Holy Excavation Estimate Batman

[volleyball]

Geezzz.. Well okay, - I guess if you lack common sense....Yea,that could be an impairment.

Geezzz.. Well okay, - I guess if you lack common sense, that would be an impairment.

That was worth repeating!!!

 

[TractorJeff]

RACER1, that would not have been Bob that did your tree project?
His big CAT Excavator with the articulating thumb is awesome for grabbing trees and shaking them! Last Spring, I watched him clear about 300 yards of old fence row like that!
As far as anyone getting in a machine and running it. First off, you start talking/bragging about grabbing trees with an excavator, you better know what you are doing! Damages on rental equipment is expensive!
Me?
I'm a Dozer operator (D3 to D8) so I have a handle on what goes on in the excavation world of being a capable operator verses a GOOD one!

 

[truckman5000]

Around here you can get a off lease bob cat. For like 400 amonth no min. months or something.
Like said do the work yourself.
I know a couple of people who bought equipment for a good price. Used them, sold them after using and made money. But you need to know what your looking at if you buy.

 

[Durka]

That was worth repeating!!!

Huh, how did that happen???

 

[hedgehogdog]

i got estimates to put in a base rock road....level for the most part and no trees to remove....about a 1000' of road, 12' wide...have to support a 22 ton fire truck...the first estimate was 90k...the next 2 were 30k....

 

[jlckmj]

He estimates 3 days and when I thinking thats 5 grand a day, thats a lot of money!

You can't just think about the hours, you are talking about a guy that probably has a $50,000 machine, a $5,000 trailer, a $40,000 truck, insurance & maintenance costs.
Every time he goes out on a job he has to price it like he is renting the equipment from himself or there is nothing left to buy new equipment when it wears out.

The fill will have to be bought by him, and it's not cheap.

Jim

 

[nosnerd]

ouch!

well like it has been said here... start getting your hands durtay! LOL

go at it in stages..

and looking at posts here... i must of got a deal LOL

i am at 4k..

grade and backfill with 80 tons..still need another 40 ish..

knock down 3 small 5 inch trees..

the rest i chopped my self last year..

 

[holdover]

my neighbor just had a bunch of trees removed (about 150+) by a contractor with a big track hoe with a grabber bar on the bucket, it is amazing what that machine can do, rips the roots pushes the tree over grabs the tree and drags it out after shaking the snot out of it getting the dirt off the root ball, lays them out in the field to cut up for firewood etc, about 10 minutes per tree, many of the trees were in the 18-24" range. BTW 57 stone is going for 330 a load for about 18 ton with hauling from about 25 miles away.

 

[jack stand]

You can't just think about the hours, you are talking about a guy that probably has a $50,000 machine, a $5,000 trailer, a $40,000 truck, insurance & maintenance costs.
Every time he goes out on a job he has to price it like he is renting the equipment from himself or there is nothing left to buy new equipment when it wears out.

The fill will have to be bought by him, and it's not cheap.

Jim

If he's coming out with a baby (1 ton) dump, a used trailer & a skid steer!

20 ton class excavator $200k+
20 ton trlr. $22k+
tandem/triaxle dump $120k+ (OR a low boy trlr. @ $50k plus a road tractor)
and then there is insurance, (liability & vehicle) excavation is HIGH
Ever put "tags" on a vehicle over 55k lbs? Federal gov. gets involved with heavy vehicle tax, etc, etc, etc. But that wouldn't stop me from pricing several guy's out.

 

[volleyball]

Depending on the soil type and the tree species, it affects how you go about removing them. A pine may be down 2 feet while an oak can be over 6. And this is where size does matter. The bigger your tool, the more you get.

 

[joes169]

Around here you can get a off lease bob cat. For like 400 amonth no min. months or something.
Like said do the work yourself.
I know a couple of people who bought equipment for a good price. Used them, sold them after using and made money. But you need to know what your looking at if you buy.

Are you sure on that price? They're closer to $200 a day here, limited to 8 hours on the meter. Even winter leases (5 months typically) are somewhere around $1500 a month. Besides, this is a huge job for a skid loader............

 

[johninct]

Without seeing a picture of what has to be done it is hard to comment. Yet some of the recommendations here are pretty funny. It isn't just about getting on a machine and go to it. You have to know what you are doing with regards to the earthwork. All trees and stumps have to go somewhere? Can they be buried or must they be hauled away? All topsoil ,roots and stumps have to go from the driveway and building site. And not just a foot from the building. Where is the topsoil going to be put? If you are using an excavator, you want the stumps cut low.

 

[UpstateNY]

Now, I live in VA and all this work will be done in a fairly level wooded area. All trees need to be removed. He will be clearing, removing top soil, and graveling 150' for a driveway and a 35'x45' pad to build the barn. The stumps will be removed and burned onsite along with the tree tops. Logs will be stacked. All trees about 20' from the pad will also be removed/cleared on 3 sides (One side is already clear).

Am I unreasonable or is this estimate a little high? To be honest its about 3 times what I was expecting.

Thanks.

You expected all THAT for $5k You sir, are clueless. Gas and materials will cost the contractor nearly that much

 

[WhiffySpark]

If he's coming out with a baby (1 ton) dump, a used trailer & a skid steer!

20 ton class excavator $200k+
20 ton trlr. $22k+
tandem/triaxle dump $120k+ (OR a low boy trlr. @ $50k plus a road tractor)
and then there is insurance, (liability & vehicle) excavation is HIGH
Ever put "tags" on a vehicle over 55k lbs? Federal gov. gets involved with heavy vehicle tax, etc, etc, etc. But that wouldn't stop me from pricing several guy's out.

I was waiting for someone to post that.

A bobcat will be a waste of money trying to take down trees. A forestry mulcher is an option. But again. You need to know what you're doing

People die all the time thinking they know what they're doing when pushing trees over. It's not a game at all

If you rent the equipment id drive down and do it for you

 

[Durka]

You expected all THAT for $5k You sir, are clueless. Gas and materials will cost the contractor nearly that much

5 grand for fuel is a fair estimate. Bet it's ballpark. That adds up real fast.

I don't think he's that clueless now lol. He has contractors/estimators scheduled in the future as well. - Which is obviously the right thing to do. It can be a competitive business depending upon where you are..that's a good thing!

Lots of great advice in this thread! Ask as many questions as you can here, before hand. So you know what to ask whom ever comes out to give you estimate.

I'd try to find a spot on site or property to either stockpile the top soil, use what you need for restoration and sell the rest. ..or use it around the property, perhaps build a nice berm out of it. (think I mentioned that already, well, volleyball will let me know, I'm sure) You can sell raw top and your going to have a little bit at 12" deep. Figure all your quantities before hand. Figure yards for the topsoil and tons for the gravel or limestone will help you most (don't forget to include 33% for density on the stone), there's different types. 22a is considered road gravel, 21aa is usually limestone here. You can use either for the drive and the cost difference can be substantial. Call the pit to see what they offer and the prices.