What's a fair price for log splitting?

[Timberwerks]

I'll soon be running add's for log splitting service to offer homeowners and I could use your feedback on what a fair charge would be. I'm thinking in the $35.00 to $45.00 an hour range. $35.00 to split and pile $45.00 split and stack. Depending on the wood I can split an average of a cord an hour, Elm slightly longer.

Dale

 

[Chopwood]

Around here, split and delivered wood is about forty bucks a face. I don't know if you are talking a full cord an hour or not, but 35 bucks to split someone elses wood is pretty steep.

 

[Timberwerks]

Sorry, yes that would be a full cord. Full cord prices around here range from $190 - $250. I'm at $200.00 a cord and $75.00 a face.

Dale

 

[rmihalek]

Why not just sell firewood?

 

[Timberwerks]

I do that as well but I would like to get into this line of work full time so I'm looking into this and summer sales to campers and camp grounds. I also enjoy splitting and I think it might be a worthwhile thing to offer homeowners.

Dale

 

[fwf]

Dale,

Hey, it never hurts to try. You just might find a gold mine. But around these parts it seems like everyone wants all or nothing -- they either buy it split and stacked, or find free wood and do all the work themselves.

As far as price, go with you feel it's worth. People will soon let you know if they think you are out of line.

Joe

 

[Pacific]

In this area its about 30 dollars a cord for someone to split firewood usually a cord per hour depending on what species of wood. I hated splitting firewood when I was in the business I used to buck and have someone else split. If I did split I only did a little bit at a time my back can only take so much maul swinging. If the wood was really hard and it needed wedging then I took my time.

 

[tawilson]

No harm to give it a whirl. Around here a lot of people get there own trailer load of logs then cut and split it themselves. It probably would be cheaper for someone to get the logs and then hire you to process it than to just buy the split wood. I dunno, that would take some cipherin to figure out. Course you would have to buck the wood up also. Let me think some more. Maybe there's a possibilty of you buying the logs, having them delivered to the homeowner, processing them there. It would save handling and transporting the split wood. Should be cheaper for the homeowner and less work for you. I'm just babbling now. Too much coffee. One thing I do know, when you're in business for yourself, even if the service you are offering doen't make a lot of money, a lot of times it will lead to something else just through the extra contacts

 

[Timberwerks]

At this time I have two interested clients for splitting. Both have had trees removed over the last year and had the crew leave the wood for their fire places. One is a man who has rented a splitter and split wood in the past. The spliter rental was $55.00 and he would spend most of the day splitting and end up with maybe a cord and a half. The second client is a woman who had three trees removed a couple years ago and had the wood left there. She thought her son would split it for her but the wood is still un-split. I quoted both at $35.00 an hour and I will stack the wood in a neat pile near the area I'm splitting. $40.00 if they would like it in another area. They are both very happy that I provide this service and the service charge is more than acceptable.
I came up with this rate because a friend of mine does handyman work for a franchise called Handyman Connection. They base all their work on a $50.00 an hour charge. Even if he is sent to change light bulbs and paint a door it's all based on that $50.00 an hour scale.
Who know's maybe splitting wood for homeowners could be worth more than $35.00. I see a number of homes with large logs lying in the yard that are bucked but not split. This kind of planted the idea in my head as well. I'll give it a go and see what happens.

Dale

 

[eyeinstine]

Dale,

Absolutely go for it! Its a great idea... I dont think you'll get rich doing it, but it will fill in some of the free hours you may have...

Print up some cards, or small flyers, and when your out and about, and you see a pile of bucked logs in someones yard, drop in or drop the flier in the front door.

honestly, i think your prices are a bit cheap! Most people will only have a cord, maybe two, sitting from a take down. They get a little better price from the tree guy if he can leave the wood, and they think they'll split it and burn it in their fireplace.. But there the pile sits.....

You gotta count your time getting there, and getting home.. and fuel for the truck and splitter.. If you do a cord an hour, and they only have a cord there, then 35$ hardly covers the fuel, oil, and wear on the splitter and truck.
Personally, i would say 50$ first cord (have to stack, or estimate a cord), 40$ second cord, 35$ there after...

Have fun and good luck,
Ron

 

[spencerhenry]

$35/ hr sounds about right for your neck of the woods, but why would there be a difference in hourly rate for stacking vs a pile, stacked here vs there? sounds backwards to me. i assume you are using a splitter if you can do a full cord an hour. my rate would be higher if i was using my machine than if it was just my time.

 

[Timberwerks]

$35/ hr sounds about right for your neck of the woods, but why would there be a difference in hourly rate for stacking vs a pile, stacked here vs there? sounds backwards to me. i assume you are using a splitter if you can do a full cord an hour. my rate would be higher if i was using my machine than if it was just my time.

The price difference is based on leaving a pile where I am splitting VS loading the wood in a wheel barrow and stacking it neatly in another area. What I have learned from last years sales is the wood I deliver to be stacked is almost always stacked in the garage. The homes I have done splitting at the logs have been left where the tree fell. This will most likely be the case for most jobs. Yes, I am using my splitter so a higher rate may be in order. I'll see how people react when I quote them.

Dale

 

[daddieslilgirl]

i get between 7 and 10.00 an hr depending on the bosses mood ( who also happens to be my dad lol) i can take breaks whenever for coffee a beer and a smoke, but ???? we cut alot of wood!!! on a good day i split a full cord. hes not pickey and im not pickey about the pay, but he has a real harry about not paying when you dont want to take it!! so its easier to humor him and not hurt his feelings. so i just split and split and split!! lol

 

[spencerhenry]

my point about pay rate may have been missed. i you are billing by the hour what difference does it make if you are splitting, stacking, hauling, or cleaning up. on a bid rate or piece rate or flat delivery rate, it is obvious you dont want to spend time hauling. but if they are paying you for your time, it means that you have more time in the job if you are hauling to remote stack, ie more money.

 

[Timberwerks]

my point about pay rate may have been missed. i you are billing by the hour what difference does it make if you are splitting, stacking, hauling, or cleaning up. on a bid rate or piece rate or flat delivery rate, it is obvious you dont want to spend time hauling. but if they are paying you for your time, it means that you have more time in the job if you are hauling to remote stack, ie more money.

Ok, I got ya. Good point, I guess it's my back that want's more money for stacking. Seriously, I will just bid one flat rate. After reading your post it makes sense. I'm still in the mind set that stacking is extra but this should not apply for splitting. Example I get $200.00 a cord free delivery $15.00 additional for stacking. Maybe $45.00 an hour will be a fair charge? This would include labor,gas,stacking and cleanup. I can burn a gallon of gas in an hour splitting. With gas prices the way they are thats $2.50 an hour alone.

Dale

 

[spencerhenry]

exactly

 

[daddieslilgirl]

spencerhenry, einstine, timberwerks and a few others cant remember all of your names...your private messages are coming to my email still. not a problem but iits too weird reading someone elses mail.

 

[Timberwerks]

I think what you are getting is not a pm. Since you made a post in this thread you are now subscribed. This means any new post will be sent to your Email.

Dale

 

[Chainsaw_Maniac]

I say take as much money as you can get. $45/hour is a lot of money, especially if you can string a lot of hours together. (Driving somewhere and spilitting for 8 hours and going home with $40/hour is better than driving somewhere and splitting for 2 hours and going home with 50/hour).

Around here I only get $30/hour Candaian (and that is penuts in US dollars). I should move to where you are.

(I rarely split for an hourly wage because I can make more money in other ways).

 

[Timberwerks]

I think jobs on average will only take 60 - 90 minutes. If I'm lucky I should get 2 - 4 jobs splitting a month. If I can make an additional $300.00 a month a couple months during the year I'll be happy.

Dale