Driving Equipment On Customers Lawns

[YUKON 659]

Just curious how most of you deal with driving equipment onto your customers lawns. I'm mostly talking about chip trucks, chippers and stump grinders that are driven onto lawns under normal conditions. Do you talk to them about the possibility of minor tire marks when bringing in equipment or do you just do it and assume they expect it and know it will happen?

Thanks, Jeff

 

[MasterBlaster]

Ya gotta be carefull, and take precautions.

This guy didn't...

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?threadid=16267

 

[Scars2prove-it]

I ALWAYS ask first. If it is a really nice lawn I stay off of it unless I really need to be on it. Then I usually put plywood down to help protect it. Some people volunteer the use of their lawn and I warn them that it might get damaged pretty badly.

 

[Menchhofer]

We always try to explain to the customer as to what to expect.

Sometimes we wait until the ground is hard and dry..other times we use the alternamats. Every situation is different.

If a removal, most do expect some minor damage...we do not get too many takes on the zero impact mode as it is more costly and time consuming...but we do give the client the choice.

 

[NeTree]

My contracts specify whether to expect lawn damage or not, and how severe.

We always try to avoid it, but sometimes it's unavoidable; I've only rarely had anyone freak out about it.

This guy KNEW there was gonna be some major carnage, and was okay with it...

 

[MasterBlaster]

We've brought cranes in to set the pads for bigger cranes, no turf damage!

 

[a_lopa]

wheel marks,a few flowers bent over, it all depends on what there willling to pay i wont be cheap if they want time consuming work.ask every time, give them a few diffrent scenarios $$$$

 

[NeTree]

Here it is:

1.4 Landscape: Contractor will exercise due care with regard to lawns and landscape plants, etc. However, due to the nature of the work Contractor cannot guarantee that no such greenery will not be damaged. Contractor shall be held harmless for any such damage.

 

[a_lopa]

thats a good one

 

[NeTree]

I like this one, too:

2.2 Accessibility: Client will provide adequate access for equipment needed to properly
perform services agreed upon in Work Order. All lawn furniture, ornaments and/or other movable objects shall be placed safely away from work site.



One thing I hate is having to move all their crap because they didn't think of it in the month the job's been scheduled. Moreso on a bid job.

If it's hourly? Sure. I'll rearrange your furniture for $125+ an hour, no sweat!

 

[Nickrosis]

Drove a CDL truck all over a lawn today with lots of pickups with equipment in tow and the customer didn't care a bit. There wasn't any turf damage either - the weeds with grass must have been growing on a clay pad. Usually, though, it's plywood. Sometimes for a couple hundred yards....nobody likes those days.

 

[a_lopa]

took out a 80 ft cypress hedge for this guy running a hack nursery i told him to move SOME plants which roots had grown thru into the ground, he didnt so i fell tops oiut onto them(time is money) anyway he had mental problems and was on the phone to his shrink as i was getting trees on the ground(no clean up)he now tells anyone who will listen that i destroyed his great nursery after he pleaded with me to do the job as all other contractors were to pricey,anyway you cant keep them all happy.

 

[NeTree]

We're tree guys, not landscapers.

 

[Nickrosis]

Hey, speak for yourself.

 

[NeTree]

I usually do.

 

[Dadatwins]

Usually let them know what equipment is going to be on the grass and what needs to be moved before we show up to do the job. Let them know up front what plants should be moved or those that may be sacrificed. I have taken some fences down for access but the time to do it is priced into the job and I tell them if they want to take it down and save some $$ they can do it. I usually end up moving the flower pots and chairs around the yard anyway because the homeowner will usually put them right in the dragging path or landing zone. Had a customer take all the potted plants off her deck and put them directly under the tree to be removed because she figured the wind would blow sawdust away from the tree and towards the deck.

 

[YUKON 659]

Thanks for the input. I guess I've been doing it right all along I generally try to explain to the customer that there may be minimal damage...most of them seem to be fine with that. The reason I asked this question is because I just recently picked up a job to do a couple of small removals in an upscale neighborhood. The trees are in the back yard and I estimated the job to be done with the chipper and truck being driven across the front lawn. I guess I didn't want to make a bad "impression" in that kind of neighborhood

Jeff

 

[Dadatwins]

Just be careful not to drive over any septic tanks on the property. New or old breaking one of those can make for a really bad day. Ask the homeowner for the plot plan before putting a truck on the lawn.

 

[xander9727]

Originally posted by Mike Maas
Our biggest concern should be soil compaction.
Driving over tree roots is not good for them. A little lawn damge is easy to fix, compaction is like herpies, once you have it, you have it.

Around here compaction only last 17 years........then the Cicada's fix it.

 

[SteveBullman]

Originally posted by Dadatwins
Ask the homeowner for the plot plan before putting a truck on the lawn.

this is a good thing to do as a matter of course
i have broken 2 manhole covers in the past that were covered by about an inch of soil and grass.
one of them even the customer didn't know about.