FEMA Line Clearance

[NebClimber]

How much per "hanger" will FEMA pay to trim over power lines?

I live in a rural area in the midwest. The local power supplier has secured asistance from FEMA to clean up after a January 1st ice storm. They have never worked with FEMA nor have I. FEMA asked the power company to count the number of "hangers," that is tree branches growing over power line. The transmission lines run for miles and miles through the rural counties. In my county the power company identified 96 such hangers. They want me to give a price per "hanger" for the work. Or I can bid the job as a whole, without a specific unit price. The trimmings will be chipped by me on site.

I am not a sub in this case. I am the guy with the contract. Please tell me the range per limb/hanger for this type of work. (P.S. I have qualified line clearance workers in place, so please focus your response on price).

Thanks.

 

[diltree]

$50 per hanger

 

[NebClimber]

Thanks for the info diltree.

Anyone else have any input on this one?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I know a guy who is getting $45/tree to do public ROW work right now. The bucket men are expected to be HV certified.

One of the problems, from our standpoint is that there are at least three levels of contracts to FEMA work. the actual crews are usually on level three contract, so two other entities get a cut first.

 

[NebClimber]

John:

Both replies have pegged the work at about $50/hanger. But are these the rates for the master contract, or is $50/hanger the rate paid the guy down the line acutally doing the work?

 

[NebClimber]

Do the prices you all qouted include clean-up such as chipping or hauling? Or is the price of, say $50 per hanger, for cutting only. Also, were these prices in remote areas where the hangers were maybe miles apart, or are these rates for areas where there are several hangers per mile or per block?

Please advise.

Thanks,

SMR

 

[treeseer]

Hey Neb,

Had any good Cuban sandwiches lately?

Price depends on how well-trained your sharpshooter's :Eye:is.

But seriously, What if you see cracks or decay in the hangee and you need to take some of it out? Is there anything in the contract to cover change orders due to the need for more pruning? Last federal contract I did had a built-in hourly to cover these circumstances. It's good to call in regularly when this stuff comes up, so the agency does not get sticker shock at the invoice.

 

[NebClimber]

Guy:

The work is bid on a per-hanger basis. There are 680 total over a territory 54miles east to west by 48 miles north to south. Each has been identified and mapped by by township, range, section, and quarter section. If there are extra hangers I am permitted to get those as well, on the per hanger basis. FEMA has not commissioned other work, such as removal of unsound trees. I will note them however, and try to sell the such extra-contractual work directly to the utility.

So, back to the original question. Do the prices qouted per hanger include debris handling?

SMR

 

[diltree]

No, The prices are to get the hangers down and to the side of the road

 

[BigJohn]

how do you make any money doing that? What about the time getting from hanger to hanger. You need to do like 60 hangers a day to make any money or the same sorta money you would doing normal work.

 

[diltree]

If you can do 4 hangers in an hour thats $200 per hr. for a bucket and two men....... that is double the avg. line clearance crew rate of $90 per hr. and you dont even need a chipper.

I dont know about you guys but my crews can do allot more then 4 hangers an hour......