$800 seems to be the magic number

[Brush Hog]

At least for me. People will pay it no problem but if you try to inch it up it's a no go. I bid on a half dead maple about 40 ft tall for a $1000 and didn't get it. Maybe if I told the guy I'd do it for $900 plus chips it would have sounded better. I was going to take the wood for nothing too. Oh well

 

[treemandan]

You sound like you just might have it figured out. Consider yourself successful at 850.00.

 

[corndogg]

I agree. Last year I thought the magic number was anything under a thousand. This year My phone doesn't even ring and if it does the low baller seems to lock up the deal before I can get there to meet with them. It's crickets for me up here.

 

[treemandan]

My new bidding stratagey is to tell the people to staple 100 dollar bills at 1 foot intervals going up the tree. Where the bills stop that is where it will get cut. I ask them" How high do you feel comfortable?" It been working out so far.

 

[treemandan]

Anyone else use that technique?

 

[Brush Hog]

I like the idea a lot. I think I'm competing with the bucket guys. This particular job could have been done in about 5 hrs with a bucket.

 

[treemandan]

I like the idea a lot. I think I competing with the bucket guys. This particular job could have been done in about 5 hrs with a bucket.

Yes you have to know what someone else can do the job for and how they can do it, then figure out a way to do it cheaper,and go in lower, even if it means lower standards like not eating that day, maybe the next.
Actually from what I have seen this is the standard. Oh, well, you do what you can.

 

[TheKid]

i hope i'm not derailing this one here, but i hope the aim is not to always underbid, rather sell your skill, knowledge, reputation, and "persona" among other things. sticking to your guns and getting your value.

 

[Brush Hog]

i hope i'm not derailing this one here, but i hope the aim is not to always underbid, rather sell your skill, knowledge, reputation, and "persona" among other things. sticking to your guns and getting your value.

That's exactly what I do. I bid the job for what it is. I want to be known for my work/knowledge not my price.

 

[ropensaddle]

I bid one cleaned up a 100 foot pine 35" dbh pieced down
2000.00 yesterday tree is really worth 2850.00!

 

[custom8726]

I bid one cleaned up a 100 foot pine 35" dbh pieced down
2000.00 yesterday tree is really worth 2850.00!

How long do you figure you will be there? Also how much projected overhead? If you can finish it in a day and clear atleast $1,600.00 then its a $2,000.00 tree. I generally get more big jobs ($2,500 and up) then I do small jobs (less then $1.000.00) I think it is because all the guys around here with a saw and a pick-up. They have no overhead and alot of them will work for peanuts so the smaller less technical jobs that joe shmow will do for $100 bucks I bid $350, Guess who gets the job 2/3rds of the time when it is not a refferal. The bigger more technical trees that require knowledge in rigging and the equipment nessary to safely remove we generally get.

 

[ropensaddle]

How long do you figure you will be there? Also how much projected overhead? If you can finish it in a day and clear atleast $1,600.00 then its a $2,000.00 tree. I generally get more big jobs ($2,500 and up) then I do small jobs (less then $1.000.00) I think it is because all the guys around here with a saw and a pick-up. They have no overhead and alot of them will work for peanuts so the smaller less technical jobs that joe shmow will do for $100 bucks I bid $350, Guess who gets the job 2/3rds of the time when it is not a refferal. The bigger more technical trees that require knowledge in rigging and the equipment nessary to safely remove we generally get.

The tree is growing outta the roof of his sun room everthing must be
rigged and to make matters worse a three phaze powerline is on one
side, house on other. Multiple rigging will be necessary or a crane but
I have not found a crane service in my area that will do trees. I can
do half of it with my sixty foot bucket and that will help!

 

[ropensaddle]

By the way I fully understand the lowballers getting the cake and it
sucks.

 

[custom8726]

The tree is growing outta the roof of his sun room everthing must be
rigged and to make matters worse a three phaze powerline is on one
side, house on other. Multiple rigging will be necessary or a crane but
I have not found a crane service in my area that will do trees. I can
do half of it with my sixty foot bucket and that will help!

Sounds interesting!! How long do you think it will take you? How much have you researched crane rentals in your area? Maybe another local tree company with a crane? That is sometimes ideal because they have experience in the field that other crane operators may not. I have found that often the time saved buy renting or leasing a crane pays for itself twice over by the time saved on the job not to mention the wear and tear on the climber and ground crew.

 

[custom8726]

By the way I fully understand the lowballers getting the cake and it
sucks.

Yes it does! Especially with the way fuel prices are now. You almost know when its not a refferal there is a 50% chance you are just burning money doing the estimate, un-less you low ball it.

 

[ropensaddle]

Sounds interesting!! How long do you think it will take you? How much have you researched crane rentals in your area? Maybe another local tree company with a crane? That is sometimes ideal because they have experience in the field that other crane operators may not. I have found that often the time saved buy renting or leasing a crane pays for itself twice over by the time saved on the job not to mention the wear and tear on the climber and ground crew.

I called everyone in the book and will try again if I get the job.
He liked the fact that I explained the way it had to be done and
said he was not looking for the cheapest only. I said that would be
smart as he needs to make sure they have skill. I told him of another
service capable and told him middle estimates are usually a good value,
and then said I may be the highest but know what it takes. I figure
I will have it on the ground in 6 to 8 hours and clean up will prolly take
another 4 but it will be me and one helper!

 

[custom8726]

I called everyone in the book and will try again if I get the job.
He liked the fact that I explained the way it had to be done and
said he was not looking for the cheapest only. I said that would be
smart as he needs to make sure they have skill. I told him of another
service capable and told him middle estimates are usually a good value,
and then said I may be the highest but know what it takes. I figure
I will have it on the ground in 6 to 8 hours and clean up will prolly take
another 4 but it will be me and one helper!

Well said, I got a bid job a couple weeks ago for $4,500.00 when the guy before me bid $2,500.00 on the same job:jawdrop: After we finished the job the home owner told me this and then proceeded to tell me when he asked the other company how they intended to get the job done the 2 guys just looked at each other waiting for the other one to answer. He liked the way I explained in detail how we intended to get his job done in a professional and safe manner. This is rare when its not a refferal it usuall comes down to the low bid 2 out of 3 times. I was amazed some one bid the job at $2,500.00 It took us 2 days with 4 guys (2 climbers), the bucket truck, 18"chipper, log trailer, Log truck, 1 ton, stump grinder, and crane for 4hrs.

 

[ropensaddle]

Well said, I got a bid job a couple weeks ago for $4,500.00 when the guy before me bid $2,500.00 on the same job:jawdrop: After we finished the job the home owner told me this and then proceeded to tell me when he asked the other company how they intended to get the job done the 2 guys just looked at each other waiting for the other one to answer. He liked the way I explained in detail how we intended to get his job done in a professional and safe manner. This is rare when its not a refferal it usuall comes down to the low bid 2 out of 3 times. I was amazed some one bid the job at $2,500.00 It took us 2 days with 4 guys (2 climbers), the bucket truck, 18"chipper, log trailer, Log truck, 1 ton, stump grinder, and crane for 4hrs.

I am envious of what ya'all get in other areas they won't usually pay it here but I try to keep the bids up to profit some without ripping anyone off 4500.00 is unheard of here. I can see with a crane where it is fair though and have had to take less as our market is flooded. Most large trees here with little difficulty go at that 800.00 mark and include the stump and clean up.I have learned to bid my price and don't get as much work but profit when I do and work on the equipment when down, has worked so far but not getting ahead much!

 

[treemandan]

i hope i'm not derailing this one here, but i hope the aim is not to always underbid, rather sell your skill, knowledge, reputation, and "persona" among other things. sticking to your guns and getting your value.

Not at all but sometimes even the pros have to go low to keep guys working. There are a lot of us now that we got sick of working for other people.

 

[custom8726]

I am envious of what ya'all get in other areas they won't usually pay it here but I try to keep the bids up to profit some without ripping anyone off 4500.00 is unheard of here. I can see with a crane where it is fair though and have had to take less as our market is flooded. Most large trees here with little difficulty go at that 800.00 mark and include the stump and clean up.I have learned to bid my price and don't get as much work but profit when I do and work on the equipment when down, has worked so far but not getting ahead much!

Like I said previously its not common to get the job as the high bidder but in reality out of that $4,500 I maybe cleared 3,000.00 so that is about $1,500.00 a day for technical take downs bolth with the crane and without not to mention the wear and tear on the equipment and employees to pull off a job like that in two days that would have taken alot of other companys 3-4 days to do with less resources. Not having the available resources makes a big difference. 2/3rds of the bigger technical trees we do are because others in the area would not even give a bid because it was out of there expertise or available resources to get the job done effiecently. I figure in N.Y. $1,600-$2,000 a day is making enough to get ahead barely. Between the taxes and long winters N.Y is not the easiest place to make a buck in our profession. DIVERSITY