Negotiating with Woodcutters

[fnstone]

I have a HUGE beech tree that will fall down some day and there is enough wood in it to last me for many years.
It will be too much for me working single handed, but there are some folks with a firewood business about a mile down the road.
It makes sense to me that when the time comes to offer them a deal, where they can have the tree for giving me a share, in manageable sized chunks that I can split later.
I don't know if this is done or what the customary percentages might be and I'd welcome any thoughts on the issue.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Well, first off, welcome!


How much wood do you burn in a year? Do you heat with it? Or just have a fire once in a while for ambiance?

 

[fnstone]

I heat with it & I'd guess I use maybe a couple cords a year.
So far I have cut as I went along to keep ahead of my usage. I have wood on my property and supplement it by scrounging.

 

[treesquirrel]

First, if you hire a firewood peddler to come cut down your tree be sure that if he drops it on your house that he has insurance to cover your loss. It seems like a great deal to trade out for work until you have a huge tree laying in your den on your couch watching your LCD TV.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

It seems like a great deal to trade out for work until you have a huge tree laying in your den on your couch watching your LCD TV.

Yeah, and they'll drink your beer without asking, too. Elms are especially rude, I hear.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

fnstone, it will have to be a pretty big tree to supply a few years worth, then. There's not as much wood in a tree as most people think.


Take a look at this thread:

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=150733


A lot of folks wouldn't believe he could get 10 cords out of a tree. Why? Because it has to be a certifiable MONSTER to get that much out of a tree. There just aren't very many trees that big.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Can't say for your area

Most licensed and insured operations will not drop a tree and process it for the owner for a share of the wood.

First it's not seasoned so he has to sit on the wood so it will take a while for him to recoup any money, plus he has to hope firewood prices don't continue to tank with all the hacks selling out there.

Second, if it's as big a tree as you state and they have to drop it unless it's in an open field with nothing to hit there's probably going to be a climber or bucket truck involved, more expense to cover.

You say the tree is going to fall someday. Is it rotted? If so the take down just became far more dangerous and complicated.

Without more info it's tough to offer options, and I may be full of crap, (yes, it happens from time to time), but I really doubt any pros are going to get into something like this for a cord or two of green wood.

Take Care

 

[teatersroad]

not saying one can't do both, but a woodcutter and a faller are not one in the same. Most firewood harvested around here is dead and down, and falling a rotted tree, esp. near a structure, is not for the unskilled, uninsured, or faint of heart. You may have to pay to have it dropped, and to you go the spoils.

 

[Walt41]

Like others have said, you are better off paying an insured professional to drop and cut it. If for no other reason than to avoid an insurance nightmare, you should play it safe, as to negotiation, get three bids and go with the one that gives you the most confidence, treat it like an interview, rather than a negotiation.