Do you give discount when your taking the wood?

[climbhightree]

I went to estimate a large Pin oak removal this evening. After the lady showed me the tree, I asked if she wants the larger wood removed. She replied, well yeah cause doesn't that make the price cheaper?

I was like no, it makes the price cost more, I told her I have to put more time on the tree to cover the time loading the wood. I said I don't sell the wood, that I just get rid of it (I take it to clients with outdoor burners free). She then proceeded to tell me that the other companies she got for a estimate, gave a discount. I probably should have just walked away at that point. But I proceeded to give her a write up, proof of insurance, etc anyways.

I run into this quite a but in this area...but still throws me for a loop every time.

Does the $ they get out of the split wood cover the time for removal, hauling, splitting etc?

PS- I know I could be making some money on the wood, if I sold it. But I don't have room to stockpile it, or split a lot. I just want to get it off my equipment and out of my hair. All my wood goes to the same places, the good, bad, and ugly. That way I feel it is ok to take them crap, when next time they get gold.

 

[ATH]

No...I am with you: it costs to get rid of it. Even if I wanted to sell firewood, I would still charge (maybe just a little less) to take it away. Firewood goes for about $150 per cord - split and delivered (on a good day) around here. The only way that makes sense is to keep cash flow into the winter. That hardly pays its way off site let alone: unloaded, stacked, cut to length, stacked, split, stacked (again), loaded onto the truck, and delivered.

If it is worth so much, how about you find a buyer...

 

[climbhightree]

That what I say when it is log quality wood. I tell them if they want to log it, Ill cut it to length for them. But they are responsible to call and contact a lumber company. If they want me to do it, and be responsible, then I get the money for the log (and I wont charge them for log removal). But most log companies wont come out for a log or 2....and most of the areas I work are too tight for long logs, or just not worth it.

 

[climbhightree]

Btw my removal estimate usually look like:

Tree species (location on property) -- Remove...chip and remove all debris up to 6" in diameter (price)
-- remove larger wood (price)
-- remove stump and surface roots (to certain depth). Leave all grindings (price)
-- remove all grindings. leaving a hole (price)

I tell them to just cross an item(s) if they don't want it done. That way if they find someone that want the wood (or buy it) they can see the price without it.

 

[old_soul]

problem is most homeowner people don't have the ability to deal with large rounds, even if you leave the wood

We cut lots of trees 36-48 inch diameter. I would rather load up long sections of wood with the machine than spend an hour extra time slicing all that into firewood in somebody's front yard.

And the pricing will reflect that. At a certain point it's cheaper to take it away. Especially if you already have the equipment on site, might as well use it.

Can't make much $ off firewood, that's for sure

 

[climbhightree]

We cut lots of trees 36-48 inch diameter. I would rather load up long sections of wood with the machine than spend an hour extra time slicing all that into firewood in somebody's front yard.

You bring up a good point. Before I got my mini skid, I used to offer to cut it into 16-18" lengths (no splitting or cross cuts) for free. I did this because I didn't want to deal with loading it. But not that I have the mini, it is easier and faster to just load it (other than having another trailer on site).

 

[dall]

firewood is really just paying for the labor you put into it cutting and splitting tree removal companies cant make any money doing this for a lesser price understanding the time and supplies to even cut it up a buddy of mine and me do firewood as a hobby and unless you have a wood processor and a large client list its not worth lowering price to get the larger wood

 

[Peter.s]

I live on a farm and we have a lot where we dump all of the wood and me and my brother split it and sell for $180 per cord.

If i lowerd the price of the job ide be doing all of the splitting and stacking just to stay even.
my 2 cents

 

[climbhightree]

You all are pretty much saying what I always thought. That it doesn't pay to discount. And that firewood cost barely cover cost to cut, split the wood, and deliver...much less lead and haul it from job site.

So why do companies do it? Fly by nighters/hacks.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

 

[dall]

the only way I see you making any kind of money off it is if was real nice logs or cabinet grade and then still wouldn't make much off it but really to make it into firewood just doesn't pay the bigger the pieces the more time have in splitting it plus more labor intensive we get our wood from landowners that have had either a gasline or a electric line go through their property we don't pay for the wood and they appreciate the wood cleaned up but we don't do the dangerous job of cutting the tree down and the wood we get is usually been down for 2 years or so

 

[PassionForTrees]

The more work you have the more money it will cost! You have to have different equipment to lift the wood right? that costs you money to own and run. I have my loader in the shop now, that grapple root rake costs me over 5g's well worth it but fuel, time alturnamats to get the wood without wrecking the lawns and such. There is alot of $$ that goes into having the equipment to do this, so to do for free not then not now not ever. Now you can always price bargain the whole job and lower costs because you are doing the pruning, removals, stumps and removing wood. As for the cutting into firewood lengths well that takes time right? so that should cost too. cleaning up all the saw dust from all the cutting ect.. Sell yourself well and Value your services. Do a great job and you will always be working!

 

[Dan@JBT]

I did a quote today on a big red gum with a main leader 120' long failed caught in 2 other trees over a dry creek, close to unit bocks with no access for any machinery. huge job for a 1 truck crew. I said $6500 for us to leave the wood on the creek bank $7500 for us to take it. I said its a thousand dollars worth of work getting the timber out of the creek, he said its a thousand dollars worth of wood, I said and you're welcome to it.

 

[mckeetree]

We charge less if we leave the wood. We tell the HO right away we have no use for the ****.

 

[TreeAce]

I didnt read all the replies so maybe this has been said idk. I have ran into this same thing and figured out why, at least why around here. There is two main reasons. First, it is far easier and faster to load the wood in big pieces with a crane and just get it the heck gone rather than messing with cutting it up. This goes for most of the guys around here with cranes. If they have a crane they prolly have a trailer or two to carry logs in addtion to the crane bed. Second, several guys around me have invested in producing bio mass (wood chips) with huge grinders. They really do want the wood but its not for firewood. Its to cut n grind on rainy days and over the winter. The guys who have the crane but not in the bio mass game still drop off a good deal of logs and just are happy to get rid of them. Being a little guy company I am still into the "cheaper to leave it" with the wood but some of the bigger guys around me are the opposite. It makes things interesting sometimes trying to explain to a customer why I charge more to haul the wood when another guy just told him its cheaper if he takes it. Most people understand when I explain things though. I tell you this though, You put a 40 inch pin oak out of crane reach in a back yard with only a 36inch gate for access and I guarantee everyone will say its cheaper to leave the wood.

 

[TNGreen]

Definitely no discount on taking wood .we sell quite a bit of wood and the only way there is any money to be made in firewood is if someone is paying you to take it so all you have in it is time splittin,stacking ,and delivering .I definitely ain't paying to dump it so why not split it up.

 

[teamtree]

I went to estimate a large Pin oak removal this evening. After the lady showed me the tree, I asked if she wants the larger wood removed. She replied, well yeah cause doesn't that make the price cheaper?

I was like no, it makes the price cost more, I told her I have to put more time on the tree to cover the time loading the wood. I said I don't sell the wood, that I just get rid of it (I take it to clients with outdoor burners free). She then proceeded to tell me that the other companies she got for a estimate, gave a discount. I probably should have just walked away at that point. But I proceeded to give her a write up, proof of insurance, etc anyways.

I run into this quite a but in this area...but still throws me for a loop every time.

Does the $ they get out of the split wood cover the time for removal, hauling, splitting etc?

PS- I know I could be making some money on the wood, if I sold it. But I don't have room to stockpile it, or split a lot. I just want to get it off my equipment and out of my hair. All my wood goes to the same places, the good, bad, and ugly. That way I feel it is ok to take them crap, when next time they get gold.

No discounts for taking the wood here.....I have split proceeds from log sales with customers. If you were selling it for firewood, I hope you would not be cutting residential trees....no way you can make money on firewood unless it has been paid to be removed. I am sure if the stars are aligned some make money on firewood, but it is because it has zero cost at your lot.

I got out of the firewood about 5 years too late......I was in the firewood business for 5 years.......I can buy a cord of split oak firewood have it delivered and thrown on my dump truck for $120.....damn hilljacks and there beer money!!!!

 

[teamtree]

I didnt read all the replies so maybe this has been said idk. I have ran into this same thing and figured out why, at least why around here. There is two main reasons. First, it is far easier and faster to load the wood in big pieces with a crane and just get it the heck gone rather than messing with cutting it up.

Opportunity for upcharge.....if we cut it up....we charge....I tell them it would be cheaper for them to buy split firewood than have us cut up the wood for them.....i.e. insurance, taxes, equipment sitting idle....

Educate customers on your costs......I like to tell them about training and costs associated with it.....especially when bidding on big estate jobs.

 

[teamtree]

Definitely no discount on taking wood .we sell quite a bit of wood and the only way there is any money to be made in firewood is if someone is paying you to take it so all you have in it is time splittin,stacking ,and delivering .I definitely ain't paying to dump it so why not split it up.

I don't mind paying to dump....especially if it saves me more money than the cost.....I paid a guy $200 to dump 2 42" DBH Sycamores 110" tall on his property 1 mile from job site......saved me about 4 hours of haul time..... had an extra $500 in my pocket at the end of the day.....pass the cost on to the customer.

 

[teamtree]

Think about the jobs where the customer wants you to leave everything but you have to rope everything down and there is no room to leave the brush or you have to drag it around the house.

I tell them it would be cheaper for me to chip the limbs and leave only the firewood....otherwise it takes me to long to move the brush out of my way. 3 hours my way....4 hours your way....... Funny business.....

 

[TNGreen]

I don't mind paying to dump....especially if it saves me more money than the cost.....I paid a guy $200 to dump 2 42" DBH Sycamores 110" tall on his property 1 mile from job site......saved me about 4 hours of haul time..... had an extra $500 in my pocket at the end of the day.....pass the cost on to the customer.

Yea if it saved that much haul time your better off. I try to leave it whenever I can but don't seem like that happens much.that wood somehow gets bigger when it hits the ground.