Re: [AFMUG] Fw: Excavation costs

[Chris Fabien]

Overall I think you are on track, but that's a BIG excavator at $100k for a
used one. How deep and wide is this trench? We spent about $25k for a used
7000lb size mini excavator with 800hours.

On Feb 21, 2018 8:53 PM, "Chuck McCown"  wrote:

> Lets say  you have an equipment operator that earns $20/hour.  I always
> double that for loaded cost.
> That operator can dig probably 50 foot/hour reliably.  So say 320 feet/day
> with start up and shut down inefficiencies.  8 x 40 = $320.  So $1/foot
> just for the labor.  More if we pay for a health insurance plan.
>
> Then equipment allowance.  $100K used excavator.  10% time value of money
> = $10K/year
> Depreciation expense, say $20K/year.
> So $30K/year.  If you kept it busy half the time, say 1000 hours, that is
> $30/hour.
> $240 per day.
>
> We are up to $560/day for 300 feet of ditch.  Round it up to $600 and you
> have a minimum of $2/foot.
> And knowing my estimates are generally off by half or 3x, perhaps $5/foot
> is a good planning figure for the true cost of digging a ditch.
>
> *From:* Chuck McCown
> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 21, 2018 6:33 PM
> *To:* af@afmug.com
> *Subject:* Excavation costs
>
> Anyone figured out what it costs them per foot for excavation using their
> own machine?
> I am working to figure out the real cost.
> What does it cost to have a contractor do it?
>

Re: [AFMUG] Fw: Excavation costs

[Chuck McCown]

In theory.  The problem with trenching is that unless things go perfect, you 
get spots in the trench that have to be cleaned out by hand.  

And it is no good in muddy earth.  It is no good in hard and rocky earth.  It 
is no good for deep trenches.  So as much as I would like to trench it is a 
last resort for me.  I prefer to plow first if that is an option.  HDD second.  
Excavate.  

Trenching does not even show up on my list of options.  

And in my case I have to do an excavation greater than 12” wide due to power 
being in the same ditch.  



From: Adam Moffett 
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2018 7:29 PM
To: af@afmug.com 
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Fw: Excavation costs

What if you have a trencher & backhoe combination?  Isn't the chain driven 
trencher faster than the excavator?  Just switch to back hoe when you hit a big 
rock. 

That's my theory anyway.


-- Original Message --
From: "Chuck McCown" <ch...@wbmfg.com>
To: af@afmug.com
Sent: 2/21/2018 8:53:00 PM
Subject: [AFMUG] Fw: Excavation costs

  Lets say  you have an equipment operator that earns $20/hour.  I always 
double that for loaded cost.
  That operator can dig probably 50 foot/hour reliably.  So say 320 feet/day 
with start up and shut down inefficiencies.  8 x 40 = $320.  So $1/foot just 
for the labor.  More if we pay for a health insurance plan.  

  Then equipment allowance.  $100K used excavator.  10% time value of money = 
$10K/year
  Depreciation expense, say $20K/year.  
  So $30K/year.  If you kept it busy half the time, say 1000 hours, that is 
$30/hour.  
  $240 per day.

  We are up to $560/day for 300 feet of ditch.  Round it up to $600 and you 
have a minimum of $2/foot.
  And knowing my estimates are generally off by half or 3x, perhaps $5/foot is 
a good planning figure for the true cost of digging a ditch.  

  From: Chuck McCown 
  Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2018 6:33 PM
  To: af@afmug.com 
  Subject: Excavation costs

  Anyone figured out what it costs them per foot for excavation using their own 
machine?
  I am working to figure out the real cost.  
  What does it cost to have a contractor do it?

Re: [AFMUG] Fw: Excavation costs

[Adam Moffett]

What if you have a trencher & backhoe combination?  Isn't the chain 
driven trencher faster than the excavator?  Just switch to back hoe when 
you hit a big rock.


That's my theory anyway.


-- Original Message --
From: "Chuck McCown" <ch...@wbmfg.com>
To: af@afmug.com
Sent: 2/21/2018 8:53:00 PM
Subject: [AFMUG] Fw: Excavation costs

Lets say  you have an equipment operator that earns $20/hour.  I always 
double that for loaded cost.
That operator can dig probably 50 foot/hour reliably.  So say 320 
feet/day with start up and shut down inefficiencies.  8 x 40 = $320.  
So $1/foot just for the labor.  More if we pay for a health insurance 
plan.


Then equipment allowance.  $100K used excavator.  10% time value of 
money = $10K/year

Depreciation expense, say $20K/year.
So $30K/year.  If you kept it busy half the time, say 1000 hours, that 
is $30/hour.

$240 per day.

We are up to $560/day for 300 feet of ditch.  Round it up to $600 and 
you have a minimum of $2/foot.
And knowing my estimates are generally off by half or 3x, perhaps 
$5/foot is a good planning figure for the true cost of digging a ditch.


From:Chuck McCown
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2018 6:33 PM
To:af@afmug.com
Subject: Excavation costs

Anyone figured out what it costs them per foot for excavation using 
their own machine?

I am working to figure out the real cost.
What does it cost to have a contractor do it?

Re: [AFMUG] Fw: Excavation costs

[Jaime Solorza]

Yikes.  Where's my Tecate?  Need to wash Steve's post from my brain..

Jaime Solorza

On Feb 21, 2018 7:03 PM, "Steve Jones"  wrote:

> whats your operator and equipment doing when hes not costing you? are you
> pimping him to the other boys on the street?
>
> On Wed, Feb 21, 2018 at 7:53 PM, Chuck McCown  wrote:
>
>> Lets say  you have an equipment operator that earns $20/hour.  I always
>> double that for loaded cost.
>> That operator can dig probably 50 foot/hour reliably.  So say 320
>> feet/day with start up and shut down inefficiencies.  8 x 40 = $320.  So
>> $1/foot just for the labor.  More if we pay for a health insurance plan.
>>
>> Then equipment allowance.  $100K used excavator.  10% time value of money
>> = $10K/year
>> Depreciation expense, say $20K/year.
>> So $30K/year.  If you kept it busy half the time, say 1000 hours, that is
>> $30/hour.
>> $240 per day.
>>
>> We are up to $560/day for 300 feet of ditch.  Round it up to $600 and you
>> have a minimum of $2/foot.
>> And knowing my estimates are generally off by half or 3x, perhaps $5/foot
>> is a good planning figure for the true cost of digging a ditch.
>>
>> *From:* Chuck McCown
>> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 21, 2018 6:33 PM
>> *To:* af@afmug.com
>> *Subject:* Excavation costs
>>
>> Anyone figured out what it costs them per foot for excavation using their
>> own machine?
>> I am working to figure out the real cost.
>> What does it cost to have a contractor do it?
>>
>
>

Re: [AFMUG] Fw: Excavation costs

[Steve Jones]

whats your operator and equipment doing when hes not costing you? are you
pimping him to the other boys on the street?

On Wed, Feb 21, 2018 at 7:53 PM, Chuck McCown  wrote:

> Lets say  you have an equipment operator that earns $20/hour.  I always
> double that for loaded cost.
> That operator can dig probably 50 foot/hour reliably.  So say 320 feet/day
> with start up and shut down inefficiencies.  8 x 40 = $320.  So $1/foot
> just for the labor.  More if we pay for a health insurance plan.
>
> Then equipment allowance.  $100K used excavator.  10% time value of money
> = $10K/year
> Depreciation expense, say $20K/year.
> So $30K/year.  If you kept it busy half the time, say 1000 hours, that is
> $30/hour.
> $240 per day.
>
> We are up to $560/day for 300 feet of ditch.  Round it up to $600 and you
> have a minimum of $2/foot.
> And knowing my estimates are generally off by half or 3x, perhaps $5/foot
> is a good planning figure for the true cost of digging a ditch.
>
> *From:* Chuck McCown
> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 21, 2018 6:33 PM
> *To:* af@afmug.com
> *Subject:* Excavation costs
>
> Anyone figured out what it costs them per foot for excavation using their
> own machine?
> I am working to figure out the real cost.
> What does it cost to have a contractor do it?
>

[AFMUG] Fw: Excavation costs

[Chuck McCown]

Lets say  you have an equipment operator that earns $20/hour.  I always double 
that for loaded cost.
That operator can dig probably 50 foot/hour reliably.  So say 320 feet/day with 
start up and shut down inefficiencies.  8 x 40 = $320.  So $1/foot just for the 
labor.  More if we pay for a health insurance plan.  

Then equipment allowance.  $100K used excavator.  10% time value of money = 
$10K/year
Depreciation expense, say $20K/year.  
So $30K/year.  If you kept it busy half the time, say 1000 hours, that is 
$30/hour.  
$240 per day.

We are up to $560/day for 300 feet of ditch.  Round it up to $600 and you have 
a minimum of $2/foot.
And knowing my estimates are generally off by half or 3x, perhaps $5/foot is a 
good planning figure for the true cost of digging a ditch.  

From: Chuck McCown 
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2018 6:33 PM
To: af@afmug.com 
Subject: Excavation costs

Anyone figured out what it costs them per foot for excavation using their own 
machine?
I am working to figure out the real cost.  
What does it cost to have a contractor do it?