Charging for view logging work

[mf40diesel]

Hello all,  seems as though I have picked up a few days of work cutting a guy in my towns view lot.  He lives at the top of the hill, spectacular view, but several real nice oaks are encroaching the view.  Me and my buddy will do the work, he'll cut and limb and I'll buck and skid.  Doing the job with my tractor and farmi winch.  Accessibilty is real good, very nice roads through the woods so I shouldn't have to get too far off them.

Anyhow, there are about a dozen beautiful oaks 24" dbh or better, each one we can get at least two maybe 3 sawlogs out of.  The idea is we get the logs he gets the firewood.  Plus we'll cut a bunch of other trees while there for wood for him. 

He had the same job done with some other trees a few years ago and that was the deal he worked with those loggers.
I ask for some advice though,  if the job takes us maybe a few days (only on weekends, my partner is a full time logger, me, part time at best, drive ships for a living) and we get the logs, seems kinda like we are getting the good deal there.  Any suggestions on how you guys would go about charging someone for a job like this?

I want to make sure that it is fair, very much so, as this seems like it could lead into s long term puttering type job, and he has a friend he wants to introduce us too with 35 acres of gorgeous pine that hasn't been cut I over 40 years. In other words a relationship I want to nurture for sure.

Any thoughts would be most welcome.  Thanks

[thecfarm]

I'm just throwing out easy numbers here. Lets say you need $50 an hour to make money. Logs come in at $5000 for 5 days of work.That is $1000 a day. You work 10 hours a day,that is $500 a day that you need and leaves $500 a day or $2500 left over. I said hour time because I suppose you are going to limb the trees?? What about the brush? Limbing and doing something with the brush will take some time. If the other guys had a skidder they can run over the brush and kinda make it look better. Not so with a tractor. You will have to cut the brush in shorter pieces to make it lie down and look better.
I had the same logger on mine land 3 times so far. The first cut I cut 60 and he got 40 for the logs. Was some nice pine. Next time he did more thining and that was 50/50 that time.

[Peter Drouin]

All I can say is I have had customers tell me about future work to get a good deal for them. Then the future work never comes up.
Give him a price to do the job and if he wants to give the logs to you for free take them. If not leave them where they lay.
I bet he got a price from someone else and it was more than he wants to pay.
Good luck.

[47sawdust]

I've read your post a couple times.I might be missing something here but it seems the land owner is getting the better deal here.If he wants the work done charge a fair price,he keeps the firewood and peddles the saw logs himself.

[Pine Ridge]

If you are falling the timber and getting the logs for free, and leaving the tops for the landowner to cut himself for firewood it's probably a pretty good deal, as he's also getting his view opened up as well, as long as you have a market for the logs and they are good quality. If you are having to cut the firewood for him also in exchange for the logs it may not be such a good deal for you. Best thing to do is talk to him about your concerns, then if your both ok with your agreement everyone is happy.

[Bill_G]

This is a job you charge for , I agree let him sell the sawlogs to offset the price . If you do a good job and he is pleased chances are he will refer you to his friends .

[lopet]

Guess you gotta do your math. If you know what you roughly get for your saw logs and if you can roughly estimate your time and effort, you should find out , if you're making a buck or two.  I agree with others to calculate on $ 500 per day for one man, chainsaws and tractor/skidder/ winch. Two guys might be $ 750 or so.
I had jobs looking at and told them what I charge and they swallowed dry, looked at the ground told me , they'll think about it. Two days later they called  and gave me the ok.  Don't know why people always think a guy with a old piece of iron should be able to work for a lot less. :D
I am in the position to turn anything down , when I don't see some money being made. Sometimes i tell them right on the phone and I recommend such and such person , who would be qualified.  Some people take it serious and feel offended and some call me back again, and my name isn't even in the yellow pages.

[mf40diesel]

Thanks for all the comments. We will get the sawlogs free. And the tops he will get for firewood. We won't cut or split. That would certainly not be a good deal.

they are really nice, very straight red oaks.  Literally straight as an arrow, most of them, and around 2' dbh. I am guessing it will take 2 days... Really looking forward to it.

[beenthere]

Ok, so how are you going to charge? Or are you saying the "free" logs are pay enough?

[WV Sawmiller]

Diesel,

   I'm confused. The landowner proposed this deal, he is happy with the proposal and you seem happy to get the logs as payment so I assume you have a use or market for the logs.

   Why would you come back with a counter offer? You have the heavy equipment that he lacks?

    I'd jump on his proposal if it was favorable for me and leave it at that.

[Skip]

Might be a WV thing But I agree with Sawmiller , if you were going to timber his land you would pay HIM and clean up . You get sawlogs, he gets his view back, he cleans up and he helps fall .Sounds like a good deal as is.