Storm Work Rates?

ROYCE

ROYCE

Carpal tunnel level member
Location
Vermont
I have been approached by another company about 2.5 hours drive from me to help them with storm work. They want to hire me and my crew should a storm roll through and they need another crew to help keep their clients serviced. They want me to put a price together for what I would charge.
I have already put together a price and submitted it to them. It got me thinking though, what are the going rates for storm related work? What would the rate be for a crew of three guys, chip truck, chipper, bucket truck, mini track loader, and a log truck? I mean, you have to make almost double of what you can make staying home right? I did the numbers and unless your starving for work it doesn't pay to leave home with all your equipment to make the same or a slightly higher rate than normal. Plus, traveling adds costs. Food, housing, increased W/C costs. In the past when I have done storm damage we worked A LOT of hours. AND your doing some very dangerous work. I just wanted to know what some of you storm chasers advice was. I am not too sure this is for me. Right now we are busy, and it would have to be for a good pay check or it;s really not worth it at all.
 
ROYCE said:
...another crew to help keep their clients serviced.
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Sometimes that's just a euphemism for "in case we get work that we know we can't handle or that looks dangerous"...
But, could be just what they're saying... they might get swamped with more work than they can get done in a timely manner.
Problem is, the storms might get you a lot of work, too! What do you do? They'd have to be paying you more than what you'd make if you just bid the jobs closer to home.
That is a tough call. If you're not getting as much work as you'd like to be doing, it's certainly worth it to be on their list of subcontractors.
 
I charge 1.4 x for emergency work, this is for when I'm sitting out the storm at home. 2 x if I am working a scheduled job, and I need to bail on that to get to the emergency job. On emergency calls I just make a mess and leave, then schedule clean up if wanted or needed. If traveling I'd have to include travel time + $100 if taking the ferry.
 
Work out all the associated costs that go to your bottom-line. If you have to provide food and housing for your crew, your WC is higher, etc… all that figures into your price. You're working longer hours? Does that mean you'll be required to pay O/T to your crew? Figure that in. Think about it, just 1 hour more a day means 5 hrs O/T with all the associated costs. Then compare it to what you make at home. If you were to put in all that extra effort at home how much would you make? Then add a premium as an incentive that makes it worth your while to suspend home operations for whatever period you'll be expected to support the other company. You've got nothing to lose then and won't regret putting out the number.
 
I would think like is stated above, "what about your existing clients while you're out of town?" If the other crew that needs help is 2.5 hrs away, the storm that hits them will probably hit you as well. Gotta really make sure you get enough $ to head out and put off your regular customers.
 
Steve Connally said:
Ditto
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I kinda like storm work. When you have the right equipment. I like the feeling that your actually helping people. You roll through a neighborhood with your crew and people are so happy to see you. No one wants a tree on there house and as soon as you can get it off, the sooner they can get things back to normal. However, I do not like doing it for free.
 
I agree with you Royce. Hell I would even do it for free, for that feel good feeling if I didn't have to pay overhead nor be liable for anything. Here on the Island, when the trees start falling on houses it's people you know. Last year my wifes hair dresser had 10 medium doug firs (~30 dbh) across their property.
Then there was the librarian who does all the kiddie functions, which my kid attends. She has a silver maple that problay should go, but her blind father wants it to last longer than him. These are the people who keep the island running, and you run into them once a week or so around town.
 
ROYCE said:
I kinda like storm work. When you have the right equipment. I like the feeling that your actually helping people. You roll through a neighborhood with your crew and people are so happy to see you. No one wants a tree on there house and as soon as you can get it off, the sooner they can get things back to normal. However, I do not like doing it for free.
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I totally understand. I'm referring to the increased danger.
 
You must envision the pressure points to become a jedi storm worker. Risky is not dangerous if understanding is present. Let's keep that amongst us though.; )
 
I'm not one for storm "chasing", though some people do it quite well (TCI in Ohio). When a storm hits locally, we really only respond to existing clients with storm damaged trees, and our rates are increased by about 25%. We are not looking to make obscene profit from a storm event, because hopefully we are working for existing clientele. However, increased risks means the price must go up.

The issue I see with your scenario of lining up a loose contract for services should a storm hit 2.5 hours away, what if the same storm affects your area of service? Would you be bound by that agreement to ship out and help that other company? Seems self-defeating if you are trying to grow your brand in your market.

Storms are fun. For the first three days. Then it is regular treework, with regular people's budgets coming into play. Boring. Tree destruction. I wish it would never storm again. :)

SZ
 
I have always loved doing storm work. I enjoy the challenge of having to make it happen right away. Now we roll with a 35 ton crane I really look forward to storms but allas haven't had one in 2 years!!
 
I look at storm work like a car mechanic...not many people are happy to pay for unexpected work.

My experience with storm work is they will hire the first person who gives them the cheapest price.

Rather get a check handed to me from some one happy that I pruned or removed to prevent what could happen in the event of a storm.

I have too much work already from people happy to give me money, no thanks.
 
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