Selling Timber in Sanders County, MT
Quick answer
There are 5 timber businesses listed for Sanders County, Montana: 1 consulting forester and 4 timber buyers, loggers and mills. 5 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 Sanders County
No county publishes its own timber prices. These are Montana's published stumpage prices, what landowners are paid for standing timber, and the best public guide to what timber in Sanders County is bringing. Your own timber can sell above or below them.
| Sawlogs, winning bids on state timber sales | $4.11–$49.59 per ton |
| Sawlogs, appraised minimum bid | $4–$16.72 per ton |
Source: Montana DNRC timber sale bid results, FY2027 sales. All Montana timber prices
Before you talk to anyone, find out what your timber is worth
Most landowners in Sanders 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 Sanders County (1)
This forester has an office right here in Sanders County. A forester works for you, not for the buyer.
Thompson River Lumber is a sawmill and timber buyer in Thompson Falls, Montana, up in the northwestern part of the state. It was founded in 1993 by Roger Claridge as a family business, and it's still run that way today, with Dan Claridge handling the day to day work at the mill. If you've got timber to sell, this is a place that buys harvested logs straight from landowners. They say they pay a "fair and reasonable price," and they take timber ranging from 42 inches down to 5.6 inches on the top end, across five different species. When you sell to them, you work from a Log Purchase Agreement, and specific cutting instructions come as part of that timber contract package, so you know what's expected before any logging starts. They also do their own log receiving, loading, and shipping, moving lumber out by rail on BNSF and by truck. Beyond private landowners, Thompson River Lumber also partners with the Montana Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs on harvesting work tied to forest health. They have foresters on staff to talk through a sale or answer questions about where to go next with your timber. This looks like a fit for someone in or near northwestern Montana who already has timber cut, or close to it, and wants a straightforward buyer and mill rather than someone to walk a small, uncut tract from the ground up. From thompsonriverlumber.com, read 4 October 2026.
Timber Buyers, Loggers & Mills in Sanders County (4)
These 4 are based in Sanders County. Being close matters: hauling is one of the biggest costs taken out of your check.
Cole Logging is a logging contractor in Plains, Montana. It has a Google Maps business listing in that category. A listing here is not an endorsement.
Nick Marich Logging is a logging contractor in Heron, Montana. It has a Google Maps business listing in that category. A listing here is not an endorsement.
R & D Forest Products Inc is a mill in Noxon, Montana. It has a Google Maps business listing in that category. A listing here is not an endorsement.
Rummel's Timber & Logging Inc is a logging contractor in Plains, Montana. 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 Sanders County?
5 businesses are listed for Sanders County: 1 consulting forester and 4 buyers, loggers and mills. 5 of them have offices in the county.
How much is my timber worth in Sanders 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 Sanders 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 Sanders County?
No price series is published for Sanders County on its own. Montana's latest published stumpage figures (Montana DNRC timber sale bid results, FY2027 sales) put sawlogs, winning bids on state timber sales at $4.11–$49.59 per ton. 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 Sanders County come from the county register, revised 2026-11-04. The register is updated quarterly.