Hi All,
Newbie here from north Idaho. One issue we see regarding any earth moving jobs is availability of a machine and operator. The window of opportunity to work the ground is relatively small - June to mid October and during that time frame there's a huge demand for equipment/operators (many also do road building work for the county and logging ops)so if you want it done when you need it done, you often need to rent and do it yourself. BTW - way more guys here with excavators than with dozers.
I had a guy look over our current pond (~ 15-20 yrs old)and figured 3 10 hr days with a dozer (D8 size)at least $150/hr from time left shop to time back home. So there's $4500. Our local CAT Rental store is $1500/week (smaller 550 or 650 dozer)add in $500 for fuel ......
My experience with DIY has been - if I do it, I see all the glaring mistakes. If I pay someone else to do it, I just see them later. Haven't ever hired someone who did things "perfectly" probably because they don't exist.
Last edited by Bunchgrass Farm; 09/12/13 10:30 PM.
