Contract climbing

[beastmaster]

With the economy being what it is here in So. Calif. and lots of company's working only part time I was thinking the time might be right to be a contract climber. I could stay busy and the owners could cut down on full time personal. I bounce around a lot anyway and have a good rep locally. Other then a contractors lic. what would I need? Would I have to carry my own liability ins.? I have my own saws and gear. Could I get my own jobs and contract out everything but the tree work? I just had this idea and haven't thought it through to much. Any feed back would would help. Pros and cons. Thanks

 

[TimberMcPherson]

I did alot of contract climbing for a while back, and still get called in by other companies on occation. I generally really enjoyed it.

Its good as long as the works there but it can get really quiet and you might need something to fall back on. And dont forget you often only get called for the ugliest, hardest, most dangerous jobs that come to hand.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I carry my own liability, many companies need you to have a w/c policy. I have a tax ID number and am an LLC. You need to keep your records tighter then when you were an employee.

The self employment tax is an eye opener; you will find that without witholding you owe two to three times what you paid out in the past. When we got married I bumped up a tax bracket and ended up owing 8k the first full year we were together. Forming a C-corp. and paying your self as an employee can help with this.

I would call around to companies that you have a relationship with and ask if they would use you for 2-4 days per month. Quite often it is hard getting a foot in the door, many small companies have never seen a really top end climber, and cannot understand the productivity difference.

Some of my clients are great and cannot do enough for me, they always say the job went faster then bid, so I get a bonus hour or so. Others it is always an argument on pay when the day is done. Some are willing to pay me to help cleanup, to round the day out, others rush to help me pack so they can get me off the clock.

You never get OT and often do not put in full weeks. Jobs can fall through at the last minute leaving you stuck for work. Up untill this spring it has not been a problem for me, but lately I've been having a problem getting three days a week in.

The simple math is at if you bill out at $30/hr, then 3.66 hrs puts you at $200, so 3 days a week with this average gets you 600x50=30,000/yr.

I bill out at an average of $40 and it has been tough making my $600/week goal the past several months. A lot of my once-a-month clients are not calling, pr answering the phone. Work is thin enough that they would rather take a day and a half and keep my part.

 

[Blakesmaster]

The simple math is at if you bill out at $30/hr, then 3.66 hrs puts you at $200,

Math was never your strong suit, was it, JPS? lol. Mine neither. I'm considering doing contract climbing on the side next year instead of working for just one company. I'm fairly confident I'd find plenty of work round here with that gig. Do you use all your own saws and gear as well? Have a company truck, etc.? I assume everything would be deductable right? What about sales tax? Just curious.

 

[Shaun Bowler]

One other thing to consider are the skillis of your ground workers.
IE roping, etc.

 

[Blakesmaster]

One other thing to consider are the skillis of your ground workers.
IE roping, etc.

That scares the hell out of me. Half the reason I am as good as I am is because I have amazing groundmen at my company and my boss's. Most other local boys don't know what a port a wrap is.

 

[Slvrmple72]

Port o what?

 

[treemandan]

I am a ringer and dam happy about it, pretty proud too. My job? " follow the yellow thing attached to the back of the Topkick" I have a daily rate and make that rate even if its not all day. Sure its more if it goes long.
I love working this way. It enables me to bring my best to the table for my clients who would have long since fired me if I was an employee. There is really only one person in this world I can stand to see everyday( especially in the morning) and that is because I made her.
Often I look at jobs beforehand with the client so I am prepared and it helps the client bid the job and plan for it.
Not only do I bring my climbing but also the Dingo sometimes. Its taken a long time to find the clients I have now and they are great. Its not always easy but we work together and enable each other.
Also I keep my disipline this way. It doesn't become " just a job", I don't put my mistakes on my employer and considering I am liable for my mistakes I don't make them as much.
I am insured to the hilt. Just sitting here is costing me an arm and a leg. General liabilty, health, life and disabilty ( not to forget rainy day money in the bank). If you don'tt have all of that I would not recomend Contract Climbing... no freakin way.

 

[treemandan]

Port o what?

Its like a sandwich you can take with you. Everything is in there and its easy to carry.

 

[mckeetree]

Most other local boys don't know what a port a wrap is.

I like them but not on the low fat wheat pita. And cut the onions if they are strong.

 

[Shaun Bowler]

I just spent 15 responding with my..Wisdom.
It was lost in the WWW world and that is BS.
I will try again tommorow.
SB:monkey:

 

[treemandan]

One thing that is working for me is that I can work a normal day for a client and instead of getting paid in money I can snag a few groundies for a job of mine in exchange. I make sure to lay some cash on them as well.

 

[treemandan]

I just spent 15 responding with my..Wisdom.
It was lost in the WWW world and that is BS.
I will try again tommorow.
SB:monkey:

I hate that too.

 

[Slvrmple72]

Its like a sandwich you can take with you. Everything is in there and its easy to carry.

Hey, thanks Treemandan, just ordered the deluxe one off of e-bay with the large handles for the ... oh, jeez, I can't keep up these shenanigans. Blakesmaster hopefully knows I was joking but seriously back to the contract climbing it has been hit or miss but more miss! I do better on my own than trying to do the incredibly difficult to impossible for the ungrateful and unrealistic. They grumble and complain after I am done and paid but sooner or later call me back for another. Go figure!

 

[treesandsurf]

I've had a gap between jobs (starting a new one this coming week) and have been working as a contract climber to fill in the time, for about the last two months.

I'm fortunate that a good friend owns a tree company and is stoked to hire me between two and three days a week, either as support on the ground running ropes or climbing. It's a great setup, and I'm making as much as I was in those two to three days as I was in five to six days at my last job. Need to be diligent with how much you're making, keep records and get a tax ID to pay your income taxes and be straight with the IRS.

If you can swing it is much more freedom and variation doing it this way. Sometimes the ground support isn't the greatest, as well.

jp

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Math was never your strong suit, was it, JPS? lol. Mine neither.

Yeah, I'm mathematically challenged. I meant 6.66 hours at 30/hr.

I'm considering doing contract climbing on the side next year instead of working for just one company. Do you use all your own saws and gear as well? Have a company truck, etc.?

I carry almost everything but a polesaw, but I keep blades incase I toast one of my clients. My 3/4 ton truck has 3 boxes. Most stuff is written off, though the accountant tells me that writing off mileage and truck loan interest is better then tracking expenses on it, being that I've been in warranty til now. Get as small as you can haul your gear. I was hauling wood for a while, and occasionally tow clients equipment. I charge extra for that. I get a little extra per job that I use the GRCS on.

For saws I have an 020t, 260 with narrow kerf, and a 385 with a 32 in and 36 in bar. The latter runs my ripping chain.

What about sales tax? Just curious.

In WI I am not responsible for sales tax as a sub.

Right now i am paying bills and taking 9 credits at UWM to go for my BS in Conservation/EnviroSci.

 

[prentice110]

Ive been doing this part time for the last 4 years. The first three were mostly On the side to keep from doing estimates, something I absolutely hate. This year its been the majority of my work. However I am at an advantage due to the lack of good climbers in my area. There are alot of bucket babies by me, so alot of the big boys wont even bid climber work. I love it because of the freedom it allows me, as well as it cuts way down on cost vs payroll and busted equipment. Disadvantages that come to mind , working with groundies for the first time, dealing with other co's beat up broken crap/lack of equip., not being able to see the tree beforehand. I try to bring all the gear I can cuz I like to keep everything on the truck. One of my clients is a total stoner billy, and I hate working for him because he refuses to let me bring all my gear citing that there isnt enough room on the truck and the job always goes longer than it should. Im doing pretty good , but as soon as the economy gets better , I wont work with him ever again. sorry to get long winded , but just wanted you to know a little more about who you might end up working with.