Hazardous Honey Locust? Tree Risk Assessment needed

[treeseer]

Certainly 3/4 of the circumferance shows solid health flare.

I often recommend retaining trees this solid, tho in this tree signs of root issues abound. Seems to boil down to the same old story--free estimate->decision based on inadequate facts and bias of contractor. The client would have been a lot better off if your uncle sold her a consultation, and got to the (literal) bottom of the problem before action was contemplated.

Sure I'm biased, but it's still true. You get annual physical checkups (for which you are happy to pay your doctor), your teeth get semiannual checkups, people save on tree care if they get regular checkups.

You pay to get your car diagnosed by a qualified technician, etc...

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I won't rub anything in as far as what I would have done prior to entering the tree.

If I would have seen it after I was working I would have looked at how the tree moves with my conciderable weight on it. Then ask the client what they want.

A. the tree is obviously dieing, do they want to keep it and have it checked regularly.

B. inform them of the hightened risk and ask if they can live with it. Some can, some cannot.

THe thing we keep forgetting is that they own the property, we just advise. My advise would be R&R - get a young tree growing in the fall. But it may be the only "large" tree near by and have scentamental meaning to them. We are here to care for others property and we should let them value it.

If the client were there I would admit my oversight and make the offer right away. I've done it once or twice, finnish the contract, or take it down.

 

[TreeJunkie]

Everyone thanks for the replies----Trust me i've learned something from this experience.

Clearance get a life dude!

 

[Bill G]

Looks like an easy removal. Set the crane in the neighbors yard, four picks later and your done!

If that is the way you bid jobs give me a ring. I have a much smaller Elm at one of our rental properties that is is a easy crane removal. It should take 60 minutes or less. How's $200 sound and all you have to do is put 4 stems in the driveway ?

Bill

 

[TreeJunkie]

speaking of $$$$$ what do you think it's worth to remove???

 

[TreeJunkie]

bucket truck would be nice, - however don't have one-still climbable though- crane would be overkill in this situation although easy, i'm not at that great of a surplus of work, so if it takes me and the guys all day so be it. Log loader would be nice and if absoutely necessary i could call in an uncle to pick up the log, however that's money out of my pocket=although if i could drop it in one big log it wouldn't take long and if the long is solid then i might get a decent deal on the pickup.

 

[TreeJunkie]

another pic of the decayed area.

 

[TreeJunkie]

I think i agree w/ the idea of using a crane on this job. Otherwise there will be a heck of a lot of roping. Which would worry me once we got to the big stuff. B/c of the decay i wouldn't want to be loading it heavily. I checked the site. Crane access won't be a problem. I think setting up in the street would be ideal and it would allow us to set the picks down in the driveway.
What size crane do you think i should hire?? And what do think a fair price for this tree would be/???

 

[TreeJunkie]

gee no one care to take a shot at it??

 

[treeseer]

Thanks for the better shot of the rot. On a tree that was not a defintie removal, the irises, mulch and soil would be gone to a 1' radius, so the whole root collar could be examined. That's the only way you can measure the strength loss down there.

I would still do it on this tree, before bidding such a hugely expensive removal; RCE doesn't take that long.

 

[TreeJunkie]

agreed i do plan up doing so before actually quoting an exact price. I will also be talking w/ the crane company to determine there cost and time minimums.
I'm still trying to contact the customer to let her know the tree needs removed and as soon as she seems ready for the removal i'll be sure to excavate further.

I'm guessing cost to remove not including stump grinding will be 2300-3000. That will prob depend slightly upon crane cost.

 

[treeseer]

as soon as she seems ready for the removal i'll be sure to excavate further. I'm guessing cost to remove not including stump grinding will be 2300-3000. .

Good idea to excavate and measure before rigging that thing, crane or no crane. Heavy stresses on the defect, with your aspirations for survival hanging in the tree.

Better idea to measure strength loss BEFORE bidding removal, so you have some genuine justification for recommending it. It'd be tough for me to say "I need $3000 from you...I changed my mind cuz it don't look so good. I saw a hole."

If I was the client getting that message, I'd see a crimp in the contractor's credibility, and look for a second opinion. I'd also be more inclined to price-shop, if I agreed that it was time for removal.

 

[priest]

Good thread, we dealt with a locust in similar condition this spring and I wish I'd seen this thread first.

TJ, you asked for opinions on a price for removal? Like the others said, that depends on your estimate of time involved multiplied by your hourly goal plus additional expenses (crane in your case).
If you get $2300-3000 for that tree I need to relocate immediately. If that tree was here in town and they were getting multiple estimates I'd probably come in mid-range at $1300-1500 only to have the job go to the $800 bid, including stumpgrinding.

But I don't particularly like big trees anyways because they tend to be kinda heavy. (We're still using predominantly human muscle tissue to move wood).

Do you really need a crane for this job, and how much does the crane operator charge if you don't mind me asking? Not dogging your plan, just curious.

 

[TreeJunkie]

No question, I can take this tree down w/ out crane. Thing is the tree would be much easier/faster/safer w/ a crane. Pictures may represent falsely the overall size of the tree. I gaurantee no one in there right mind wound try to tackle this tree for less than 2000. Too much wood involved. Not to mention structurally unstable/many obstacles.

 

[TreeJunkie]

This reminds me of a bud of mine i OK who always tells me of cheep prices there.. Lets keep in hmind the cost of living. Unforunately Johnson County happens to be in approx. top 20 in the nation. This happens to drive the price up a BIT.

 

[priest]

This is the problem as I see it: the further south you go from Kansas, the lower the prices go on tree work; but by some sick twist of fate, the women get exponentially hotter as you travel down I-35 from Kansas City to Wichita (ouch, if you could even call those females women) to Stillwater (now we're talkin') to Oklahoma City and Norman (sizzlin'), and I can't mention the fine ladies from North Texas because it simply brings up too many memories of girls that could set ablaze a campfire full of green wood in the time it takes for you to make some extra money and head south to where we're already livin' it up.
I understand Johnson County has more money and a "higher cost of living" but isn't a "higher cost of living" a little bit optional depending on if you wany to live in the "right" neighborhood and shop at Albertson's instead of Wal-mart? If you're there to work is there that much difference in your overhead or is it more a difference in you expectations?
I don't blame you, if you have higher-end clientele willing to pay a premium for professional service and expertice, so be it. But please don't tell me there is that much difference in expenses between here and there, I grew up in Kansas.
Wedge that sh*t, tie it off to your truck, drop it, chunk it, collect your $2300, and I'll show you how to spend it. Dang, I sound like clearance sometimes.

 

[treeseer]

the $800 bid, including stumpgrinding.
.

Them cowboys must be mighty hongry.

 

[TreeJunkie]

Priest

Sure cost of living is a bit higher but i think you may just not realize how much wood this tree has alot of log on it. I wouldn't clean this tree up if it were already on the ground for 800. And if you're willing to take the risk involved w/ trying to notch this baby over come on up. You can have the job, I just want a front row seat. This tree will be an all day operation for a 4 man crew. Log loader - crane - chipper truck-stump grinder.

 

[priest]

treeseer,

Some of these cowboys are mighty hongry. There's a guy here in town that has a lot of equipment (bucket trucks, 104' crane, etc.). He has decided and has told other tree service owners that he intends to put them out of business. He tells clients that he will beat the lowest bid by $50. I wish I had pictures of the giganto-normous American Elm Tree he took out for $800 last month. 2/3 of the tree was over the roof of the business. It was a $2000 tree just to break even for most guys.

And I'll admit, he gets the job done and I think he's legit on insurance and things. So I tell people to take his bid if they want to. I can't blame them for wanting to save a thousand dollars.

I personally feel he could make more money bidding the trees reasonably, but its a free country. He'll never establish a monopoly like he intends to, though. Some of us don't have to lower prices to keep growing.

In the meantime I'm happy to make my $800 on two or three properly done, low-stress pruning jobs. Many of the trees people want to remove have nothing wrong with them anyhow, and I don't swing that way. I convince a lot of people against removals, as I'm sure most of you do as well.

 

[TreeJunkie]

After talking w/ a couple of crane guys today. I've conjured up my estimate. Tomorrow we'll see if she's ready to schedule the removal. Either way i've had her sign a waiver regarding the hazard of the tree.

Removal to ground level : $2400
Haul and dump of debris: $85
Machine grind the above stump below ground level : 175
Remove all chips and leave hole dished out: 150
Backfill hole w/ topsoil: 75

Rebate for past pruning work: -175.00


Total : 2700