I have some dead lilac branches from bushes that need cutting to the ground (as they all shoot out of one root). They are probably 3-4’ thick, 10-12’ tall, and I do not have the tools to cut these without making the job harder than necessary. Someone with a chain saw can knock this out in 20-30 minutes. What should I offer via a free board for the community? I don’t want to offer too little nor do I want to get taken. (Bonus to consider: It’d be great if one could haul away.)
Your thoughts?
Including prep and travel, it is likely to end up being 1.5-2 hours total. I don’t know your age–if elderly you can play that card and offer a case of beer. Money-wise, I’d say $100. Like I say to my friends about carpentry for them–it’s either free or full price.
I just tell my friends its $20 per hour for any type of yardwork. Triming trees, fence repair, ditch digging, painting and even reskinning a deck. They are happy to do it and I pay them at the end of the day in cash.
We just had the exact same job done for us by young man with a pickup, trailer, and chainsaw. He had mailed refrigerator magnets saying “I’ll do anything”, listing a number of similar projects. We paid $100, including haul-away; we offered more, but he declined. A good way to get repeat customers!
If you can find that kind of help, keep ir.
When I did electronics repair, and when Wife 1.0 did legal work, we charged the hourly rate the client made.
Pretty much $100 is the starting point. For any kind of tree work if the person has insurance then $300 is the starting point.
Keep in mind that when you look at a job and think it can be knocked out in 30 minutes, you still need to consider travel to the job site, clean up, etc.
I’ve figured 30 minutes for a yard work job and it took me three hours once I really started. Thirty minutes to put a new chain on the saw, etc.
Look on TaskRabbit for someone to do the work. You should be able to find several “taskers” with quoted rates to come and do it.
I had to search hard to find a regular guy who charges an hourly rate. All former guys would hem and haw and quote a job rate, then ask for more money at the end. This is a big drag.
$20/hour. You may need to research where branches can be hauled to and how much that costs and add on that cost.
Where I live the trash company will pick up branches that are bundled up under 3’ long.
$20/hr seems unlikely to attract someone who both owns a decent chain saw and who also knows how to use it.
I haven’t had a problem getting people to do manual labor for $20/hr when they know it is not taxed and that I am not hovering over them constantly. I try to be a bit lenient towards people who are helping me out, sweating in my place and have chainsaws.
I agree, considering a new chain costs around $20.