Pricing Help

[4x4American]

Howdy,
I got my first real order from a paying customer. They wanted a 12" x 12" popple timber 8' long, then cut with a chainsaw in a way that they can drive a truck up it and have 30" of flat on the top, so pretty much ramps. I got it done today. Took awhile finding a decent sized popple log. I need to figure out what I oughta get for it. Any ideas about how I should charge? I was thinking to do whatever board feet for the timber, and then by the hour for the chainsaw part. Didn't take long at all to do that.
Thanks, Doug

 

[Dave Boyt]

Close to 100 board feet each. I'd be in the $60 to $80 range for something like that. Depends on the value of the log itself. The idea of basing the charge on the value of the log plus your time is pretty reasonable, as long as you charge enough to make it worthwhile. It puts you at a bit of a disadvantage to have the lumber cut, and then negotiate the price, especially something like this where you can't re-saw it if the deal falls through.