Tree Value Calculator
Get a ballpark value for standing timber. Enter the log's average small-end diameter in inches, merchantable length in feet, your local stumpage price in dollars per thousand board feet (MBF), and the number of trees — under the Doyle, Scribner, or International 1/4-inch log rule.
Example: with Small-end diameter, inside bark (in) 16 · Merchantable length (ft) 32 · Log rule Doyle (common in the South/Midwest) · Stumpage price ($ per MBF) 500 · Number of similar trees 1 → Estimated stumpage value: $144 total.
- Board feet288 board feet
- In MBF0.29 MBF at $500/MBF
- Per tree$144 and 288 bf per tree
Computed by the calculator below using its default values. Change any input to see your own numbers.
Doyle: bf = ((D − 4)/4)² × length. Scribner (16 ft log): 0.79D² − 2D − 4. International 1/4 in (16 ft): 0.796D² − 1.375D − 1.23. Value = bf ÷ 1,000 × price per MBF.
How standing timber gets priced
Timber sells by volume — board feet, quoted per thousand (MBF) — times a stumpage price, which is what a buyer pays for trees still standing. Volume comes from a log rule: a formula that predicts how much lumber a log of a given diameter and length will yield after saw kerf and slabs. The three rules in this tool are the ones US mills actually quote in.
They disagree on purpose. Doyle, the most common in the South and Midwest, penalizes small logs heavily (a 16 in x 16 ft log scales 144 bf Doyle versus about 181 International). International 1/4-inch is the most accurate to real yield; Scribner falls between. Always ask which rule a buyer's price assumes — the same price per MBF is not the same money under different rules.
What moves the price
Species dominates: black walnut and white oak veneer logs can bring several times what red oak saw logs do, and pallet-grade material a tenth of that. Then grade (knots, sweep, defect), access, distance to mills, and lot size all shift bids. State extension services publish quarterly stumpage price reports — pull your state's latest report for the price input rather than guessing. And for a real sale, a consulting forester typically raises the seller's net even after their fee.
How it’s calculated
Doyle: bf = ((D − 4)/4)² × L, with D = small-end diameter inside bark (in), L = merchantable length (ft). Scribner: bf = (0.79D² − 2D − 4) per 16 ft log, scaled by L/16. International 1/4 in: bf = (0.796D² − 1.375D − 1.23) per 16 ft, scaled by L/16. Value = board feet ÷ 1,000 × stumpage $/MBF × tree count.
Treats the stem as uniform 16 ft logs at your average small-end diameter and ignores grade, defect, and taper — a cruise by a consulting forester is the only number to sell on.
Typical hardwood stumpage ranges ($/MBF)
| Species | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Black walnut (quality sawlogs/veneer) | $1,000 - $3,000+ |
| White oak | $500 - $1,200 |
| Red oak | $300 - $700 |
| Hard maple | $400 - $900 |
| Pine / mixed softwood | $150 - $350 |
Representative ranges from recent state extension stumpage reports (e.g., Penn State, Purdue); prices swing widely by region, grade, and market — use your state's current report.
Common mistakes
- Measuring diameter at chest height (DBH) and calling it small-end diameter — the top of the last merchantable log is several inches smaller, and the rules want inside-bark small end.
- Comparing prices across log rules: $500/MBF Doyle and $500/MBF International are different offers on the same tree.
- Valuing yard trees as timber. Open-grown yard trees usually have metal, wide limbs, and no mill access; many buyers will not touch them at any price.
- Using a national average price — stumpage is intensely local; a mill 30 miles closer can double the bid.
Frequently asked questions
What formula estimates a tree's timber value?
Board feet from a log rule, times price. Doyle — the most common rule — is bf = ((D − 4)/4)² × log length, where D is small-end diameter inside bark in inches. Divide by 1,000 and multiply by the stumpage price per MBF.
Why do Doyle and International give different volumes?
Doyle's simple formula over-deducts for slabs on small logs, so it understates them badly (and roughly matches reality only around 26-30 in). International 1/4 in models saw kerf and taper more carefully and tracks actual mill yield best.
What is stumpage versus delivered price?
Stumpage is the price for standing trees — the buyer logs and hauls them. Delivered (mill) price is for logs on the mill yard and runs much higher because it includes logging and trucking. Sellers of standing timber should compare stumpage quotes.
Is my big backyard tree worth a lot of money?
Usually not as timber — yard trees often hide nails and fence wire, have low-grade form, and are expensive to remove safely, so many mills refuse them. Exceptional walnut or veneer oak is the rare exception; get a forester's opinion before anyone with a chainsaw quotes you.
How do I get a real number before selling?
Hire a consulting forester for a cruise and a sealed-bid sale. Studies by state extension services consistently find professionally marketed sales net sellers more, even after the forester's commission.