Climbers $ per day

[DDM]

I was kinda curious how much Subcontracting Climbers charge per day in different areas.

 

[Treeman14]

West-central Florida: $120/day.

 

[o0_TreeMan_0o]

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - $150.00/day

 

[treeclimber165]

Originally posted by Treeman14
West-central Florida: $120/day.

That's why I can't move here, Brett. In Orlando, any jackleg climber makes $150 per day. And most of them need to be picked up and dropped off, they need a saw, one time one guy needed boots, and they gaff EVERYTHING!. And they STILL make $150 per day.......
The sad part is that the guys hiring climbers won't pay more for a guy with a license, transportation, saws, gear, etc.

 

[treeman82]

The market for climbers around here is all over the place. Not sure where the bottom is. What I have heard about some of the best guys around though is that they want between $200 and $500 a day. However in 1 day they will perform the work of at least 3 climbers.

 

[DDM]

Who covers there W/C?

 

[treeman82]

With those guys... they either want cash, or on the books work where you cover the Comp. No climbers around here carry their own liability and W/C

 

[DDM]

Hmmmmm that kind of defeats the purpose of subbing doesnt it?

 

[o0_TreeMan_0o]

Brian, I can relate to your post. Around here it's hard to find climbers that will show up 5 days a week sober or without a substance abuse problem. And you are right about no trans. and D.L.

I started as a ground man during summers while still in school. We went thru more climbers than saw files. LOL

 

[Gopher]

Well, I have been basically subbing myself out wherever I can find work in the state of Wisconsin. I bring all of my own equipment (you should see some of the rope some guys have wanted me to use!), carry my own general liability insurance, and know what I am doing. I am not a champion climber, but I am quite efficient and very safe.

And you want to know something? If I didn't get at least, and I say at least, $200 when I leave the house, then I'll go paint house for almost that much.

We have to get paid for what we are worth. I just quit being available for one tree outfit because this guy wanted me on no notice to drive thiry-five to forty miles for $50, and then drive home. Granted, the one tree I would have climbed I would have finished in thirty minutes, but what about drive time? Vehicles aren't cheap.

So, I guess what I am saying is this, "If you are not a doper or a drunk, show up for work every day, and can get yourself in a tree and know a little about the tree, then get paid for it!"

Another thing that I have been doing for many years is giving clients that I do repeat work for a very detailed breakdown. I let them know up front that when I am in the tree, I will be charging anywhere from $50 to $75 per hour. When I am doing odds and ends for them or trimming the hedge or fertilizing or some other fairly easy task where I won't die if I make a mistake, then I charge them far, far less. This is usually only for customers that I do a lot of work for though, because otherwise I should be loking harder to find someone else who needs me up iin the tree at a
higher rate.

A note here; I don't llike the "per day" language. I like per hour and per job. That way there is no messiing around. You charge enough for what you do to cover all of the hidden travel costs, chains, saw maintenance, etc. and if you decide to take a little more time at eating an apple, you're not being paid for that time anyway.

I know, there isn't a foolproof stystem, but I am too much an individual to be curbed into a "bulk rate".

Now go save those trees!

Gopher

 

[sonny]

So. Cal $60.00 per day plus 2 tacos

 

[Rob Murphy]

Must be real good Taco's Sonny.
Eat one take one home to the wife an Kids.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I would say a cash paid climber(no W/C,side job, no taxes) might get $200.
To hire a fully insured climber cost around $800.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I scale my rates according to the volume of work I get from a particular client. Also the length of the relationship. If I get 3 or more days I cover travel. If I gotta drive back and forth I want travel time. If my travle is more then one day then I need a week guarenteed, or 1500. When I am negotiating the contract (verbal usualy) I look at my week/month end earnings not day to day.

More of -what will working with you do to the rest of my weeks net earnings? Will there be a good chance of a long term relationship?

The purpose of the sub is not to just hold down payroll costs on one job, but to have that extra skilled guy available so you can get work done in a timely manner. You work the guy a few times a week/month. Yes there will be added costs, but you pay for a skill level you cannot afford to maintain year round.

With W/C the payment needs to come from somewhere, the primary contractor will pay for it one way or another. So you hire the rare guy with it for 4-500 or the guy without it for 2-300. I tell ya, I would like to carry it, I would be more marketable, but the $9k premium is not something I can do at this time.

The drunk, doper monkey is the biggest problem for niche players like myself. People think that that is all there is in the independenat for hire market, I have to sell my self past that.

 

[Toddppm]

Mike $800 for one day?
Are the prices you guys are quoting paid as independent contractors , no taxes straight money?
I would think it's worth it to pay a sub up to about $250+/day under my ins. but I don't know if that would work , them being a temp. employee? Would be worth it just for my guys to work with someone that is real good because we don't do enough trees to have a full time climber and I'm pretty slow when I climb

 

[Jumper]

Climber $$$$$

Anywhere between $15 and $20 (Cdn) per hour here.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Todd,
Figure a climber working hourly, full time, gets between $20 and $30 per hour, plus benifits, from a typical tree service employer, in my area.
Many accountants will tell you that to figure the cost of an employee you double his hourly rate.
That puts the cost of a $30 and hour guy for 10 hours at $600.
I would think adding $200 for profit is about right, so that puts you at $800.
Sure is an eye opener, hey?

You could get around this by hiring a climber and paying him hourly, putting him under your W/C. Then he is an employee, not a sub. Then you would be paying him that $20 to $30 per hour and he would be costing you $40 to $60 and hour. $60 times 10 hours puts you at $600, dang, not much savings.

You could pay him cash and pray to God that nothing bad happens and you and your family don't lose everything you have to a lawsuit! Can you imagine the guilt you would feel if he ended up in a wheelchair, unable to work for the rest of his life, and no insurance.

 

[Toddppm]

I meant more like if they are a sub contractor they would have to carry their own ins. pay their own taxes or if I could count them under my own workers comp as a temp somehow? I don't know how that would work. I wouldn't hire someone for cash without us being covered one way or another.
The accts might be right about doubling the cost but that would include all biz overhead, I don't think a guy working only a few hours a year would include as large a percentage of the ohead???

 

[Gopher]

This is great dialogue, fellow arborists. We have as many opinions as a norway maple has girdling roots!

Speak of the hope to God no one gets hurt? Well, I have three young boys and when we moved from one side of the state to the other this winter, my wife quit her job and we can't begin to afford the premiums. (And by paying around $400/month, the deductible would still kill us.) We like other self-employed people, are praying that one of us doesn't get maimed or deathly ill in the next year, then my wife will be able to go back to work and get some bennies for us.

That is why I am a strong proponent for getting paid. Insurers don't like the risks so we are rated up. Do you all tell the truth when answering the questions as to what you do on your life insurance forms? If you do, we are rated up for that, too.

Up, up, up. Once again, take a poll as to how many people in our society could get a large tree down safely, and it wouldn't be a very big percentage. So, I like the numbers that Mr. Maas is talking about. We have to stop comparing ourselves to each other, and start comparing ourselves to other professions that cary agreat deal of responsibility and risk.

Another thought for you all; close to retiring tree guy who works for a cheap rate, just low enough to take good jobs from a few of us. I tell you what, these are killers. The best solution sould be to have this guy donate some time to the State arboretum, and charge a proper rate for when he feels like working. His kids are grown, his wife works, and he doesn't need as much as I do with three little guys to feed. Yet he gets out there and bids very low because it keeps him busy, and then the community believes that is what all tree work should be.

I don't have the answer for this one. Some would say "Good competition". In our profession, why do we feel that we need to charge less when we get better and better? Doctors charge more.

O. K. someone cut me off. I love the work and the trees or I wouldn't even be bringing half of this up.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Gopher.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

6-800 would be nice, but I don't think reasonable when my only expences are my insurance and my limited gear.

I carry GLI, and pay my own taxes, Provide an IRS form W-9 so my client can write off my fees.

Oh, I travel a lot and buy gear, so I don't pay much in taxes