the standing timber section above for how to convert.
Divide the $/MBF price by 1,000. A sawlog at $500/MBF is $0.50 per board foot. On current Kentucky-region figures that puts red oak sawlogs around $0.30–$0.56/BF, white oak $0.34–$0.92/BF, and black walnut $0.35–$1.48/BF, with walnut veneer up to $8.00/BF. Note these are log prices — sawn and dried lumber sells for several times more per board foot. Full conversion table in the per-board-foot section.
It is splitting by region and grade rather than moving as one market. Comparing the same Kentucky Division of Forestry survey regions between the Q3+Q4 2025 and Q1+Q2 2026 reports: white oak veneer tops rose to $6,500/MBF in Regions 3 and 4 (from $4,050 and $6,000), while veneer low ends fell — walnut veneer now starts at $3,125–$3,250 (from $3,800–$4,500). Top sawlog prices rose for 7 of 9 species in western Kentucky (Region 1) but split about evenly in central and eastern Kentucky, and stave-bolt and pallet prices changed little where the same regions reported both times. The National Hardwood Lumber Association reported in September 2026 that log costs have held up while lumber prices stayed down, squeezing mill margins and making buyers stricter on grade. Export log shipments have picked back up on renewed Chinese buying and growing trade with Vietnam. The wild card is trade policy: under the Section 232 timber and lumber proclamation, the Commerce Department owed the President an update on hardwood imports by October 1, 2026, to decide whether duties on imported hardwood are warranted.
The underlying figures come from official state and university price reports, each published on its own schedule — the Kentucky Division of Forestry report is twice a year, Ohio State's is twice a year, Penn State's is quarterly. An automated job checks all six sources every week for a new edition, and the figures here are re-verified and republished when one appears. The current figures rest on the KDF Q1+Q2 2026 report (the July 2026 edition, posted in September) and were last verified in September 2026.
They are three different formulas for estimating how many board feet a log contains from its diameter and length. Doyle is the Appalachian standard and the basis for every price on this page; it under-measures small logs relative to the others. Scribner is common in the West and International ¼" is the most accurate of the three. The same log can differ by 30% or more between scales, so always confirm which scale a quote uses before comparing offers. Our free log scale calculator converts between all three.
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Disclaimer: All prices are $/MBF on the Doyle log scale, delivered-to-mill, sourced from the Kentucky Division of Forestry Delivered Log Price Report, Q1+Q2 2026 (July 2026 edition, posted September 2026) and cross-validated with Penn State Extension and WVU Appalachian Hardwood Center data. Where KDF reports too few regions for a species (soft maple, chestnut oak, ash and post oak), sawlog grades keep the prior edition’s figures; species KDF does not survey are Kentucky-region estimates. Stumpage (standing-tree value to the landowner) is typically 30–50% lower because the buyer covers logging + hauling. Figures are survey averages and ranges, not quotes or financial advice. Your actual price depends on log diameter, length, grade, defect, mill demand, and distance to the buyer. KDF updates twice yearly; the next edition (Q3+Q4 2026) is expected in early 2027 — an automated job watches all six sources and this page is re-verified when a new edition appears.
Log Prices by State & Species
Detailed delivered-log price references for top hardwood species across the Appalachian region.
