First paying job-How much per bd ft?

dirtymartini · May 10, 2021, 01:19:30 PM

This will be my first real paying job since owning my LT 28 for a few years. The customer is supplying and delivering the logs, EWP, Spruce, and a couple of Hemlock logs. I'm in northeast PA; Is .40 a bd ft working too cheap? The customer is a logger and has a log truck...He says he gets EWP and Spruce fairly often and will bring them on a regular basis.

maple flats · May 10, 2021, 07:47:52 PM

I used to charge by the hour, $40/hr they tail, $50/hr they don't, but that was 10+ years ago.

Patrick NC · May 10, 2021, 08:52:28 PM

0.40 isn't a bad number. When I saw at home it's .40 for softwood and .50 for hardwoods. Mobile sawing is hourly based on 175 bf per hour@ .45. Usually I average that or better with one offbearer.

WV Sawmiller · May 10, 2021, 09:00:34 PM

I think you are in the ballpark. I charge $.30 with customer providing the off bearer or $60/hr but I have a hydraulic mill so your hourly rate might need to be different. I did one job last year by myself for $.40/bf with me doing everything - I should have charged more. I could not get any help and was a 50 mile commute. I charge $1/mile one way, one time so extra trips eat into my profits. I don't have a different rate for soft vs hardwood but nothing wrong with that and it is common. Be sure you have a damaged blade fee if you hit metal - put that responsibility on the customer providing the logs. All pricing is fair as long as both parties agree, understand and follow their agreed pricing. Good luck and enjoy.

Crossroads · May 11, 2021, 12:03:54 PM

My first mobile job, I charged 0.30 ft and the customer was supposed to pull boards and help load logs. I worked my tail off and didn't get the help. That's when I switched to an hourly rate and use that as leverage to get help. Amazing how much more helpful a customer is when you explain that your perfectly willing to stack boards for $85/hr but the mill is setting idle when I do that. If I were to mill the customers logs at my place and provide all labor. I think I would be in the .40-.50/ft range. Good luck and keep it fun 😁

alan gage · May 11, 2021, 12:35:04 PM

If your spruce is like our spruce I wouldn't saw it for .50/bf.

Slow cutting and lots of band changes.

Alan

Resonator · May 11, 2021, 12:54:25 PM

I run an LT28 and bill by the hour. I have a minimum 1 hour charge, and on "large" jobs I charge a lower hourly rate, this I discuss in detail with the customer before I begin. Determining what their budget for sawing is, or if there is a target board foot number they want cut. I work by myself from my home location, and on large jobs there is as much log handling and board stacking as there is sawing. The hourly rate reflects this, and I try to be fair with the customer, and be competitive with other mills. On the last large job I did the customer brought 2 truckloads of logs, but I culled some that wouldn't be worth sawing, saving him money. He also provided his own stickers, so I didn't have to charge him for mine.

dirtymartini · May 18, 2021, 07:46:30 AM

Quote from: alan gage on May 11, 2021, 12:35:04 PM
If your spruce is like our spruce I wouldn't saw it for .50/bf.

Slow cutting and lots of band changes.

Alan

Just got back to check on this thread, lots of good answers. I am not sure why I am not getting notifications when a reply is made. Anyway, Yes the spruce sucks here also. Lots of knots and slow sawing. The customer wanted as many 12" x 12" beams as I could get out of the logs and the rest I sawed whatever made the most out of the logs. He is going to pick up a couple of loads I have at another location for me with his log truck, I think I will use the .40 cents a bdf for barter against the log truck charge...

dirtymartini · May 18, 2021, 07:53:56 AM

Quote from: Resonator on May 11, 2021, 12:54:25 PM
I run an LT28 and bill by the hour. I have a minimum 1 hour charge, and on "large" jobs I charge a lower hourly rate, this I discuss in detail with the customer before I begin. Determining what their budget for sawing is, or if there is a target board foot number they want cut. I work by myself from my home location, and on large jobs there is as much log handling and board stacking as there is sawing. The hourly rate reflects this, and I try to be fair with the customer, and be competitive with other mills. On the last large job I did the customer brought 2 truckloads of logs, but I culled some that wouldn't be worth sawing, saving him money. He also provided his own stickers, so I didn't have to charge him for mine.

Resonator, thanks for the reply. Do you have a power feed on your LT28? I agree with the log handling, tailing, and stacking work. I have tried to get my girlfriend's son to help but he is pretty much worthless, he only wants to work for beer and I constantly have to remind him what to do.
BTW, is that a Dobro in your profile pic?

Resonator · May 18, 2021, 12:13:36 PM

No power feed, just "Armstrong" power. It came with a rope hand crank feed, but a 22 below zero day made the rope sort of useless. ;D
I work solo, and my plan was (and still is) to trade up to a LT40 hydraulic, but things are a little too crazy to get one now.
In the pic is my resonator guitar. Played like a regular guitar, but with a resonator cone to give it sweet tone.