Getting Paid for Lumber?

Many people want to have someone pay them to remove trees from their property. There are many problems they face:

*Tree removal companies are not interested paying the owner in small jobs, such as a few acres of trees, as their costs in insurance, machinery and workers is high.
*Some companies may be interested in a larger project if they do not pay the owner, however, you might find that the company then sell to lumber companies.
*Insurance liabilities on both sides can be very high as the tree removal companies must carry high insurance costs for injury to workers and property and the owner may face injury and damage costs.

*Tree removal companies are required to carry insurance and bond for their company and workers but this does not mean the owner does not need coverage for the property and possible injuries etc.
*Depending on the area or state of the property, the owner may face permit requirements, historic and other limitations in removing trees from a property.
*Owners may find they need an attorney to address the issues and prepare a contract.

So, an answer to your question is not simple. You may find a possibility by putting an ad on Craigslist but you still face all the issues above.

A caveat here-be careful not to provide the property address or even general location to any company or person you might find from Craigslist, etc., before signing a contract. You may find that someone has removed the trees from your property without your knowledge.

I would approach a Forestry professional either thru a Forestry or Arborist association to get a value on the timber, and then approach a logging firm, or have the professional act as a go-between.

As already noted, the costs for felling and removing trees is high, and standing timber has to have a lot of value to make it worthwhile. There are people with portable sawmills that can cut your logs into lumber, they usually charge by the day, and the number of cuts made.

Tree services can cut the trees, and may remove the logs - but they charge for the work done. And it is not cheap, and they won't do it for free. Loggers can take down the trees, and remove the logs, but all the branches and "waste wood" is left behind.

The stumps are usually ground out by a separate contractor that specializes in this kind of work; even if you use a bulldozer to remove the stumps, this would be a separate contractor, and removal of the stumps from the site would be an added cost,.

I would NOT post an ad on Craigslist. While you might be supremely lucky and get a competent contractor the likelihood of this is very, very low. You want a company that is insured, knows what they are doing, is willing to sign a contract with you - so you and they are protected.

Getting the job done for free sounds like a great idea. But such a job would take weeks or months to complete, and what is the contractor doing for money, and paying his help and bills during this time? If he/she has to cut corners, a lawsuit against you for injuries will likely be the end result of going cheap.

Hire someone, and get the job done right. If you don't know anything about it, DONT do the job yourself. Felling trees is very, very dangerous.