# How much per hour would you charge to split wood??



## deeker (Sep 27, 2009)

Just wondering if many people hire out for splitting the customers firewood.

Kevin


----------



## aandabooks (Sep 27, 2009)

Using my own equipment-$40 per hour.
Using the customers equipment-$25 per hour.

I have never done it nor have I hired anyone to split my wood. But those would probably be my rates.


----------



## forestryworks (Sep 27, 2009)

i hand split once for a guy in the summer.

did it for $20/hr. course, he was a banker...


----------



## flotek (Sep 27, 2009)

atleast 20 per hour


----------



## dnf0929 (Sep 27, 2009)

$35/hr


----------



## spike60 (Sep 27, 2009)

I need to show this thread to my buddy who I was helping split yesterday.

If you brought your own splitter, I would say that $50 an hour for man and machine is what you need to get. I hand split some of my own wood, but I wouldn't do it that way for anyone else. 

Like a lot of seemingly simple questions, this is one that gets less simple the more you think about it. How much wood is there to split? How big are the blocks? What kind of wood is it? Straight grained or lots of knots? How small do they want it? 

The customer will look at it a little different. Not so much how many hours as much as what will it cost them to get the whole pile split up. If they already have some cost in the wood, that will be factored in. 

Sometimes, "by the hour" makes things too complicated with too many "what if's?". Often it's better for both parties to agree on a price for the job itself. You know what you're getting and they know what they are paying.


----------



## Ductape (Sep 27, 2009)

I've been seeing ads on Craigslist around here for people traveling to your wood with their equipment, and cutting and splitting for $25 / HR. Seems cheap with equipment involved, but there are an awful lot of unemployed folks around these days.


----------



## tomtrees58 (Sep 27, 2009)

deeker we get$ 100.00 pr hrs tom trees


----------



## Modifiedmark (Sep 27, 2009)

I would charge about $500 per hour.


----------



## jburlingham (Sep 27, 2009)

I would do it for:

$30/hour- with my splitter
$60/hour- By hand
$20/hour- My splitter and you buy the beer


----------



## chucker (Sep 27, 2009)

50.00 per cord (4x4x8) or equal pile of lose blocks,chucks what have you.split not stacked!! thats extra or 35.00 per...... time is of no issue easier on the back as well as the machine not to have to be in a hurry!! last job was 51/2 cords of oak and maple for 7.5 hrs and 375.00 trading stamps.........


----------



## Dalmatian90 (Sep 27, 2009)

Three folks I see advertising on the Craigslists that I usually peruse.

Two are $35/hour machine+operator, 2-1/2 hour minimum. One of them has a Timberwolf and requires one and strongly suggests you have two good, healthy strongbacks to bring and take away wood to maximize his productivity.

Third guy is like $20/hour, but he'll do all the wood handling from the pile to stacking.


----------



## Steve NW WI (Sep 27, 2009)

I think by the hour is the only fair way to do it. That eliminates the variables of block size, desired split size, knots, etc.

I have not done this, but I'd probably fire up the tractor and splitter for about $40/hr, plus mileage. Mileage charges would be exorbinant after about 5 miles, though as it's either take a scenic tour on the tractor, or find someone to haul it. Helper required to be provided on all blocks over 20", or I will bring one for $15/hr.


----------



## Straightgrain (Sep 27, 2009)

Free for one of my neighbors (best in the world)
$65/hr for me to run any of my gas powered equipment. Clock starts when I leave my shop.

Needless to say; not many calls...breaks my heart.


----------



## LAH (Sep 27, 2009)

My machine.......local........... 40 per hour.


----------



## BlueRidgeMark (Sep 27, 2009)

tomtrees58 said:


> deeker we get$ 100.00 pr hrs tom trees





Finally someone talking sense. The rest of you guys are selling yourselves way short.


----------



## Straightgrain (Sep 27, 2009)

> exorbinant



Your invitation to have a beer at the whitehouse with the president is in the mail for using that word mister......:greenchainsaw:


----------



## larman (Sep 27, 2009)

i did it once charged 1/2 load for a load they where happy with 3 loads and i got 2 loads they hald all i did was run the lever worked out good for both of us


----------



## tatra805 (Sep 28, 2009)

i am very surprised with the numbers i see....

yes i do agree that a 100$ / hour is acceptable looking at labour and investment write-off but...

What are you guys paying for your wood?? or what volume are you processing in an hour?

Splitting only i am at 2.5m3 per hour, but those are 1 meter pieces, so you have to count the cutting hours which gave us 1.25 m3 cut and split per hour

Non split wood costs 30 euro/m3
Split wood costs 45 euro/m3

At a rate of 100$ per hour the split wood would cost the owner 30 + 80 (splitting/cutting) = 110 euro/m3


Opposite i would have to process (100/ (45-30))= 6.7 m3 per hour to be at the same price as the stacked on pallets, no dirt own time or stacking necessary ready delivered wood.


If i look at this it seems clear to me why a wood processor is the only commercial way to make sense (in competing the home and side-job offers)

:monkey:


----------



## tomtrees58 (Sep 28, 2009)

here on L I wood go s a full cord del & dumped is $200 to$ 280 now tom trees


----------



## Dalmatian90 (Sep 28, 2009)

1 Cord = 3.625 cubic meter


----------



## dean06919 (Sep 28, 2009)

The amount I charged would be dependent upon the costs associated with the project (gas, food, etc.), the local supply of labor (competition) and my demand for money. I don't prescribe to notion of rigid wages, they should rise and fall according to supply/demand just like prices. 

Given MI current unemployment rate, it would probably be between $8.00-$15.00 + expenses if I had time to do it. Since I don't, $100 hr, that way if someone does want to hire me, I won't suffer from opportunity cost.


----------



## sawinredneck (Sep 29, 2009)

$30 a face, myself and another can do three face an hour on average. The faster we work, the more we make, if we want to move slow that day we don't rip anybody off.


----------



## Patrick62 (Sep 29, 2009)

*Bucks*

It is just work. I would do it for the "going rate" with my current operation I figure that if I am moving wood, then I should be making $12 an hour.
Then I might figure the splitter in for a few bucks...

Make it $20 an hour, and I might even buy the gas... :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## ropensaddle (Sep 29, 2009)

I would do it for 100 per hour supply fuel and tw6 and a helper you would be better maximized by helping too.


----------



## tomtrees58 (Sep 29, 2009)

man a bunch of guys work for nothing the spanish here get more then you like i posted before $100.00 pr hrs tom trees


----------



## southsoundtree (Sep 29, 2009)

tomtrees58 said:


> man a bunch of guys work for nothing the spanish here get more then you like i posted before $100.00 pr hrs tom trees



TomTrees,

Is that $100/ hour for one man and one splitter?

What is your rate per hour for a climber, as comparison?


----------



## jburlingham (Sep 29, 2009)

Dalmatian90 said:


> 1 Cord = 3.625 cubic meter



Or 128 cubic feet for those of us that don't believe in the metric system


----------



## avalancher (Sep 29, 2009)

I dont charge by the hour, rather by the rick.I split and stack wood for folks for 30 bucks a rick and do pretty good at this rate.

Since firewood goes for 55 a rick around here stacked they save a few bucks having me split their own wood, and I average two ricks split and stacked an hour.Pretty good pay as far as I am concerned.If the wood is straight grain, like red oak or something, then I do real well.Last winter I had a job for an elderly guy that went berserk when he realized that I was making almost 90 bucks an hour, the wood was nice 20 inch red oak and the 4 way head was really cranking out the firewood.


----------



## Dalmatian90 (Sep 29, 2009)

> man a bunch of guys work for nothing the spanish here get more then you like i posted before $100.00 pr hrs



Also have to figure the difference between under-the-table and running a business.

If you take the $35/hour I see folks advertising on Craigslist around here, if you had to add in 40% to cover payroll/self-employment taxes, plus worker's comp in case you hurt yourself, plus liability in case you cut off the homeowner's hand, wouldn't be surprised if it's a taxable service in Connecticut so that's another 6%, etc, etc I wouldn't blink at it running $70-75.

Maybe I was too young, but I don't remember in the 90s thinking very often, "Gee, that's what it paid in the 80s..." I see a lot of jobs posted today that I shake my head at because they're trying to pay what would've been a fair wage in '97. That's not just this recession talking, it's something long term causing us to undervalue ourselves.


----------



## tomtrees58 (Sep 29, 2009)

:agree2:yes workers comp is $85 on a hundred pay role thats just that tom trees


----------



## Coldfront (Sep 29, 2009)

I have noticed a few people around here renting there gas powered hyd. splitter for $100 per day. I guess if you you rent it about 12-14 times you have a free splitter.


----------



## Straightgrain (Sep 29, 2009)

avalancher said:


> I dont charge by the hour



Experience pays


----------



## Dalmatian90 (Sep 29, 2009)

> yes workers comp is $85 on a hundred pay role thats just that



Yeeeoouch! I knew it was high for the industry, I didn't realize it got to those levels.

When are the premiums paid? Do you have to pre-pay a month or a quarter?


----------



## tomtrees58 (Sep 29, 2009)

Dalmatian90 said:


> Yeoouch! I knew it was high for the industry, I didn't realize it got to those levels.
> 
> When are the premiums paid? Do you have to prepay a month or a quarter?



yes we pay monthly and get audited 1 a year tom trees


----------



## newb (Sep 29, 2009)

I charge $85.00 per hour for on site wood splitting. 1 hour minimum. Includes Splitter, saw, and 2 men. Pete


----------



## blackdogon57 (Sep 29, 2009)

Just curious - How much wood can 2 guys split per hour ?


----------



## chucker (Sep 29, 2009)

without busting your gears, 2 guys can split 1 cord per hour if not to far from the splitter....... thats with a duerr 20 toner and 27" max length easy work and no sweat just long hours hey !! lol


----------



## aandabooks (Sep 29, 2009)

tomtrees58 said:


> yes we pay monthly and get audited 1 a year tom trees



So what do you clear out of the $100 per hour that you would charge?


----------



## tomtrees58 (Sep 29, 2009)

andabooks said:


> So what do you clear out of the $100 per hour that you would charge?



o> we do it for are good customers tom trees


----------



## wampum (Sep 29, 2009)

Its kind of like Spring Mushrooms. I would share what I pick with friends,but would not sell them. The same with splitting wood,I would help a friend,but would not do it for hire. I am too old to go out competing against you younger bucks. And the pain I would get the next day,would be soothed knowing I helped a friend. But in my case,I am on pension,and do o-kay. If I did not have my pension,I would get what I could and be sore every day. Probably with my splitter 50 to 75 an hour. Just my splitter(with out me) would be 100 deposit and 50 an hour.


----------



## tomtrees58 (Sep 29, 2009)

i man can do a cord and hr with are splitter tom trees


----------



## Spotted Owl (Sep 30, 2009)

Me splitting for someone else, not a snowballs chance in a blast furnace. I plenty of my own to deal with. 

Now my boy starts at $55 per cord and goes up from there, 2 cord minimum. Depending on how far he has to be from the wood, green or dry, species, stacking, client help or lack of, size of rounds, among other things. All figured and signed by both parties before he gets started with a triple pay clause if they try and stiff him(hasn't happened yet). They will get two chances to pay, the day of service then 7 days later, next will be small claims court. All explained before hand. Depending on the size of the round that kid can crank out some wood. He pays his friend when he helps $20 per cord and above depending, then things really get to flying around. On a really fast day they can split and stack just under a cord and a half an hour. 



Owl


----------

