Ice Storm Cleanup

[White Gardens]

We are slated to receive an Ice-storm in the next 24 hours.

I see the potential to charge for cleanups if there is larger limbs to clean up for people.

I don't want to take advantage of peoples misfortunes, but I see the potential to provide a service and make a few bucks too.

So, would you charge just labor?? $45/hr, no hauling (city pickup), or does that seem too expensive for the circumstances. $45 is what I charge through the year for maintenance.

Any thoughts????

[Herrick]

I think you'd tend to make more by pricing it by the job, just like a leaf clean up.

[BCL Services]

Originally Posted by White Gardens

We are slated to receive an Ice-storm in the next 24 hours.

I see the potential to charge for cleanups if there is larger limbs to clean up for people.

I don't want to take advantage of peoples misfortunes, but I see the potential to provide a service and make a few bucks too.

So, would you charge just labor?? $45/hr, no hauling (city pickup), or does that seem too expensive for the circumstances. $45 is what I charge through the year for maintenance.

Any thoughts????

Price per the job, as more people will approve a price they know of ahead of time, rather than just a labor rate per hour and not nailing it down.

And yes there is potential to make good money, while working very hard....so it isn't taking advantage at all.....just providing a service. Some of my best months ever were after hurricanes and tropical storms that came thru locally. Made good money but worked my a$$ off. Just be ready to respond quickly, cuz people will want action quickly especially with holiday right around corner. Mother nature can generate a ton of business

[KCfireman]

When we had our Ice storm back in 04'....i think. There was no cutting up the branches and chipping it up. Basically the city found a field and dug a huge pit, and i mean huge, they had everyone pile their limbs at the driveways edge and the city trucks and utilitly company trucks came around and picked it up hauled it to the pit where they were burning all the crap. They might do that with you. Just a thought. Stay safe out there.

[White Gardens]

No calls at all. I haven't run into Bloomington to see if their is any carnage at all. It got really close to being very bad. I've never seen a hard rain at 22* in my life. Luckily the temperature slowly spiked this morning and we had a little over a quarter of an inch on everything.

I live 5 minutes outside of Bloomington, (61732) and we are usually the first to loose power if there is any problems, and we didn't.

Sucks when you get the generator setup, extra fuel, and nothing major happens. But, better to be prepared.

Bloomington has a yard waste pick-up program, so, they will pick up anything you put on the curb anyways. Makes a huge difference in expense with my business too, I don't have to invest in large leaf rigs or anything of that nature.

[3MLawnCare]

White Gardens I'm about 20 miles south of you and I've done a few smaller jobs over the weekend. Nothing major just a little supplemental income

[bighaydenslawn]

Yeah I am in NW Indiana and we took a hard hit from the ice storm. Price by the job, b/c the damage varies greatly from home ot home. I would maybe go $35 per hour b/c of the circumstances, all you have is labor and a little chainsaw fuel. Def. pile for the city to pickup, that would be the way to go for sure.