What Is Black Locust’s Timber Value? (Price Chart)
Black locust has no dependable national timber price: value depends on what you sell and who will buy it. For U.S. planning, rough-sawn lumber may bring about $5–$12 per board foot wholesale or $8–$18 retail; posts and firewood have separate price ranges. Standing trees and sawlogs need local quotes, since harvest costs, log quality, and buyer specifications can change the net return substantially.
Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is valued for its durable heartwood, but that does not guarantee a high price for every tree. Specialty buyers may want straight logs or post stock, while a nearby mill may have no market for the species. The market is local and fragmented, so a price found online may not apply to your wood or location.
I would treat the figures below as screening ranges, not current verified quotes or guaranteed offers. Before cutting, identify a likely buyer and confirm what they accept, how they measure the wood, and who pays for felling and transport.
Black locust timber price chart
This chart gives broad U.S. planning ranges by product form. The figures are not interchangeable: a retail lumber price is not what a landowner receives for a standing tree, and firewood is measured differently from logs or boards.
| Product sold | Indicative planning range | What most affects the price |
|---|---|---|
| Standing trees, or stumpage | Quote required; no reliable national range | Access, sale volume, tree form, harvest cost, and local buyer demand |
| Delivered sawlogs | Quote required; often priced by log scale or MBF | Diameter, usable length, sweep, knots, checks, metal, and mill rules |
| Rough-sawn lumber, wholesale | About $5–$12 per board foot | Dryness, grade, thickness, milling, and regional supply |
| Rough-sawn lumber, retail | About $8–$18 per board foot | The same factors, plus seller and retail market |
| Fence posts or specialty stock | About $5–$25 per piece | Length, diameter, straightness, condition, and local demand |
| Firewood | About $250–$500 per full cord delivered | Region, moisture, split size, delivery, stacking, and season |
A board foot is a volume measure equal to a board 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches long. MBF means 1,000 board feet. A cord is a stacked volume of 128 cubic feet, including the air spaces between pieces; it is not 128 cubic feet of solid wood.
These ranges are useful for deciding what questions to ask, not for setting a sale price. Get at least two local written bids. Ask each buyer to state the unit, scale method, accepted dimensions, loading and hauling terms, and any deductions.
What determines black locust’s value?
Black locust’s value depends on the usable product you can make and the cost of getting it to a buyer. Species reputation matters, but buyers pay for recoverable, saleable material—not simply for a tree being black locust.
The heartwood is notably decay-resistant, which can make suitable material attractive for outdoor uses. The sapwood is less durable. The wood is also dense and hard: published reference values are about 1,700 lbf on the Janka hardness scale, specific gravity around 0.69 at 12% moisture content, and oven-dry density near 44 lb/ft³. Values vary by source and specimen.
Tree and log quality
Straightness, diameter, and defect-free length affect how much usable material a mill can recover. A large tree with a crooked trunk, large knots, cracks, or metal inside may be worth less as a sawlog than a smaller, straighter stem. Buyers set their own minimum dimensions and defect limits.
Before estimating value, measure the trunk and likely usable lengths. Photograph visible defects and ask the buyer which log lengths and diameters they accept. Do not assume a mill will pay for a log just because it can be cut.
Product, processing, and location
Processing changes the product—and the costs. A standing-tree bid may account for felling, hauling, and mill recovery. A lumber price is for boards after sawing and may also reflect drying, grading, and retail handling. A post price applies to pieces that meet a buyer’s size and condition requirements.
Distance matters, too. Dense wood can be heavy to move, and a buyer’s location and loading terms affect what remains after transport costs. Ask for the net amount you would receive, not just a headline price.
How to estimate a sale before cutting
A useful estimate starts with the buyer’s specifications, not with a guess at the tree’s total volume. Confirm the species, product, measurement method, and delivery terms first. Then compare the expected sale revenue with the costs and risks of harvesting and transport.
- Find likely buyers. Contact local sawmills, timber buyers, specialty wood sellers, and firewood businesses. Ask whether they currently accept black locust and what products they want.
- Record the trees. Note the number of stems, approximate diameter, straight usable length, access, and visible defects. Photos help buyers screen the material, but they do not replace an on-site inspection or scale.
- Get written terms. Confirm the scaling method, accepted log lengths and diameters, who cuts and loads, who hauls, and how rejected or downgraded material is handled.
- Compare net offers. Include felling, equipment, loading, hauling, and any other costs you must pay. A higher quoted rate may not mean a higher return if it comes with greater costs or stricter acceptance rules.
A log scale estimates log volume using measurements such as diameter and length. Methods differ, so two buyers may calculate different volumes from the same log. Ask which scale they use and request a scale ticket or written record of measured volume and deductions.
Illustrative selling scenarios
These examples show how the product form changes the valuation question. They are not reports of actual sales or price guarantees; a local buyer’s terms and the wood’s condition decide the real outcome.
| Scenario | What the seller has | How to evaluate it |
|---|---|---|
| Standing trees on a small property | Trees remain uncut | Request a site visit and a stumpage offer. Ask whether the buyer will harvest at that volume and who handles access and cleanup. |
| Straight, usable logs | Logs are cut to a buyer’s lengths | Get a delivered-log quote by scale method. Confirm dimensions, defects, loading, hauling, and deductions before cutting. |
| Boards ready for sale | Rough-sawn lumber | Compare wholesale or retail figures only after accounting for sawing, drying, grading, storage, and unsold stock. |
| Short or irregular pieces | Potential post stock or firewood | Ask buyers about piece dimensions or cord definition. Do not value these pieces at sawlog or lumber rates. |
For example, a seller with a few trees should not multiply an online lumber price by an estimated log volume and call the result stumpage value. That calculation ignores milling recovery, labor, drying, transport, and the buyer’s costs. The right comparison is between actual local offers for the product you can deliver.
Cutting, handling, and storage considerations
Harvesting choices can protect or reduce timber value, but cutting carries serious risk. Black locust is dense, and a damaged log, incorrect length, or unsafe felling can erase the benefit of a good buyer quote. Price and specifications should be settled before the first cut whenever possible.
A chainsaw’s bar, chain, pitch, gauge, drive links, oil, and operating settings must match the saw manufacturer’s directions. There is no universal black-locust setup. A 50–60 cc professional saw with a 16–20 inch bar is a common setup for ordinary bucking, not a blanket recommendation; use only combinations approved for the specific saw.
Before work, check the manual and inspect the chain brake, throttle lockout, chain catcher, fasteners, chain tension, and lubrication. Wear a properly fitted helmet with eye and hearing protection, chainsaw chaps, gloves, and boots. Follow applicable safety rules, and use a trained professional for hazardous felling.
A heavy, leaning stem can split vertically in a barber-chair failure, where the trunk opens before the hinge controls its fall and the butt may rise violently. Do not improvise on a tensioned or hazardous tree. Stop and hire a qualified faller if lean, defects, wind, or nearby targets make the fall uncertain.
After cutting, sort sawlogs, post stock, and firewood separately. Keep logs clean and avoid unnecessary end damage. Store cut wood off the soil with airflow; protect lumber from rain while allowing it to dry. Record dimensions, scale tickets, rejected pieces, and buyer deductions so you can compare the final payment with the offer.
How to get a reliable black locust quote
The most dependable value is a written local bid tied to a defined product and measurement method. Because there is no reliable national black locust price index, online ranges cannot confirm what a buyer will pay near you today.
Send at least two buyers the same information: location, quantity, photos, approximate dimensions, access conditions, and whether the wood is standing, cut, or processed. Ask each buyer to specify the quote’s expiration date, minimum quantity, accepted dimensions, scale, hauling terms, and possible deductions.
Keep the offers in the same units before comparing them. A price per board foot cannot be compared directly with a price per cord or a standing-tree offer. The key takeaway is simple: confirm the buyer and product first, then estimate the net value.
Frequently asked questions
Is black locust valuable timber?
It can be valuable when local buyers want suitable logs, posts, or lumber. Species alone does not set the price; size, straightness, defects, processing, transport, and local demand all matter.
What is black locust worth per board foot?
Broad U.S. planning ranges are about $5–$12 per board foot wholesale and $8–$18 retail for rough-sawn lumber. These are not verified current quotes and do not represent the price for a standing tree.
What is black locust worth as a standing tree?
There is no reliable national stumpage range. Ask local timber buyers for a site-specific quote that states harvest costs, volume measurement, access needs, and payment terms.
How much are black locust fence posts?
A broad planning range is about $5–$25 per piece. Length, diameter, straightness, condition, seasoning, and local demand can move a quote outside that range.
How much is a cord of black locust firewood?
A broad planning range is about $250–$500 per full cord delivered. Confirm whether it is green or dry, split or unsplit, and stacked or dumped.
Does black locust heartwood last outdoors?
Black locust heartwood is notably decay-resistant, while its sapwood is less durable. That does not make every piece suitable for ground contact or structural use; design and inspection still matter.
Should I cut the trees before contacting a sawmill?
No. Ask first about accepted lengths, diameters, defects, and delivery. A log cut to the wrong size may be rejected or downgraded.
How do buyers measure black locust logs?
Many price sawlogs by a log scale or MBF, but methods vary. Ask the buyer to name the scale and provide a written record of measurements and deductions.
Why can two black locust offers differ?
Buyers may use different scales, accept different dimensions, or face different hauling and processing costs. Compare written terms and expected net payment, not just the quoted rate.
Is black locust firewood priced like sawlogs?
No. Firewood is commonly sold by the cord, while sawlogs are measured by a log scale or board-foot volume. Each product has different specifications and costs.
(This article was written by one of our staff writers, Evan Bradley. Visit our Meet the Team page.)
