Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 22

scrapping a mobile home. what to look for and how much

| A Day in the Life of a Scrapper
  1. #1
    vamped400 started this thread.
    vamped400's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Exeter, maine
    Posts
    204
    Thanks
    72
    Thanked 26 Times in 17 Posts

    scrapping a mobile home. what to look for and how much

    my step mother is the town manager and wants me to scrap and tear down a mobile home that is junk. she said everything that is metal i can take and she might even pay me and a friend to tear it down. my question is, how much copper are in old trailers? and do you think its worth my time? the only downfall is i got to load the wood and garbage onto the trailer and bring it to the dump (10 miles away) but its free except gas. let me know what you guys think...



  2. #2
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    1,159
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 248 Times in 169 Posts
    if you think you can make money then go for it i say.

  3. #3
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    54
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 13 Times in 9 Posts
    I would try and make a deal with her, saying "depending" on how much $ you make off the metal, you want to get paid for your labor to demo it. If you feel like you didnt make enough id charge her. I would think there is going to be a considerable amount of wood debris that needs to go to the dump.

  4. #4
    Mick's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Palermo, Me
    Posts
    3,405
    Thanks
    363
    Thanked 3,086 Times in 1,326 Posts
    Be sure there's an allowance for "dump fees". Here, they charge for wood and it can get HEAVY very quick. I've seriously under-estimated every load I've taken that includes wood. Mainly because it's usually rotten.
    People may laugh at me, but that's ok. I laugh all the way to the bank.

  5. #5
    vamped400 started this thread.
    vamped400's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Exeter, maine
    Posts
    204
    Thanks
    72
    Thanked 26 Times in 17 Posts
    thanks guys. what do you think would be a fair asking price to tear it down?

  6. #6
    Instaed's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2011
    Location
    North Georgia
    Posts
    79
    Thanks
    13
    Thanked 10 Times in 5 Posts
    I would ask for 5 bucks an hour per man, plus you get to keep what you make on the scrap.

    Expect to make about $370 give or take at .12c per lb. mixed metal prices. You guys are going to bust your a$$ for that money. She's getting a deal.

    Your going to need Safety glasses, an 8lb sledge hammer, wonder bar, hammer, crowbar, work gloves, power to the job and extension cord, a Sawsall and a pack of blades minimum.

    Expect problems to come up.


    I would do it though if you can round up the tools.

  7. #7
    vamped400 started this thread.
    vamped400's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Exeter, maine
    Posts
    204
    Thanks
    72
    Thanked 26 Times in 17 Posts
    i was thinking a hundred bucks each and money for gas. i was planning on having someone else help.. no way id do it by myself. and i have never brought back mixed metal, i always make sure to seperate it even if it takes a while to get top dollar. im 17 and have all the time in the world haha. i might go take a look at it this weekend to see what im up against and alteast try and strip out the copper (if there is any left) and get some pictures. i think it will work out good, i hope.

  8. #8
    Scraphound's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jan 2011
    Location
    S W Pa.
    Posts
    6
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by vamped400 View Post
    i was thinking a hundred bucks each and money for gas. i was planning on having someone else help.. no way id do it by myself. and i have never brought back mixed metal, i always make sure to seperate it even if it takes a while to get top dollar. im 17 and have all the time in the world haha. i might go take a look at it this weekend to see what im up against and alteast try and strip out the copper (if there is any left) and get some pictures. i think it will work out good, i hope.
    Make sure you check the wiring and plumbing, I looked at a trailer and it had aluminum wiring and plastic tubing for water. The kicker was the axles were gone, needless to say i did not scrap it. Allot of labor for little metal.

  9. #9
    vamped400 started this thread.
    vamped400's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Exeter, maine
    Posts
    204
    Thanks
    72
    Thanked 26 Times in 17 Posts
    how old was the trailer? this one is old as hell, 70-80's im guessing. so im really hoping its mostly copper wiring/plumbing. But hey if there isnt any metal ill just ask more for labor

  10. #10
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    54
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 13 Times in 9 Posts
    Ok Its free to dump your wood/debri soo your only expense there is gas/labor.. My question is what are you loading into? Truck, trailer, what size? Also is the exterior of the mobile home aluminum? The frame has some good weight for P&S. If your loading into a pickup then expect to make lots of trips and waste gas.. Here's what I would do in your case, ask her to rent a dumpster to throw the debris in, and you handle all the metal. This way your not taking 5 trips to the dump and wasting time/gas.. I'd still ask for $100 a head and metal profit. Also the smart thing to do is take all the metal 1st and scrap it, get your $$, in case something goes wrong and you have a disagreement you still make $$ of the metal. Good luck

  11. The Following User Says Thank You to BigIgg for This Post:


  12. #11
    vamped400 started this thread.
    vamped400's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Exeter, maine
    Posts
    204
    Thanks
    72
    Thanked 26 Times in 17 Posts
    i have a 2 axle trailer.. and its a good length, i can easily fit two fourwheelers back to back. i put 1 ton of metal on it with no problems. 15 ft +? and the outside of the trailer is wood sadly. and im pretty sure its 100% free to dump this stuff at my dump but ill check and make sure. im going to talk to her after she gets out of work and try and work out a good price to do it

  13. #12
    vamped400 started this thread.
    vamped400's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Exeter, maine
    Posts
    204
    Thanks
    72
    Thanked 26 Times in 17 Posts
    well i decided to turn it down. but she is going to let me go in and strip everything out that is in there, i just wont have to do the ****ty work

  14. #13
    HGWells's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    33
    Thanks
    6
    Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
    Hey Vamped, just an idea coming from a guy who has quoted lots of labor and debris removal jobs: I would watch out for quoting a set price of $100 for tearing down a trailer like that. Instead, you may want to consider coming up with a price for each of the varying services that you will offer. Make each price cheap since you're getting the scrap, but try to cover your base costs in the event that the whole project fails miserably.
    Example (these are just numbers):
    Project Initiation costs: $50 for blades, cords, gas, gloves, etc
    Dump Trips: $15 per trip for gas and vehicle usage
    Hourly Removal of Nonmetal Debris: $X/per man per hour.

    Again, I am not trying to tell you what to do, and if you've already said $100 then just go for it. All I have learned is that set prices on debris removal work are very, very hard to make work out unless they are highballed. Since you're only 17 it's probably not a big deal, but it's just been my expereince that hourly and by-the-service rates make things so much easier. This way you don't have to eat gas costs if it takes you 20 dump trips, you simply say to your client, "Well, you have a lot of crap to get rid of and this is what it per dump trip to get rid of it."
    Hope that helps. Good luck.

  15. #14
    rca987's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    938
    Thanks
    46
    Thanked 385 Times in 223 Posts
    Yall always talk about going to the dump and such, and I am not sure if this is the case anywhere outside of where I scrap, but do yall not have dumpsters located pretty much on every corner? I never go to the dump to unload, because of dumpsters, that happen to be going to the dump anyways.

  16. #15
    Mick's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Palermo, Me
    Posts
    3,405
    Thanks
    363
    Thanked 3,086 Times in 1,326 Posts
    No corners - not even sidewalks - where I live.
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  17. #16
    Scrap man's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Nov 2010
    Location
    NY
    Posts
    657
    Thanks
    36
    Thanked 172 Times in 93 Posts
    I think people would notice if you dumped a mobile home worth of junk in their dumpster. I'm not saying it's a bad idea though.
    There's nothing more fun and more effective than hitting something repeatedly with a sledgehammer

  18. #17
    tjlock's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Central Illinois (Streator)
    Posts
    188
    Thanks
    9
    Thanked 37 Times in 20 Posts
    LOL Mick.

    Be a nice place to live atleast.

  19. #18
    Mick's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Palermo, Me
    Posts
    3,405
    Thanks
    363
    Thanked 3,086 Times in 1,326 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by tjlock View Post
    LOL Mick.

    Be a nice place to live atleast.
    Thanks. Built it about 12 years ago as my retirement home. Retired in 12/03. Enjoying myself and don't have to put up with today's "society" crap.

  20. #19
    Smith92287's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Dec 2010
    Location
    maryville,tn.
    Posts
    3
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    the frame of the mobel home is worth ur time...

  21. #20
    vamped400 started this thread.
    vamped400's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Exeter, maine
    Posts
    204
    Thanks
    72
    Thanked 26 Times in 17 Posts
    how much would you guess i would get for the frame? im still tetoring on it, but i just think now me and a friend are going to go threw it and strip out the good stuff. i also found about 50 pounds+ of copper pipe, 50 pounds of #1+ and an old water tank from an old school they are going to tear down. im also hoping to get the desk too. having the town manager as your step mom rocks


  22. Similar threads on the Scrap Metal Forum

    1. Mobile Home Miner from PA.
      By DiploMatt in forum Introduce yourself
      Replies: 4
      Last Post: 08-09-2012, 05:06 PM
    2. mobile home
      By carolinajunkman in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 10
      Last Post: 05-10-2012, 10:34 AM
    3. Mobile Home
      By WMSTR in forum General - Let's talk business
      Replies: 7
      Last Post: 02-06-2012, 07:38 AM
    4. mobile home
      By jpizar83 in forum Scrap Metal Tips and Advice
      Replies: 10
      Last Post: 09-03-2011, 12:02 AM
    5. scrapping a 14x60 1973 mobile home.
      By curious scrapper21 in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 5
      Last Post: 06-22-2011, 06:12 PM

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

 
Browse the Most Recent Threads
On SMF In THIS CATEGORY.





OR

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

The Scrap Metal Forum

    The Scrap Metal Forum is the #1 scrap metal recycling community in the world. Here we talk about the scrap metal business, making money, where we connect with other scrappers, scrap yards and more.

SMF on Facebook and Twitter

Twitter Facebook