Anyone ever split wood for people?

[chucker]

it really is simple! making a wage is better than none!
my simple rule is 1 and a half times the cost of production.. more is better, but with anything theres always chances of failure!! i choose the first chance to a seconed chance and no wage.. a hand out were usually not looking for with a venture like this just want a reasonable pay for a reasonable trade of work/wage.... press on friend!!

 

[genesis5521]

I'm in Northern Wisconsin. Around here, a full cord of split hardwood/firewood, delivered and stacked, goes for $175 to $200. I enjoy cutting trees and making firewood. So a couple of years ago, I posted an ad on a local message board. I offered to cut what ever trees they wanted from their property, and split and stack the wood, all for $25 a face cord. Minimum of a full cord for $75. I figured $10 for gas, and can do a full cord a day (I'm 66 and a little slow), so I'd make $65. Now that's not much, but I would have been happy with it. Didn't get one single taker. I guess everyone around here just enjoys making firewood as much as I do.

Don <><

 

[avalancher]

The value of one's time is often impacted by how desperately the person needs money. If it's a matter of putting food on the table, a person's time becomes less valuable. That is, I'll work for $10.00 to buy groceries if I'm desperate but will work for $20.00/hr if it's just to put a few bucks in my pocket.

Chasing work isn't really viable. If a person is in the vicinity and sees wood to be split, check it out. Might be a work opportunity. On the other hand, driving around looking for work would incur unnecessary expense. Put the word out that you do that kind of work, buy a magnetic sign for the pickup door, list your service in Craig's List or Kijiji, maybe spend a few bucks on business cards. Might be slow to start but once the word is out, things might pick up.

OK, now for the hole shot......

If you have young children, take one with you. Dress them in some tattered clothes and give them a little lunch pail to hold and take them with you. Guaranteed work and likely a good tip!

Sorry, but this is very poor advise. The second you print up some business cards or worse yet hang a sign on your truck you are now officially a business, and you are required to have a business license and insurance.Think you wont get caught?Think again. There are plenty of folks out there that look for that kind of guy. They see the sign on the door and then hire you. When the work is completed they whip out their check book and say, "hm.Who do I make the check out to?Your business name?oh, just your name. You dont have a license? Well, I aint paying a dime to someone who doesnt have a license. Sue me if you want to."

And back into the house they go.And you dont have a leg to stand on. And worse yet, they may claim you damaged the lawn or the bushes. And I wont even touch the idea of dragging small children along to elicit sympathy and business from folks. OSHA loves it when folks drop a dime on something like that.

 

[1grnlwn]

Been in the service business for 15 years and never had anyone ask me if I am licensed. I'm sure it varies by state. Also I don't give a rats @$$ if you are licensed or not if they don't want to pay you yo aint gettin no money!

 

[avalancher]

Been in the service business for 15 years and never had anyone ask me if I am licensed. I'm sure it varies by state. Also I don't give a rats @$$ if you are licensed or not if they don't want to pay you yo aint gettin no money!

If you are licensed you have far less problem with folks refusing to pay because they know that you have recourse if they dont cough up the cash. Small claims court, contractors liens, etc can make life miserable for non payers. However, most guys who operate without a license generally dont want to fool around with the court systems because the penalty for working without a license can be harsh, and that is not even mentioning what the IRS can do if they are alerted by local authorities.

I keep my firewood sales off the books because there really isnt enough profit for me to have to share with Uncle Sam, but the second I hand over a business card and offer a estimate on any tree work its on the books.Folks often offer to pay cash if I dont write it up to avoid the sales tax, but I wont play ball that way unless I know them real well.

Many years ago I built a deck for some folks, and agreed to do it for cash. Once the job was all done the guy let me know he worked for the local IRS office, and let me know in no uncertain terms he didnt have a problem reporting me for working off the books. Instead of the hassle and audit, he got his deck for free and never again have I worked for cash. I learned many years later the guy made a habit of getting work done on his house for free in this fashion after a contractor decided to make things warm for him and reported him. Sure, the contractor ended up being in hot water himself, but he took that IRS agent right along with him.

Nope, you advertise, you better be licensed and pay your taxes. Just aint worth the risk. The only exception I make is in firewood sales, if asked i show em my license and just tell folks I pay the sales tax on the load myself.

 

[Dalmatian90]

Many years ago I built a deck for some folks, and agreed to do it for cash. Once the job was all done the guy let me know he worked for the local IRS office, and let me know in no uncertain terms he didnt have a problem reporting me for working off the books. Instead of the hassle and audit, he got his deck for free

Should've sent him a 1099 for the value of the deck, along with a photo of it, and a notes of thanks for his business advice.

And copied a few layers of bosses above him.

Gonna guess he never claimed the value of "gifts" received on his taxes.

 

[olyman]

Should've sent him a 1099 for the value of the deck, along with a photo of it, and a notes of thanks for his business advice.

And copied a few layers of bosses above him.

Gonna guess he never claimed the value of "gifts" received on his taxes.

an irs agent?????? why,,how can you say such a thing?????? dishonest???? conniving...cheat their own mother?? nawwwwwwww

 

[blackdogon57]

In Canada you don't require a license for doing most odd jobs. The government does of course want you to report the net income. Just
because you only accept cash doesn't necessarily mean that you are not going to report the income. If you give a receipt then you best report
that job on your tax return. In five years I have given 1 receipt for selling firewood to residential customers.

If you get into doing big jobs and are worried about getting paid then you should get a 50% deposit on the job or insist on getting paid
as the work gets done. if you get a bad feeling about a potential customer you should trust your intuition and walk away from the job. Some
people are just not worth the hassle of doing work for.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Only for Friends...

I have split wood for friends and don't charge them anything. They soon find out that first cutting rounds, then loading their truck, unloading for splitting, and then loading it back up while I split is enough exercise for one day. On the way home, they suddenly realize that they have to again unload the wood and stack it.

After doing this last year, one guy said, "Heck, from here on out, I'm buying a load of your firewood already split and dry."

 

[Jules083]

I have split wood for friends and don't charge them anything. They soon find out that first cutting rounds, then loading their truck, unloading for splitting, and then loading it back up while I split is enough exercise for one day. On the way home, they suddenly realize that they have to again unload the wood and stack it.

After doing this last year, one guy said, "Heck, from here on out, I'm buying a load of your firewood already split and dry."

I was going to haul the splitter, not the wood. Hook the splitter to the ATV and drive everything on the trailer, then drive off the trailer right over to the woodpile. Hell that's what I did with my TSC splitter when spliting for friends even, it's easier for the ATV to pull a splitter than it is for me to pick up a log.

 

[borat]

Re the IRS guy and the deck.

I would have left him the deck as well. However, I would have shown him what a well tuned Jonsereds 630 will do to a newly built deck. Then I'd let him clean it up.

If he reports you, he's opening up a sh!tcan of trouble for both of you.