What is fair? An acquaintance has acreage where he is building a large pond. There are a number of red oak, white oak and hickory trees left standing that need gone. I don't know how many, exactly, say, maybe 20 trees. They are all 20" to 25" DBH. I think I read one time where a 22" tree yields one cord of firewood. If that is the case, 20 of his trees would be 20 cords. What percentage share do you think is fair? This guy doesn't do manual labor, he just hires it done, lol. So, I will be required to give him split wood. It would be a win for me if I didn't have to stack it but he might insist on that. Although, his two sons could do it! Anyway, what do you think? I would like to have the trees, it's out in the woods, which I like! And it's accessible. I could even pull a splitter out there, split, and haul. I don't want to see the trees waste. I will cut them with a large stump, as he will have them uprooted, and those root balls will make fish habitat in the 15 acre pond he is having built. I need to move on it, as the pond has started filling. Now, I do get lots of free trees otherwise (two free 34" DBH oaks waiting now from other landowners) but this fellow is not going to do one thing without something in return. Which means I could walk away but he does have some nice hickory I would like to have, lol. Also, bear in mind that he will let it rot before he gives me all of it. And I don't mind giving him SOME. 90/10, 80/20, etc?
Are you getting half the wood or what is he thinking? I very seldom take a job if I have to give up much of the wood.
If you’ve got to cut them up, split them, stack them on your (and his) property... I dunno. I’d walk away from that deal. Sounds to me like you’ll get the short end of the stick no matter how much “free” wood you walk away with.
#1 Start with what you think would be fair to you not him. If the guy can't/won't/doesn't do manual labor then the ball is in your court, not his #2 I wouldn't think of stacking any firewood for the guy. Let him or his sons see what it's like to work so that they'll know the value of it. #3 Never show your hand. If you want something don't be obvious about it or you might be the one getting taken.
This fellow is rich and he does not do manual labor. Kind of a rich playboy type. But he's charming, lol. (I do like him, he's rather entertaining with his stories, I have known him for many years.) Either I give him some wood or there is no deal. I have no problem giving him some of it, the question is what is fair. Of course, he, like some other people, think HE has the upper hand, after all, HE has the wood. But he has no clue that I get free wood from other people because... have you priced a tree service to remove a tree? It costs a lot! Also, I have my own woodlot, but I don't want to cut my trees when I can cut others! Unless I am wanting to thin.
I was once ask to remove a few trees, just 4, for a guy that needed them gone because he knew I burned wood for heating my home. He ask me what I would pay him for the wood! My reply was "Let me see if I have this right. I'm using my saws and felling equipment, my know how, my time, my fuel and my truck to clean up YOUR yard and you want ME to pay YOU?!? No thanks! Call a tree service and see what they will charge you just to fell them! Good luck! I'm not a pro but for me it's all or nothing. For you I can't say. Keep in mind, for a pro service to take them down for him would cost a not so small fortune, so, I'd say 90% -10% in your favor is as fair as it gets. But again, that's me. Make the best deal that makes you happy.
90% for you 10% for him, unless you really want the wood then 80/20. Process on site and haul splits out. No brush clean up or stacking for him either. I had a deal with the landlord on a big oak blowover a few years back. I c/s and got half the wood. His sons friend had the same agreement but he had a hydro. I recently offered to do the same on some oaks he had taken down but his son said no. The only time id do free tree work would be for black locust. Best of luck Bill and let us know how you make out. Pics too! Yup, a 22" DBH tree yields a full cord. Mightve been me as ive posted that numerous times here.
I like the 90/10 idea. I had someone I met who said I can cut down 4 of their fruit trees for smoking wood and asked how much I would pay them. I said usually the homeowner pays to have trees removed. I didnt hear back from them lol.
You say you'll be required to give him some of the wood. Have you had a conversation? Or are you making assumptions. What does he need the wood for? Does he heat his home with wood or is he just a casual burner? What are his alternatives? If he doesn't go with your proposal, he has to hire pros to take care of the trees? Just throwing it out there, maybe you're overestimating his greed. Worse comes to worse, say you'll give him a full cord, split and dumped in his driveway, or whatever. If he doesn't know the % that represents (5% if 20 trees = 20 cords), then ignorance is bliss. If he balks, then go to two full cords....which is 10%. After that I'd pass. Lot of work there.
20 cords is a LOT of wood. What happens if he wants it done in a time frame where you’ve got to work like a madman every day for 2-3 weeks straight, consuming your entire life? All the while he’s sitting back looking like colonel Sanders sipping a mint julep and hollering at you to hustle...
He asked for "3 or 4 cords." I said, "Carl, 3 or 4 cords is a LOT of wood!" Realize... this is Louisiana. Hardly anyone heats their home. He would just use it for his fireplace (occasional ambiance) and he just built a chimney fireplace outside off of his back deck for more occasional ambiance. So, it's like a firepit, lol. That cost, what, $5,000? (I've never seen anything like it, it's literally a chimney by itself with a fireplace in it. Actually, I thought it was horribly designed, it's too far from his back porch, where people will be sitting.) I would guess that he would use, oh, realistically, 1/2 to one cord a year. I saw the place, we toured it today. Nice! 250 acres. No telling what this pond is costing. I am just guessing at 20 trees to take, as he is rather wishy washy, he would say, "Oh, we could take that one down, and that one, and that one." I just guesstimated 20 trees to take based on the look of it all. And me commenting to him, "Carl, those trees are going to die, they are going to be in your pond." And he agreed and said they need to go. But realize, if (when) they die, he doesn't care, because that is more fish habitat. Plus, he does not do ANYthing for nothing. I will add this... the trees are beautiful trees with tall stems and there is ZERO underbrush. It would help me get ahead. I think 90/10 is good, which will mean if it's 20 trees and 20 cords, he gets 2 cords. That's actually a stretch for me to do that, lol, but as long as I can get in there this winter, I guess I'd do that. I just wondered what you guys think, since, you guys have a lot of experience. Bearing in mind, this is all in one spot, easy access, nice to be out there away from it all, Carl's war stories, lol. Another plus is, I could probably stack up the slash right at each tree for fish habitat! No need to haul it off.
Sounds like a lot of work. Any way to have the logs moved out of the way of the pond? Any time frame? I wouldn't kill myself getting it done. If you can fell now, then buck over time, that sounds OK. 90/10 is good.
Yes, it would be at my pace. If the pond fills up fast, too bad on my part, dangit. (Depends on amount of winter rains, which will come soon.) What I am thinking of doing is... take him a face cord or two, then start taking my own wood out from this trees. Then worry about getting some more for him. Regarding the pond. No telling what this cost. They moved a LOT of dirt to build this thing. It's not like the property has a ravine and they dammed it up. It's gently sloping and they built this humongous levee dam on three sides to form the pond/lake. And here's the kicker. THERE IS NO FEEDER STREAM. In my opinion, this is a disaster in the making. Meaning, it will not hold water! I have never seen a pond around here that will hold water all year long with no feeder stream. Carl bragged that "My entire property slopes toward the pond." I'll buy that, and if it holds water all year, I'll salute him, but I've never seen it work out well. We get drought weather here July-October most years and ponds lose a lot. I don't mean that it will dry up, I mean that it will lose a LOT of its surface area and render it ugly and even inaccessible until it fills again with the winter rains. But... Carl is rich. We have rich folks around here do some really dumb things. Including building really dumb ponds. Because dirt movers will not tell you that you are an idiot, they will just build the pond you instruct them to build! (If I were to build a pond, I'd consult a real pond expert!)
20 cord is a TON of work, you will be busting your butt, if he wants a share, I would say a cord or 2.
Do you have access to any equipment to load the logs out and get them to your house/processing area? That way you could get the wood out of the pond area as fast as you can, just in case it actually fills. Process his share there on site...but take as much of what you're taking out as whole as you can and process when you can. No way would I totally process all that wood on site. When I cut wood that isn't on my land and in a spit where it can be split and stacked when cut (which is 99% of the time), I take the wood as whole as I can handle (usually bucked rounds unless I can get the tractor for long lengths) and split at home as I get time here and there.
Do you have any equipment to move the logs? Sounds like you're gonna need a tractor and associated (trailer). Were'nt you just asking for reccomendations for a trailer a short while ago? How much experience do you have felling limbing etc? Just from the everyday firewood proicessing sort of experience? Based on what you have said about "Carl" and more importantly, based on the last few months of type of questions you have put out on here, (no offense intended) I think it is in your best interest to walk away from this one. You already stated that you have a source elsewhere for wood, so....? Look at it from his side......if someone was to come onto my land for that amount of work, I would make sure that they are insured for both their own safety and mine!! Now understand this, leave on good terms. After he has hired it out and realizes that there is a messs of tops/limbs left over, maybe then he'll call you to get rid of those.
Holy cow 20 cords is lot of work. I know as I have 22 cords cut split stacked. Not sure I would do this job if you have access to your own standing timber?
If the trees are straight drops without a lot of rope work and it's 20 relatively straight tall trees it'll be a day's felling, two days bucking & hauling 8' logs assuming you have the equipment. Then if you can buck & split a cord per day that's almost a month's worth of pretty steady work to have a sale able product. $2500.00 to drop & haul, another $1500.00 to $2000.00 to chip the brush if needed. I'd tell him $4500.00 and two cord of good firewood. For the amount you'll spend in time & equipment you could buy a big grapple load of logs & be way ahead. I wouldn't walk, I'd run from this deal.
I'd have to say 2 cords for him(assuming you get the 18), maybe in a big pile or thrown in his trailer but the work stops at the splitter. I cleared a lot for a friend in return for the wood. Got about 6 cords of almost all shagbark hickory. I don't mind helping out a friend or someone I know well.
