Auuugh! Storm Damage

[Stumper]

I got back in town last night after the storm(been turkey hunting) I expected some damage calls when I shoveled my way into the driveway. Whoo boy! The phone has been ringing all day and I've been running, fixing and bidding all day long. I know some guys love storm work-I hate it. I'm already busy at this time of year-now I have a bunch of people waiting for my help and a bunch of damaged trees to grieve over. I'm a lousy business man-high demand should mean high prices but I can't do it-I feel sorry for people and shoot lower than normal prices for storm clean up.

Hey Butch, have you got a good smiley that is kicking himself?

 

[MasterBlaster]

How bout this one?

 

[xander9727]

Stumper,
A new woodsman 15X with a winch would really cut down the time those storm cleanups take. This would offset your low bidding and increase your profit margin.

 

[okietreedude1]

I feel for ya on that storm damage stuff. We had a 70 mph wind come through here the other nite. Blew down BRAND NEW 70-90 ft. elect. poles. One went into a new constructon house!

Most of our calls were simple this tree down or that for existing customers. We werent doing est's. dont have the time to chase our tail for $75.

Like was touched on on an earlier thread bout B.Pears - Job security! We cleaned up 2 that just got trimmed about a month ago.

 

[Stumper]

So true Xander. There isn't a new Woodsman in my near future but I'm on the hunt for a bigger chipper than my little WoodPro- I wish I had closed a deal LAST week........Oh well.

 

[xander9727]

Who makes the woodpro?

 

[Lumberjack]

Originally posted by Stumper
Hey Butch, have you got a good smiley that is kicking himself?

<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_1_131.gif' border=0></a><a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_1_118.gif' border=0></a>

The best I could do.

 

[Stumper]

Pretty good carl.

Here is a link Xander. http://www.wikco.com/Woodpro.html The Plate on mine says VC Marketing. I have the 20D160 which has been modified by: Adding a subframe with a wider stance, tube axle and suspension(springs), replacing the stepped tongue with a longer , straight tongue, adding a spare tire mount. It is a good little machine butrequires too much trimming of brush in order to get things to feed.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by Stumper
high demand should mean high prices but I can't do it-I feel sorry for people and shoot lower than normal prices for storm clean up.

This is the worst kind of Catch-23 to be in. Whatever you do, don't hire contract climbers who squeeze every nickel they can out of the situation (a small minority of that honorable profession btw)--then you'll get pinched at both ends and wind up really losing.

Was the storm sudden and unusual enough for the tree loss to be an insurable casualty? Sure snow and wind happen in CO; wind happens in NC but by documenting severity as "downburst" or "shear" events we got the ins. co.s to cough up. Then there would be many ways you could help them and yourself at the same time.

Several ASCA folks in CO; why not give one a call, describe the situation, and see if they can steer you to some good tricks, er, methods to use. If not, then I look for other ways to ease the hit on the owner than hurting your biz; free replacement, selling wood, etc. Chipper size is the issue for me too; I'll sub chipping on big jobs or rent a big one for short time.

Good Luck Stumper--remember that if you don't take care of your biz, your biz can't take care of your customers and their trees.:angel: So it's right for them to pay a fair rate. Gouging sucks, but poverty sucks worse.

 

[xander9727]

Stumper,
Looks like your in the market for a 620 vermeer with hydraulic feed. Shoot me an email or a pm if your interested.

 

[Stumper]

Guy, The storm was unusual but not extremely so-this type of event happens every few years but this is the most extreme in the last 20 or so. Wind was not a factor ( or maybe it was via a prior event-we had high winds with limited damage 1 week prior to the snow storm) The trees are in various stages of bloom or emerging leaves and we had a foot of extremely wet clingy snow. The insurance is playing the-damage to home or auto covered/tree loss not, approach to things. I have a bid to make in the morning-2 damaged trees -1 hung the service line and ripped the meter off the house so I'm to bid it seperately for the Ins. The other went away from the house so the Ins. doesn't apply (I'm not saying whether or not it should just following the customers guidelines.)
Numerous trees were totally destroyed but most of the damage is broken branches. Siberian elms , Globe Willows, Hybrid Poplars and Silver Maples are hardest hit in about that order ( Old and /or poorly maintained crabapples really got clobbered too). A few busted Ash and Hackberry branchs and several uprooted Russian Olives around town. It i s interesting to note which trees of the same species did NOT suffer damage(its amazing what LIGHT thinning and SLIGHT tip reduction prevented). I actually made a nodal cut ala Guy Meilleur yesterday. Storm damage forces different choices compared to discretionary pruning.

Tod is right about the 620. I already have a bid in on an Olathe 984. If I get it that will have things covered and I only have to run up to Denver to pick it up. If not then I'll have to figure out when to take 4 days to go to Ohio and back and get the 620 from Tod. I suspect that Tod's 620 is probably a better maintained machine than the Olathe but the Olathe has more horsepower and (most importantly) I already made an offer for it. I'll know Wed. whether or not I'm getting the Olathe or trying to make a deal with Tod (Xander). It would be cool to deal with a fellow ASiter- I 'm not sure what to wish for on the other deal!
Thanks for the positive feed back everyone.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by Stumper
this is the most extreme in the last 20 or so. The insurance is playing the-damage to home or auto covered/tree loss not,
I like to look HARD for shingle scratches, buffs in the car finish, fencestiles off kilter; all "damage to structures" should be noted--get out your magnifying glass!

(its amazing what LIGHT thinning and SLIGHT tip reduction prevented).
Note to Mike Maas--Reduction pruning saves trees!

I actually made a nodal cut ala Guy Meilleur yesterday. Storm damage forces different choices compared to discretionary pruning.
The bandwagon rolls on! A picture in a year or so would be really nifty. Stubs can save trees too!

 

[murphy4trees]

I like to look HARD for shingle scratches, buffs in the car finish, fencestiles off kilter; all "damage to structures" should be noted--get out your magnifying glass!

I ground a 1,475.00 stump in Va. last year... It was down a steep hill, so had to set block and tackle rigging to protect the machine..

Anyhow the customer had his insurance co. pay for that and the removal.... he went over to the garage and showed me where the bark hadscraped along and compressed into the brick... no real damage though... He was connected... on the town council in Williamsburg..

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by murphy4trees
. he went over to the garage and showed me where the bark hadscraped along and compressed into the brick... no real damage though...

Damage is damage, murph--slight is still real. This is exactly the kind of thing arbs need to look for if they want to make an ins bid instead of a pity bid.

That guy didn't get away with something because he was connected but he got his just due because he was smart.

Yo murph, what about 1/4 of the suite? Going, going,...