Help with contracts

[leggs]

              My LT27 isnt even here yet and i have several neighbors wanting saw work done. one guy has 10 red oaks down and in a pile. average size 20 ft by 30 inch. they have been down for three years, are they still good? dose anyone have a basic contract I could read over? any ideas on prices per board foot , wood type prices? I purchased this mill for personal use on my 30 acres, but it looks like it could turn into a lot more. any advice would be helpfull.          Thanks Don

[deadeye]

I saw by and hourly rate, that way if you get stuck working alone or you got crappy logs or stuff like that your covered.  i've never had a contract with anyone, most jobs are olny a couple days long.  never worked by the  thou.  everyone advise against it .

[maple flats]

just bought my mill and have no custom sawing experience but the last 2 years I have gotten several log loads sawed and the sawyer just gave me the price/bf after looking at the logs. He is a part timer. My impression is that the per hour rate is best. while you are a greenhorn the rate would be lower and go up as you became more productive. Tell the first customer he is getting a real bargain because you are learning and that his rate/hr will raise when you get more productive. This is what I will be doing this summer.

[deadeye]

that's the way i started, my first customer got the best bargain and then i set my price, that was four years ago and another sawer and i who are good freinds talked about it and our  $/hr rates are the same.  we uped it another $5/hr just this spring with the gas and repair cost going up..  when i bot my mill the seller gave an important word of advise,  he said if you saw by the thou. make sure you check out the logs and job first.  he got caught a couple times with nice logs up front and all little junk ones in back.  then the farmer who said he was going to be helping had to go.  by the hr you saw what the saw can saw, if you have to do the work then your getting paid for it, and if the guy is got ten men to help then all you do is saw. it's been a good setup for me. 

[leggs]

    Thanks guys I appreciate the help. any idea what that per hr rate should be?

[footer]

I charge $40 - $50 pr hr. Depending on how much work there is in getting the logs on the mill. If the red oaks were down for 3 years, they are probably no good. You could probably tell by cutting on in half with a chainsaw.

[Buzz-sawyer]

In My experience the oak is most likely still excellent below the bark and pith.......I have sawn logs MUCH older than those and gotten grade out.
Sometimes insects can hurt em .......but some folks like worm too ;)

[MemphisLogger]

Don,

I put my contract together based on several other good sources.

You can download a copy at http://www.scottbanbury.com/cscontract.pdf

Welcome to the wonderful world of lumber!

[Tony]

   I charge by the 1000bft, but I'm beginning to rethink this setup. : : :
I've been cutting for a friend the last couple of weeks. Well the pine were no trouble they were green and beetle killed, but the oaks thats another story. I don't know how long the oaks have been dead ( still standing) but some of the bigger ones we couldn't get the cant hook to grab. Looking at the end I could tell that there was still a good bit of good wood still there but it was hard to get :( :(
I can understand my friend's thinking, to use everthing usable, but please 
I lost money on the bft charge but still learning :P :P :P

                              Gotta get a contract typed up of some sort

                                             Tony 8)

[deadeye]

this is why the $/hr rate works good.  heres a experience of mine .  a guy calls up wanting a pile of hardwood sawn.  i happen to be going right by the place the next day so i stopped in to take a look.  he had cut the trees down that winter, didn't branch them or nothing just pulled them out to the field.  he came over and asked if i was going to start soon.  i looked at him and asked if he was going to buck up the logs or expected me to do it.  i answer back that if i was to do it that he would be paying my hourly rate from time i showed up in the morning until i left, no matter if i was sawing or branching or mesureing it all cost the same.. he thought about it for two seconds and figured he would do it himself and save money.  he then asked if i would work by the bdf to which i replied no.  he said he would call when he was ready.  two weeks later he called said everything was ready so i showed up the next morning to find that he had just branched the trees and then rolled them around in the mud.. i asked why they weren't cut to lenght and he replied his saw wouldn't cut anymore.  and he thought i was going to set up and saw the logs.... it didn't take me long to turn around and tell him when the logs are piled and washed call me. never heard from him again and don't care if i ever do.  i hate dirty logs.

[iain]

Dont know much about your oak, but after three years, our oak will cut very cleanly, but with a dryish dust that flys every where, and can need a mask, its also very very hard on blades



iain 

[ARKANSAWYER]

 Leggs,
  In the stuff WM gives you is a sample contract.  I got a pad of them with my LT40.  I had a printing company print me some up based on the ones WM gave me but with carbon copies.   Everyone signs a contract and gets a copy.  I have had to go to court twice and each time the contract saved my bacon.
  If you saw by the hour I would start at $20 an hour an if your rate increases as you get better go up.  With a manual mill the hour rate is better for you.

Tony,
  You need a A. S. S. it will bite in and roll them big ones.

[Tony]

  Hey Arky watch it, I'll have you know I've got plenty of A.S.--- :( ;)

Oh yeah, heh heh, I get it now. : ;D ;D :D I've got a brite blue 60" cant hook that I'm very well pleased with. I'm saving up for the Super Stick.

                          Thanks for the advice ;D :D ;D

                                             8) Tony 8)

[AtLast]

All excellant and applicable advice...my 2 cents is....COVER YOUR 6!!!!...appease your client....but protect yourself....things from as simple as leaving ruts when you drive on property to clean up and clients expectations....make EVERYTHING VERY clear and have them sign your contract before you even park your mill....