Storm work

[kyguy076]

Has anyone went on any storm damage clean up? Ice storm or Hurricane work. My brother has went several times but he was working for a large tree company at the time. They were trimming for power companies. We started our own buisness now. I was wondering who I needed to contact if a storm occoured. Any ideas would be appreciated. thanks

 

[mckeetree]

Has anyone went on any storm damage clean up? Ice storm or Hurricane work. My brother has went several times but he was working for a large tree company at the time. They were trimming for power companies. We started our own buisness now. I was wondering who I needed to contact if a storm occoured. Any ideas would be appreciated. thanks

The first thing you have to do is get "in". If you are a little outfit that ain't easy to do.

 

[maloufstree]

You need to know people. Two good friends of mine are in the insurance biz and both are with different companies. Both recommended me to the reps in the area of the storm. Work was good and the money was good but I think it was more than what me and my 3 man band could handle. We worked non stop for 10 days and then headed back. You think local competition is bad just wait. On a big storm it'll look like a TCIA convention as far as equipment goes, quality of work is a different story.

 

[mckeetree]

You think local competition is bad just wait. On a big storm it'll look like a TCIA convention as far as equipment goes, quality of work is a different story.

Man you've got that right. We tried to do some hurricane work years ago. I didn't know there was that many tree guys in the world.

 

[ckliff]

Helped a buddy in Arkansas last Feb after the ice storm. We were the only crew doing quality work in that town (Mtn Home). $ was ok, but the gig fell apart cuz my friends local contact was nutty.

 

[treevet]

Our town was hit by a hurricane last year and you never seen so much door knocking in your life. It is a year this month and it hasn't stopped yet even tho there are local ordinances against it the cops don't enforce it. Prob that way everywhere....when a big storm hits all laws take a back seat and the one that hits the most doors and the best doors and has the most firepower wins.

You just get your butt down there and knock doors and maybe get some partial performance (denoting a contract) and do what you can. Most people aren't gonna wait for someone the ins. co. sends down to New Orleans from Ohio. All they gotta do is take some picts and usually get 2 estimates.

 

[treeseer]

Our town was hit by a hurricane last year and you never seen so much door knocking in your life.

In 1996 there were 50 tree companies here. hurricane came, then there were 100+ companies in 1997.

If you want to stand apart with tree owners, focus on repair instead of removal.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

There are a number of threads on this subject. Storm chacing used to be around a third of my annual gross, I did it as a subcontractor. The best way to do it is to find an a connection to a local company. Quite often a friend-of-a-friend type contact will make things work comfortable. I knew someone who knew Guy and I worked for him a few years ago, and got him hooked up with a number of other people. I think only one relationship flaked out.

You can loose your shirt if you are not carefull.

My experiance is that you need to get in to the area just days after the weather clears, the sooner the better. Within three to four weeks the good money had dried up, and the regular work sets in.

The storm has to be of a scale were the supply of skilled labor will not meet demand for those first few days, then you establish relationships that will carry you through for the next few weeks. Bringing some yard signs helps a lot.

Make sure you have enough working capitol to cover the first few days.

Never work out of town on an agreement to get paid by insurance money, "due on completion" with every job. Otherwise collecting is a PITB. (PITA is now grounds for infraction I gather )

Tune everything up, bring extra chain, bee prepared to travel for a hotel room.

Two or three guys here say stumping is better money...

 

[treevet]

The above is all true.

I can say with a large degree of certainty that the absolute best situation one could be in is to actually live IN the area hit by the hurricane, etc. That way you already have the contacts and high level clients that all know you are the go to guy for big difficult removals (if you are) and you can pick and choose and literally "name your price" and only collect from the client ( while you have helped them set up their claim....it is so easy).

We have a nice handy truck crane and a couple of buckets and giant chipper so due to the fact that it is almost impossible to find one to rent (esp crane) in this environment....again...you have a name your price and job situation. We literally took trees off houses for a month after the bomb hit and did non stop hurricane work without a day of other work for 6 months plus afterwords.......a treeman's dream.

 

[ClimbinArbor]

On a big storm it'll look like a TCIA convention as far as equipment goes, quality of work is a different story.

Hacks working a storm??? Surely you jest!!!

Seems like everyone thats ever seen a tree suddenly knows how to operate on one when a storm hits.

 

[oldirty]

.......a treeman's dream.

yah it is. and you did it from the comfort of your own area. sick.

 

[ropensaddle]

Helped a buddy in Arkansas last Feb after the ice storm. We were the only crew doing quality work in that town (Mtn Home). $ was ok, but the gig fell apart cuz my friends local contact was nutty.

Lmao not nutty ya just gotta learn to acclimate friend lol.

 

[treevet]

yah it is. and you did it from the comfort of your own area. sick.

I wish that to be experienced by every good treeman just once in their lives. Been thru many a storm and ice storm but this was the big kahuna. No elect for 8 days but it wasn't that hot and didn't rain after the initial slam.

I found the downed main for the out of town power guys while clearing a back yard in the woods. Towns people cheered when their trucks rumbled into our little town.

 

[oldirty]

sounds like a wet dream come true monetarily to me. you being one of the only fully automated crews around your area and doing what cant be done by others is a good gig to have.

of course it sucks to see peoples lives thrown into chaos....but like you said it was almost the perfect storm. did you climb a tree and freak out like lieutenant dan did in forrest gump while the winds were howling?

that would take balls, hanging in a tree during a 'cane. lol

 

[treevet]

sounds like a wet dream come true monetarily to me. you being one of the only fully automated crews around your area and doing what cant be done by others is a good gig to have.

of course it sucks to see peoples lives thrown into chaos....but like you said it was almost the perfect storm. did you climb a tree and freak out like lieutenant dan did in forrest gump while the winds were howling?

that would take balls, hanging in a tree during a 'cane. lol

I think it was about 6 hours of 80 mph winds sustained if I remember. Got a routine call and went to res. and found ho under a giant cutting on a leader and big wood was flying laterally over our heads and I made him (old customer) go inside. Seemed like a cow would go flying over his roof soon like in the Wiz of Oz. On the way home about a mile a tree uprooted and blocked the road in front of me then another fell across the road the other way and I went straight home another route as you had to be a dope to do anything around the trees at that point. Every street in town was filled with trees (this is a real old town with big wood) and it was totally closed down. You could hardly see any pavement anywhere.

Yeah I felt bad for the trees but somebody profits from everything.

 

[ckliff]

Lmao not nutty ya just gotta learn to acclimate friend lol.

Yeah, you are probably right. I do adjust slowly... y'all have some real beautiful scenery there. Nothing at all like flat Kansas & our tall bushes (we call them trees).

 

[outofmytree]

Sigh... Its threads like this that make me wish we had worse weather..... Storm damage here usually consists of, "gasp", a branch breaking off something you could leapfrog over. Honestly. Its really really sad.

 

[GlenWimpy]

Has anyone went on any storm damage clean up? Ice storm or Hurricane work. My brother has went several times but he was working for a large tree company at the time. They were trimming for power companies. We started our own buisness now. I was wondering who I needed to contact if a storm occoured. Any ideas would be appreciated. thanks

Unless its in your own city , stay away! You'll be biding against alot of out of towner's , some city's want you to get a business license for that city , the news people will say "DON'T HIRE OUTSIDE PEOPLE" !they'll be 3 tree cutters knocking on every door!

AND , getting hooked up with a company , means your gonna work 3 months , and , NOT GET PAID!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

AND , getting hooked up with a company , means your gonna work 3 months , and , NOT GET PAID!

It has happened too often, but that is why I say to get personal contacts that can vouch for each party. I would start doing the research as the storm is moving in, call around my network to see if someone knows someone in the area.

As Reagan said, trust but verify. Have a little faith in your fellow man, but keep that pinch of salt handy.

 

[GlenWimpy]

It has happened too often, but that is why I say to get personal contacts that can vouch for each party. I would start doing the research as the storm is moving in, call around my network to see if someone knows someone in the area.

As Reagan said, trust but verify. Have a little faith in your fellow man, but keep that pinch of salt handy.

When I go to storms , I only deal with individuals , and I have an understanding up front , I want to get paid 1 SECOND after I finish!