Storm Clean-Up

[lukem]

My neighbor had a big white oak branch come down last night. This branch is the size of a tree...about 14" x 50' long.

They called and asked if I would be willing to clean it up and asked how much I would charge them. They don't want the wood...it is 100 yards from my house...and pretty easy to get to with the ATV. All brush needs to be hauled out - probably one load that I could dump just up the road (1/4 mile....could drive the ATV to it).

I know some guys do some side work and I'd appreciate some input on what to charge for a job like this. I want to be reasonable but not short myself either.

 

[TimJ]

sounds like a two to three hour job.................$50

 

[BobUrban]

you are getting the wood? Do it for free and ask that they put you in the front of the line for any other opportunities. Storms happen, people talk, others chime in.... Hey, my neighbor burns wood and did a nice job cleaning up our yard when tree blew down

Charge the tertiery opportunists that come a calling on your service depending on the amount of work and required clean up.

 

[lukem]

This is one of those situations where I don't need the wood, can get all wood I want whenever I want for free without handling any brush, and their neighbors don't want to feel like they are taking advantage of me...they want to be fair to both of us.

 

[bigbarf48]

50 dollars is what id charge

 

[Backwoods Savage]

How about $10 plus the wood. After all, they are neighbors.

 

[bmblank]

Yeah, I'd do it for free, then they'd insist on paying something and I'd resist and they'd try to push it on me then eventually I'd give in and take the 20 or whatever they're pushing on me.

 

[eclecticcottage]

Hmm...well, we tried cutting the lawn for a neighbor when her husband was out of the country and their riding lawn tractor broke. and she stuck a note with $50 to our door before she left (it's a second home for them). I get how some people just feel like they HAVE to pay. We had a neighbor down the street come move a shed for us with his Chevy HD, and he said "pay me what it's worth to you" when we asked what he wanted for it. Maybe ask what they feel it's worth to them? Otherwise $50 sounds like a decent deal.

 

[Shane N]

Tell them to donate $50 to a charity of their choice if you don't want the money, and they want to pay.

 

[Jack Fate]

My neighbors are mooches so I can't answer this . It's all oneway help them & my tools & fuel &time on their schedule

Good neighbors are a blessing, 25 yrs ago I had some , I have some great memories

Cheers

 

[ScotO]

a job like that, with removing the branches and cleaning everything up nice and tidy, would command 50 to 75 bucks in my book. BUT, being they are your neighbors, I'd be doing it for a fraction of that price. I treat those around me like that when warranted......

Kinda like "paying it forward", maybe they'll see what an asset you are to the neighborhood and good things will come your way. Not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling you'll get by helping someone out. The word will get out about you, and before you know it, you'll get more wood out of it! That's how I got my start in tree removal. I don't have to advertise, I charge a very reasonable price and my name and reputation sell my service.....

 

[lukem]

Thanks. I'm thinking $20 or $30....good neighbor discount. If it wasn't for the brush I'd do it for free. I hate brush.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

A monk asked: "At the top of a 100-foot pole, how do I step forward?" Grasshopper, you must look inside yourdself and and see that the only step left for you is a step in the direction of kindness.

 

[Bocefus78]

$20 or $30 is shorting yourself IMO. I would be in the $75-$100 range and thats with the neighbor discount. Call around. See if any of the landscapers would get out there for any less. I bet they wouldn't. The brush is the crappy part and normally dumping involves fees in my neck of the woods. If you do it for less, they are going to want you to be that cheap in the future also. Do a good job, blow the chips around as to not leave piles every 16", etc and I think they would be more than happy.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hmm...well, we tried cutting the lawn for a neighbor when her husband was out of the country and their riding lawn tractor broke. and she stuck a note with $50 to our door before she left (it's a second home for them). I get how some people just feel like they HAVE to pay. We had a neighbor down the street come move a shed for us with his Chevy HD, and he said "pay me what it's worth to you" when we asked what he wanted for it. Maybe ask what they feel it's worth to them? Otherwise $50 sounds like a decent deal.

Reminds me of a neighbor who I helped out. I refused any payment. So a few days later we got some mail. Inside was the dollars I had refused. What can you do? lol

 

[bmblank]

I've heard of something like that going on for weeks and weeks. Somebody puts an envelope in somebody elses, then a few days later its back in the mailbox of the original somebody and back and forth ad nauseum.

 

[greg13]

I'm a firm believer in what goes around, comes around. There may come a day when you may need a "favor" from them, Medical problems, car problems etc.

 

[stephiedoll]

Easy for me to say take the money, but I was in your shoes a month ago, about half that size or so. I just took the firewood leaving the brush. After a week or so, I went over and grabed that as well. I beleive in the pay it forward so will never take a dime for it. About 30 miles to dump the brush for free, otherwise, would have to pay a fee to dump. Like you, I got a nice load of wood for the future.

 

[Woody Stover]

I get how some people just feel like they HAVE to pay

It seems some have trouble just accepting a favor. Maybe they feel like they would owe you otherwise...

 

[Locust Post]

neighbors are supposed to help neighbors........you like to cut wood as much as the rest of us around here do and you are getting the wood so the only real work you are doing that you wouldn't be doing anyway is moving 1 load of brush for a neighbor. I say just do it and when they want to pay you tell them I cut wood all the time anyway no thanks. It will come back it usually does.

 

[firefighterjake]

Firm believer in the "what comes around goes around" philosophy . . . and in this case a little more work and you've got some karma (one could even say a "favor" in the pocket) built up . . . plus some firewood.

To me having good neighbors is worth so much more than money . . . neighbors who are friendly and don't mind your cats visiting them, neighbors who you invite over to a Thanksgiving dinner when they're home alone, neighbors who lend you their tools and you do the same, neighbors to watch the house when you're away on vacation . . .

Me . . . I would thank the folks for the wood, but tell them the money is not needed. If they insist perhaps suggest they use it to buy dinner one night and you can all get together.

 

[Got Wood]

I would (and have) done it for free. That being said, reading through this I had another angle to consider - are there any teenagers near by that you could do this with and have them handle the brush clean up and give them the money. Teens like cash!