Really, You want me to work for scrap!

[newb]

We must be the only industry that our customers want us to work for the scrap. Have you ever heard someone ask a roofer to re-roof their house and for payment you can keep the old shingles. How about a plumber, they could keep the old sink. REALLY!!

 

[StihlRockin']

Every now and then a customer tries to get their foot into the door of discount by mentioning the big price of firewood that I'm privileged to get from them. Say nothing I had to earn it by going there for the estimate, come back to do the job, bring the tree safely to the ground, cut it into "firewood", then move it to the vehicle/truck, then load it, then unload it, then split it, then stack it to dry. Yes, I am privileged to get their firewood and for that they should get a discount.

StihlRockin'

 

[OLD OAK]

We must be the only industry that our customers want us to work for the scrap. Have you ever heard someone ask a roofer to re-roof their house and for payment you can keep the old shingles. How about a plumber, they could keep the old sink. REALLY!!

I have got that from a customer before, most of the time i try to feel them out on the phone before i waste my time going there. I don't understand how they can think that will bring 4 guys and $1000.00 worth of equipment to there property and all i get is unprocessed fire wood.

 

[treeclimber101]

I did a job taking out a monster white oak , the customer had to have every stick of that wood with the intentions of selling it out of boxes to hopefully make a million , he thought he was really getting one over on me , I see that pile daily or whenever I glance at it rotting away covered in tall grass . Won't be long til I charge him to go clean it all up .

 

[imagineero]

Whenever a possible client mentions the price of firewood I mention a discount if they keep the wood. It clears up the misunderstanding quickly without being insulting.

I've found that to be an effective technique also. There's another common misconception that yard trees can be turned into valuable lumber for $$$ profit. Not the case, and I generally chip everything unless I can find someone to take the wood for free as firewood. Had an owners son who is a pizza guy turn up to a job last week which was a 3 day job, 2 camphor laurels with barrels 6'+ . We had a conversation something like the following;

pizza guy "you must make millions off all that wood"
me "quite the opposite. But you're welcome to as much of it as you'd like"
pizza guy "you'll let me keep it for free?"
me "I'll pay you $1,000 in cash today if you'll take it away"
pizza guy "but how am I going to move it?"
me "I'll lend you my truck, for free"
pizza guy "but how am I going to be able to pick it up?"
me "now you're getting the idea"

 

[StihlRockin']

wrong post, can't delete. Sorry.

 

[treesmith]

We are lucky here, most wood that's too big for the chipper gets stacked up roadside and is gone by next day, two tops, we've had big 5'+ dia trees go within a few hours. Everyone wants fire wood and good stuff is $300+ a tonne. The very best stuff finds it's way to my lean-to for my garden fire, shed or mates pizza oven

 

[capetrees]

I did a job taking out a monster white oak , the customer had to have every stick of that wood with the intentions of selling it out of boxes to hopefully make a million , he thought he was really getting one over on me , I see that pile daily or whenever I glance at it rotting away covered in tall grass . Won't be long til I charge him to go clean it all up .

Priced a similar tree, a bit lower because i was going to make the money off the firewood. Wife hired me to do the job. Half way through the job, husband comes out, tells me he wants the wood. Totally pissed me off. He was probably 75-80 years old. Left it all by the side of the driveway, 18"-20" diameter logs down to 8" logs, all 4'-8' long piled in the briars. I'm sure the wife was REAL happy.

 

[imagineero]

Priced a similar tree, a bit lower because i was going to make the money off the firewood. Wife hired me to do the job. Half way through the job, husband comes out, tells me he wants the wood. Totally pissed me off. He was probably 75-80 years old. Left it all by the side of the driveway, 18"-20" diameter logs down to 8" logs, all 4'-8' long piled in the briars. I'm sure the wife was REAL happy.

I've not ever made money off the firewood, but i've often reduced my cost by giving it away. At the quoting stage i make it clear to clients that if they want to keep some of the barrel I can offer them a slightly reduced price. It's a little extra work to block it up, but that's more than made up for by not having to rip it, lug it out and chip it. If I were ever in a position where I was offering a client a reduced price based on making money off the firewood, that would be made clear at the quoting stage.