Selling Timber in Hardin County, IL
Quick answer
There are 2 timber businesses listed for Hardin County, Illinois: 1 consulting forester and 1 timber buyer, logger or mill. 2 of them have offices in the county. The rest are registered to work here and travel in, and every listing shows how far its office is from the county seat.
Timber prices for Hardin County
No county publishes its own timber prices. These are Illinois's published stumpage prices, what landowners are paid for standing timber, and the best public guide to what timber in Hardin County is bringing. Your own timber can sell above or below them.
| Black walnut sawlogs | $1,300 per thousand board feet |
| White oak sawlogs | $590 per thousand board feet |
| Red oak sawlogs | $230 per thousand board feet |
| Hard maple | $270 per thousand board feet |
| Ash | $210 per thousand board feet |
| Mixed hardwood, woods-run upland | $370 per thousand board feet |
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Winter 2018/19. All Illinois timber prices
Before you talk to anyone, find out what your timber is worth
Most landowners in Hardin County have no idea what their standing timber is worth, which is exactly the position a buyer wants you in. Four questions gets you a ballpark range before the first offer lands.
Consulting Foresters in Hardin County (1)
This forester has an office right here in Hardin County. A forester works for you, not for the buyer.
Gibbons Forestry Services, Inc. is a forestry consulting company based in Elizabethtown, Illinois. They work with landowners to manage their property for better timber, wildlife, looks, and enjoyment, and they say they have 21 years experience in the field. Their work covers timber sales and marketing, forest management plans, forest stand improvement, forestry appraisals, invasive species control, and tree plantation thinning. They mention oak trees specifically, including help with plantations where faster growing volunteer trees can crowd out young oaks. For a timber sale, trees are marked with paint, board footage is worked out by species, and a prospectus goes out as an "Invitation to Bid on Standing Timber" to at least 50 sawmills and timber buyers. After bids open, a contract is drawn up between landowner and buyer, payment is made before any cutting starts, a performance bond is held, and Gibbons oversees the logging to make sure only marked trees come down and cleanup gets done. They describe themselves as working only for the landowner, saying "we only represent landowners and we do not attempt to purchase any timber," which keeps them out of the business of buying what they are valuing. They serve Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky, including Hardin County. This fits a landowner who wants someone to run the whole sale process on their behalf, from marking trees through the bidding to watching the logging, rather than handling the marketing and contract themselves. From gibbonsforestry.com, read 10 October 2026.
Timber Buyers, Loggers & Mills in Hardin County (1)
This buyer is based in Hardin County. Being close matters: hauling is one of the biggest costs taken out of your check.
Murphy's Sawmill is a logging contractor in Elizabethtown, Illinois. It has a Google Maps business listing in that category. A listing here is not an endorsement.
Questions landowners ask
How many timber buyers and foresters serve Hardin County?
2 businesses are listed for Hardin County: 1 consulting forester and 1 buyer, logger or mill. 2 of them have offices in the county.
How much is my timber worth in Hardin County?
Nobody can tell you what your timber is worth without walking it. Value depends on the species, the size and grade of the trees, how thickly they stand, the ground conditions and how easily a logger can reach them. Anyone who quotes you a figure without seeing the land is guessing, and a guess in that direction is rarely in your favour.
What stumpage value means →Do I need a forestry consultant to sell timber in Hardin County?
You do not have to use one. A consulting forester works for you rather than the buyer, marks the timber, runs a sealed-bid sale and typically charges a percentage of the sale. Research from several state extension services has found that timber sold through a consultant often returns enough more to cover the fee, though results vary by tract and by market. The decision usually turns on the size of the sale and whether you have sold timber before.
Do I need a forestry consultant? →What is timber worth in Hardin County?
No price series is published for Hardin County on its own. Illinois's latest published stumpage figures (Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Winter 2018/19) put white oak sawlogs at $590 per thousand board feet. What your own timber brings depends on the species, the size and amount of it, and how far it is from a mill. A timber cruise by a forester settles it.
Forester listings for Hardin County come from the county register, revised 2026-11-04. The register is updated quarterly.