Tonight my neighbor that I’ve worked with on a couple tree jobs offered me a chance to get paid to run my saws. He is bidding a clearing job for the state game and parks commission. Said there’s probably 6 really good sized cottonwoods and a bunch of ash and other hardwoods ( I’m guessing hackberry) with the bigger ones around 18” or so. All I have to do is fell them leaving 3-4ft tall stumps. After they are on the ground I only have to take them apart to manageable sized pieces that he can pack off with a skid steer with a grapple. He thinks it should only take 2 days ( a weekend). I can have any or as much of the wood as I want. The worksite is about 2 hours away from my house. I’m thinking my plan will be to take a pickup loaded with saws and related plunder, a cooler of drinks and some food, a bedroll, a Coleman lantern and stove, coffee pot, and spike camp on site Friday and Saturday night. Also drag my skid steer trailer to bring home some wood. He only has a couple days left to get his bid turned in so I have no chance to go look the situation over in person, I have to trust his assessment of the situation. (We’ve worked together some, and seem to think a lot alike in such matters)! He sprung it on me and needed an answer pretty much right away. So it’s probably just shy of a 250 mile round trip with 4+hours of driving. 2 full days of slinging saws =16 hours or so. I told him $500 a day x 2 = $1000 for the weekend. He didn’t seem to balk at that. I hope he gets the job, I’m already looking forward to a couple nights of a bivouac camp. Haven’t had the chance to do that since I met my wife So what do you think? Did I price it to high?to low?
You will know when the bids come out. Sounds reasonable to me. Sounds like a good deal for some hardwoods of it pans out. Here is a Custom Rate Chart that Iowa State Extension Office put out yearly. This is the 2022 chart.
I don't know about the pricing, but just wanted to say, I hope you get to do it too, a couple solid days of working with your saw, and camping sounds fun.
That’s not too high. After expenses I’d want to have 1,000 in my pocket for the back pain I’d have the following week. Any idea of the size of the area that needs to be cleared?
You may have even priced your self a little on the low side, is it a under the table cash job or does he do a tax forum for it? That being said, if I was offered $1000 for 2 days to clear cut, I wouldn't be able to turn it down. Hope you get the job!
For me personally, $1000 for making that drive and working away my weekend isn't enticing enough. I would probably spend $200 on fuel, bar oil, etc and be away from my family. Not sure how much I would need but I know it would be more.
Sounds like fun, but dunno if id be keen on roughing it after a full day of cutting wood. Im a camper and prefer a tent but like a shower after a dirty day. For whats involved i think you did okay. If it was "close" to home idve quoted less. Kinda scary going site unseen when quoting a job. My brother has done that and it turned into a nightmare scenario. Id rather lose out sight unseen by overquoting, but then again sounds like you (and myself) would do it for free...and "free" wood. How soon will you know if he got the job?
He should know in a couple weeks if he got the bid. Work won’t start till after bird nesting season is done. So probably later this summer or early fall And yeah, If it was only like 30 miles I’d probably do it for free wood. If it happens I may throw in a tent
If he gets the bid, maybe in the meantime, the state or someone else, could video the site, or pictures, and what is expected to be done. Just to have an idea of what you'd be getting into.
Yea… I’d say it was on the low side… I’d want to at least clear $1000… that’s 500 per day …. 16 hours per day that’s $30 per hour… even 12 hours is $40 per hour… but Trip to and from… food and essentials…. I’d be up in at $1750 - 2000 mark.
I’ll probably go get my eyes on it next time I’m down that way. Drive time and fuel needs consideration when pricing something. But out in this part of the world driving is just the nature of the beast, 30/40 miles is nothing. Part of the trade off to have some room to move about and have less humanity to deal with!
I’d have probably added another $500 to that $1,000 for fuel, food and incidentals, so you’d walk away with the $1k. Good luck tho. I hope you get it.
First off I HATE quoting !! 18" trees are pretty easy to fell and buck. A skid steer can move a pretty big chunk of that diameter, so less cutting. Doesn't sound like you have to do any grunt work like moving and loading. Sounds enjoyable actually.
This was my thought. If you just drop and cut into manageable pieces, along with removing whatever you want, sounds like a one day gig, especially if your friend will load your desired pieces with his skid steer. Sounds like fun. Best of luck
