First Lot Clearing Job, New to the Site

[Arbortec01]

Ok, just a quick question I wanted to throw out there and ask for some advice on. My buddy and I decided to start our own tree business this summer, both having worked for other companies in the past and its going great. Taking awhile to get off the ground, but over all its been a great experience.

My question is we are trying to come up with a price for a lot clearing job. The project consists of about 1/4 acre lot behind a customers home. The lot is wooded with a variety of tree sizes. We went through today and marked the trees that the customer wants to come out. In all there are around 25 trees ranging from wrist size to some that are little bigger then 2 feet in diameter. There are 6 trees out of the 25 that are bigger then 1 foot in diameter. One of them will need to be rigged since it is over the neighbors fence.

A little more info: We are sub contracting all of the larger stumps out to be removed but all the small scrub trees we will be taking out with a skidster by ourselves.

My question is what do you all think is the best way to go about bidding this?
Any input would be great. Like I said we are really new at this and don't want to underbid but at the same time we dont want to throw some huge number out that is going to get shot down.

Do we charge hourly? By the day? Per tree?

Thanks so much and I have learned a ton from just reading all the threads.

 

[ddhlakebound]

Whether you bid it hourly, daily, or by the tree, your 3 different prices should be pretty close to each other. So whatever method you choose will work fine.

Bidding jobs like the one described were a bit tough when I first started, too.

Just try to look at it as one big bid broken down into little sections. Add all the sections up, and see if the total makes good sense to you. Calculate your expenses, how many labor hours you'll spend, and what you need to make in profit.

Be sure to consider the variables involved with using a sub for the big stumps, unless you already have experience with them, and that they're insured on your jobsite.

Also, from the sounds of it, some trees will be staying, and you'll be running a skidsteer around on their roots. If keeping the remaining trees healthy is a priority (i hope so), you'll need to be very careful not to damage trees you're keeping, including the main stem and the root systems. Soil compaction is an issue too, so plan your job out for the benefit of the trees.

Good luck, and welcome to AS.

 

[A. Stanton]

Five years ago, I had a .33 acre lot cleared for a garage. The guys that did it at the time were charging a flat fee to clear any lot one acre and under. It was $1,500. For that they would take the thrunks for firewood. They left the tops and stumps. In my case they took down about 30 trees.