WOuld you remove for free? - Page 2

If you are some kind of big shot business I guess you need to worry about all that............If you are a scrapper you just do the job and thank them for helping you stay alive.
I've been scrapping longer than many of these posters have been alive and have never even imagined the confusion I see appearing on this forum.
It's the most simple job I have ever done and hasn't changed at all in over 40 years.
I'm 54 years old now and sold my first scrap metal at 8 years old with no guidance from any adults or internet experts.
Back then I got:
.5 lb for aluminum cans
.10 for brass
.15 for copper


.

Usually its "you gotta _______ ,but you can have it". doing the work is reason you get it.

Originally Posted by Re-cycler

If you are some kind of big shot business I guess you need to worry about all that............If you are a scrapper you just do the job and thank them for helping you stay alive.
I've been scrapping longer than many of these posters have been alive and have never even imagined the confusion I see appearing on this forum.
It's the most simple job I have ever done and hasn't changed at all in over 40 years.
I'm 54 years old now and sold my first scrap metal at 8 years old with no guidance from any adults or internet experts.
Back then I got:
.5 lb for aluminum cans
.10 for brass
.15 for copper


.

Those are GREAT prices re-cycler..ill be 25 in 3 days..lol

If my company was doing the job with that much metal, we would charge enough to cover fuel and dump fees. Unless we could reuse most of the lumber, then we would do it for free if it was local.

Wait until your done, then if nothing goes wrong.... tell him the dismantle was free..

Doing anything for free takes away from perceived value. Don't be afraid to make money. After taxes, insurance, gas, and consumables you're not making as much as you think. The equipment you are using was not free and he doesn't have the equipment or ability to do the "job". It is a job unless you're just helping a friend

Well to you guy's that work for nothing,scrapers make a bad mistake and under value your time.This is a trade business and because you have the knowledge why do it for free?The good jobs are far and few,take advantage of the situation,charge a fair price do a good job and go on to the next job.Remember you are a skilled tradesman ,treat your business like a business.That is the only way to survive

I will nitpick words a bit and say that there is a difference between a scrapper and a clean out business.
I am simply a scrapper.... No fancy gimmicks, T-shirts,yellow page ads etc.
A clean out business has all the overhead that requires that they charge for a service.
When I go on site as a journeyman millwright or iron worker I am a skilled tradesman and they pay me to spend 1/2 my day making every move by the book.
I have at least 40 hours of documented OSHA training up to date.
I would rather do this than that right now....I have been signed in here all day but in and out of the house working several dozen times.
Also today while I have been working on different things two of the guys I have helped have come by and dropped off about 600 lbs of mixed usable steel that they could have sold while they were at the scrap yard.
I have no savings or predictable income and no retirement at my age but I am used to that so when the bottom falls out of world I will pretty much live the way I always have.

Originally Posted by GeorgeB

I know I will get flak for this, and I honestly dont care.

Stop thinking about the future potential business that may or may not come. Seriously...is that going to feed you tonight? No.

You know what the price of metal is in your areas (I wish I was different. Here it is a stinking 7.5 cents a lb!)...anyways, calculate all your costs, and subtract it from the gross profit you will make.

I am with Burly, I am in business to make money, plain and simple! Family, friend, it does not matter to me. Family and friends will at least cover my expenses, and labor if I have to bring in a helper.

Sooner or later, most of you will realize that free is not always best, no matter where you live.

Again, profit is not a bad thing. Since you are dealing with sheet metal, if you cut yourself to the point you need stitches, who has to pay the hospital bill? Either you or your insurance company. I don't about you but my insurance rates haven't gone down in memorable history, and a visit to the e-room will wipe out every penny you might make.

I am with Burly and GeorgeB on this one.

so far so good burly, I charge if I need to

I haven't been doing this for nearly as long as some people on this board and I sure don't do it full time. That being said I think you have to be careful what advice to take on here, not saying what Burly, George, etc. are saying is bad advice. It has to make sense for your situation and what you think your time is worth. In my position if I was able to get around $400 worth of material as stated in the opening post for a shed tear down that I estimated at an hours worth of work I'd absolutely do it. Would I do a shed tear down for just the material on the shed? Absolutely not.

I did a shed tear down for my cousins neighbor and ended up with $300+ after reselling/scrapping. The entire thing took me around 2 hours to do and even after going through the trouble of getting everything sold it was definitely worth my time. I can see why it wouldn't be worth it to Burly with everything he has to pay, but at the end of the day I'm not Burly or anyone else on this forum and I have to get the money while it's there as long as it makes sense to me.

What's worth it to you depends solely on you and your situation.

I live in iowa so living here is very cheap in ames so for me I do not charge for most things except for appliance pick ups and if you only have 1 tv 10miles away then yes. I do not really think about future business on these types of things cause I live in a farm belt so I get tons lol tons of steel scrap this way for free. living here for what your making off the job pays most of my main bills like rent food phone and so on. as for making money wise even if I spent 5hrs doing this and only end up making $50 that's a good days work for me and fun since its summer. what I like most about jobs like this is people will offer you food drinks and such while your doing it and I love talking to people so for me to make money and have a good time its awesome.