Pricing this job. Need some input please.

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Little's

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Ok, so the job is already been done, BUT. There is a bit of debate over the value of the job. You see, I was hired to do the job by a Property management company, but when the home owners got the bill, they were expecting something cheaper than what they got.
So I am wondering if you guys could help me out here by giving me your best bid based on the pictures and info below. I really appreciate a moment of your time here.
There are 3 oaks in the pictures, I am taking out the 2 dead ones, and hauling away everything too. Not doing anything to the stumps. I had to climb the trees and limb them down do to the close proximity of the houses on both sides, and paying caution to the plants in the landscape below.
Please let me know what you came up with. Thanks a bunch.

100_0516Large.jpg


100_0515Large.jpg


Here is the job completed. Thanks again.
100_0519Large.jpg
 
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That close,,, to the casa,,,, climbed and parted down,,,, then cleaned up and disposed of,,,,,and would probably have ground the stumps too,,,,

1800.00 Per tree,,,,,, not one penny less,,,,, that is from around the Golden Triangle (Orange, Port Arthur, Beaumont, TX) about 100 miles East of Houston
 
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Judging by the photos I would bid that job at $2560 here in Northern Arizona. Looks like an 8 hour day for my crew of 4 at $80 a man hour. No stump grind. Full clean up.
 
That does it I need to move those two trees here would
bring if you were lucky 1300.00 no wander I am always tired:monkey:
I do feel everyone else's price was better it is just you will starve
trying to get those prices here. It looks as though I could have
got my bucket close enough to piece those down and then grappled
the brush and wood away in about eight hours me and one helper!
 
It's impossible to price a job from a photo....

But having said that, I agree with RiverRat, 1800.00 apiece. Minimum.

Limited drop zone, proximity to house , landscaping , fencing.
A good bit of lean.
Climbed and pieced down and dead to boot.

The only thing the job has going for it is the trees are pretty small.
 
Here's the Kicker...

Okay, so now I feel MUCH better about this. The Property company I did this for sends me a ton of work, and for that reason a always try to give them a price that is under market value, mostly because all their tree works they need done goes through me, and I never have to bid against anyone. They trust me on my prices, and my prices are fair.
Here's the bang. I did this job for $600! WAAYYY under market value.

You guys are great, and I much appreciate the info here.

By the way, I am in Redding CA. Shasta County.

I would still appreciate any more comments you have on this one.
 
ClimbinArbor said:
i wouldnt pi$$ on those trees if they were on fire for $600. maybe for a lay and leave..........
Click to expand...

LOL! I agree! I would bid the gig at $2400, here in Austin, TX. With no disrespect intended, if I heard someone did that job for $600, I would say, "Darn hacks! They live ten to a shack, and never even think of what it's like to live a good life! How can they even survive, charging like that?" I understand that you did the job for a good client, though, so every now and then it probably makes sense to throw in some "charity work."
 
You guys are absolutely correct. After reading all your responses, I now also realize that I am way undercharging anyway. I will keep my prices up to make it more fair to me and every one else in the business too.

Thanks for the input.
 
Little's said:
They trust me on my prices, and my prices are fair.
Here's the bang. I did this job for $600! WAAYYY under market value.
QUOTE]

Nothing fair about it !

You're killing yourself for nothing, and the rest of us too.

This is the kind of pricing that's cutting everyone's throat in this industry.

My help would have made that much.
Click to expand...
 
ropensaddle said:
That does it I need to move those two trees here would
bring if you were lucky 1300.00 no wander I am always tired:monkey:
I do feel everyone else's price was better it is just you will starve
trying to get those prices here. It looks as though I could have
got my bucket close enough to piece those down and then grappled
the brush and wood away in about eight hours me and one helper!
Click to expand...

Around here that'd be about the same price too.
 
Here in Mobile, Alabama...

That job would have priced out at about $1800.00. Our market around here is pretty tight, as we have many "cheaper" competition, who have no experience in bidding, and i'm sure they'd done it for $600.00. You live and ya' learn.... Hey, you made some money though. :greenchainsaw:
 
price vs client

Well fellas I have to admit to not being a tree man. But i was in business for 25 years here in NY, and have been in court to collect endless times.
If your saying your agreement was with the prop mngmnt, then they are the client. Nor can one shop price after the job and agreement have been made- no matter who they are. You see once the deal is made and done satisfactorly ( which is not their beef) then you up held you end.period end of report. They had plenty of time to shop price & service before the deal was made!
If we were all to shop price after a job we could all find some ho to work cheaper-eh. But then there is the question - who did the job?
Don't let your contact - jerk your chain - because he is. If you made the deal with the home owner directly, would the prop mnger be involved.
The issue is not what others would charge but who hired you and what was the price to them. don't get side tracked.
good luck, I can't stand wise guys.
 
oldscout said:
Don't let your contact - jerk your chain - because he is. If you made the deal with the home owner directly, would the prop mnger be involved.
Click to expand...

I've heard that story too many times from primary contractors; "the client is freaking out at the cost!" hey you know what I charge, you've got a feel for what it is going to be. Quite often it is him trying to squeeze a little more back.

I might put it on the ground for $600, for an LS install company I work with and who is in good standing. Chip and haul for that would kill anyone.

So tell us how many total manhours you had into the job, what equipment and such was used. When I bid for a chiptruck and logtruck the price goes up more because the cost goes up.
 
ropensaddle said:
It stinks don't it? I always can't believe the amount of services in one
small area and tell y-pages about it every year. Twenty services advertising
in a town smaller than 75000 sure makes price suck.
Click to expand...

There are 4 companies in the town i live in of less than 4,000 people, it's tight when people start shopping around. But to be fair, i don't do all that much work there. If i charged what should be charged, i wouldn't have very much work at all............... if any. But i look at it this way, my bids are with-in about 10%-20% of all the "big" companies around in the area so apparently that's what the going rate is.
 

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