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What would you charge for clearing an acre of woodland/houselot ?

Started by Madman_Mark, March 21, 2010, 06:48:25 PM

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Madman_Mark

Got a call today from someone who needs a houselot cut. The piece is about 200 feet by 200 feet and they want about 20 feet left on each side for privacy. I took a look at it this afternoon and its mostly old fir trees,pretty thick, alot of them barely living and alot of them only 6-8 inches in diameter. There are of course some bigger softwoods but not nearly enough to bother sending anything to a mill. They want everything cut ( except the 8 or 10 hardwood trees ) and piled in small piles and left there in about 8 foot lenghts, no problem because most of its pretty small but still labour intensive. No machine required. I took a good look at it and told them Id do it for $2000.00 ( Canadian ), the whole 200 by 200 foot lot, no machine , just me and my Stihl. Does this sound reasonable to you....it is pretty thick in most places.

chevytaHOE5674

You must be very ambitious to pile up 8' long logs 8+" in diameter without some kind of equipment.

Jamie_C

It would greatly depend on what they mean by "small piles" and what they want done with the brush. If you can "trail cut" the lot like you would when cutting for a forwarder and not do much else then $2000 is pretty good deal for you.

bill m

If you are stacking everything including the brush than I would not do it for that amount. Have you figured out an hourly wage you need to get and how long it will take you to do the job?
NH tc55da Metavic 4x4 trailer Stihl and Husky saws

chucker

2500.00 and i keep the wood! theres nothing wrong with good ole manual labor!! it beats paying the gym for a member ship!!! so if it took you a week by your self ? where can you be one with nature and the love of your life(saw)???? lol     go for it...
respect nature ! and she will produce for you !!  jonsered 625 670  2159 2171/28"  efco 147 husky 390xp/28" .375... 455r/auto tune 18" .58 gauge

Rick Alger

Years ago I did a lot of that kind of cutting. They called it "stump cutting" because you piled the wood at the stump. Everybody did four foot lengths then. Fir would usually run ten to fifteen cords to the acre, and it took about a week to do an acre. Sounds like you might do okay.

As Jamie C. suggested have a plan. They do it differently for forwarders than they  did for horses, but I expect the  concepts are similar. Start with the big trees dropped  along the trail with tops aimed out of the way. Buck where the lay. Roll or drag the smaller trees to the pile started with bigger ones. Use trees for runners if you can.

Good luck

Madman_Mark

I dont have to touch any brush. It will be cut the same as if I were cutting for a forwarder ( windrowed ) exept Ill take a bit more time to make the piles larger then I normally would. Alot of the trees are dead and dry so they wont be too heavy to pile. Ill pick away at it for about a month off and on and that should do.

sjfarkas

I think that's too cheap.  I also would think of the property owner.  what are they going to do once it is piled.  I always recomend that one person(contractor) handle the total clearing, but then again I wouldn't turn down any work right now.  if they get hosed on the clean up then it will make you look bad.  Sometimes property owners don't know what they're asking for.  At least make recomendations on how to handle the total project so they can't say "why didn't you tell me".  Just my 2 cents
Always try it twice, the first time could've been a fluke.

Bobus2003

I'd do it (Have done it for less).. Though i'd haul in my Processor and skid steer.. Go through the whole Lot and Fell and Process.. Then go back through and pile the Logs and brush with Skid Steer (Packing the Brush piles or Slashing it down smaller with saw when all piled). I'm guessing they want the wood for firewood, and the brush will be burned.. If i feel that they have the Means i always throw in the idea of Chipping everything. From trunk to limbs.. either giving the lot a nice couple inches of chips or hual it away to the landfill or a bio mass facility

4genlgr

I tried to get 2000-2500 plus the wood depending on the wood i have done some for just the wood

to stump cut a naturally selected fir stand i'd want at least that much
what are they going to do with the wood? hope they have a place to put it  those wood piles alwaays seem to be in the way of the backhoe

Ron Scott

~Ron

plasticweld

I have a couple of acres that I am clearing, It is a house lot that is for sale, a wind storm went through there a few years ago and tipped a bunch of the trees over. tall red pine and spruce, some are dead it is almost a complete clear cut, all that will be left are a few hardwods  to give  some shade if someone builds a house there some day. It is right next to where I am currently working and I am  using this land for one of my truck roads. I am doing it just for the wood and use of the road, I figured I was doing ok and the land owner was making out. Should take me maybe two  three days to cut three trailer loads of pulpwood and maybe get 5 cords of  firewood. I thought it was a sweet deal for me

bill m

I do not give quotations for clearing house lots. All my clearing work is by the hour. I look at a site and give an estimate of the number of hours it will take. If they do not want the firewood I will take it but I do not give credit for it. I turn as much as practical into sawlogs and sell them and all money is return to the landowner. That way it is fair for everyone. I get what I need to make a living and the person who owns the land gets the money for his trees. Prices for clearing range from 2 to 6 thousand per acre depending on the site.
NH tc55da Metavic 4x4 trailer Stihl and Husky saws

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