contract climbers

[lawrencetreeman]

Just curious what some of you "contract climber's" may charge?? I have been climbing for 14 years, I charge a friend/ fellow Tree service that more or less got me into it. $25.00 an hour, I've charged someone i never heard of prior $75.00 per hour 4 hour min. I'm in charge as long as i"m in the tree. My safety is first and fore most. But just wondering what others may be charging.

 

[treemandan]

Seems to be slightly above par. A lot of times its in how hard they are going to make me work for it. Then of course, how do you charge your friends?
Is there really a 021?

 

[tree MDS]

I pay $250 for a reasonable one day job. I dont ask too much because I know what its like up there. I hate people that dont even know treework telling a climber how long a job should take when they have never even climbed themselves. But $250 here if its a normal job. Now if it was some killer money making crane job, then share the wealth some.

 

[treemandan]

I pay $250 for a reasonable one day job. I dont ask too much because I know what its like up there. I hate people that dont even know treework telling a climber how long a job should take when they have never even climbed themselves. But $250 here if its a normal job. Now if it was some killer money making crane job, then share the wealth some.

Look you tight wad, you are supposed to be in the upper echelon up there in NE. What gives?

 

[tree MDS]

Look you tight wad, you are supposed to be in the upper echelon up there in NE. What gives?

"upper echelon", lol. I havent quite made it to that status yet dan. Any more than that and I might just do it myself - or drive the bucket over the yard knomes, mirrored balls, bushes etc.

No I wouldnt, but it just pleases me to think about it, lol.

 

[treeslayer]

tree companies; $200-300 a day. minimum.

landscapers, contractors, and random homeowners; $50-100 per hour + more with a good groundman.

I sell a lot of work, and pay expenses and split remainder with subs who haul and cleanup. average $500-600 day

a lot depends on locale, I get paid better in northern Va than Williamsburg.

traveling for storms, consistently pull $2000 a week or better.

yeah, I'm bragging. but I earn it.

 

[ozzy42]

Down here i have a friend/competitor We have on occasion hired each other,for one reason or an other;backed up on work,sore w/pulled lumber or what not. We do things different but are both about the same speed and exp.
We usually pay around 100$ hr couple hours min.,,,,,,unless it's something real simple ,and not far out of the way.

It's a cut throat bus. some times.... It pays to have an allie.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Just curious what some of you "contract climber's" may charge?? I have been climbing for 14 years, I charge a friend/ fellow Tree service that more or less got me into it. $25.00 an hour, I've charged someone i never heard of prior $75.00 per hour 4 hour min. I'm in charge as long as i"m in the tree. My safety is first and fore most. But just wondering what others may be charging.

Went to your website- looks like you are a business instead of a "freelance "climber like it sounded that you were. I "free lanced" for many years and did very well and never asked anyone their opinion on my earnings. It is all relevant to the job--Take the job, do the job, anyway,
Jeff Lovstrom

 

[fishercat]

$100 an hour with my own gear.

no arguing about how it's done.

wiped out a nice size swamp maple for a couple of homeboys Sunday.they're gettin' into tree work they say.they have a pick up and a couple of really warm saws. i had half down before they got there.made them pull the top which was leaning towards the house.

i was done in 2.5 hours,collected my 3 bills and loaded the car.nice workin' whitch ya' boys!

 

[lawrencetreeman]

I Am small part time business, plus will climb for others as well, I have climbed for one guy for many years. I see nothing wrong in seeing what the market is. Thanks

 

[Rftreeman]

I have a guy that will climb all day (max 8 hours) for me at $225 a day no matter what the job is but if it's a really nasty job or he bust his butt and we got done early I'll pay him a little more.

 

[Little Monkey]

hi, am working in ireland, a top class contract climber fully kitted out for any takedown, rigging, cranework or precision felling gets 300 euro +vat a day
or a standard climber with only a harness and saw gets about 150,
when i worked in new zealand the rates were about the same .. $300/$150:monkey:

 

[tomtrees58]

yup here on L I N Y $100 pr hr tom trees

 

[STLfirewood]

I pay a contract climber $300 cash for an 8hr day. I don't ask him to kill himself. He's a good worker. Lately he's been trying to renegotiate based on the number of trees and things like that. I'm not a climber so maybe I'm looking at it wrong. I thought $300 for 8hrs meant $300 for 8 hrs. I don;t think the number of trees should change the rate of pay. I don't put him in rotten trees or anything. I always ask him if he's ok with the tree before he does it. He runs the show when he's there. I'm going to have to start looking for somebody else I think. I can't bid a job expecting to pay a certain amount then have the terms switched.

Scott

 

[treeslayer]

I pay a contract climber $300 cash for an 8hr day. I don't ask him to kill himself. He's a good worker. Lately he's been trying to renegotiate based on the number of trees and things like that. I'm not a climber so maybe I'm looking at it wrong. I thought $300 for 8hrs meant $300 for 8 hrs. I don;t think the number of trees should change the rate of pay. I don't put him in rotten trees or anything. I always ask him if he's ok with the tree before he does it. He runs the show when he's there. I'm going to have to start looking for somebody else I think. I can't bid a job expecting to pay a certain amount then have the terms switched.

Scott

$300 a day is 8 hours of however many trees you can point him at that can be safely done without making him fight the debris piling up. he does deserve good ground support. other than that, work his a$$.
he has to make you money, so you can pay him the good money he gets.
sounds like he's getting spoiled.
or you are making him earn his money.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I can't bid a job expecting to pay a certain amount then have the terms switched.

Scott

He's been doing it long enough, he wants a raise. Offer him a performance bonus on work done over the expected amount.

"I've bid it for you to get $300 for trees A-D if you get these others done too, then I'll give you $XX more per tree."

As a contract climber, if that is what you do most often, then you need a standard rate that will get you in on the job on a regular basis. For me that is $40-50 for local and $75-100 for overnight travel.

With travel there a several day minimum depending on expenses. Some towns you can sleep and eat for under $70/day, others it is more like $120.

With local jobs that schedule regularly I bill by the next 1/4 hour, $200 minimum. I have a standard 1hr travel fee since I drive a 3/4 ton truck 30-40 miles one way on most jobs in the 3 county area I work in. So I average around 250/day as a broke down old man who does what he knows how to do and not have to "work" everyday.

 

[STLfirewood]

$300 a day is 8 hours of however many trees you can point him at that can be safely done without making him fight the debris piling up. he does deserve good ground support. other than that, work his a$$.
he has to make you money, so you can pay him the good money he gets.
sounds like he's getting spoiled.
or you are making him earn his money.

He doesn't fight any brush at all. I make sure everything is picked up. We go a a decent pace but not back breaking. I would rather be safe then save an hour. He is spoiled I know that. The problem is finding someone to replace him.

Scott

 

[STLfirewood]

He's been doing it long enough, he wants a raise. Offer him a performance bonus on work done over the expected amount.

"I've bid it for you to get $300 for trees A-D if you get these others done too, then I'll give you $XX more per tree."

This is what makes me a little unhappy about the whole thing. I always schedule around him and ask plenty of time in advance for his schedule. When he is slow at his business he climbs for a guy he use to work for. He charges that guy $25 an hour and that's the rate no matter what. I'm paying $300 for an 8 hour day. That's $37.50 an hour. He doesn;t seem happy with that. It really kind of irks me. I don't mind paying more then the other guy he sends him more work then I do. What ever they have worked out is between them. I just need to know what I'm paying going into things. I know a lot of people say this but I know when it comes to a climber I'm the easiest person in the world to work with. Your(or my) saw is always sharp and another 200T fueled and ready. Brush doesn't pile up. I don't gripe about breaks. Water always right there I buy lunch ect. I know the job can't be don't without the climber so I respect that to a t. Maybe things will be better after the first of the year when I buy a Genie Boom.

Scott

 

[treeslayer]

He doesn't fight any brush at all. I make sure everything is picked up. We go a a decent pace but not back breaking. I would rather be safe then save an hour. He is spoiled I know that. The problem is finding someone to replace him.

Scott

maybe not, sounds like you are a good employer. where are you, in missouri? hell, I like to fly. how much work can you line up?

 

[STLfirewood]

I am a very small business I can't line up that much work. I wish I could. I did a job over the summer that I think would have been enough. All big trees. Paid $2k for the take downs with a guy and a bucket. Took him 9hrs to do it. I think a climber could have done it faster. The trees had nothing in the way at he bottom you could drop big sections. The guy took things smaller because o the truck being under the tree. If I land another big job like that I will be sure to keep you in mind.

Thanks Scott