# How Much For This Hickory?



## Incomplete (Jul 16, 2012)

What would you charge to remove this Shagbark Hickory? It's about 60 feet tall. Straight climb, no room for bucket or crain (or need). The branch lying on the ground is about 8 inches in diameter, and has a sponge center. I sounded the trunk with a hand axe and it is about 85 to 90 percent sound around the circumference. I would judge this tree as Partially Harzardous. I am planning on using spikes and tailing my climbing line, and chunking everything down, no belayed stems or stumps.

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## 2treeornot2tree (Jul 16, 2012)

$8

you can put whatever you want after that. $80 or $800 or $8000

I like using a portable lift on stuff that is iffy. Around here, they would cost about $175 a half day


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## FLtreeGuyVHTC (Jul 16, 2012)

Normally wouldn't go below the deductible/time of labor/ +profit but this is an everday tree for me. Just putting it on the ground right? Would take me about 30 mins from the time I show up put climbing boots and gear on.... I would ask for $550 but if your hurting for work $400... I also have two guys and workers comp. We keep pretty busy


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## Carburetorless (Jul 17, 2012)

Not sure I'd touch it if I couldn't take it down without climbing.

Looks more like 35 or 40 feet tall, and dead. Hickory is tough stuff if it's alive, but it gets brittle after it dries out.


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## no tree to big (Jul 17, 2012)

I wouldn't charge much more then normal looks like easy money. make sure you give your climb line a good yank before you head up also try and avoid using your climb line a lot, try and keep most of your weight on spikes and flip line


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## 802climber (Jul 17, 2012)

Can't quite tell "how dead" it is from the picture.

Pulling it over is not an option?


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## FLtreeGuyVHTC (Jul 18, 2012)

Is that an entry line? or a glitch in my screen? personally I'd tie in where the croocked branch meets and short fall it by the stump. Cut the rest of the limbs and chun it down.


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## Incomplete (Jul 19, 2012)

2treeornot2tree said:


> $8
> 
> you can put whatever you want after that. $80 or $800 or $8000
> 
> I like using a portable lift on stuff that is iffy. Around here, they would cost about $175 a half day



Thanks. Very helpful. Please make me your first call for your next project. #caring


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## Incomplete (Jul 19, 2012)

FLtreeGuyVHTC said:


> Normally wouldn't go below the deductible/time of labor/ +profit but this is an everday tree for me. Just putting it on the ground right? Would take me about 30 mins from the time I show up put climbing boots and gear on.... I would ask for $550 but if your hurting for work $400... I also have two guys and workers comp. We keep pretty busy



That price is very close to what I was thinking. Thanks. That genuinely encouraging.


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## Incomplete (Jul 19, 2012)

Carburetorless said:


> Not sure I'd touch it if I couldn't take it down without climbing.
> 
> Looks more like 35 or 40 feet tall, and dead. Hickory is tough stuff if it's alive, but it gets brittle after it dries out.



It is making me ... cautious. Thanks for the info on brittleness. I'll keep a weather eye out.


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## Incomplete (Jul 19, 2012)

no tree to big said:


> I wouldn't charge much more then normal looks like easy money. make sure you give your climb line a good yank before you head up also try and avoid using your climb line a lot, try and keep most of your weight on spikes and flip line



I'm going to tail my climbing line to my saddle, and use it only if need be.


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## Incomplete (Jul 19, 2012)

dieseldirt said:


> Can't quite tell "how dead" it is from the picture.
> 
> Pulling it over is not an option?



Unfortunately, no. 3/4 of a million dollar house within striking distance.


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## Incomplete (Jul 19, 2012)

FLtreeGuyVHTC said:


> Is that an entry line? or a glitch in my screen? personally I'd tie in where the croocked branch meets and short fall it by the stump. Cut the rest of the limbs and chun it down.



Bwahahaha!


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## Stayalert (Jul 19, 2012)

can't see what's to the right but maybe you could run a line from 3/4 of the way up the hickory to pretty high on the tree(s) to the right. put some tension on it and intentionally hang it. then chunk it up from the bottom, lowering as you need. It would suck to be 1/2 way up in your spurs and decide or determine that the trunk up off the ground insn't as sound as you found it to be down lower.....then you'll want to top it early and then it will crack off with you on it and then and then and then.......Sorry just sayin'... don't get hurt - good luck! let us know what you end up doing/making($)

from the comfort of my keyboard I would bid ~$260-300 Hauled away with stump cut close to the ground (actually I'd probably do it for free as I have been into tons of pine lately and and getting sticky and tired of the sap)


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## 2treeornot2tree (Jul 20, 2012)

Incomplete said:


> Thanks. Very helpful. Please make me your first call for your next project. #caring



Dont worry, i wont call you cause i know how to price trees

You cant give a price from a picture. Your market is different then everywhere else in the country. Figure out how many hours you think its gonna take you times your hourly rate and add 25 - 50% percent because its dead and or bad access.


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## Carburetorless (Jul 20, 2012)

Incomplete said:


> Unfortunately, no. 3/4 of a million dollar house within striking distance.



You don't want it to fall on the house, yet you don't want to bring a lift to work from; What's up with that?

There has to be a way to get a lift in there, if you have to remove a section of fence or whatever, then put it back after the tree is gone. Beats having the tree fall on the house, or on you, or both.

You know, after looking at the pic again, that tree looks like it's only about 25' tall. All you need is a tall horse.


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## Incomplete (Jul 21, 2012)

Carburetorless said:


> You don't want it to fall on the house, yet you don't want to bring a lift to work from; What's up with that?
> 
> There has to be a way to get a lift in there, if you have to remove a section of fence or whatever, then put it back after the tree is gone. Beats having the tree fall on the house, or on you, or both.
> 
> You know, after looking at the pic again, that tree looks like it's only about 25' tall. All you need is a tall horse.



"Tall horse" HAHAHAHA! .

There is a good sized grade where I am taking the picture and a gentle grade that meets that one down under the tree: Conflicted Geography. Absolutely no room for a truck, a scissor lift won't work on the terrain. An articulated lift MIGHT work but there is not much room. 

Pray a blessing for us, we're doing it this morning. I'll let y'all know how it goes.


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## no tree to big (Jul 21, 2012)

I don't know about you guys but where i work if its in a backyard its getting climbed, none of this well lets rent a lift take out a fence stuff if you cant reach with the high ranger from the street or drive or short plywood road its getting climbed period if your not rigging off of that thing it should be safe enough to climb for 15 mins just make your cuts right and don't shock the tree to bad


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## Incomplete (Jul 21, 2012)

It's down. I would pay money to watch you guys drop this thing is 15/30 minutes. I would pay all the money I made today to see that happen: with a double or nothing backer. And safely, with full consideration for groundies and property.

It went well, and would have gone better if I hadn't been as tired as I was from the week. I got a ton of sleep last night, but that isn't the same as rest. I got smoothly half way up the tree and said "Oh, carp, this could be bad". Lesson learned.

It got a little shakey at the top, as I started to chunk it down, and having your spike dissapear into rot in the tree is a little disconcerting. But, again, it went well. This was deffinitely a $500.00 tree; about 100 plus yards around the house with uphill grade with the loaded wheel barrow to the trailer for brush bucking and lumber hauling; I am VERY glad my groundy is good help. I charged her $360.00, she's a good customer, and we used her burn pile for the brush.

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## Carburetorless (Jul 22, 2012)

You might climb a hundred trees like that one and have nothing go wrong, but when one fails, you probably won't walk away from it.

Just in case you're thinking you're too good to get hurt.


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## Incomplete (Jul 22, 2012)

Carburetorless said:


> You might climb a hundred trees like that one and have nothing go wrong, but when one fails, you probably won't walk away from it.
> 
> Just in case you're thinking you're too good to get hurt.



Oh no. I followed Brother Paul's advice while in that tree: "Pray without ceasing"


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## Carburetorless (Jul 23, 2012)

Incomplete said:


> Oh no. I followed Brother Paul's advice while in that tree: "Pray without ceasing"



If praying worked, no one would ever get killed.


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## Incomplete (Aug 2, 2012)

Carburetorless said:


> If praying worked, no one would ever get killed.



Prayer always works, just not like we think it should some times. Even the Master said "never the less, not my will, but Thine be done".


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## sgreanbeans (Aug 2, 2012)

Thats pretty damn cheap. Might want to crank up those prices a bit. Esp cause of its condition.


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## Carburetorless (Aug 2, 2012)

sgreanbeans said:


> Thats pretty damn cheap. Might want to crank up those prices a bit. Esp cause of its condition.



+1

Overhead on a small job + the condition + slow removal process = Low profit margin


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## Incomplete (Aug 4, 2012)

sgreanbeans said:


> Thats pretty damn cheap. Might want to crank up those prices a bit. Esp cause of its condition.



Agreed. I'm learning. (I let her haggle me down a little too. BUT I have return pruning on a mature Sycamore)


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## Incomplete (Aug 4, 2012)

Carburetorless said:


> +1
> 
> Overhead on a small job + the condition + slow removal process = Low profit margin



Agreed


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## imagineero (Aug 4, 2012)

Incomplete said:


> Agreed. I'm learning. (I let her haggle me down a little too. BUT I have return pruning on a mature Sycamore)



No sense throwing good money after bad ;-)

You'll learn quick not to fall for any kind of negotiating tactic like that. If they lowball you on the first job with a sucker punch of coming back for more, what makes you think you'll get paid double for the second job to make up for it? They know you'll work for less, and now that they're a repeat customer they'll want even better pricing!

There's plenty of similar scams out there; 

"give me a good price on this tree and I've got a tonne of other trees that need doing"

"give me a good price on this tree and my neighbour needs his tree done too, I'm sure I can help you get the job"

"I'm rich and I can introduce you to all my rich friends"

etc etc....

Just price each job for what it's worth, pay no mind to all the other fluff.

Shaun


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## imagineero (Aug 4, 2012)

Well done in gittin 'er done too, and not to rain on your parade but yeah, 15 mins to get it on the ground would be about right. 2-3 hours is more realistic including bucking it up, getting it to the street and cleanup depending on the site conditions. This is the kind of job that most contract climbers do on the way to doing another job. i don't contract climb mu, but I don't mind taking on small jobs like that since I can turn up at around 6:45 or 7am, get a harness on, get it on the ground and be on the way to my job for the day by 7:30 with an extra $100 in my pocket. 

Shaun


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## Incomplete (Aug 4, 2012)

imagineero said:


> No sense throwing good money after bad ;-)
> 
> You'll learn quick not to fall for any kind of negotiating tactic like that. If they lowball you on the first job with a sucker punch of coming back for more, what makes you think you'll get paid double for the second job to make up for it? They know you'll work for less, and now that they're a repeat customer they'll want even better pricing!
> 
> ...



Thanks for the insight. It's good to know that this principle is the same in all trades. 

My first long term job, I was contracted into a position that was horrible; money data was kept from me even though I was essentially management, and I was payed a laborers wage, even though at one point I was running five/six guys. When I was finally released, I had no concept of my worth so it took me a while figure out what to charge. And coming from that place I know what the value of a buck is, and when I start to add fair prices up, some times I still break into a cold sweat. . Charging for tree work is new for me, but it's good to find out that my instincts, developed by 8 years of owning my own business (last 4 years of which has been BRUTAL for my trade) are good, obviously not perfect, but good.

And it helps to get encouragment from a great group of professionals right here at AS. Even the razzing is good: helps develop a tougher skin, cause this ain't bean bag.


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