What would you charge for this removal?

[KrayzKajun]

Well the phone has been ringing off the hook for removals due to hurricane isaac last week. Ive landed 6 nice size removals. Just want to see if im leaving too much money on the table. Property owner wants this pine tree cut and hauled off. Will be hauling the debris with my 23yd gooseneck dump trailer. Crew of three including myself and skidsteer w/ grapple bucket. I know everybodys numbers are going to be different. Just want to see what the average will be.

 

[bandet]

Well the phone has been ringing off the hook for removals due to hurricane isaac last week. Ive landed 6 nice size removals. Just want to see if im leaving too much money on the table. Property owner wants this pine tree cut and hauled off. Will be hauling the debris with my 23yd gooseneck dump trailer. Crew of three including myself and skidsteer w/ grapple bucket. I know everybodys numbers are going to be different. Just want to see what the average will be.

well if you wanted id say around 8 to 9 $ per foot looks like about 50 to 60 ft
so around $540 would be in the ball park
looks like you have a parking lot close by and a road or drive way easy to get to
only you know how fare you need to drive to unload and the dump fee unless you have a 20 inch chipper than not a lot of chipping to do just labore

 

[arborealbuffoon]

I've been pricing trees for some time, and it is hard enough to get that price right in person---let alone trying to do it by a pic. Also, everyone's actual costs will differ due to equipment, insurance, wage rates, etc.

My point for posting here however, is to point out the pitfalls of storm cleanup work. In the upper midwest, we get tornados and straight line winds of catastrophic velocity. There are two main problems with disaster cleanup:

Homeowners often assume that their insurance carrier will cover the cost of the tree work. And in the rush to get a contractor when the tree is on their power line {etc. } they will agree to a bid before they find out that their insurer is a scumbag and is not playin' nice. That leaves the tree guy holding the bag, with a PO'd HO and reluctance/inability to pay. I REALLY hate not getting paid or worse yet, having to go thru all sorts of drama and BS just to finally collect. (I enjoy wasting time arguing in the midst of the workload of a major disaster!!)

The other problem I found has to do with the actual climbing and rigging part of fubar'd trees. Especially with rotating winds, I found trees that were literally all twisted up like a string wrapped around the vacuum cleaner brush. And, of course all of this wood is under extreme pressure. So it's like playin' "Tree Jenga" in the sky. That crap is not only nerve racking, but dangerous to climb as well. Buckets and cranes can help tons, but often access is limited and equipment scarce locally. It is also far too easy to put a fragile bucket or other equipment in jeapordy if you don't take it super slow and easy.......

So, sorry for the long rant here. Just hopin' to spare another guy some extreme suffering and frustration. Storm work is definitely not what it seems. There's a lot to it. And it definitely does not always pan out to be profitable at all.

 

[rtsims]

I'll never understand this price by the foot stuff. Bottom line is man hours. How long do you think your crew will be there? Two hrs? 3 guys at x$ per hr. from the pics I would charge $350 ish. Hard to tell but looks like a drop it, limb it, buck it affair.

 

[Locust Cutter]

Agreed. Only you know what your overhead is. Once you know that price-per-hour, you multiply that by the percentage you want to clear past break-even and go from there. A lot of businesses aim for 30% but that isn't always realistic/feasible. With my lack of overhead, (not being a insured/licensed professional) I'd be in the $300-500 range depending on distance and disposal... I quoted a job for a lady awhile back who had been burned previously by another "non-professional". She had kittens when I presented my bid in writing, accounting for time/equipment, etc. One 60' cottonwood which was downed in a storm, a 35' cedar that was also downed and entangled in the Cotton Wood's root ball, and two dead Red Oaks which about 40' a piece. I thought I was being pretty generous when I told her $1800. Shed had a complete fit, so I encouraged her to call some local reputable companies to solicit bids and gave some good references... Last I knew the tress were all still there in the same shape that I left them in after the pre-bid survey...

I was basically charging for the Cotton wood and the Cedar as they were junk to me. I wood have have split and re-sold the Red Oak...:bang: Oh well.

 

[KrayzKajun]

Thanks fellas. Im in the $600 range with haul off. I would really like to find something to do with the trunk. Its nice and straight.

 

[BillK]

Homeowners often assume that their insurance carrier will cover the cost of the tree work. And in the rush to get a contractor when the tree is on their power line {etc. } they will agree to a bid before they find out that their insurer is a scumbag and is not playin' nice. That leaves the tree guy holding the bag, with a PO'd HO and reluctance/inability to pay. I REALLY hate not getting paid or worse yet, having to go thru all sorts of drama and BS just to finally collect. (I enjoy wasting time arguing in the midst of the workload of a major disaster!!)

I've been an insurance agent for 23 years. A good general rule of thumb is that an insurer will pay (less deductible) whatever the cost is to remove a downed tree from a covered structure. HOWEVER - once the tree is off the structure and on the ground - the payment stops - or will be limited to a relatively small amount (usually between $500 & $1000 max) for cut up and removal.

So for folks with lots of trees down but not on covered structures - the most most insurance companies are going to pay is typically a small limit - like the $500 -$1000. Some companies will even waive the deductible (rare) - and some will flat out not pay a nickel unless the downed tree is on a covered structure (fairly common). The ones that pay out a set max are in the middle.

The reason for this is because they don't want to get caught up in a situation like my inlaws for example. They're on 10+ acres of wooded land - if a tornado blows through - the insurer certainly doesn't want to be on the hook for a 5-10 acre cleanup job - PLUS whatever else they're paying out on the loss to the home. Hence the internal limits for tree removal.

This is probably a good thing for you guys to know so when you're out talking to frantic homeowners you can be prepared for the potential of an insurer denying their claim if no structures are affected.

Hopefully this helps some of you understand the reasoning behind the limited insurance payouts on trees.

Bill

 

[KrayzKajun]

Thanks for the info Bill.

 

[capetrees]

I've been an insurance agent for 23 years. A good general rule of thumb is that an insurer will pay (less deductible) whatever the cost is to remove a downed tree from a covered structure. HOWEVER - once the tree is off the structure and on the ground - the payment stops - or will be limited to a relatively small amount (usually between $500 & $1000 max) for cut up and removal.

So for folks with lots of trees down but not on covered structures - the most most insurance companies are going to pay is typically a small limit - like the $500 -$1000. Some companies will even waive the deductible (rare) - and some will flat out not pay a nickel unless the downed tree is on a covered structure (fairly common). The ones that pay out a set max are in the middle.

The reason for this is because they don't want to get caught up in a situation like my inlaws for example. They're on 10+ acres of wooded land - if a tornado blows through - the insurer certainly doesn't want to be on the hook for a 5-10 acre cleanup job - PLUS whatever else they're paying out on the loss to the home. Hence the internal limits for tree removal.

This is probably a good thing for you guys to know so when you're out talking to frantic homeowners you can be prepared for the potential of an insurer denying their claim if no structures are affected.

Hopefully this helps some of you understand the reasoning behind the limited insurance payouts on trees.

Bill

This is what I've mentioned before in here with regards to my mothers property. She had a tree down and the insurance paid to have it removed from the house, repaired the house and paid a flat fee of $500 for the tree removal from the property. She asked if it were possible for the insurance company to pay for the removal of other trees that could fall on the house, close to it. Insurance said thats a landscape issue and they don't pay till it hits the house. Otherwise, you're on your own.

 

[lone wolf]

Around 5 hundred.

 

[sgreanbeans]

5 sounds good to me, cant see that taking much more than a hour to get cut up.I wouldn't mess with the trunk, just buzz it and be done, could easily end up being more of a hassle than its worth.

BillK, welcome to AS!, would be nice if ya stuck around, your knowledge is very valuable here.

 

[Stayalert]

The only thing I have been able to do with the occasional pine go is 1 - cut it up and split it into kindling, 2 - cut it up and put it by the curb with a free sign and put it on Craigslist (if you have the time and OK from the owner) 3- find a local sugaring operation, 4-find a local chainsaw carver or sculptor. The problem I have (my 3 person crew is me, myself, and I) is that I am old, weak, and can't move giant logs that easily.....I am close to getting my winch fixed and already have 2" receivers off the front of my truck so I will soon be able to winch larger (for me) pieces onto my trailer

If I left the stump I could probably get away with charging ~$250-300 for that tree.....

 

[millbilly]

$285 all day long, if its within 8 miles. Thats an hour and 15 minutes at the most for two men. I never price at 50 or the hundred mark, old car sales pricing $13,897 is as good as $14,000 in my book