Rupe

That was my thoughts in the first place, but the thread has raised issues relating to all wood by products not just milled wood. ANd there is no clear answer, and I doubt the law would be clear either.

Ah, the old days of busting your ring at Julian Clary's house. Happy times!!!

What and they actually did it.....!!?? I put on the quote "no splitting" then if they want it split, my splitter and operator is £60/hr another day, but the original bill has to settled on completion of the original work as quoted and we are booked up for 2 months but can fit in the splitting then if they want.

Andy C is right that you should charge extra for the removal, but that is where the problem can lie, in that the customer would then expect a discount if they keep the wood. Lets assume its logs not milled wood to keep it simple. Cut down tree and remove brash 300 remove larger wood also 100. Total job price 400. customer accepts and off you go. Now you workign away, and you know there is 2-300 quids of logs from this job (once seasoned, split and delivered) and the customers asks to keep it and expects 100 knocked off the bill. If you are there with two trucks ready to take it all, and you are expectign the additional proffit at a later date then it is a difficult situation, but if you knew before hand you could have changed your plans, made it a half day job and booked something else in. You have to explain to the customer that if the wood was rubbish that you would be charging 200 for the removal of it, but you discounted that to 100 cos you can sell the wood to make up the difference. Therefore you offer to split the difference and charge them an extra 50 to leave it behind. You get 450 and don't move any wood and they get 300 quids worth of wood for 150 but they have to split it. Never works! When you say you are planning on sellign it, you can see them think that they should be getting some of the money. I explain that they are already getting it in the form of the discount for removal, but if they want the full money for it then pay mne the extra 50 and sell it themselves. They rarely go fo it. Customers who are definalty keeping the wood right from the start get a cheaper quote cos we save so much time on those jobs, but discounting the actual work to get the wood is not a great move IMO.

If they got other quotes and you were the cheapest then that will help you explain why you need to keep the timber.

It might be an idea to tell them that you plan to mill it while on their property, I agree with the above that they would have to buy it off you but in theory they could then charge you rent for the time you spent on their property carrying out the milling which was not part of the quote so therefore you have done that for someone else. Its a simpler question if its firewood. When you cut up firewood to remove it and then they want to keep it, you then say that you calculated the profit from the wood into the quote and so they would have to pay you a bit extra for it. For milled timba its the same idea, but, like I say, it would be good to ask them first!

No ones ever assumed you are serious yet!

So, how much was the new Ad?

I think what he's also asking is how do you set out the information? Not just work out the price. But your right, you have to learn that yourself, or just do it in the way you've been asked fo reach tender. They are all different. Personally I do rolly pollys in the garden, spin on my head, try and pin the tail on a donkey, think of a number multiply by 10 divide by 2 and add a zero on the end. Put it in the post and go to the pub. I get 50% of the contracts I go for. Happy days!

When beign sarcastic, there is no need to add the "only kidding bit" No one else does. Sarcasm is an art that shouldn't be explained or apologised for.

What have you been asked to provide? Generally for tendering its part of the contract to submit certain information, so that is what you do. You should have a set of requirements for the contract. If they want a lump sum, give that. If they want per tree/size/task, then give them that. How you set it out is up to you, how do you want to portray your business?. Scribble in crayons probably won't work! No ones going to tell you how to do it, you learn that from all the ones you don't get.

So who got it at £530.. ? And who thought they had it at £510.01????

I think there is some useful info in the "which chainsaw is best" thread.

Thats good, so you'll have the lot!! I just think you would have a better chance of gettign a job as a groundie/driver than you would as a climber with no experience. Push the HGV angle and look for companies that drive large trucks! Bartletts for example, they'll take you purely for the HGV and then your off to a good start!

One advantage that army guys have over the rest of us is HGV licenses. Have you got yours, or could you get the army to put you through it before you leave? I had a guy work for me form the army with more certificates than me but no experience. I couldn't really have him climbing for me but another large company took him straight away because they drive 7.5t and pull big chippers etc. They got him climbing too and that has set him off on a career. HGv would be your best bet, along with some chainsaw tickets. That will get you work over someone else who can't even pull a trailer, and the climbing can come along after you have some ground experience, and if the army have paid for climbing tickets too then all the better.

You could put a propelor on it and get a small dinghy etc etc.... I think the fitting should be the same as the current strimmers, they are all interchangeable. A strimmer head should be available as a spare part. In the catalogue its only availabe for the multi tool with a shaft at £130.00!! but it should be much less than that as a part on its own. I have one in the back of the shed somewhere but its far to useful to sell!!

I'm, not being patronising (intentionally) but being blunt is a good way to put a point across. You get what I mean though. What you did sounds perfect for the situation and as long as no accidents occur then that is all that matters really. The only reason I ever got any traffic certs was to gain council contracts, other than that I would never have bothered. I know I can put a cone out and my groundies can keep the work site safe. After thats its all just paperwork for penpushers, and I'm not a fan of penpushers! But what I said is true, you can do what you like but the facts are other companies won't like it and you wont be insured. I try and tell it like it is. Also my responses are there to be read by everyone from now on, so not aimed soley at you. Good luck with it all, it is a slow progression no one can have everything in place on day one.

You can do what you like! Work without chainsaw tickets, PPE, Insurance, whatever. You can drive without a licence or isurance too if you like! Its up to you to do what you feel best and take the consequnces of you don't. I can't give you permission or say no either. If there are any accidents or reported near misses and the HSE get inlvolved then you might well be prosecuted for not having the right certs. Also if you have insurance then that won't cover you workign on or near roads without the correct certificates. So yes you can, but your not insured to and its illegal! The point I was making originally about anythin gwill do to make it safe was more to do with footpaths (countryside types) not pavements. Then my next point was all the barriers in the world are not as good as having a groundie in place. So you were doing it right the way you did, that doesn't make it ok, especially if you are undercutting companies that have all these things in place.

Ok, so it is your responsibilty then. Tree cuttign signs are a good start, even in customers driveways they can help stop people entering work space. (except postmen) One thing I will say though is that if someone decides to walk round you into the road and gets hit by a car you could be liable! And poeple are stupid enough to do this. I've had so many people see us working ahead and even though we would let them through safely they take it upon themselves to walk in the road instead, even with pushchairs!! If they crossed the road thats fine, but walking in the road is pretty stupid, but you would be in trouble if they got hit.

I've spent years doing street works and most trees overhang any safe working area that you could possibly set out with barriers etc. We just let people through whne its safe and make them wait when its not. Keepign the chipper turned off is quite important.

Yep. Cones barriers etc are there to keep the HSE man happy, a good groundie is what actually prevents accidents.

I thought we are talkign about a public footpath. Pavements are covered by the street works act. so you should comply with that really, but as long as you are there taking charge I wouldn't worry too much. Is it your jobs you are doing or are you employed by someone else or a company?

You must be using a different translator!! Hey you dont mess with the greeks!! I guess "dont mess" and "it's not polution" are similar??????? I don't know mate, its all greek to me.

would have liked to cordon off an emergency drop/risk zone Just wondering.........if that is what you would have liked to do then why didn't you do it? HAd you seen the job previously or just been sent to do it?

All you need is a system that works. If it fails to work, then whoever has the contract for the work is liable. So for footpaths you can use what you like, tree cuttign signs, barrier tape, cones, safety barriers, etc etc. but they have to work. If a pedestrian climbs over all your barriers and gets hit then the contractor is liable if they make a claim, especially if the barriers closed the footpath but you didn't have proper prior warnign of closeure etc. Best thing to do is laugh at them for beign so stupid and that should do it!! No, best thing to do is prevent it in the first place, and a groundie is the best method. He can make you stop work while you let people through.