Silvopasture work

[EricR]

I know it’s not generally discussed on this forum but was wondering if anyone would be willing to share thoughts on what to charge for silvopasture work.
I have an opportunity to bid on a silvopasture project.  It is an area that has some mature trees but mostly 6-8” diameter stuff. Oak, pine, cherry, sassafras, Tupelo.  The objective is to clear out 90%+ of the material.  They do not want it mulched. Everything is to be cut as low as possible and stacked into piles.  I would be doing the work primarily with a Deere 455 track loader with a shear and grapple rake.  I know it has a lot to do with the density and I should have taken a picture but didn’t.  I was hoping to do it hourly as some areas are more dense then others but they want cost per acre.  The project is up to 10 acres depending on price.  I also know prices depend on region.  I live in southeastern massachusetts-everything is expensive.  My thought right now is $5000 per acre. Am I close or way off?  I won’t get my feelings hurt if you think I’m nuts.  Just out of curiosity what would it roughly cost per acre to mulch it?  

[Don P]

Can you do one acre hourly and then base a bid on that? My argument with the client is that if I'm blind I'm covering my rear.

[Southside]

Can't help with the rate but here Virginia Tech did a similar project about 10 miles from me, all grant money, and they had $10K per acre into the project by the time there was grass growing and that was over a decade ago. 

[OntarioAl]

This is a mulching job
Piling does not make sense and will add to the cost
If it was 10 grand 10 years ago it must be approaching 15 grand plus per acre
Cheers
Al  

[EricR]

It might make the most sense financially to mulch it but it specifically says no mulching  And yes doing an acre would probably benefit them but it’s kind of a waste of everyone’s time if my acre costs too much for them and they don’t continue on with the project 

[Southside]

Given the location I am presuming there is a lot of rock in the soil, thus the aversion to mulching? 

[EricR]

Rocks are part of the problem. Most mulchers run carbide teeth around here. I have never been very impressed with the finish they leave.      These people had an area of pine mulched and for whatever reason they don’t like the end result and don’t wasn’t it left on the ground. I’m fine with that as I don’t have a mulcher and would be out of a potentially decent job if it went that way.  Just trying to come up with a fair number 

[thecfarm]

I am just wondering, how high will the stumps be?
Even 2 inches high will be hard to maintain the "look" without using a mulcher.

[beenthere]

Just trying to come up with a fair number

Tell us what would be fair to you. 
Then let's see how that seems to be fair assuming we were requesting this job for our land clearing. So far,  we have no idea what you are willing to work for using the equipment you have on hand. 

[EricR]

I believe the plan is that the “look” will be maintained by some sort of grazing animal. Goats were mentioned at one point.  I guess they could have a mulcher come in just to knock the stumps down.  All of these questions are valid.  The forester that came up with the plan asked me to simply bid on cutting and piling.

[EricR]

Just trying to come up with a fair number

Tell us what would be fair to you.
Then let's see how that seems to be fair assuming we were requesting this job for our land clearing. So far,  we have no idea what you are willing to work for using the equipment you have on hand.

In my initial post I said I was thinking $5000 an acre

[stavebuyer]

Somewhat small stem size placed into piles sounds like work for an old school wheeled feller buncher.

[Don P]

Just bouncing it around real roughly in my head, would it be fair to say the bloom is off the rose at 1.5 man/machine weeks/acre? (Pick a number)
Does it seem reasonable when broken down as fine as you can?

It is not huge, don't go in hungry and if possible can you line up a known quantity job behind it to get variety in your diet if it goes south?