treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
I will leave broken wood on at times planning to remove later after holes in canopy fill in. Sunscald can be an issue too.
Working hurricanes
- Thread starter Mapleman
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
I will leave broken wood on at times planning to remove later after holes in canopy fill in. Sunscald can be an issue too.
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
The bucket is just another tool a tree company should have. Not just for removals. There is not a human being small enough to get out and make some cuts that would be beneficial so as not to just make the best cut under the circumstances with a climber. Esp in storm damage repair.
tree md
Addicted to ArboristSite
Doing storm damage where there are multiple trees to prune on individual properties a bucket or lift is indispensable. Much more efficient than climbing.
9K in 11 days is ? One guy for 10 days. 9K is one day for my crew at best, two days max, half crew. Lots of wear and tear.
Jeff
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
Could not fit one in on many of the old Carolina homes that Guy works on. Combine the small yard, 90 ft oaks and non-coated high-tension primaries on the street...
arborworks1
ArboristSite Operative
gr8scott72
Addicted to ArboristSite
Yup, just me. I probably netted $8k after ALL expenses (travel, gas, diesel, lodging, replacement teeth, other supplies, food)
arborworks1
ArboristSite Operative
See now that is good money in 11 days after expenses that is 725 per day. if you can do that with each man on a crew you are doing very well. Keep it up.
That is pretty good money after all said expenses I believe. Not great but I would go for it.
That is pretty good money after all said expenses I believe. Not great but I would go for it.
I am confused and sorry for it. 9K in 11 days and you net 8K!, gas, lodging, etc., less than 1K overhead on all those days? I am am amazed.
Jeff
arborworks1
ArboristSite Operative
Its only one man, not like he was feeding an army, plus the grinder is pretty good on fuel. And if was doing it right, he was working door to door in a nice neighborhood, maybe moving truck 4 times a day.
If you make a plan and work it, storm work can be pretty rewarding.
If you make a plan and work it, storm work can be pretty rewarding.
O.K., I am just saying that is great to live on less than 100 dollars a day that includes gas, food, lodging, and all the other expences! Like I said, wow, good job!
Jeff
Jeff
Mapleman
ArboristSite Operative
This thread is covering a lot of ground, and there's a lot that's caught my attention in individual posts, but rather than respond to them all, individually, I'm just gonna write a missive and see what sticks.
Ice storms seem to generate more in the way of tree reparation--at least that's been my experience. Not to say that you don't get into the whole "euc man" persona on occasion, removing uprooted trees from houses, cutting down trees that have been tweeked beyond repair, or taking out whole leaders that have been damaged with no hope of regeneration. But by and large, for a climber, ice storms involve removing hangers and cracked branches and knowing tree species and how they will respond to bigger cuts.
A general rule that I've used in pruning is to never take a branch back to a side branch that is less than one-third the diameter of the main branch you are working on. But rules are made to be broken. Sometimes, when there are no healthy, structurally sound sides branches, I'll stub the main branch off rather than taking it back to the trunk. I'll do this when the tree is a quick-growing species, or has become very lopsided and I want to fill in a blank area, or the cut back to the branch collar will be so large that the already storm-impacted tree will need more resources to heal the new wound. This kind of reparation isn't a one shot deal and necessitates returning over a period of a few years to "groom" the new growth or maybe remove the shootless stub. Storm reparation is becoming a lost art as the technical climbing expertise to limb walk and set up safely using two ropes, and to make the correct cuts using polesaws and handsaws seems beyond the sensibilities, patience, and capabilities of many climbers.
I've worked many more hurricanes than ice storms, and what I've seen is that typically the severity of damage (big uprooted trees impacting roofs and hung up in other trees; tops blown out; trees wrecked beyond repair; backyards crisscrossed with a dozen trees) is much greater than ice storms. This doesn't mean though that the amount of work is greater. A big ice storm can sometimes cover a greater area than a 'cane and the work can go on for months. Obviously, buckets are a huge asset if you are working a winter ice storm. Climbing frozen trees sucks, period.
I've learned not to chase 'canes unless they impact a moderately to heavily populated area and the winds have been consistently clocked at over 100 mph. The idea is to get to ground zero quickly and establish a work perimeter, just like you are going to war, which in effect, you are. Typically, depending on the size and power of the 'cane, the big money will be made in the first two to three weeks--removing trees from houses and other structures that are insured. The first two questions I ask a HO is "What did your insurance agent say?" and "Did you take photos?" The usual responses are: "My agent said do whatever it takes." and "I took two rolls of film." At this point, it's pretty much name your own price, especially if the structural integrity of the house is in question, or the roof needs a temporary patch once the offending tree is removed. Offering to cover the HOs deductible and to patch the roof once the tree is off usually seals the deal.
Because every Little Tom Hacker and his merry band of shoeless tree urchins has now discovered that hurricanes can equate into fast money, it's important to establish yourself quickly in a suburban area and use your first jobs as references for future work. If all goes well it will be a chain reaction. The hackers will quickly work themselves out of a neighborhood due to all the collateral damage they do, their cut throat, swaggering mentality, or simply that they look more like pirates than tree men. What will set your apart from the "barefoot boys" is a professional attitude and the ability to convince the HO that you have the technical ability to safely remove several tons of wood from their home without causing additional damage. Having a photo album of past storms you have worked, references, or access to a crane can sometimes be the difference between landing a $9500 insurance job and clearing someone's driveway by the hour--not to say that good money can't be made freeing up a doctor's or lawyer's driveway. Personally, I like to finish a job once I've started it, ie, getting all the dangerous, threatening stuff done. You can always come back for the pruning and tree reparation. Having two or more competent climbers is a big plus, as you can be bidding the next job as your buddy is finishing up one.
I generally work as long as there is light, so 12-14 hour days, seven days a week are SOP. But there will come a point when you need to just back off, do some bidding and maintenance, and rest your body. Otherwise, you'll burn out and fry. Camping out while doing all this is sometimes necessary as accomodations are stretched thin. Personally, I like to motel it or rent a room in a house because if I'm working those long hours I need some creature comforts.
The thing that turns me on the most about 'canes is that you often have to improvise to get a job done. The degree of technical difficulty can be huge. I've done jobs by hand that very few others would touch without a crane. These jobs are both extremely satisifying and finanacially rewarding. And in the end, that's what it's all about.
Ice storms seem to generate more in the way of tree reparation--at least that's been my experience. Not to say that you don't get into the whole "euc man" persona on occasion, removing uprooted trees from houses, cutting down trees that have been tweeked beyond repair, or taking out whole leaders that have been damaged with no hope of regeneration. But by and large, for a climber, ice storms involve removing hangers and cracked branches and knowing tree species and how they will respond to bigger cuts.
A general rule that I've used in pruning is to never take a branch back to a side branch that is less than one-third the diameter of the main branch you are working on. But rules are made to be broken. Sometimes, when there are no healthy, structurally sound sides branches, I'll stub the main branch off rather than taking it back to the trunk. I'll do this when the tree is a quick-growing species, or has become very lopsided and I want to fill in a blank area, or the cut back to the branch collar will be so large that the already storm-impacted tree will need more resources to heal the new wound. This kind of reparation isn't a one shot deal and necessitates returning over a period of a few years to "groom" the new growth or maybe remove the shootless stub. Storm reparation is becoming a lost art as the technical climbing expertise to limb walk and set up safely using two ropes, and to make the correct cuts using polesaws and handsaws seems beyond the sensibilities, patience, and capabilities of many climbers.
I've worked many more hurricanes than ice storms, and what I've seen is that typically the severity of damage (big uprooted trees impacting roofs and hung up in other trees; tops blown out; trees wrecked beyond repair; backyards crisscrossed with a dozen trees) is much greater than ice storms. This doesn't mean though that the amount of work is greater. A big ice storm can sometimes cover a greater area than a 'cane and the work can go on for months. Obviously, buckets are a huge asset if you are working a winter ice storm. Climbing frozen trees sucks, period.
I've learned not to chase 'canes unless they impact a moderately to heavily populated area and the winds have been consistently clocked at over 100 mph. The idea is to get to ground zero quickly and establish a work perimeter, just like you are going to war, which in effect, you are. Typically, depending on the size and power of the 'cane, the big money will be made in the first two to three weeks--removing trees from houses and other structures that are insured. The first two questions I ask a HO is "What did your insurance agent say?" and "Did you take photos?" The usual responses are: "My agent said do whatever it takes." and "I took two rolls of film." At this point, it's pretty much name your own price, especially if the structural integrity of the house is in question, or the roof needs a temporary patch once the offending tree is removed. Offering to cover the HOs deductible and to patch the roof once the tree is off usually seals the deal.
Because every Little Tom Hacker and his merry band of shoeless tree urchins has now discovered that hurricanes can equate into fast money, it's important to establish yourself quickly in a suburban area and use your first jobs as references for future work. If all goes well it will be a chain reaction. The hackers will quickly work themselves out of a neighborhood due to all the collateral damage they do, their cut throat, swaggering mentality, or simply that they look more like pirates than tree men. What will set your apart from the "barefoot boys" is a professional attitude and the ability to convince the HO that you have the technical ability to safely remove several tons of wood from their home without causing additional damage. Having a photo album of past storms you have worked, references, or access to a crane can sometimes be the difference between landing a $9500 insurance job and clearing someone's driveway by the hour--not to say that good money can't be made freeing up a doctor's or lawyer's driveway. Personally, I like to finish a job once I've started it, ie, getting all the dangerous, threatening stuff done. You can always come back for the pruning and tree reparation. Having two or more competent climbers is a big plus, as you can be bidding the next job as your buddy is finishing up one.
I generally work as long as there is light, so 12-14 hour days, seven days a week are SOP. But there will come a point when you need to just back off, do some bidding and maintenance, and rest your body. Otherwise, you'll burn out and fry. Camping out while doing all this is sometimes necessary as accomodations are stretched thin. Personally, I like to motel it or rent a room in a house because if I'm working those long hours I need some creature comforts.
The thing that turns me on the most about 'canes is that you often have to improvise to get a job done. The degree of technical difficulty can be huge. I've done jobs by hand that very few others would touch without a crane. These jobs are both extremely satisifying and finanacially rewarding. And in the end, that's what it's all about.
Last edited:
oldirty
Addicted to ArboristSite
hey mapleman. next storm that gives you the urge to drive to , i am hopping in with you. got all my own gear too.
gr8scott72
Addicted to ArboristSite
And I'll bring the skid steer and the grinder. :greenchainsaw:
gr8scott72
Addicted to ArboristSite
stihlhere
ArboristSite Member
hay gr8scott72
hay what kind of tracks are those on your skid steer??
hay what kind of tracks are those on your skid steer??
tree md
Addicted to ArboristSite
Hey, you know how I work. That's what makes us specialized. But the guys who are hitting it quick and racking up the quick dollars are the ones with buckets and lifts. Equipment makes money in storms... But I know I don't have to explain that to you.
tree md
Addicted to ArboristSite
Here's what I do when it happens in my area.
First, I call my customer base and make sure they are OK, driveway is clear(insurance usually pays up to $500 for this and it can usually be done in less than an hour), can get out to get groceries, have firewood as the power is out. I take care of those who have taken care of me first. Then I set up "triage" if you will. I get the crane service online and start out with trees on houses. then I start "mitigating hazards" I get the hanging limbs and hazards out of the trees and come back later to make proper "healing", pruning cuts. Much later comes stump grinding in my organization. In an emergency storm situation, stumps are the last thing on my mind.
If I work in another state or locale, I try to hook up with somebody local to begin with, establish a number and go from there. It helps if you are established with good credentials elsewhere (IE A+ BBB rating/established service record, etc) and have a portfolio.
Mapleman explained it well. It's obvious he has extensive storm experience. I know for a fact that JPS and many others here do as well. Don't be afraid to contract a climber or indeed, a large company to help out with your overflow. It benefits your community and yourself.
First, I call my customer base and make sure they are OK, driveway is clear(insurance usually pays up to $500 for this and it can usually be done in less than an hour), can get out to get groceries, have firewood as the power is out. I take care of those who have taken care of me first. Then I set up "triage" if you will. I get the crane service online and start out with trees on houses. then I start "mitigating hazards" I get the hanging limbs and hazards out of the trees and come back later to make proper "healing", pruning cuts. Much later comes stump grinding in my organization. In an emergency storm situation, stumps are the last thing on my mind.
If I work in another state or locale, I try to hook up with somebody local to begin with, establish a number and go from there. It helps if you are established with good credentials elsewhere (IE A+ BBB rating/established service record, etc) and have a portfolio.
Mapleman explained it well. It's obvious he has extensive storm experience. I know for a fact that JPS and many others here do as well. Don't be afraid to contract a climber or indeed, a large company to help out with your overflow. It benefits your community and yourself.
Last edited:
