Pricing

[Stihl Alive]

What's average for just felling a 40-60' pine, nothing else involved, just dropping the tree in a safe place.

I've been kind of charging a la carte for this type of thing, couple hundred bucks to drop it, couple more to cut it up into easily moveable sections, couple hundred more for hauling it away (per tree)

I noticed there was at least one other memeber here from NC, what do you think?

 

[memetic]

$300 if you don't have to climb or do any other work.

 

[Groundman One]

Anywhere from $100 to $300. Is there a house or deck or wires? All those things add up.

 

[clearance]

$300 if you don't have to climb or do any other work.

$300 for less than 5 minutes work? If I am there already doing something else, its free. If I have to go there, they pay for the travel time, falling a pecker pole like that is nothing if you have done it a few thousand times.

 

[treemandan]

Yo Stihl Alive, do you want someone to smoke it for you too?

 

[appalachianarbo]

It depends on if I have to bid it and then return to do the job. If I can do it right then and there, no ropes, just dropping it, and it's less than a 15 minute drive, $100 sounds about right. Bidding and then returning is more. Rigging up a pull is also more.

 

[Stihl Alive]

Yo Stihl Alive, do you want someone to smoke it for you too?

just checking with everyone else. I usually charge 200 just to drop it.

 

[Rftreeman]

notch it and watch it could be as little as $40 but most of the time it is around $75 to $125 just depends on how long it will take me, does it need a rope and such, I'm not a great big company so I can do it cheaper then most.

 

[memetic]

just checking with everyone else. I usually charge 200 just to drop it.

That sounds right for NC. I'm in Connecticut that is why it is $300. Unless you live here you wouldn't understand - everything is out-of-control expensive.

 

[davidshumaker]

notch it and watch it could be as little as $40 but most of the time it is around $75 to $125 just depends on how long it will take me, does it need a rope and such, I'm not a great big company so I can do it cheaper then most.

I charge that much ($40.00) to just cut a large shrub down. I figure these days, you almost need to charge at least $100.00 to go to someone's house. I know when I call someone to fix something or service something at home, it cost me at least $100-$120.00 for them to come just look. If I'm alread at their house, I will charge a little less.

 

[Rftreeman]

I charge that much ($40.00) to just cut a large shrub down. I figure these days, you almost need to charge at least $100.00 to go to someone's house. I know when I call someone to fix something or service something at home, it cost me at least $100-$120.00 for them to come just look. If I'm alread at their house, I will charge a little less.

maybe i should have been a little more clear.......lol......that $40 would be for a tree that would take me all of 15 to 20 minutes or less, most likely less, you know the tree I'm talking about, you look at it for 2 minutes and lay a notch in it and back cut and walk away (total time 5 minutes) and never look back, i have been told though that I'm very reasonable on my prices.

 

[southsoundtree]

Seems like a hundred bucks minimum is reasonable for that job.

What do people charge as minimum fee if they are not already set up at a neighbor's house, if any?


One hundred per $5 minutes sounds like a lot of money, until you figure: what if there is a rot column in the tree and it goes wrong and you damage something, do you than try to charge them more for damaging their things to make up part of the cost. Avoiding damage is part of the experience that they pay for, not just your time. They are paying for your liability insures, business license, bond.


They are paying for your drive time, vehicle expenses including insurance. If you pocket $50 bucks and accidentally bump someone's car, professional touch-up will be at least $100 (the saw compartment door on my truck didn't latch right and it swung into the customers bumper at 5-10 mph, putting a tiny scratch, she would not have even know, but I told her--$120 bucks). You could be in a real accident as well.

When you think about possibly hitting a piece of metal embedded in the tree, dulling or ruining a chain, there's expense there.


There is the chance of getting more work from them, but you just removed one of the work pieces, unlike a quick 5 minute prune. There isn't much time onsite for the neighbors to see you, and as well, a simple,no target, felling isn't going to impress the neighbors so much. It is an opportunity to discuss other things that you see in the HO's yard, though.

 

[B-Edwards]

Seems like a hundred bucks minimum is reasonable for that job.

What do people charge as minimum fee if they are not already set up at a neighbor's house, if any?


One hundred per $5 minutes sounds like a lot of money, until you figure: what if there is a rot column in the tree and it goes wrong and you damage something, do you than try to charge them more for damaging their things to make up part of the cost. Avoiding damage is part of the experience that they pay for, not just your time. They are paying for your liability insures, business license, bond.


They are paying for your drive time, vehicle expenses including insurance. If you pocket $50 bucks and accidentally bump someone's car, professional touch-up will be at least $100 (the saw compartment door on my truck didn't latch right and it swung into the customers bumper at 5-10 mph, putting a tiny scratch, she would not have even know, but I told her--$120 bucks). You could be in a real accident as well.

When you think about possibly hitting a piece of metal embedded in the tree, dulling or ruining a chain, there's expense there.


There is the chance of getting more work from them, but you just removed one of the work pieces, unlike a quick 5 minute prune. There isn't much time onsite for the neighbors to see you, and as well, a simple,no target, felling isn't going to impress the neighbors so much. It is an opportunity to discuss other things that you see in the HO's yard, though.

What he said. If that tree goes wrong and crashes on the house the argument isn't going to be fun because you will lose.

 

[2FatGuys]

It depends on the location and the situation. Also, in your part of NC, a 40'-60' pine could be as small as 8" diameter. You have some FAST growing trees down east. I would expect that my time and investment to get to the job site would be a greater expense than the actual tree work.

 

[memetic]

Seems like a hundred bucks minimum is reasonable for that job.

What do people charge as minimum fee if they are not already set up at a neighbor's house, if any?


One hundred per $5 minutes sounds like a lot of money, until you figure: what if there is a rot column in the tree and it goes wrong and you damage something, do you than try to charge them more for damaging their things to make up part of the cost. Avoiding damage is part of the experience that they pay for, not just your time. They are paying for your liability insures, business license, bond.


They are paying for your drive time, vehicle expenses including insurance. If you pocket $50 bucks and accidentally bump someone's car, professional touch-up will be at least $100 (the saw compartment door on my truck didn't latch right and it swung into the customers bumper at 5-10 mph, putting a tiny scratch, she would not have even know, but I told her--$120 bucks). You could be in a real accident as well.

When you think about possibly hitting a piece of metal embedded in the tree, dulling or ruining a chain, there's expense there.


There is the chance of getting more work from them, but you just removed one of the work pieces, unlike a quick 5 minute prune. There isn't much time onsite for the neighbors to see you, and as well, a simple,no target, felling isn't going to impress the neighbors so much. It is an opportunity to discuss other things that you see in the HO's yard, though.

Besides what you mention (and much more) there is also the knowledge and experience you bring to the job - that has a price as well.

 

[B-Edwards]

It depends on the location and the situation. Also, in your part of NC, a 40'-60' pine could be as small as 8" diameter. You have some FAST growing trees down east. I would expect that my time and investment to get to the job site would be a greater expense than the actual tree work.

What he said too!