anyone offering hedge trimming?

[imagineero]

I used to work for a guy who did occasional hedge work, I never got around to asking him how he priced it before I quit and wish I had of. I get requests from customers reasonably often to do their hedges while doing their trees but have no idea how to price the work so I generally recommend they get a gardener as not many tree companies also do hedges.

The hedge jobs I've done in past (as a sub contractor) were generally too big to be done by gardeners. Mostly up over 15', some getting closer to 30' and needing a big reduction in height. We used giant A frame ladders, sometimes a bucket truck if access was good. 200t's on the heavier stuff, extendable hedghers on the smaller stuff. Not really shaping the hedge so much as getting it back under control, or halving the height so a gardener could come back in a few months and shape it.

Are any of you guys offering it? How do you price the work? Is there any money in it/enough to be worth buying some good hedging gear? I enjoy hedges about as much as I enjoy stump grinding (not at all) but a dollar's a dollar.

Thanks,
Shaun

 

[treemandan]

Absolutely!

 

[superjunior]

why not? we do hedges big and small, some like you said needing a bucket truck, the small ones the easier. I estimate tree work by the length of time I think the job will take times X amount of $. So pricing hedge work is the same.

 

[treeclimber101]

If offering Hedge Trimming means smashing azaleas with huge pine logs , then sure we do that .... But only if you don't buy us lunch .....Ohhh and on Fridays too

 

[Blakesmaster]

It's miserable work but I do it and price it just like tree work. Actually a pretty good money maker if I can get the bucket next to the hedge. Otherwise it's pretty annoying but it gets done. I try and stay away from small shrubs unless it's part of a bigger job. Tell them to call a landscaper that refers me work.

 

[superjunior]

those orchard ladders (with the single pole) are the bomb for doing tall hedges.

 

[thepheniox]

I hate hedges. Don't even own a trimmer.

 

[ducaticorse]

For existing customers only

 

[Iustinian]

Shrubs can be a great money maker -- at large town house complexes. Other than that, we'll do them if its part of a larger tree job, but rather do like the previous poster said and refer them to a landscaper that refers treework to us -- I actually get a lot of business that way.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Hedges are good, I have a few on the the books that are done every year that are worth over 2 grand each. One we do every few years is worth close to 5k. They arent always fun, but they are regular, good paying jobs.

 

[ducaticorse]

Hedges are good, I have a few on the the books that are done every year that are worth over 2 grand each. One we do every few years is worth close to 5k. They arent always fun, but they are regular, good paying jobs.

So how big is the hedge that costs 5K to trim?

 

[sgreanbeans]

So how big is the hedge that costs 5K to trim?

No doubt! Thats a big freakin hedge!
We do them, just like Blakes said, depends on the situation. I have a Shindawa and am gearing toward buying the head for my pole saw.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

The Hedge is made of cupresses macrocarpa. Is about 3 stories tall and about 6m deep. It follows and surrounds riding rings for horses and gardens. No access for a cherry picker. The regrowth we are removing is generally 3 feel long and about an inch thick. we use a power pruner with a sawblade on it to reach up so far but after that we often abseil off the top with the rope going over the edge over a ladder and use loppers and pole pruners to trim off the 15 to 20 m3 of debris we mulch.
Its alot of work and not easy but I like the variety.

Last week I did a week of pine jobs on steep hillsides, Monday I pruned camelias and ground stump and yesterday took out some 45 foot high and 3 inch thick high bamboo (very cool stuff, brought a bunch home for the local kindergarten to make things out of), tomorrow I will be climbing with a 3120xp on a dismantle, Friday we are taking out some trees and hedges at a property.

After the week of pines, a few hours with some secateurs and camelias is blissful pruning magic.

 

[ronnyb]

Hedge trimming is definitely a money maker. We have about 2 dozen that we maintain. It's a nice break from climbing everyday.

 

[Nailsbeats]

I do hedges when asked. I have a large Stihl trimmer that'll reduce them really nice and also use the 192t if needed. I have used ladders, power pole saw, bucket truck, skidsteer, custom build stand and whatever else to get them done. I remember the one time we had the stand strapped into the back of the one ton dump and I was tied into it hanging off the side and going along for hours. Man my arms were tired.

Just price it by the hour and guess how long it will take.

 

[ducaticorse]

The Hedge is made of cupresses macrocarpa. Is about 3 stories tall and about 6m deep. It follows and surrounds riding rings for horses and gardens. No access for a cherry picker. The regrowth we are removing is generally 3 feel long and about an inch thick. we use a power pruner with a sawblade on it to reach up so far but after that we often abseil off the top with the rope going over the edge over a ladder and use loppers and pole pruners to trim off the 15 to 20 m3 of debris we mulch.
Its alot of work and not easy but I like the variety.

Last week I did a week of pine jobs on steep hillsides, Monday I pruned camelias and ground stump and yesterday took out some 45 foot high and 3 inch thick high bamboo (very cool stuff, brought a bunch home for the local kindergarten to make things out of), tomorrow I will be climbing with a 3120xp on a dismantle, Friday we are taking out some trees and hedges at a property.

After the week of pines, a few hours with some secateurs and camelias is blissful pruning magic.

Whenit's over 20ft tall, I call it tree trimming LOL.

 

[BlackOakTreeServ]

I used to work for a guy who did occasional hedge work, I never got around to asking him how he priced it before I quit and wish I had of. I get requests from customers reasonably often to do their hedges while doing their trees but have no idea how to price the work so I generally recommend they get a gardener as not many tree companies also do hedges.

The hedge jobs I've done in past (as a sub contractor) were generally too big to be done by gardeners. Mostly up over 15', some getting closer to 30' and needing a big reduction in height. We used giant A frame ladders, sometimes a bucket truck if access was good. 200t's on the heavier stuff, extendable hedghers on the smaller stuff. Not really shaping the hedge so much as getting it back under control, or halving the height so a gardener could come back in a few months and shape it.

Are any of you guys offering it? How do you price the work? Is there any money in it/enough to be worth buying some good hedging gear? I enjoy hedges about as much as I enjoy stump grinding (not at all) but a dollar's a dollar.

Thanks,
Shaun

I dont do hedge work...I leave that for the landscapers...trimming hedges are a pane in the azzzz

 

[JIMMYTreeWizard]

We do quite a few hedges. The money's not great most of the time compared to proper tree work but at least they are regular jobs.