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Hi,
Just wondering if there is a ‘going rate’ for land maintenance. Is it per hour or per job?
Just bought some land and have started clearing brush, etc. The top 1/3 is clear and just needs an occasional weed eating, the middle 1/3, we just cleared the scrubby stuff. And now we need to take down about 10 dead and/or scrubby trees (no primary forest or too large)in that area.
Should this be done hourly or by the tree? we are looking to cut the trees down, then cut them up and burn. The bottom 1/3, we’ll leave as jungle for now. We’re not living there but want to get the dead stuff out and keep the 2/3 semi neat.
So, cost for small tree cutting/burning as well as monthly weedeating maintenance which would probably take about 5 hours per month? Thanks.
I would look for a local person who would do all these tasks on a “per job” basis whether it takes them half a day, a full day, or a couple of days. That way, if they work extra hard they finish sooner and can go on to something else. And if they dawdle, they’re only wasting their own time.
I would be sure, too, that at the very least you have an oral understanding that each task is a one-time thing and that they are contracting to do the work rather than becoming your employees. Normally, an employee would be paid by the hour in accordance with the published hourly rate for each type of work.
If these folks become your employees, you are liable for workers compensation insurance, the CAJA premiums, etc. It’s possible that you could still get caught up in that entanglement, but having an agreement that the work is to be done on a contractual basis would afford you a little protection.
I just wrote and lost my post–why does that happen. Anyway, thank you for your reply. I agree that a ‘per job’ basis is best. And I don’t want to get involved in an employee-type situation as that can be costly, plus there is little work to do on a regular basis.
My confusion is in the amount to pay–we paid a local friend’s relative a couple of bucks an hour for the day he did work clearing the area. but I don’t know what to pay for cutting about 10 trees, no more than 20′ tall thin, dead, or dying trees and then burning them. Is the going rate for manual labor about $2 per hour? I just need a starting point to get to my ‘per job, flat rate’.
The tree cutting would be done by a local friend and he is an employee of another and receive benefits. I was told that makes a difference? Regardless, you’ve steered me in the right direction–and I think I will nix the monthly maintenance and just have him weedeat a couple of times before I go down there. Thanks for your help.
We pay our “on contract” gardeners c12,500 each for a day’s work. They’re usually hard at it by 6:15am after the bus drops them off and they quit just after 11:00am in time to catch the bus home. That’s probably too generous, but they’re good guys and we want this work to be important to them.
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]We pay our “on contract” gardeners c12,500 each for a day’s work. They’re usually hard at it by 6:15am after the bus drops them off and they quit just after 11:00am in time to catch the bus home. That’s probably too generous, but they’re good guys and we want this work to be important to them.
Oh wow…that is very generous from what I understand. Is there a place where I can go to research average labor rates? Do they vary by region, too?
There are ‘cutters’ and ‘gardeners’, and believe me, this difference will show…
If you are supplying the ‘tools’ and the gas, about $2 per hour is right, but not if they supply their own tools and gas[quote=”loraine”] Is there a place where I can go to research average labor rates? Do they vary by region, too?[/quote]
There is a website where minimum wages by occupation for Costa Rican employees are posted. Maybe somebody can point us to it. (Or, didnt Scott write an article about this on the Home page a while back?) It does not vary by region.
This should help but bear in mind this is for ‘salaries’ and not for individual contract work which I would assume would mean you would pay slightly more since the workers and not the employer would have to pay their own CAJA etc.
[ https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/Minimum-Salaries-in-Costa-Rica-2012.cfm ]
Scott
Thank you all so much for your help and suggestions. I will look up the article and will keep in mind all that you have recommended.
Right now, I need a ‘cutter’, so to speak, not a gardener. And the trees to come down are not primary growth, but rather just scrubby stuff and a couple of spindly trees that are either dead or near. I believe I read that primary growth could not come down (rainforest, old growth)without permission, but this is just junky stuff.
Thanks again!
Sorry, one last question…there are daily rates and monthly rates. How many hours in a day do they work (how long is lunch and do they get paid for that), how many days in the week do they work and how many hours is a monthly wage based on? thanks so much!
[quote=”Scott”]This should help but bear in mind this is for ‘salaries’ and not for individual contract work which I would assume would mean you would pay slightly more since the workers and not the employer would have to pay their own CAJA etc.
[ https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/Minimum-Salaries-in-Costa-Rica-2012.cfm ]
Scott[/quote]
When we wanted to cut down some trees on our coffee farm, we had to get permission, and when they saw a bird landing on a tree that was marked to be removed, we were refused permission…
Not only old growth needs permission.
When on contract, they will tell you what hours they will/want to work.[quote=”costaricafinca”]When we wanted to cut down some trees on our coffee farm, we had to get permission, and when they saw a bird landing on a tree that was marked to be removed, we were refused permission…
Not only old growth needs permission.
When on contract, they will tell you what hours they will/want to work.[/quote]This is correct – typically you need to have an inspection and they will tell you which trees you are allowed to cut. If they are indeed dead – now is the time to have an inspection, it is much more likely to get the green light.
If not – you need to hope for one helluva windstorm in the middle of the night with the impact potential of a truck bumper. 🙂
If not – you need to hope for one helluva windstorm in the middle of the night with the impact potential of a truck bumper. :)[/quote]
Well, it is in a pretty windy area…maybe the ‘wind’ could take it down??? BTW, how would this get back to the officials? It’s in a rural area with no neighbors and no building would be taking place anytime soon. Does somebody ride around on the back roads? I understand the need and want to reforest rather than deforest and to protect slopes and wildlife, but it seems a bit extreme IMO to monitor every straggly tree. Thanks.
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