Crazy folks

[mic687]

I got a referral the other day from a past customer to do some clearing for a guy who just bought a new house. He had a bid from another tree company for 4000.00 to do the work. I show up and right off he starts telling me how he could do alot of it but some are just to close to the house bla, bla, bla.
He then starts in with how valuable the wood is because he has these two large ash trees a couple large poplars and some maples. I explain that most loggers are not interested in yard wood because of metal in the trees, well he counters with it was old folks that lived here and he does not believe the put any nails in the trees. OKAY WHATEVER. Then he says that the logger he talked to on the phone seemed excited to see the trees. Well all together he wants about 40 trees gone 12 of which are sizable and a couple of them leaner's toward the neighbors house. I think I may pass on this because the other guys were low for what he wants done and he thought they were expensive. By the way he wants all the brush hauled away and the wood removed if the mysterious logger does not want it. To many red flags for me.

 

[JNGWC&Tree]

I had a conversation with some one I know about this. He was complaining about the $1400.00 price tag of another Tree Service he had out to his place to remove 3 24 inch Tulip Trees next to a structure. They have a four man crew, truck, and chipper. Combined with overhead like insurance, any dump fees, etc.........then taxes......it's not a bad price at all. Especially in DC/Metro

Folks would love for us not to eat, live in anything other than a tenament, or feed our kids though.

 

[tree md]

I will always toss my hat into the ring. He may have someone who is dumb enough to do the job for the wood and then again he might just be blowing smoke to make you think there is some phantom logger that you are bidding against. I always just give my price and tell them if they want the job done by someone with a proven track record, who is insured and is not going to hurt themselves or do property damage to give me a call. If they have someone who wants to do it for the wood then more power to them.

Believe me, you don't want them all...

 

[pdqdl]

:agree2:

Never pass up good work.

Give 'em a decent quote for good work, do whatever you think is necessary to make sure that you get paid for the job, and then let the chips lay where they fall.

If you have more work than you can do... it's time to raise prices!

 

[fishercat]

if the logger is so excited..........................

why are you there?

when I hear how valuable the wood is,I tell them to get the wood sold,and then use the money to pay me to take them down.

I have had folks tell me they were going to have swamp maple milled.I just laugh,hand them my price,and leave.

 

[pdqdl]

I have a different approach...I tell them my price to cut the trees down, then I tell them what I will charge to haul the logs to the local veneer plants (usually some knotty walnut), and I tell them they can have the proceeds from the log sale.

So far...no takers. I haven't been to the mill yet. I keep trying, though.

 

[ATH]

Maybe give a price to get the trees on the ground log-length and clean up the brush (with clear statement in the quote that certain ground damage will be expected...). Then tell him to he can sell the logs to the higest bidder - and that will help reimburse his expenses paid to you.

I find most people fairly understanding when I explain:
*Tree care firms are outfitted to remove trees piece by piece and not necessairly to move around heavy logs or haul them to a sawmill. We make our money from the owner of the tree paying for a service.
*Loggers have the equipment to drop trees with one cut, make one more cut at the top then drag the log with a large skidder to be loaded on a truck. They cannot be profitable without at least a decent truck load of logs. They make their money by selling the logs at the mill. They are paying the landowner for the "service of growing timber" (or state it as "they are buying a raw material from the landowner").

 

[sgreanbeans]

I took a large Oak last year, one of my guys BEGGED me to let him take the log to the mill, 52"dia, solid, 22ft. We cut it to 16' feet (mill wanted it that size?) I told him he was on his own,I want goona pay him for messing with it, but it needed to go when I was ready leave. He called his buddy who owns a flatbed wrecker, my buddy paid him $100.00 for the hauling, My guy received $125.00 for the log!! so for about 4 hours work, he made 25!
I always get calls " ill LET YOU take down my tree for the wood, its gotta be worth thousands"

 

[pdqdl]

I think that the mills give us small-timers a cheapo price, and the timber harvesters get paid market prices.

Do any of the mills ever publsh "market prices", or do you have to negotiate with a "buyer"?

 

[BC WetCoast]

I took a large Oak last year, one of my guys BEGGED me to let him take the log to the mill, 52"dia, solid, 22ft. We cut it to 16' feet (mill wanted it that size?) I told him he was on his own,I want goona pay him for messing with it, but it needed to go when I was ready leave. He called his buddy who owns a flatbed wrecker, my buddy paid him $100.00 for the hauling, My guy received $125.00 for the log!! so for about 4 hours work, he made 25!
I always get calls " ill LET YOU take down my tree for the wood, its gotta be worth thousands"

The guy with the wrecker made out like a bandit.

 

[mic687]

I am just going to give the guy my price and leave it at that. To be honest the job is going to suck no matter how much he pays. There is no room for big equipment in the back where the biggest trees are so I will just give him my this is gonna suck price and if he bites that may sooth the pain some. thanks guys for the comments.

 

[treemandan]

I know a couple of Chinese dudes who come to the house and make chopsticks out of the wood. They do it all right there even. Good money in that.

 

[ATH]

I think that the mills give us small-timers a cheapo price, and the timber harvesters get paid market prices.

Do any of the mills ever publsh "market prices", or do you have to negotiate with a "buyer"?

It is not uncommon to give their loyal suppliers a premium...to keep the good stuff coming from the good loggers.

There isn't necessairly a "market" price for most grade saw logs because there is so much variability. There are some mills that will pay a set price, but those are generally the ones making a 'single' product... Having said that, the whole industry is so variable, there is hardly anything that you could call "normal".

 

[Lawnmowerboy48]

Helped out out on a job this past winter 167 white pines removed by crane. Most were done with a 50 ton then the 80 ton was brought in for the long picks, damn that thing could reach. Cranes, chipping, and stumps ground $27,000. The mill paid the homeowner $21,000 for the wood.