Selling Single Maple?

[Brody Goodwine]

My father-in-law is planning to make a garage expansion and needs to remove a large Maple to do so. He has received removal quotes around $1300, but I was curious if there are any options for selling the tree or getting it removed free for the lumber?

The tree is nearly 3' diameter at 4.5' up, but it's first main branches are only 20' or so up. I'd say the tree is 80' tall. Access is good, but things may need pulled straight through a barn that is open on both ends to reach a truck. I'm not sure exactly what species of Maple it is, but can find out if it makes a big difference. I understand most people prefer buying larger groves of trees, but do you have an idea how I could help him get the tree removed free or much cheaper? I'd like to help family and hate to see such a tree go to waste. For some reason he wants to keep the brush, so it wouldn't need chipped.

[David Helm]

Try to find a good local independent arborist to take the tree down; then find someone local who has a portable sawmill. The arborist should come fairly reasonably and the portable sawmill person may cut it up for the lumber, or a small fee. That $1300 figure seems inordinately high to me.

[Anthony Whitesell]

$1300 seems REALLY high. Is there anything it can hit if the wind blew it over? ie., anything to hit if it falls the wrong way? I paid $200 each for 5 pines with a total of 8 leaders to be climb-cut. If there's nothing to hit and no one needs to climb it, then it should be more like $130. Only because you're going to need more than the average chainsaw to through it, especially for the back cut.

[Brody Goodwine]

Yeah, it could take down the garage and a nearby fence and another keeper tree, so I'm thinking it needs climbed. It's pretty broad.

I was hoping for a one-stop shop who might be interested in the lumber? I figure if anyone climbs it just to remove it we're talking $800, then if the sawyer wants another 200-300 we're back in the $1000 range, which I presume I could find just by getting a few more estimates than he did. And odds are at that point the stump will still be there since the arborist will have left.

I guess it comes down to how desirable Maple lumber is/isn't. I'm sure someone would take down a Black Walnut/Cherry with no complaint at all, but what about Maple/Oak/Hickory/Ash etc?

[Danny Hamsley]

I have a sawmill, and yard trees generally have no value. First thing, they are full of metal 99.9% of the time. Second, they are generally more open grown and poor quality. Third, they are usually hanging over a building and you can't get to them without a strategic plan and a hot air balloon.

You out of luck for getting anyone to pay you any money for what is a $1000 liability. Your best bet is to have it removed and maybe take it to a local sawyer and have it sawn above the point that human hands can reach and hammer in most metal. Then you could dry it and have some project wood.

[Greg Portland]

I have a sawmill, and yard trees generally have no value. First thing, they are full of metal 99.9% of the time. Second, they are generally more open grown and poor quality. Third, they are usually hanging over a building and you can't get to them without a strategic plan and a hot air balloon.

You out of luck for getting anyone to pay you any money for what is a $1000 liability. Your best bet is to have it removed and maybe take it to a local sawyer and have it sawn above the point that human hands can reach and hammer in most metal. Then you could dry it and have some project wood.

+1. I would suggest hiring a guy to fall & limb the tree. Then post "free firewood, bring chainsaw" on Craigslist. If the tree is nowhere near a building then you could let a non-pro fall the tree.

[Jeff Bartley]

I can't speak for how much it would cost to have it removed but I will add that my Dad took down a maple and took the trunk to a small mill....after a few years of air drying he gave me all the lumber....then a few years after that I built my bench with the lumber. And I still have a good bit of it left that I've reserved for family projects.
If you can mill it you won't regret it! Jeff

[Jim Andrew]

If it were close to me, I'd risk trying to saw it. Would go over it carefully with a metal detector. Not all town trees are full of metal, but good chance it has had a tree house built in it. No way I'd try to take it down where it could fall the wrong way and take out a building. Even if it is soft maple, it would at least make nice drawer sides. Probably enough to last the rest of your life. Your high priced bid probably included hauling off the tree, probably several trips to the dump, dump fees etc.

[lawrence dosson]

any chance you or a family member would be able to cut it with a hi lift or crane rental
i did this very thing last sumer i had a large soft maple tree in the way of a shed remodel .
i hired a boom truck with a bucket and cut the tree into managible pieces as it was taken down .
we needed all of his 90 foot reach
the truck i hired had room for two in the bucket one cut and one tossed the branches down safely.
we took it down to about 20 feet then the boom truck just held it and we sawed it off he lowered it to were we asked
total cost 200 bucks and the boom truck had its own operator less than two hours work

[Charles McElroy]

No connection, but this fellow seems like a fair man. I know that he does what you need as I've talked to him via email. Good luck.
http://bonesteelmillandmolding.com/

[Brody Goodwine]

Still curious if anyone can answer above, where I noted surely someone would take down a Black Walnut/Cherry with no complaint at all, but what about Maple/Oak/Hickory/Ash etc? I'm sure it varies by region/demand/tree, but in a general sense I'd like to know. We have a lot of forest in the family and it might help me advise family when to hire a sawmill vs just making firewood.

Danny, it's not "yard tree" shaped as it has other trees nearby. Obviously 99.9% is an exaggeration for metal. It is near enough a building that would need to be taken into consideration.

I like the ideas of trying to get a bucket in on the cheap, but I don't feel I could do it safely. Almost all of my chainsaw time involves downed trees. Still, if I could get it trimmed up for $500 and boards made for another $200-300 it would be a better outcome both in terms of money and not wasting lumber.