Source: Kentucky Division of Forestry Q3+Q4 2025 (published January 2026), carried forward to a Q1 2026 basis via the University of Kentucky Q1 2026 update · Doyle scale, delivered-to-mill
Timber Prices & 3-Month Forecasts
Every major hardwood species tracked — current $/MBF by grade, 6-month price history, and forward predictions based on regional market signals.
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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.
Hardwood log prices by species, $/MBF Doyle (delivered to mill) — updated August 2026
Species
Current Price
6-Mo Chart
Trend
3-Mo Prediction
Timber prices by species — detailed breakdown
All grades · current $/MBF + 3-month predictions
Log prices per board foot
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 (Q1 2026 basis) 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 $370–$900/MBF. Standing white oak
of the same grade would therefore be worth roughly $185–$630/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 Q3+Q4 2025 Delivered Log Price Report, White Oak sawlogs trade $370–$900/MBF Doyle delivered-to-mill, with prime #1 logs reaching $1,750/MBF. Stave bolt quality (8+ rings/inch, 15"+ diameter) commands $1,050–$3,600/MBF for bourbon barrel cooperage. Veneer-quality White Oak reaches $2,950–$6,775/MBF.
Per KDF Q3+Q4 2025: Black Walnut sawlogs trade $500–$1,500/MBF Doyle delivered, with prime #1 logs reaching $3,725/MBF. Veneer-quality walnut (18"+ clear, exportable) commands $3,500–$8,775/MBF ($3.50–$8.78/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 $245–$520/MBF Doyle delivered (KDF Q4 2025), with prime #1 logs reaching $720/MBF in central KY. FAS-grade Red Oak lumber runs $680–$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 $255–$410/MBF Doyle in Kentucky (KDF Q4 2025), with prime logs reaching $510–$610/MBF. Note that Pennsylvania Allegheny Plateau cherry commands substantially higher premiums ($800+/MBF) 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 Q4 2025, walnut veneer logs trade $3,500–$8,775/MBF Doyle, with sawlogs $500–$1,500/MBF. White Oak veneer ($2,950–$6,775) and stave bolts ($1,050–$3,600 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 a Kentucky-region Q1 2026 basis, delivered sawlogs run from about $100–$205/MBF for beech at the low end to $500–$1,500/MBF for black walnut, with veneer-quality walnut reaching $3,500–$8,775/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 $0.24–$0.52/BF, white oak $0.37–$0.90/BF, and black walnut $0.50–$1.50/BF, with walnut veneer up to $8.78/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 species rather than moving as one market. White oak and soft maple have been firming, while walnut and poplar have eased somewhat off their highs. Export demand is the swing factor — Chinese buying of American hardwood logs picked back up through mid-2026, with walnut and red oak leading. On the cooperage side, barrel-plant capacity has been trimmed as the bourbon slowdown works through, which matters for stave-grade white oak. Prices across the board remain below the 2021 peaks.
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 seven sources monthly and the page updates within days of a new edition. The current figures rest on the KDF Q3+Q4 2025 report carried forward to a Q1 2026 basis by the University of Kentucky update, and were last verified in August 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 Q3+Q4 2025 Delivered Log Price Report (published January 2026), carried forward to a Q1 2026 basis using the University of Kentucky Q1 2026 delivered-price update, cross-validated with Penn State Extension and WVU Appalachian Hardwood Center quarterly data. Stumpage (standing-tree value to the landowner) is typically 30–50% lower because the buyer covers logging + hauling. Predictions are trend extrapolations only — not financial advice. Your actual price depends on log diameter, length, grade, defect, mill demand, and distance to the buyer. KDF updates twice yearly; the Q1+Q2 2026 edition has not been posted yet (checked August 2026) — an automated job watches all seven sources and this page updates within days of a new release.
Log Prices by State & Species
Detailed delivered-log price references for top hardwood species across the Appalachian region.
