I've got a 4-acre yard with 80 pecan trees. We had a storm and there are tons of sticks and limbs to pick up by hand. Pretty back-breaking work. I'd estimate it to take about 10 hours total. How much to charge?
Pick up sticks
Randall Riley
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I've got a 4-acre yard with 80 pecan trees. We had a storm and there are tons of sticks and limbs to pick up by hand. Pretty back-breaking work. I'd estimate it to take about 10 hours total. How much to charge?
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12,484 Posts
No way I'd do that by hand. Do you have a pull behind rake of some sort?
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7,801 Posts
What's you basic labor hourly rate? What does your contract say? What did you discuss with the client for when this situation happens?
Heavy tree covered property this is something that should be addressed during the sign up process. What are you doing about the leaf fall?
Heavy tree covered property this is something that should be addressed during the sign up process. What are you doing about the leaf fall?
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240 Posts
Just a little more info. No actual contract. I have no tools for this other than simply picking them up by hand. I was figuring about $25/hr. but wanted to make sure I wasn't being exorbitant and my pricing was comparable.
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7,801 Posts
My business can't sell work at $25 per hour. I would be making sure you can if your gonna sell it. I like to pay myself more then $25 per hour also things like bills and food need to be bought.
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240 Posts
Thanks for the input. I just told the customer that the pick up alone will be close to $300. I cut it for another $125 afterward, with no weedeating involved.
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11,827 Posts
That sounds awfully cheap. How did you estimate only 10 hours? Is everything you pick up staying onsite and if so, how far do you have to move them where the client wants them?
My god that sounds awful. Any way to sub it out to someone with the right tools to get this done quickly and efficiently? And you not killing yourself...
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1,710 Posts
Work out a time and material contract. Labor rate $45/man hour, haul away fee $125.00/ load and dump fee $75.00/ load. Be clear to include travel time with your invoice. If you need a chipper, see what the rental cost is and add 20%. Seems like a job to make good money.
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44 Posts
Some time (and your back) can be saved by using one of these trash picker uppers. Only $16.
I have this style and it works good on sticks and smaller branches. Drag a plastic garbage bucket around and use the tool to pick up debris.
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240 Posts
I have a 4 footer but I can pick up a handful of sticks, per bend, a lot quicker than my grabber.
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1,710 Posts
Use to play pick up sticks when I was a kid
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42 Posts
lots of bending over can set my vertigo off.. so these do come in handy at times
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240 Posts
Branches, limbs, sticks. Some of all over the four acres.
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