# What is a contract climber worth?



## beastmaster

I have been testing the waters as a contract climber. I work for several company on a part time need basis right now, but I am ready to get my contract lic. and insurance and sell my services. How do you figure what your services are worth?
I am not real fast and production isn't my area of expertise. I have filled in for owner operators while they were away, taking crews out. I get called for big ugly dangerous removals, that their crews can't or won't do and trim jobs on big trees where someone has to go out to the edges and what not. My selling point is,"the job will get done safely with no damage.'' What is that worth? 
I recently got called out to a job, several crane removals. His climber wouldn't do it. Refused on site. I drove out there and we got them all done.(two hour drive each way)I got paid my day rate of 200.00. I don't want to screw no one, but at the end of the day I ended up making maybe 15 hour. I did a crane job of a 75ft cedar against a house 10ft from 10,000 v wires. That Company pays me 25 hour. The tree was down in two hours. Those jobs and many like them wouldn't of gotting done without me. What is my experience and expertise worth to an owner operator? If I mention 75 hr with a 4 hour min. they would think I was crazy. But if Im doing the job when they have no one else to do it, is that fair? Also I would be using my insurance. 
I am old at tree work but new at trying to get an honest wage for what I do. Any advice good or bad I would like to hear concerning being a climbing contractor Thanks


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## Toddppm

If you have your own workers comp I'd ask for alot more. At least $35-50/hr. maybe more out there? I don't think $75/hr. is out of the question if you're real good and have liability too? 
If they're only giving you short days much more $$$$, if dangerous work more $$$$$, if just run of the mill stuff but a full day a little less $$$$


You saw that Bermie is getting $100/hour didn't you? Kind of a limited amount of good climbers there but still...


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## FLtreeGuyVHTC

Bid the job what its worth not for your time.... I put a thousand dolar trees down in two hours.... I want to get paid good... Clean up can be done as you setsup for your next rig... Been climbing for myself four years now... By the hour doesnt work... Unless you like risking your life for nothing... Someone else refuses to done it... Price goes up... Everyone does damage eventually... Thats why we have... insurance. Personally I wouldnt even gear up for less then a hundred for the first hour... Travel timing... Gas... Equipment. Risk to life...not to mention going to cheap drives local prices down ... I keep my prices higher then some... Because I have insurance... Other guys may not..and thats why they are cheaper.... Its a cat and mouse game... Hope this helps some.


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## lone wolf

beastmaster said:


> I have been testing the waters as a contract climber. I work for several company on a part time need basis right now, but I am ready to get my contract lic. and insurance and sell my services. How do you figure what your services are worth?
> I am not real fast and production isn't my area of expertise. I have filled in for owner operators while they were away, taking crews out. I get called for big ugly dangerous removals, that their crews can't or won't do and trim jobs on big trees where someone has to go out to the edges and what not. My selling point is,"the job will get done safely with no damage.'' What is that worth?
> I recently got called out to a job, several crane removals. His climber wouldn't do it. Refused on site. I drove out there and we got them all done.(two hour drive each way)I got paid my day rate of 200.00. I don't want to screw no one, but at the end of the day I ended up making maybe 15 hour. I did a crane job of a 75ft cedar against a house 10ft from 10,000 v wires. That Company pays me 25 hour. The tree was down in two hours. Those jobs and many like them wouldn't of gotting done without me. What is my experience and expertise worth to an owner operator? If I mention 75 hr with a 4 hour min. they would think I was crazy. But if Im doing the job when they have no one else to do it, is that fair? Also I would be using my insurance.
> I am old at tree work but new at trying to get an honest wage for what I do. Any advice good or bad I would like to hear concerning being a climbing contractor Thanks


A little high I think.Try 250.00 6-8 hours.


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## FLtreeGuyVHTC

I wouldnt climb a tree with three leads over a house and entry lines for less then $750. Deductible for my insurance is $550 so if I do damage its covered... If I dont I made a good buck and my daily wage. Reinvest into the company. I explain the deductible part... Wave my insurance policy.... And usually get the job on the spot... Some call others but usually I get a the call back. My family is known for tree removal. And I have almost a decade of climbing experience. Not saying much cause im not certified... But marketing methods have lead to bigger money... Not mention I value my life and the oxygen we breath. Cant get them all but people pay for good service... Name brand vs the other guy... Guess it depends on how busy you want to be. If you are already known for what you do and your calls are steady... Start high... Bring down when your slow. You can always go back if the tree is still standing and the other guy refused... I like to get paid good...


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## Toddppm

FLtreeGuyVHTC said:


> I wouldnt climb a tree with three leads over a house and entry lines for less then $750. Deductible for my insurance is $550 so if I do damage its covered... If I dont I made a good buck and my daily wage. Reinvest into the company. I explain the deductible part... Wave my insurance policy.... And usually get the job on the spot... Some call others but usually I get a the call back. My family is known for tree removal. And I have almost a decade of climbing experience. Not saying much cause im not certified... But marketing methods have lead to bigger money... Not mention I value my life and the oxygen we breath. Cant get them all but people pay for good service... Name brand vs the other guy... Guess it depends on how busy you want to be. If you are already known for what you do and your calls are steady... Start high... Bring down when your slow. You can always go back if the tree is still standing and the other guy refused... I like to get paid good...



Sounds like you're running your own show, he's talking about climbing as a sub contractor.


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## lone wolf

Toddppm said:


> Sounds like you're running your own show, he's talking about climbing as a sub contractor.



750 for a climber that would ruin things!!!


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## FLtreeGuyVHTC

lone wolf said:


> 750 for a climber that would ruin things!!!




Lol... I run my own show and I do sub contracting for urban loggers in the cities. Logs are usually veneer so its worth paying me. As for line clearing most companys will hire you on and pay a normal wage

$750 = me a groundie and garntee that if something is damged... It gets fixed.... Or I try to go for $7 a ft I gotta climb...

love to hear how others bid?


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## tree md

I don't like to contract for others but have done so in the past. When I went to Alabama to do storm damage I contracted when I first got there because I didn't have any ads out and didn't really want to go door to door. Some areas where road blocked by law enforcement and only licensed contractors could get in. So I contracted with some local services for $500 a day. That was me, my gear, my groundy and my insurance. I did the jobs on my own and the owners didn't have to do anything but show up to pick up the check. 

Like I said I don't really like to contract climb because I feel like it's helping my competition. If the people selling the work cannot do the work then why the hell am I going to help them do it at a cheaper rate. Anyway, $500 a day is my minimum when I do subcontract. I have done it on a tree by tree basis. Had one guy hire me to do a few big ones for him a couple of years back. I got $1800 on one large tree. All I had to do was put it on the ground with my guys and his guys came in and did the clean up afterwards.


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## imagineero

I contract climb every now and then, but I'd rather not. I do it when there's no other work available that day, or to help out friends sometimes. Mostly to help out friends. 

There are so many variables in what you can charge; insurance, equipment, skills, experience, licensing etc. A hack climber with one saw and one rope with no insurance or qualifications is going to get a lot less than a very experienced qualified fully insured climber with a dozen saws, GRCS, lots of rigging gear, you get the picture.

In aus, an average climber can get $350 for a day, a top climber gets $550. Be aware that the more you charge, the less work you are going to get. And when you do get a call you know it's not going to be a nice easy climb. If you're billing out $750/day, expect the tree to be life threateningly dangerous, technical and huge. Expect to put a lot of wear on yourself, and your gear at that end of the market. You'd better have real insurance coverage (read the fine print) and skills to back that figure up, not just a set that clank when you walk.

There's also a huge variation in clients. I wont work for guys that dont know what they're doing. It's more trouble than it's worth. I do contract to other licensed legitimate tree services that have qualified ground crews and insurance. Sometimes their climber has been hurt, or maybe taken a holiday. I wont contract to joe average with his one chainsaw. I want a good groundie. Sometimes doing this sort of 'fill in' contract work pays only a few hundred, but they can be sweet deals. With good ground crew, you can walk straight in, everything is ready to go for you. The guys fuel your saws, and know how to tie a knot. You can get the work done in a few hours, pack up your gear and leave. They do all the cleanup.

Shaun


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## FLtreeGuyVHTC

What if you start a tree and takes you more then a day... do you contract fo just that day or for the whole tree. I still would have a hard time only making $350 a day on a 8 hr day... if youcontract for the day and tje next day you only work an hr... do you still get your full daily fee? Or contract by the hour? This why i work for myself .


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## tree md

Believe me, the first question any owner that you contract for is going to ask will be how long will it take you. If it's a multiple day job I will give them a choice of my daily rate or a set price for the entire job. On big jobs they will often opt for the set price in case you don't make your deadline.


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## BCbound

About 30% of my overall revenue is contract climbing. I would prefer not to contrat climb.
As someone stated above you usaully get called because it's a crappy tree to deal with.
Although if it is life threatning you should find an alturnitive.

As for your rates. What doe a great climbing get paid in your area per hour? That would be a good starting point. Every area is different. Then
start adding on for all your expenses. WCB/liability/equipement etc. That should give you a a fair rate. 
I have a 3hr min and a rate of 65/hr. Some companies will pay me more(up to 100.00hr during wind events and busy times) to have me come out simply because they know I come with all the proper insurance, rigging gear, clean ,not hung over and am certified. As well I always work hard to get the job done in a timely fashion. Ask other trades in your area there minimum. If you are a pro you should be paid accordingly. 

Think about it. If it's a hard tree and a company has sold it at 1000.00(which in my area is not a big or hard tree) and they pay me out 300.00 for it(100/hr 3hr min). Even after there clean up the owner can make a good profit. It helps to understand the bidding process in you area. 

25/hr seems very low to me for a sub doing crane removals. Anywhere


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## FLtreeGuyVHTC

tree md said:


> Believe me, the first question any owner that you contract for is going to ask will be how long will it take you. If it's a multiple day job I will give them a choice of my daily rate or a set price for the entire job. On big jobs they will often opt for the set price in case you don't make your deadline.



First question they usually ask is are you insured.


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## Kottonwood

Holy crap... 200 a day for a contract climber..... you're totally underselling yourself. It costs more than that to pay a guy 15 an hour ( what I pay my groundmen)

250 a day minimum, and that is for some pretty standard/ non-technical work. You definitely should be carrying your own liability, it really doesn't cost much and makes you all that much more valuable. In order to be legal you have to be carrying the same or greater liability as the employer.

I often like to work on a percentage. If the job is priced right just putting the tree on the ground and doing no cleanup should be worth about 15-20 percent on removals. I can generally put a 2000 dollar tree on the ground in a day =300+. This is assuming you are providing whatever it takes to get the tree on the ground, ropes, saws, etc.

A lot of times it is better to have your own groundie, it can be tricky insurance wise to have him covered but I would charge around 150 or 200 on top of what I am making for my groundie. If the removal is technical I would require that I have my own rope man.


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## deevo

I usually try and get $600-750 for contract climbing myself. I do some government work, climbing only and get $800 for the day. 8 hour day with breaks and a lunch! No clean up. I bring all my gear and have full insurance and workers comp. I don't take anything by the hour at all. I can have a big tree down in a short amount of time. I usually bring my chipper and rent it to them for the day as well.


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## bigdaddy2

*Hiring a tree climber*

As a owner of a tree business her is good estimate of pay for a tree climber in one day and this is anywhere around 150 $250.00 a day granted you are providing work 2 through 4 days a week. Anything over this you as a business owner loosing out. Cash money, not a plenty of people make that much in general. Thats good money. Just like any other emplyee owner relationship.


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## tree md

bigdaddy2 said:


> As a owner of a tree business her is good estimate of pay for a tree climber in one day and this is anywhere around 150 $250.00 a day granted you are providing work 2 through 4 days a week. Anything over this you as a business owner loosing out. Cash money, not a plenty of people make that much in general. Thats good money. Just like any other emplyee owner relationship.



you haver obviously never had a climber make you 3-5K in a day... Sounds like you might need to hire someone other than cousin Del... LOL.


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## imagineero

+1 on that. 

I charge for my climbing on a sliding scale according to the difficulty, risk, hours and amount of gear and rigging I'm providing. By the time you're getting up into the 50~70cubes (for a single tree) of chip range you are looking at $700+ to get me on the job. Those trees are worth $5k+ to remove though, so the principal contractor is looking to pocket maybe a couple thousand or more. I'll be on the job hal an hour before the start of day, all my saws fueled and sharp, porty rigged, get multiple lines in the tree, be in the tree when you arrive. I'll have have my pulleys rigged while your guys are getting their gear out, and first branches hitting the ground within half an hour of start work. I hope you don't want to stop during the day to wipe the sweat off your brow.

Trees that size can't be taken down by anybody. An average climber might be able to fumble through it and section it out piece by piece over 2 or 3 days, but some of the takes are going to be stabs in the dark. A good climber can keep a 5-6 man crew running on a big job like that, even if the work is technical and needs a lot of roping. Getting a job that size done in a day really cuts down a lot of cost. 

If you only have a 12" chipper and a 10~15 cube chip bin, one groundy, then you're probably not in the market for these bigger jobs, or a top climber. If you're running an 18"+ chipper, 30cube+ truck, 4 or 5 man crew or a smaller crew with a mini skid etc, grapple on chipper.... then you need to punch some big numbers out in short order to make $$$. 

Even if you are a one man band and have won a bit job and subbed out all the chipping and climbing, you're still going to come out way ahead spending extra on a good climber. If you've got a sub contract chip truck, crane, 4 or 5 guys all on the job you're looking at maybe $400~$500/ hour of all that gear/labour being there. Hope your climber is the type that can consistently deliver, and pull a rabit out of a hat each time a problem comes up.

Shaun


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## RVALUE

Toddppm said:


> Sounds like you're running your own show, he's talking about climbing as a sub contractor.



Observant!


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## beastmaster

I have maybe a unique problem . My venture into contract climbing is going well. That is out of town. I am known locally, and I at lest like to think respected if not always like.(I don't take a lot of B.S.) But the concept of hiring a contract climber is unknown to most around here. I was talking to a Company owner and telling him what I am doing. He said he would never pay 250.00 a day for a climber. It wasn't a short time later he called me in a bind. His climber chickened out on 4 crane removals. It was out of town, all his equipment was on site. He called me and I drove 90 miles, I worked tell dark getting the last removal down. Were kind of friends, that why I dropped everything and helped.. He gave me the 150.00 Realistically what was that worth?(Rhetorical question) 
I see local Company's who I work for in the past only thinking of me as a waged employee no matter what my skill level may be. That is a barrier I may never break. 
That is why I put 600 + miles on my car most weeks.


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## imagineero

beastmaster said:


> I have maybe a unique problem . My venture into contract climbing is going well. That is out of town. I am known locally, and I at lest like to think respected if not always like.(I don't take a lot of B.S.) But the concept of hiring a contract climber is unknown to most around here. I was talking to a Company owner and telling him what I am doing. He said he would never pay 250.00 a day for a climber. It wasn't a short time later he called me in a bind. His climber chickened out on 4 crane removals. It was out of town, all his equipment was on site. He called me and I drove 90 miles, I worked tell dark getting the last removal down. Were kind of friends, that why I dropped everything and helped.. He gave me the 150.00 Realistically what was that worth?(Rhetorical question)
> I see local Company's who I work for in the past only thinking of me as a waged employee no matter what my skill level may be. That is a barrier I may never break.
> That is why I put 600 + miles on my car most weeks.



No offense, but you'd have to be an idiot to do that. I pay unskilled labourers who drag brush $130/day, skilled labourers who can chip $150/day and a pro groundy with certs who can run all the gear, operate a saw well and knows his knots/rigging and can let a rope run $180~$200/day. On top of that, I buy them lunch and provide them with PPE and pick up./drop off from public transport as needed. None of these people come with equipment or insurance.

If I have to climb anything the minimum is $200. By the time I get in my truck and drive out there, pay for fuel, supply gear, my insurance and qualifications that's what it's worth. Even for a 1 hour job. Here in aus, it costs $100/day just to hire a chainsaw. Hiring a small truck is another $100/day, thats worth considering. Never hire yourself out for less than the rental cost of the gear you are providing.

I'd say you should have gotten in the $500+range. I don't like doing crane jobs unless I know the crane OP. They can be less work than normal jobs, but the risk factor is higher. What would you have made out of the job if it was your job? What did he charge? What would he have done if you didnt go? Big jobs are worth big money. Don't go selling youself short because some other guy wants to pocket more, or because he underbid. Both are setting a bad precedent. 

You can make more than that doing a 2 hour trim job.

Shaun


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## beastmaster

imagineero said:


> No offense, but you'd have to be an idiot to do that. I pay unskilled labourers who drag brush $130/day, skilled labourers who can chip $150/day and a pro groundy with certs who can run all the gear, operate a saw well and knows his knots/rigging and can let a rope run $180~$200/day. On top of that, I buy them lunch and provide them with PPE and pick up./drop off from public transport as needed. None of these people come with equipment or insurance.
> 
> If I have to climb anything the minimum is $200. By the time I get in my truck and drive out there, pay for fuel, supply gear, my insurance and qualifications that's what it's worth. Even for a 1 hour job. Here in aus, it costs $100/day just to hire a chainsaw. Hiring a small truck is another $100/day, thats worth considering. Never hire yourself out for less than the rental cost of the gear you are providing.
> 
> I'd say you should have gotten in the $500+range. I don't like doing crane jobs unless I know the crane OP. They can be less work than normal jobs, but the risk factor is higher. What would you have made out of the job if it was your job? What did he charge? What would he have done if you didnt go? Big jobs are worth big money. Don't go selling youself short because some other guy wants to pocket more, or because he underbid. Both are setting a bad precedent.
> 
> You can make more than that doing a 2 hour trim job.
> 
> Shaun



I don't denie I may be a bit of an idiot. my wife often reminds me of that. But here in So. Calif. there are lots of good climbers who work for 12.00 an hour, a foremen pays is around 15.00 an hour. I am lucky I use to get 17 to 20 dollars an hour and a lot of grief. I now try to get 250 a day for most jobs for my budding contract thing I got going.
If I wasn't getting 250 a day and calling my own shots(more or less)I would be working for some lil hitler for 15 dollars to 20 dollars an hour and have no one to talk to at lunch that spoke english.
That Company who pays 150.00 is still my bread and butter. That example I gave wasn't a normal work day for him. Lots of time i only work 6 hours and I don't do no grunt work unless I want to.
I only learned of contract climbing from this site. If I had known there was such a thing 10 years ago when I was faster and younger i could of made a killing .
Now i try to market my skill and experence witch I have more of then youth,speed and vigor these days.
I will soon be taking my contractors test, and then get my own Ins. and that'll I hope incress my worth some.


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## Panama

A good contract climber is worth what he or she can get in a given area. If that is not enough to satisfy you in your area, you may need to move to another area. Here in SE Virginia, contract climbers are a dying breed. I have tried many in hopes of expanding, but none have lasted more than two hours before I sent them home. Some before even starting and most within 30 Mins. The type of work that takes place at each job we are on projects an image, or snap shot of my company to the public. I can not, and do not tolerate blatant safety violations and will not allow anyone to lower the safety standards of my company. I wish you luck, and offer the following advice. If you are a "great contract climber" because you can "put more wood on the ground in a day than most climbers", that is great, but only if you can do so while adhering to the industry's safety regulations. 
I climb most every day, and when I hit the ground I become a groundsman until the job is complete, and yes, I rake. I can't afford a prima donna on my team. Below are some of my "pet peeves" from the technical aspect of contract climbers. 
Do you: 
-Arrive at a job and climb when you are the only one there?
-Tie into the tree only after free climbing up to a certain point?
-Pass limbs with your lanyard without being tied in?
-Put "getting wood on the ground" ahead of crew safety or not damaging the customers property?
-Wear PPE as you see fit instead of as required?
There are a few companies around that have become reliant on a contract climber, and I have no intentions of becoming one of them. They all seem to not last very long, or if they do, they are not getting anywhere. It's up to the younger generation of prospecting contract climbers, to change the image we (company owners) have of them. Again, I wish you luck. BTW, for $200 per day I can get all I could ever want.


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## tree md

I've never worked in CA but did ask around about wages when I was out there on vacation. I was surprised to find that wages were way lower than where I now live and work and were certainly not on par with what I have seen working in other parts of the country. 

It all depends on the situation and location. When there is a glut of work (like in a storm situation) a contract climber is going to be worth a lot more than average, everyday situations. I was paying one climber 7 bills a day for him and his groundy as well as giving him a small job of his own on the weekend during a storm. He was a big help to me and could have been working the storm on his own. I have subcontracted for a little as $300 a day here on small jobs. I like to establish price on a job by job basis and ask for a lump sum. You have to be careful though, just as with pricing any job you can shoot yourself in the foot. Even more so when you are contracting for less money.


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## tree md

Kind of funny, I got the concept of contract climbing early on. I learned it from my first boss. He was the one who had first put me in a tree. We remained friends for years. Years later, when I was out doing my own thing he would call me regularly and ask me if I wanted to go shoot a game of pool. I knew this usually meant stopping by one of his jobs to look it over. Sure enough, most times we would stop by and look at some trees on the way to the pool hall/bar. We would look a tree over and he would say "I'll pay you this much to put it on the ground", "I'll run the ropes" and so the negotiation would begin. It wasn't that he couldn't climb the tree himself, it was that he was older and would rather pay me than to have to do it himself.


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## beastmaster

I stress safety for my self and those on the ground. Sometimes that does slow you down, but I have never been injured or hurt any one in almost 30 years. Knock on wood. I also have my own way of doing things, it might not be my employers way, but other then the occasional fence rail or bush(one hole punched in concrete)I have a pretty impressive record of not breaking stuff. I love rigging and removals are my thing. I seriously trim to good for most companys. But I can match my work to theirs if I have to. I believe less is better, and 3 small cuts are better then one big one. 
I often have a plan in my head as I approach a removal then if that is changed it messes me up some. I'm not saying I am all that and a bag of chips, but yes I can often do the un-doable. I am not bragging, and I have short comings no doubt. but I have been doing this a long time. I was good 20 years ago, and I continue to learn everyday.
I am close to finishing my Degree in Ornamental horticulture, It's only lack of funds that prevents me from getting every Cert. thats out there. I'll get there though.
Just saying I am no hillbilly want a be. If I lived in another part of the country I would probably be better off and make better money, I am hoping contract climbing will help me get throu school and I can do my golden years in some cush position for some state or Gov. agency but still be involved in arborculture.
I am not real business wise and i do get taking advantage of some times, but I learn. I have very high standerds, not shared by most in this industry. Its as important to me to work for those who share my views as it is for them to use me. So I am a picky bastard on top of everything else.


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## Blakesmaster

From what I can tell, Beast, is if those are the best prices you can get in your area, contract climbing should be off the table for you. If you want to make more money, you need to start your own show. If your just looking for a steady paycheck, you need to find a damn good company to work for. But carrying your own insurance, saws, gear, rigging and what not for $250 a day is ludicrous. I've been climbing 5 years and only work on a day rate, you're not ####ing up my day by choosing what hours I'm gonna be there for you. I carry my own liability, when I contract climb in town I make $500 a day for me, my 200, and my climbing gear. You want me to bring my wraptor, ascenders, blocks, grcs, etc.? Well bud, my hand is still open... If I travel I'm at $350, and you're covering my housing as well as a couple beers at the end of the day. With that being said, I run my own fairly successful business, and don't really need extra dough, it's all funny money when I get it. I pick and choose who I work for, and don't take any #### because there's no need to. I live well below my means and will continue that trend until the day I die. I learned long ago that depending on someone else for a paycheck is a downright stupid way to live MY life. Oddly enough, I get what I ask for, largely in part because they know they can't jew me down because I don't need them. Your biggest downfall, from what I can tell, is your willingness to let others determine what you make.


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## beastmaster

Blakesmaster, your living the vida loca in my eyes. I agree with everything your saying. I notice my equipment is getting used up,tore up and lost and its hard to replace with what I am making. Just bought 150ft of lava to replace my raggity blaze climbing line, and need to purchase several hundred dollars of rigging line. They shouldn't be major financial burdens but they are. 
Studying for my contractors lic. I am learning how to factor in expensives into my price. I am learning I have been doing things wrong not allowing for a lot of hidden expansive. 
I would really like to have medical insurance, and factoring that in will raise my rate a lot all by its self, but I feel I'm worth it. I am hoping as my self confidence and self worth as a contract climber improves so will financial situation. I still feel surprised when someone
will pay me 250 to do what I use to do for an hourly rate working for a company. 
I take in every word of praise or criticism and appreciate it. Thanks


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## Panama

Beast, you have valuable skills and seem to have a direction you want to go figured out so you have the hard part taken care of. Try getting with your local landscrapers (landscapers). They should be happy to bring you in on trees that are clearly out of their league, which is most trees. Also, as your rep grows, demand what you are worth. Tell them to let you give the estimates on tree work, and all they will have to do is provide a couple of guys for ground work and clean up. Always try to establish a rapport with each client and keep an ever-growing list of your clients for your future.


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## TEXA$TREE

*Contract Climbing as good as any.*

Over the years many have climbed for me on a contract basis and I find that as each new need presents itself is best to pay according to the contract. Setting a base wage is ok and on occasion my competitors have asked me to handle some tricky work and they pay according to difficulty(as well how badly they want it done). Thinking of the $ is the surest way to financial freedom, but to consider the rainy days or the dog days of the off season is a must as well. Having yourself networked with other companies is going to broaden your horizon, but as mentioned above dont sell yourself short, you were called for a reason.


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## VA-Sawyer

I think some of you folks are comparing apples to oranges here. An employee climber's only real risk is personal injury to themselves. If they drop a chunk of wood on a groundie the Boss is held accountable. Same thing if the tree lands on the house, the climber still doesn't have to foot the cost. Even a pretty good climber that provides his own basic gear is only worth so much ( say $15 to $30 per hour ) when working as an employee.
As a contract climber, this all changes. Now, the owner of the company can turn around and sue the climber for damages he/she causes. Don't think of your value based on what an employee would make on the job, but instead consider the value of the risk you assume by taking the job. Once the tree is laying on the ground, the majority of the risk is gone and the boss just needs to keep his workers from hurting themselves. The climber assumed the lions share of financial risk, why should he work for peanuts ?
My L. Insurance policy only covers harm caused by me or my employees. If a sub doesn't have their own insurance and punches a big hole in the roof, who has to pay for the repair ? My insurance company will say " not their problem ". Then it becomes a court battle between the climber, me, and the homeowner. I had one of the guys that did contract climbing for me fail to make the payment on his insurance which was cancelled. I didn't know about it until well after the fact and had used him during that time, but won't do so anymore. The court could have ruled either way if we had needed to go to court over it. Just thinking about it makes me mad.
Rick


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## RAG66

I am getting a bit worn out and would love to find a climber who I could trust. Weather he gets paid by the hour or by the job is another thing entirely. Most times I can't get a job if I bid for a climber to come in. I don't have the funds for the risk of an unknown climber most of the time and I don't even have any outstanding bills. I own my equipment free and clear. Things are getting better but most companies are bidding at $.75 on the dollar around here. I think I would go for $200 - $275 / day if you have your own equipment, current insurance, and can be trusted. Most times I will not give the time of day because the individual comes to me with no references to varify his skill.... only words!


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