Timber to clear

[KreadyPalmyra]

Hello all...new to the site...highly recommended by a friend...hoping anyone can provide advice...

My wife and I own 42 acres of land (100% mature timber) in TN. We plan to "clear" approximately 2 acres of land in order to build a log home somewhere in the middle of the parcel. Problem is: we don't have any idea how to go about acquiring a timber company, what questions to ask them in order to ensure we're getting the most for our money, or any of the preliminary steps we need to take to ensure we're preparing the land properly prior to site preparation. Bottom line: we have a beautiful piece of land and know what we want at the end of it all, we just don't have any idea how to begin.

If anyone can offer any advice, we would be very appreciative.

Sincerely,
Eric & Jen

 

[dave1949]

Hello all...new to the site...highly recommended by a friend...hoping anyone can provide advice...

My wife and I own 42 acres of land (100% mature timber) in TN. We plan to "clear" approximately 2 acres of land in order to build a log home somewhere in the middle of the parcel. Problem is: we don't have any idea how to go about acquiring a timber company, what questions to ask them in order to ensure we're getting the most for our money, or any of the preliminary steps we need to take to ensure we're preparing the land properly prior to site preparation. Bottom line: we have a beautiful piece of land and know what we want at the end of it all, we just don't have any idea how to begin.

If anyone can offer any advice, we would be very appreciative.

Sincerely,
Eric & Jen

Welcome Eric&Jen.
It would help if you would share your vision of your goal. Leaving the other 40 acres as is or?
Dave.

 

[Mousefield]

Welcome to the site.
I'm in Canada but this will apply to you.
I would start by contacting several logging companies in your area and tell them what you are after.
What ever you do make sure it is in writing and have some type of map. Could save a lot of who said what afterwards, easy to have misunderstandings. It may be as important to consider (have in writing) what they are doing for you as what they are not doing for you A friend of mine had a logging company come in to selectively log but after they got finished not much was standing, left one heck of a mess. So measure the area you want logged and flag it with tape so they do not go past that point. Also are they digging out stumps and leveling the ground after? What is happening with the logs, are you selling them or for your use? What is going to happen to the branches etc? Will they be piled, burnt or just left on the ground. Lots to think about and I am sure you will get some excellent feed back from nice knowledgeable folks on this site.

 

[atgreene]

Talk to some foresters, talk to the state dept. of forestry, ask to see a list of loggers who have legal action against them by the state. Make sure you go to several other sites they have logged and talk to the property owners.

Bad loggers are a dime a dozen, find one you like and that comes with some recommendations from others.

 

[mkane09]

Howdy, Neighbors! I bought 25 acres about a year and a half ago, heavily timbered in East TN. I wanted to clear 4-5 acres for horse pasture and a home site. Very fortunately, I was put in contact with a man that does excavation. He brought in a big Case trackhoe and highlift. In 4-5 days, they had my 5 acres cleared, logs loaded and delivered to a local hardwood sawmill, land smoothed and planted with ryegrass. I was expecting BIG BUCKS from the two loads of mixed oak, poplar, beech, maple, hickory. I got a whopping $462. Bummer. But, they did a great job clearing my land. Around here, you can't get a timber company to clear less than 5 acres. The cost for my clearing work was $1400 per day, and they worked from sun up to sun down.

Good luck and take lots of pictures!

mkane09

 

[dave1949]

Howdy, Neighbors! I bought 25 acres about a year and a half ago, heavily timbered in East TN. I wanted to clear 4-5 acres for horse pasture and a home site. Very fortunately, I was put in contact with a man that does excavation. He brought in a big Case trackhoe and highlift. In 4-5 days, they had my 5 acres cleared, logs loaded and delivered to a local hardwood sawmill, land smoothed and planted with ryegrass. I was expecting BIG BUCKS from the two loads of mixed oak, poplar, beech, maple, hickory. I got a whopping $462. Bummer. But, they did a great job clearing my land. Around here, you can't get a timber company to clear less than 5 acres. The cost for my clearing work was $1400 per day, and they worked from sun up to sun down.

Good luck and take lots of pictures!

mkane09

I don't know about the lumber prices, lots of variables there. The $1400/per day for big equipment is right in the ballpark for my area.
Dave.

 

[smstonypoint]

I'm unclear as to the timber acreage to be harvested. A selective thinning of the entire tract might be in order to maintain the health of the entire timber stand.

I would consult the local state forest ranger. I don't know about TN, but in NC the state foresters will draw up a forest management plan for you at no charge. Again, I don't know about TN, but in NC you can qualify for lower property tax values for timberland as long as you are following an appropriate forest management plan.*

If you are going to do more than clear a home site, I would definitely hire a consulting forester to handle the sale for you. I think you would probably pay 10% or so in the way of a commission, but the forester would draw up the contract and monitor the logging operation.

Steve

PS. In NC, you have to have 20 or more contiguous acres of woodland to qualify for timber use valuation.

 

[Carl_NH]

Well Eric & Jen,

You have a project ahead, and it sort of sounds like you want to build a log home on your land from the trees harvested - just reading between the lines.

Dont know your timeline - is it this year - next? Size, family, needs? SF 2000' 4000'?

First - spend some time there - walking the land, especially now in the spring, you will see the way the sun sets, the water flows, and get a general "feeling" where you might want to locate a home (not like a house - you can put them anywhere)

Then once you have a home sited, generally positioned with the sun, views, driveway access, septic, water for drinking and other things that could impact construction, look at the trees and how you envision the end product in that place.

Once you have sort of figured out what and where, then engage the destruction team. If you intend to build with materials logged from the land, this will take a bit of time as the logs need to be cut, dried then milled, shaped for your home - thats about 12-18 months.

If you use your logs it will probably take 5-8 acres of select cutting (cutting the best ones to build with) to get the trees you need and then there will be other trees you will want to remove as part of this process. If this is the path you are considering you need to be in sync with the logger and sawmill selection to meet your end goal to use these to build.

On the other hand if you dont want to use your logs then skip the previous two paragraphs and go directly to tree removal once you have determined where you want to plant your home. By the way, the other posters are correct - your wood has nearly $0 value unless you have some large black walnut, cherry or other furniture grade trees (10-16' straight, no rot, 18-20" dia) so as other have said plan on $7-15K to remove the trees and leave you with a cleared driveway and home site.

Building in the middle of 42 Ac would indicate a 4000' driveway or nearly 3/4 mile so that alone is 15' x 4000' or about 2 Ac to clear and driveway prep with stone and base materials to get to the home site, then the site work and stumping of the additonal 2 Ac.

So, figure out where you want your home, then if you are the GC (general contractor) start to enquire locally who might do the site prep work.

Provide some more insight and you will get lots of "help" from the TBN crew on your adventure.

Carl

 

[shane]

As valuable as the information is that the guys here have already provided you might consider spending some time at this sister site www.forestryforum.com.

 

[KreadyPalmyra]

Thank you all very much for the great advice!!

Although I was a bit surprised to hear that beautiful wood is worth virtually ZERO, and that I'm looking at a 15K project (before even laying the first footer), I'm happy to receive such great advice from all of you (and I will begin to do my research and make the contacts you all recommended).

Thanks again! Best wishes!

Sincerely,
Eric & Jen Kready