Asking price?

[JeffL]

Just starting to pick up a little sidework (and of course the toys to do it with ). But generally unsure how to price the work out. I did one last week without too much thought on the price, helping out my uncles mother in law on a fixed income for short money, but I've got a good one coming up in the next month or so I'm not sure how to price.

He's got 5 probably 60' Sugar Maples he wants pruned for dead wood, a medium sized Willow he wants some lower limbs taken off and large deadwood removed. A smaller white pine he'd like the broken branches and stubs cleaned out of, and a pretty sizeable pin oak he wants the large dead taken out of. There are also 2 decent sized Norway maples near the house with a pretty decent sized spread he wants pulled back away from the house and upbranched, as well and pulling some branches off the service drop and the house from a 40' Beech as well. Not to mention 3 Sugar maples all probably in the 50-60' foot rangle he wants removed entirely.

I figure the average prune for each tree will be about 1.5 hours, some more, some less, and the removals I figure 2 of them will be logs on the ground in about an hour, and the larger one about 2 hours. Have a friend of mine coming by with a chipper for the removals, chipping into the woods, and all the pruning debris can stay on site. I was thinking tell him up front it will be 50/hr for pruning and 75/hr for removals? With a real rough estimate I'm thinking at that rate it'll end up being about $1200 total, plus the $75 I'll owe my buddy for an hour of him and his chippers time.

Granted I'm helping out a friend of the family, but am I cutting myself way too short here? Or am I about in lines for going-rate for sidework?

:greenchainsaw:

 

[ATH]

I think your hourly rates seem within reason. Of course, they can flex significantly depending on what equipment you have - but the total at the end of the day shouldn't change much. Big equipment demands higher hourly rates, but also gets the job done in few hours...

Why do you figure pruning a lower rate than removals? Unless the removals are in a very tight spot, I would generally consider proper pruning a more professional service - demanding more expertise, and therefore a higher rate. Think about it: (Lets assume personal safety) The worst you can do on a removal can be fixed by insurance. The worst pruning job may take hundreds of years to repair (waiting for replacement tree to grow).

 

[clearance]

I think your hourly rates seem within reason. Of course, they can flex significantly depending on what equipment you have - but the total at the end of the day shouldn't change much. Big equipment demands higher hourly rates, but also gets the job done in few hours...

Why do you figure pruning a lower rate than removals? Unless the removals are in a very tight spot, I would generally consider proper[/p] pruning a more professional service - demanding more expertise, and therefore a higher rate. Think about it: (Lets assume personal safety) The worst you can do on a removal can be fixed by insurance. The worst pruning job may take hundreds of years to repair (waiting for replacement tree to grow).

Removals are worth more. Especially if you are doing it by the hour. "The worse you can do on a removal can be fixed by insurance" ????? You haven't really thought that one through. Insurance companies can bring dead people back from life now?

I have gone on some big removal jobs, by the hour. Pounded trees down in tight spots, forced outcomes, taken heavily calculated risks. Some other people would have roped every miserable piece down. Not me, not the guys that taught me, unless absolutely needed. So, pruning now, sure it takes some skill, but where is the risk, and the hard work, where is the possible mayhem and disaster compared to removals?

 

[ATH]

Removals are worth more. Especially if you are doing it by the hour. "The worse you can do on a removal can be fixed by insurance" ????? You haven't really thought that one through. Insurance companies can bring dead people back from life now?

Got that covered: "Let's assume personal safety."

 

[beowulf343]

Funnily enough, trimming may be a "more professional" sevice, yet i could name a dozen trimmers off the top of my head that are scared to do removals. I don't know any removal climbers who can't do a trim. Heck, i've spent several years trimming and can still do a good job-i just hate doing it because when you pound down big wood for a living, dropping twigs is boring.

Oddly, my three man climbing removal crew brings in more income than any three of the outfit's trimming crews put together. And around here, a climber who can do removals makes quite a bit more than a trimmer.

 

[elmnut]

The trims added up to 16.5 hours, removals added up to 4 hours, rental costs are 75.00. 20.5 hours at 75.00 an hour equals 1537.50, plus 75.00 rental equals 1612.50, minus 25% family discount brings you to 1209.50. When pruning a tree it is important the customer understands what is going to happen, try not to say you are going to "remve dead wood" instead say "remove dead branches 1" diameter and larger", or 2" and larger, whatever, as long as the client understands what they are getting for their money.

 

[JeffL]

The trims added up to 16.5 hours, removals added up to 4 hours, rental costs are 75.00. 20.5 hours at 75.00 an hour equals 1537.50, plus 75.00 rental equals 1612.50, minus 25% family discount brings you to 1209.50. When pruning a tree it is important the customer understands what is going to happen, try not to say you are going to "remve dead wood" instead say "remove dead branches 1" diameter and larger", or 2" and larger, whatever, as long as the client understands what they are getting for their money.

Good point. I would likely tend to say "remove all the large dead wood out of it." but my interpretation of that might be 2" and larger, while someone else may interpret that as simply remove one large dead limb or section of the tree. I already know he wants the large sugar maples "thinned out", but I think I've already talked him out of it. He wants to open up the canopy to allow better light penetration, but honestly this stand of maples will probably be some of the best I've done in terms of inside growth, they are just doing fine on their own.

And personally I think I'd say I uprated the removal part a bit because IMO it is slightly more "risky" than just simply pruning a tree. All the trees to be pruned are target free, besides one Norway which I'll be working around the house drop a bit (dont worry, I took my TCIA EHAP course ), and the 3 maples to be removed are all in smashing distance of a gazebo, pool, and some arbor/trellis thing he has set up in a garden below the trees.

Either way, happy to see I'm not way off base, and I'm at a good starting point. Stuff I have personally at my disposal is a brandy new MS200T, some basic rigging (rope, sling, pulley, port-a-wrap, eye sling), my personal climbing gear, and I'll be picking up spurs and a shiny new MS460 next week. So all my gear will be bought and paid for with this job and another little pruney I did last week. Hooray.

:greenchainsaw:

 

[JeffL]

Well, started today. He left me his pickup truck, told me where brush can go, and left for a parade all morning. Cleaned up this freaking mess of a white pine, and took some big pieces out of a willow. As soon as I got my throw line in the willow I was already regretting getting the 14" instead of the 16" bar on my 200T.

The 2 limbs I removed on the willow were on 2 seperate leaders, both limbs about 14-15" in diameter at the trunk (go figure, 14" bar. ). They had grown completely together about 8 feet out from the tree, and when I made a few relief cuts on one of the branches and they finally came apart, they jumped probably 12-18", alot of tension on them. I was hoping the leader I was tied into didnt peel off the tree. It didnt, so finished up the limbs, cleaned up some big stubbers on my way down, lopped up the stuff on the ground, threw it down the hill, raked everything up, and walked away $250 for my morning of nothing but some climbing, a little brush hauling and some raking. 2 down, 12 to go. :greenchainsaw: