Selling logs(small scale)

[Whitetail farms]

Hi,I have a few good size oak trees I want to cut down on my property and haul to the mill on my trailer a couple at a time,I was just wondering if there any paper work or anything I need to go through to sell the logs to a mill,what about taxes,im in New York State and just wondering what the procedure is...or do I just drive up on the scale,get the logs unloaded and get my money then go get some more?,thanks  for your help....nick

[WDH]

At least in the South, you need a contract and you have to have Insurance. 

[beenthere]

Check out WDH's advice.

For sure have a chat with the mill or mills you have in mind. They may (or may not) welcome you to bring some of your logs in just to help you out. But a friendly talk with what you have in mind would be one of the first steps.
Another thought, if you see any log trucks going by your place, ask them if they'd take your logs along. But know your log scale and the value first, so they don't pull the wool over your eyes. ;)

[thecfarm]

Here in Maine,on my own land,I don't need insuance. But I do think you need to fill out an intent to havest form,well in Maine I have too. A call to your state foresty Dept will clear that up. I also have to keep track of any wood I sell and fill out a form and mail it in to the foresty dept at the end of each year. Here in Maine it's a very simple form. Taxes wil have to be paid too. A CPA is well worth the money. I did not need a contract 10 years ago at the sawmill for logs,BUT times have changed and than some. The sawmill maybe on quotas now,meaning each logger can only bring in so much wood. Check with them first. Some place don't want to fool around with a few logs,but you never know. Here we have to have tickets for wood being hauled anywheres by another party. If you hauled yourself,I don't thnk you need that step. But the state will know. I have said many times and asked do you know how to buck your logs for money? There is a lot to it.

[Whitetail farms]

im good friends with a forestry consultant so ill go talk to him and see what he thinks but i was just gonna ask the mill what size they would like them bucked to but 12 ft and how many inches they want is the biggest i can haul on my trailer

[g_man]

Go to the mill and get there spec list. Talk to them. Tell them what you want to do and see if they are interested. Some welcome little guys with small loads some don't. Don't bring them backyard trees unless they OK it first. If you need the mill to unload your trailer make sure you discuss it with them up front.

I cut on my own land in VT and truck about 500 bf per load in my own truck to a mill or local log yard. No special permit or insurance. Both the log yard and the mill pay once a week. A pay check and a log scaling slip for each load is ready on Friday for what ever I brought that week. At the end of the year I get a 1099R form from them for income taxes. So they will need your SS number or other tax ID.

[Whitetail farms]

okay thanks ill go talk to them its really a pretty small mill that only does hardwood but i know a few other guys that mill there own lumber with a portable sawmill that i could talk to i just feel like i wouldnt get the real value of the log by bringing it to a reall small guy,thanks for your help guys

[beenthere]

For sure, don't count out the small guy. They are on the other end of the stick, and often are looking for certain quality logs but can't get the attention from the larger suppliers (i.e. loggers) to stop by and drop off just a few good quality logs.
So you may be just the right supplier for them. Know what you have and about what you would be happy getting for your logs. Only the seller and the buyer need to be happy with the price. Real value might not enter into the equation, and may not be something that you can nail down either.
Stop and ask them what they need and what they will pay, and see if you can select those logs from your forest. Could be a match made in heaven, so to speak.

[Ianab]

A reliable source of logs is a problem for most small scale sawmill operations.
A reliable market for logs is a problem for most small scale logging operations.

See the common link here?

Finding the right contacts is the mission, might take a few calls etc. Also, you don't need to sell everything to one place. Different mills will be concentrating on different types of logs depending on what they are producing. I guess the main thing though is to be reliable with what you can supply.

Ian