consulting rates

[Tim Krause]

i got a call from a large construction outfit. they are doing a job for the state. the contract specifies that a certified arborist must come in before work begins and evaluate the area. a no work zone must be marked, trees must be evaluated, and a procedure must be outlined to deal with any trees that might be damaged. this is my first consulting job. i usually just give estimates on residential tree work. what is the going rate for a certified arborist to evaluate a project like this? i would appreciate any suggestions.

 

[treeseer]

what is the going rate for a certified arborist to evaluate a project like this?

Depends on experience and qualifications. $6/hour to start.

Do you have the Trees & Development book?

 

[BC WetCoast]

Around here, consulting arborist rates vary from $75 to $150/hr. Can depend on the complexity of the job, and liability risk the consultant is taking, but usually relates to the skill and seniority of the consultant.

As a consultant on a development project, your rates should be consistent with the other professionals on the project ie engineers, designers, landscape architects etc. Maybe a bit lower but not much.

One quick story, I was doing some professional forestry consulting to a forest company. My friend, an actuary (pension plan stuff), was consulting to the same company but the executive suite. My client was a divisional forester. My friend was charging out his word processor (secretary) at the same rate as I was getting as a professional. Sometimes it depends on the client.

For some clients, the higher your rate, the more qualified you are.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

$6/hr.? LOL! Good one!

In all seriousness, I charge $100/hr. with a one-hour minimum. For that price, I'll come out and take a look around, go back to the office, write up a report and protection plan, and send a copy to the client and our city arborist. Keep in mind I'm talking about a job site where a residential builder/developer is putting up a house or duplex and wants to stay in the city's good graces. What you're describing sounds like a pretty involved survey. With that type of a gig, you should let the client know that you'll come out and view the site, noting the number of trees, and then give him/her a written estimate of how many hours your detailed pre-construction survey and report will take. You should still charge your $100 for the hour it will take you to check out the site, and send a written report of what your final report will contain, following whatever is required by the local governing body/code. I have found that "free estimates" in commercial work usually gets your brain picked by the developer who then hires his brother-in-law from out of town to come in and follow the plan you've run down to the developer while you're on the site for your first, and last, visit. I literally had that happen to me last month. Funny thing is, the developer absolutely ignored my plan that I gave him, for free (thinking I would be doing the work) on-site, and then called me after he had put up the house and run afoul of our city arborist. Yesterday I went out there, made my notes, collected my $100 and then sent him my detailed remediation plan which I also sent along to our city arborist. He's looking at my bid of $4000 now, but I have a feeling he'll call his brother-in-law again. At least I made a fairly easy $100, this time. Oh yeah, do get the book on trees and development by Matheny and Clark. It is loaded with great information.

 

[BC WetCoast]

$6/hr.? LOL! Good one!

In all seriousness, I charge $100/hr. with a one-hour minimum. For that price, I'll come out and take a look around, go back to the office, write up a report and protection plan, and send a copy to the client and our city arborist. Keep in mind I'm talking about a job site where a residential builder/developer is putting up a house or duplex and wants to stay in the city's good graces. What you're describing sounds like a pretty involved survey. With that type of a gig, you should let the client know that you'll come out and view the site, noting the number of trees, and then give him/her a written estimate of how many hours your detailed pre-construction survey and report will take. You should still charge your $100 for the hour it will take you to check out the site, and send a written report of what your final report will contain, following whatever is required by the local governing body/code. I have found that "free estimates" in commercial work usually gets your brain picked by the developer who then hires his brother-in-law from out of town to come in and follow the plan you've run down to the developer while you're on the site for your first, and last, visit. I literally had that happen to me last month. Funny thing is, the developer absolutely ignored my plan that I gave him, for free (thinking I would be doing the work) on-site, and then called me after he had put up the house and run afoul of our city arborist. Yesterday I went out there, made my notes, collected my $100 and then sent him my detailed remediation plan which I also sent along to our city arborist. He's looking at my bid of $4000 now, but I have a feeling he'll call his brother-in-law again. At least I made a fairly easy $100, this time. Oh yeah, do get the book on trees and development by Matheny and Clark. It is loaded with great information.

Sounds like he should have got a $400 bill for the remediation plan. Call it a PITA premium.

 

[Justice]

I think that would depend on if you were a ISA certified arborist or a NJ Certified Tree Expert. This only applies to NJ, but most towns and state agencies in NJ require you be a NJ Certified Tree Expert to do this kind of work.

Other than that it would depend on how much work they are going to give you, but CTE's make around $80-$100 an hour depending on what they are doing. Testifying in court and the like are higher rates.

 

[mckeetree]

I charge $125.00 an hour with a one hour minimum. I'm a certified arborist but I also have a degree in arboriculture. I have had clients who wanted a second opinion if you will concerning tree issues and most of the time I use a guy who is a BCMA in Dallas and with his drive time it ends up costing $600.00 min. for him to come out. I have mixed emotions about CA's and what they are worth consultation wise. About three years ago a gal who is a CA moved into my area and was really pushing the CA thing. Everything she owned had "certified arborist" printed on it somewhere and I think she charges $100.00 an hour for consultation. Well, I got to look at some trees she diagnosed and saw a couple of her reports and that goes back to that 6$ an hour to start deal. No, on second thought, I would not pay her six dollars an hour. On the flip side I have known folks who were not CA's or had a degree in anything and when it came to trees they were sharp as a tack. In fact, another company here in my area has a guy like that.

 

[treeseer]

I use a guy who is a BCMA in Dallas and with his drive time it ends up costing $600.00 min. for him to come out.

I like the sounds of that!

Sunrise, you are either extremely fast, light on detail, or underbilling. Good lesson on doing freebies thinking you'll get work out of it--consulting and contracting should be kept separate.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

IMO the rat you charge depends on where you are in your search foor knowledge.

If your research is also learniign, then you should charge less. If you can whip the report off quick, from your head then yourr hourly shoould be more.

It all depends on what typee ooff value you provide to the client on a per hour basis

 

[Sunrise Guy]

I like the sounds of that!

Sunrise, you are either extremely fast, light on detail, or underbilling. Good lesson on doing freebies thinking you'll get work out of it--consulting and contracting should be kept separate.

I did charge too little, the second time around. I was more concerned with getting back something for the first time I went out and got zilch, so I just fixated on collecting that $100 charge. The report took me three hours to do. The total for my second visit and report should have been $500, which is what I charged the last time I did a remediation visit and report at another site. On a positive note, even though the builder has not contacted me to do the work, as I predicted, our city arborist dropped me a line to let me know he really liked my remediation plan and that I should keep him informed about the site, which you can bet I'll do when I'm in the neighborhood.

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

Depends on experience and qualifications. $6/hour to start.

thats a joke surely?

 

[treeseer]

thats a joke surely?

That's minimum wage here. What's funny about that?

If a report is bad then it can have negative value (and get the consultant sued) . JPS was right about charging for value.

 

[Tim Krause]

consulting

the construction firm called a couple other tree service's, but they didn't meet the qualification of being isa certified. the job is for two new light towers to shine on a monument at the state park. they want to minimize the collateral damage to trees not in the construction zone. i don't want to expect to get the tree work portion of the job because the owner is friends with another tree guy-(my former employer). so it sounds like you guys are saying between $100-150 is the going rate for consulting. maybe a little more for the Governor since he still owes us for some sick removals completed over 2 months ago, Slacker!!

 

[OLD CHIPMONK]

Don't worry so much about rates , worry more about your liability & it's ramifications. People are sue happy . You commit to being sued when you give written guidelines as to how, what , where & when. Signed by you & accepted by the contactor. Something goes wrong & your Liability Insurance had better be paid in full. I'm sure there are other certified Arborists & Consulting Arborists who know about this legal entity. Knowledge is good. Not enough is bad.

 

[treeseer]

it sounds like you guys are saying between $100-150 is the going rate for consulting.

That is one range for **experienced** consultants by the hour. At a minimum, you should be carefully identifying and assessing trees with roots in the construction area. Have references to refer to, and specify work in enough detail to be somewhat idiotproof. Oh, and have fun!

 

[Sunrise Guy]

Don't worry so much about rates , worry more about your liability & it's ramifications. People are sue happy . You commit to being sued when you give written guidelines as to how, what , where & when. Signed by you & accepted by the contactor. Something goes wrong & your Liability Insurance had better be paid in full. I'm sure there are other certified Arborists & Consulting Arborists who know about this legal entity. Knowledge is good. Not enough is bad.

Pretty well said. Consult with an attorney if you're not used to writing your own contracts and liability waivers. When you write up plans for tree protection, pre-construction, and remediation plans, during or post, you want to make absolutely sure that you cya when it comes to any deviations from the plan others may make and/or unforeseen/unknowable situations that may arise when your plans are carried out. As an example: It may sound good when you advise radial trenching to remediate soil compaction, but when the crew doing the work severs a gas or water line and the builder comes looking for you to reimburse his expenses, you had better be able to point to a clause in your plan that states something to the effect that you are not responsible for things you had no way of knowing about, as in unmarked, underground lines. That is just one example, but, again, consult with your attorney if you don't understand liability waiver concepts. You do assume certain responsibilities when you set forth a plan that is subsequently adopted after being signed by you and the other party to a given contract, but a good waiver clause will help you stay out of trouble should those nasty, unforeseen little things pop up as they are sure to do every now and then.

 

[Tim Krause]

thanks for the input guys.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Many of the concerns mentioned here would be covered with a "errors and omission" clause/rider to your liability policy.

 

[Mitchell]

erros and omissions

Many of the concerns mentioned here would be covered with a "errors and omission" clause/rider to your liability policy.

Pertinate advice. I just did the PNW ISA/ BC WCB hazard tree evaluation course. I immediately added errors and omissions. I thought general liability would cover my consulting, not so. With the trees I have braced and retention letters out there I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Better make sure your covered. Ticks me off as I told my old insurance lady about that...

 

[Chris Francis]

Arborist consulting

Sounds like I don't charge near enough. I'm closer to the bottom of that scale, but I'm keeping my rates for now. I have a one hour minimum and will travel for free locally, but I charge for travel otherwise. I have a set travel fee for areas relatively close, but calculate estimated travel time both ways if it is somewhere far away. I find that people are either willing to pay me or they aren't. It wouldn't matter if my fee was $6; some people just aren't paying for me. That's fine! Some people get really pissed or try to beat the system. I draw a clear line right up front: if you know exactly what you want, you get a free estimate (and usually not me... I send my tree servce supervisor to give the free estimate); otherwise, if you are looking for advice, need an inspection, or want to know if your tree is going to fall on your house, that requires a consult (and you get me) for a fee. I think the ones that are willing to pay me for my time would be willing to pay much more. As I become more experienced and obtain more certifications, my prices will slowly rise. One more thing, most consults take only one hour or less, but I insist everyone signs my Terms & Conditions BEFORE the consult begins, and I charge by the minute for everything over the first hour, including phone calls, emails, report writing, planning, etc...