What's it worth?
 

There's a guy who came by about a month ago and asked to have any scrap metal we might have. I looked at him like "Huh?" and he offered to tear down a couple of old sheds for the scrap in them. We agreed that he would take any metal he finds, and he would remove and stack all the wood for us to burn next spring.

He came and picked up a load or two of metal, and then I didn't see him for a long time. I figured he got what he wanted and stuck me with the cleanup. I spent two afternoons throwing a pile of wood back on the spot where the sheds had been (the wood had been on a concrete pad where I lead the horses to a gate in the springtime), plus DH and the grandsons worked another afternoon finishing up. I thought I'd never see the guy again.

He came by again and said that he'd gotten a really big job and had to complete it within a certain time frame or he'd lose it. He said he didn't have my phone number or he would have called. He was back here to work again.

He took out another load and began the task of stacking. He worked all that day and parts of two more. Every time he's here, before he leaves, he comes to the door to tell me when he'll return. And he does it. Today he was here to work for a few hours, and before he left he said he'd be back tomorrow. He said the metal's pretty well out, and honestly, he didn't make but about eighty bucks on it. But he said he'd take down the sheds and he intends to do exactly that.

These sheds are wood. They're about the size of a three car garage, total. The wood is very old; some of it rotten, and some of it so hard you can hardly drive a nail through it.

I'm really impressed by this guy. He has integrity. He has honor. He stands by his word. Those are not qualities I expect to find in a guy who knocks on my door looking for work.

He said he'd do the work for the metal, and I could be a jerk and leave him to that. But I'd like to give him some cash when he's done. Times are tough for everyone, me included. I don't want to fork over dough I don't need to, nor do I want to insult the guy by being cheap.

So help me out here: What's it worth?

If he isn't asking for anything, then whatever you give him will be good. I would say a couple hundred bucks. And recommend him to friends for paid work they need done.

I have no idea how much metal he got, and what kind it was. around here good metal has been bringing over 100 dollars a ton. If all he got was mostly tin then that would sound about right. > Thanks Marc

Here tin is going for $140 a ton and it takes a lot of tin to make a ton. As soon as I can I'm gonna run around and ask for old appliances and old cars. I've been selling some and making a good small fortune.

I guess I would go with what it is worth to you to get the building down and gone. He probably needs the work.

Here in SW Missouri monday it was $155.00 a ton, yes it takes a lot to make a ton. It sounds like 2 buildings about 24x40 all he got was the scrap price, if you dont know the amount of time per hour I think buildings that size min $150.00 each and for us thats cheap if he is stacking.
Glenn

You could also tell him he can put you down for a work reference if he needs to sometime. Write your contact info down for him.

Get his contact info for future jobs or referrals, too.

Peg

Don't forget meat, milk, eggs, canned goods, etc. It doesn't have to be cash ya know.

The last time we took some in it only brought 25 cents a pound...not much......aluminum cans were bringing 35 cents a pound...

That's pretty much what I was thinking. But I didn't want to make him want to camp on my doorstep for other *opportunities* or insult the guy.

He's thinking he's getting nothing beyond the scrap. I was figuring $300 on top of what he got for the scrap would be okay and make him feel good about keeping his word. Gosh, that's so uncommon these days.

Thanks for your help! Anybody think of something that I've failed to consider?

300 bucks sounds more than fair. When times are good its hard to find people who will take down old buildings.

If the metal roofing is usable, it's more valuable as roofing than as scrap. I've seen folks selling used barn tin for more than new tin (at 2007 prices). I'd never scrap a usable piece of roofing.

I've torn down old barns, for the tin, the wood, and even all of the treasure inside... folks wanted it gone, and I obliged em.

I'd not do the same work for scrapping... the money I'd get wouldn't replace the material (if usable) if I had to buy it.

I just had a guy take down an old small barn. Took him a day and a half. Paid him $10/hour.

Be sure to tell him "Thank you, and God bless you".

25 cents a pound is 500 a ton. what kind of metal are you talking?

tin last few months 150 to 180 a ton, long iron 200 and short iron 240-260.
aluminum round about the price you gave and copper and brass depending on type 1-2 a pound. that would be the common metals being scrapped.

forerunners has a few good threads on scrapping if you want to be educated don't think those scrap yards wont take advantage of you.even more so if you don't look the scrapper part!

Someone recently asked if we had any scrap iron? We said we would gather it up if they wanted to come back. A few days later he returned and took iron that would fill half the back of a pick up truck. Three days after that he sold it at a salvage yard and came and gave us $75 ! I don't know what iron is selling for but we were quite happy with what we were paid.

The roof on these buildings first went on around 1865. They're split wooden shake with layers of asphalt later on. No metal except for the square nails. All posts and construction is wood and stone, supporting beams notched by hand. There were some old farm chemical barrels, an old locker, some beat up fence coiled up, old oil pump, old buckets and other junk. He removed a large vise for me that my veterinarian has long admired; I told Doc he could have it. Oh, an old window air conditioner that we never used, almost certainly rusted too much to ever run again. Old horseshoes, two tricycles, a cast aluminum grill. That's about it. I think there were three loads in his pickup total.

He already got most of what's useful to him. Yet he stays and continues to dismantle the building to keep his word. Most guys would bail at this point. I need the buildings down. It's cold here now; snow's predicted and it's a high of 25 degrees. But unless it's snowing sideways or the roads are horrid, I know I'll see him out there Saturday.

Around here antique/used wood sells for $2.0 per square foot (1" thick).
Its brought to us and we kiln dry/sterilize it and make it into T/G flooring which has a street value of about $5.sf.
jim

Most of the wood is too goofed up to use; but there are a few pieces I'm keeping for myself to redo my root cellar. There are boards an inch thick and eighteen inches across. They're glorious.

$300 bucks sounds like a fair price, and you are to be commended for not trying to get over on this guy just because he misjudged the value of the metal.

You will never go wrong paying a fair dollar for value received.

That guy sounds like my DH. I've seen him underestimate the labor on difficult repair jobs no other Welder/Machinist would touch. He always sticks to his bid, always cleans up after he is done with his jobs, and guarantees his work. There is a property about 8 miles away, just littered with an incredible amount of metal scrap (some very large & will need to be cut into sizes we can haul). We are going to offer to clean up the property (for the heirs). It will be a lot of hard work, but the salvage will be worth it, too. DH does salvage work like this when he is in between jobs.

That is a fair way to treat an honest hard working man- $300 sounds about right.

.............I think you'd make a very good boss ! Did he mention whether or not he is married , lol ? , fordy:clap:

Why thank you, Fordy! I consider that quite a compliment. But no, he didn't mention if he's married. He sure is a hard worker though. The reason he couldn't be here on Friday is because he got a new (used) truck and blade for snow removal; but the truck needs some work to get it going. He said he wanted to work on the truck on Friday and my place on Saturday. I asked him if he planned to go in the snow removal business and he said that nobody wants it scooped except him. I offered to put the word out if he'd like some business and he laughed and told me no, the truck isn't fixed yet. Now how many guys would do that? He grew in my estimation yet again.