I'm new to commercial tree work. Been cutting trees for 40 yrs--firewood for myself and in-laws, stand thinning, sold firewood for a few winters, cut many, many loads cedar, locust and osage orange fence posts, done occasional tree removals for friends & neighbors--and now going commercial. I moved to the front range of Colorado last year, and it's too nice not to be working outdoors. Learned double-rope technique climbing, and been using only a pull saw in-tree to begin with--to make any mistakes on a small scale. Just bought a used MS 200t for climbing use--NICE unit, that.
I don't have certification, ISA, or much formal training--I learned basic forestry back in the 1970s and am studying an arborist textbook (Harris, Clark, Matheny), Jerry Beranek's "Fundamentals of General Tree Work," etc. But I've been doing pull-trees for years (where necessary), and I learned basic rigging in other fields (ranching, stagehand work). I know my limits, and will not take on any job unless I can do it safely and do it right. (Will pass on anything over powerlines, etc.)
My biggest difficulty starting out, is figuring price. With low overhead, I can work fairly cheap. But I do not want to be that cheapest-guy-around who's underbidding everyone. I've got a pretty big job to bid on, and would appreciate any help figuring my bid.
It's 5 acres of trees burned in the big Fourmile fire last September. Owner wants the lot cleaned; the trees are fire-kill, many charred. Mostly ponderosa pines, with maybe 20% doug fir, & a handful of junipers. Easy cutting--no structures or powerlines. Gentle slope, can get vehicles pretty much anywhere. Owner says I can chip on the ground. I can rent a chipper from a friend for $750 a week, and I'll pay my hands $12/hr. I have a gas-operated portable winch & 150' bull line, good for skidding limbs, slash, & log lengths. There's sooo much material--even with letting friends buck & haul firewood, and hauling home plenty myself, I'll have to make burn piles (and wait for snow for safe burning). I walked the place in strips to inventory the trees, a total of 625 that break down: 310 @ 6" or less, 230 @ 6-12", 67 @ 12- 18", & 5 @ 18-24" (and a few junipers). Stumps will be cut at ground level (no grinding), 4-6" max height, so my diameters are figured there rather than DBH. All trees are dead, so the slash will weigh less and much of needles will drop in handling. The work shouldn't be tough, but there's a lot of it. Owner isn't fussy, the results don't have to be manicured. Any ideas?
I don't have certification, ISA, or much formal training--I learned basic forestry back in the 1970s and am studying an arborist textbook (Harris, Clark, Matheny), Jerry Beranek's "Fundamentals of General Tree Work," etc. But I've been doing pull-trees for years (where necessary), and I learned basic rigging in other fields (ranching, stagehand work). I know my limits, and will not take on any job unless I can do it safely and do it right. (Will pass on anything over powerlines, etc.)
My biggest difficulty starting out, is figuring price. With low overhead, I can work fairly cheap. But I do not want to be that cheapest-guy-around who's underbidding everyone. I've got a pretty big job to bid on, and would appreciate any help figuring my bid.
It's 5 acres of trees burned in the big Fourmile fire last September. Owner wants the lot cleaned; the trees are fire-kill, many charred. Mostly ponderosa pines, with maybe 20% doug fir, & a handful of junipers. Easy cutting--no structures or powerlines. Gentle slope, can get vehicles pretty much anywhere. Owner says I can chip on the ground. I can rent a chipper from a friend for $750 a week, and I'll pay my hands $12/hr. I have a gas-operated portable winch & 150' bull line, good for skidding limbs, slash, & log lengths. There's sooo much material--even with letting friends buck & haul firewood, and hauling home plenty myself, I'll have to make burn piles (and wait for snow for safe burning). I walked the place in strips to inventory the trees, a total of 625 that break down: 310 @ 6" or less, 230 @ 6-12", 67 @ 12- 18", & 5 @ 18-24" (and a few junipers). Stumps will be cut at ground level (no grinding), 4-6" max height, so my diameters are figured there rather than DBH. All trees are dead, so the slash will weigh less and much of needles will drop in handling. The work shouldn't be tough, but there's a lot of it. Owner isn't fussy, the results don't have to be manicured. Any ideas?
