Just need to Vent Thread

[PTS]

We placed a bid on some city work for two trees to be removed. The city in all there infinite wisdom requires that the trees be a drop only however we have to work hand and hand with the city workers so that they can clean it up as we go. I hate that! They are slow....we then have to wait. I am happy to say we didn't get the bid in which we were $650 per tree which was figured at a 150 per hour rate. It is now around 1:30 and our competitor has been working on this drop only on the first tree since 7:00 with 5 people on his payroll for this project. How an the H3LL can you compete with that. That is less than 100 per hour with 5 persons on payroll and that includes equipment.

 

[TDunk]

I'd just start bombing stuff down and if they can't keep up with me then to bad, guess they better work faster or get some more people. It sucks that you have to compete with people like that though.

 

[lxt]

PTS...thats just it, his guys probably arent on payroll!! or they make minimum wage! with this economy I run into alot of low bidders, thank god for the park contract I got earlier this year or it would of been tough!

I in order to compete have to lower prices.......why im thinking about other things, I dont know!


LXT..........

 

[Blakesmaster]

ya gotta love city workers.

I was on a job a year or so back that they were contracted to "help" on. We basically ignored them and after getting pushed out of the way by large pieces of brush on our way to the chipper a few times they found a few rakes that needed to be held up for the rest of the day.

 

[PTS]

City just sent me bid results. This guy with his five employees is working for 85 per hour with a bucket and himself. Can't hardly pay for gas with that.

 

[Blakesmaster]

City just sent me bid results. This guy with his five employees is working for 85 per hour with a bucket and himself. Can't hardly pay for gas with that.

What? You're kidding me.

 

[Toddppm]

Maybe he thought he was getting $85/man per hour?!?!?!

 

[teamtree]

That probably works out good for them

20 per hour for bucket truck and overhead

12.50 per head per hour

Probably made a ton on that job

Don't let it eat at you.....and don't play down to the comp

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Why do you need 5 guys if the city is doing the cleanup? send 2 guys, one as a flagger and have the city do the rest?????

Have the other guys do something else.

In your case, bid it as one man and the bucket, word it so that the city is required to handle traffic and everything else.

 

[Jlarnard]

Besides tree work I also clean carpets. Today in our local paper a carpet cleaning company had a full page ad. full!! He had coupons for 5 rooms for 49.99, 14.00 for 1 room, and 1 free upholstry cleaning with each job.
I know he is upselling, but this can't be what this tree service is doing. How can you upsell a city job?
Wow I would guess first off that he is under insured, and it is just a matter of time until he will be out of your city. I'll hope for the best for you.

 

[BCMA]

The only way that a company can do this type of low-ball work is by paying employees under the table. This is a common occurrence in the tree care industry, and is the primary reason that prices are kept lower than they should be.

 

[Rookie1]

Im a city worker and alot of times we do what some goofball in cityhall wants not what we want to do. I know your venting about rate but you did mention slow city workers too. Im sure you and your brethren small business owners bust your butts to make a living, but we put up with alot of crap that just doesnt have to be. Like hiring slow as molasses punk DUI kid cause his daddy is council or knows someone. Then hard worker says why bust it when molasses doesnt. We all end up working slow. See

 

[PTS]

I have sat down with a councilman and penciled out their theory and then shown them what they could save by having a company do everything. Small town, dump is close, can haul it all whole. Cut it down without sitting in the bucket waiting for the city guy to get out from underneath you and then grapple load into debris hauler done in no time. City provides 4 dump trucks and drivers, one end loader, two sawyers for a tree removal. Add all that up in $$$$$ form and it cost them more to stand around and haul one limb at a time to the dump than if they had a real company come in and get it done.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Not to mention that you can crack the whip on your guys without any union beefs

I have a friend and a few acquaintances in ArborMaster, some of their stories working with muni and small utility crews are a pure hoot.

 

[(WLL)]

we like ta run at about 350-400 per hr.