charging for splitting wood.

[Gologit]

I recently used my woodsplitter to help out a friend in town with a storm-downed tree...no charge,just helping out. While we were working quite a number of people stopped by who needed wood split and wanted to know if I was in business (I'm not) and what I'd charge. I have no idea what people charge in this area...Northern California, and I don"t want to step on anybody's toes. By the same token,with winter layoff from the woods looming large I don't want to ignore a potential source of revenue. Anybody got any ideas?

 

[jp hallman]

If the wood is easy to get to and you just have to split and toss it. I'd not work for any less than $25.00 per hour. You should be able to split a cord of wood an hour under these ideal conditions. If you have to "pack" the wood any distance or if it's oversize where you have to rip it to be able to pick it up, charge more.
Fair enough.

 

[ShoerFast]

boboak
Just rember that people are sometimes fickle, but as you say, it could be some coin!
I think splititng is the single most labor intensive item there is in the whole firewood prosses, from the hip, think of it as 1/4 or a 1/3 of the price of firewood. What ever price you set, hook them on a day that you will be there to do the splitting, and a good swag at what you think it will cost, if a lot of it is not cut well, adjust your price as your service (work) changed. As fickle as people are, they just love having things done for them the right way! It could be a cool side job!

 

[Mike Barcaskey]

I charge $50 an hour, by myself or with the homeowner's help

 

[Newfie]

Make sure you charge by the hour and not by the cord. That way there is no need to figure out how much you actually split and you don't get screwed if they have a messy pile of wood to split or big gnarly stuff. I would consider splitting the wood to be 1/2 - 2/3 the price of a cord of cut,split,delivered. At least $25-30 bucks an hour, plus travel if a distance, otherwise you might as well stay home and beat off to pics in the outdoor forum.

 

[woodho]

I am in SE MA. I have a Timberwolf TW-5 and I charge 40 bucks an hour with a 2 hr minimum. I charge a minimum to make it worth loading everything up. I will buck wood that is already down and split. I don't stack.

Woodho

 

[Schultzz]

Just remember that either loading or towing or unloading, driving there and back, fuel for your vehicle and the splitter, getting the splitter to and from the wood source, (it might be on his lawn and you may not be able to drive your vehicle there), labor, insurance, (what if he tries to help and sticks his hand where it doesn't belong), your labor, metal in the wood, chances are it will take longer than you figured, etc. Don't be afraid to ask for a fair fee. Most folks with splitters are so busy with their own projects that they wouldn't want to spend the better part of a day doing someone else's work. That's why you see unsplit wood everywhere. Helping folks out is great but logsplitters are expensive to buy/run. Make it worth your while. You can always come down from your quote, but you can't go up.

 

[CaseyForrest]

I am currently starting a Splitting business here in Lansing. There is no one in this area that ONLY cuts, splits and stacks, and that is all I want to do. I Am starting out at $25/hour, and will go from there.