I received a phone call the other day from a customer who wants an estimate on a 30' pine tree that was knocked over in his yard by a drunk driver. He wants a price for the removal and replacement of the tree. My question is how do I go about appraising the value of the pine tree? The customer has lived on the property for 15yrs and the tree has been there since. Would I go about this by pricing a tree of similar caliber and cost to plant?
Drunk-a-Lunk Crashed My Lincoln Logs
- Thread starter NCTREE
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
arbor pro
Addicted to ArboristSite
Start by contacting your state's arborists association and asking what appraisal methods are accepted in your state. Also, contact the local university forestry programs. Likely, you will find a forestry professor who knows something about tree appraisal.
It's more complicated that one might think with a number of variables to consider. Even if you're just using a replacement method, you still have to take into account the cost of maintainance until the tree gets established.
I've done a few appraisals over the years. Kinda fun to do but they can take some time to do right - especially if you are preparing a full paper report that has to be submitted to an insurance company or perhaps be used in court.
It's more complicated that one might think with a number of variables to consider. Even if you're just using a replacement method, you still have to take into account the cost of maintainance until the tree gets established.
I've done a few appraisals over the years. Kinda fun to do but they can take some time to do right - especially if you are preparing a full paper report that has to be submitted to an insurance company or perhaps be used in court.
outofmytree
Addicted to ArboristSite
Honestly if I get something this complex I call a friend of mine who has a Dip Arb (think BCMA) and get him to write the report. If the work comes through we split it based on skills and gear. Insurance companies are a pain in the proverbial to work with and you have got to make the report airtight.
arbor pro
Addicted to ArboristSite
I haven't done a lot of single speciment tree appraisals but I've done a few shelterbelt appraisals where damage was caused from fire or livestock or field spray drift. Those can take awhile. Even after the field survey is complete, there's still a full day's work to complete the calculations and written report.
I've yet to make any real money off of an appraisal. Acutally, I make less than if I'm out doing tree pruning or removal work. I just do it because it's something interesting and different to do.
I learned how to do appraisals from a class hosted by our state arborists association and taught by a local forestry professor well-versed and experienced in tree appraisals around the world. If anyone is looking to get more information on how to do them, your local arborists association would be a good place to start.
I've yet to make any real money off of an appraisal. Acutally, I make less than if I'm out doing tree pruning or removal work. I just do it because it's something interesting and different to do.
I learned how to do appraisals from a class hosted by our state arborists association and taught by a local forestry professor well-versed and experienced in tree appraisals around the world. If anyone is looking to get more information on how to do them, your local arborists association would be a good place to start.
treemandan
Tree Freak
How to handle:
Give a proper written proposal to the INS co only, give a word of mouth estimate to the HO. Then watch as they clean up the tree themselves, pocket the replacement money along with the clean up funds and leave the stump which they might call you for.
doing anything else sounds like more work than its worth considering one big fact is that you don't know how much its going to take to replace the tree. If you want to get them a price for it make sure you get paid.
Give a proper written proposal to the INS co only, give a word of mouth estimate to the HO. Then watch as they clean up the tree themselves, pocket the replacement money along with the clean up funds and leave the stump which they might call you for.
doing anything else sounds like more work than its worth considering one big fact is that you don't know how much its going to take to replace the tree. If you want to get them a price for it make sure you get paid.
arbor pro
Addicted to ArboristSite
Most definitely don't do it for free. And, if you don't feel experienced enough to charge for your appraisal, you shouldn't be in the appraisal business. Stick to what you know or be willing to invest the proper amount of time into learning how to do it right.
It does sound like a pain in the ass and I am definitely not in the appraising business. I had a customer do that before, I dropped a couple trees for the lady. She called me back to give her an estimate on removing a large lightning struck oak tree. I gave her a written estimate which she submitted to the insurance co. then took the money and ran.
treemandan
Tree Freak
Not a happy feeling to waste your time and knowledge by them using you for the written estimate. Its not everytime you get called for ins work but it happens enough for one to recogize where it will lead you, like down a windy path that leads no-where, cept you just helped someone else to the dough.
I had lady who had a drunk hit her tree ( busted up, rotten maple) so she thinks I am there to help her get some money to pay someone carve the trunk into an eagle.
How does one play that? " Ok, I will charge 1500 for the tree work, you get half?" I don't think so. I send the estimate to the Ins co and if needed an estimate to replace the tree with a normal sized nursery one or just write 1500 minimum for replacement cause it don't really matter then. If they give a go-ahead I am covered... for 1500, and that is what its worth trying to get a dam replacement plant.
Now is you are really going into it with figuring how much value the damaged tree was worth you are going to need a special guy.
I recently had some mature trees alomst damaged on my property and would have been pretty upset had they been removed. I would have hired a consultant just for the purpose of figuring out how much value they where worth.
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
I make sure that they know that it I am making an insurance report, not an estimate, and that I charge $75/hr including travel. For a single tree I may do it as a flat rate of $150 for the initial report. Swing by on my way home to tape it and see if I can judge the prior condition from the remains.
Then I use a boilerplate format for the report
species
size
condition
location/accessibility
cost of:
like size vs multiple smaller
install
monthly inspection and watering during growing months
biannual fert for four years
install
monthly inspection and watering during growing months
biannual fert for four years
A couple years ago we had massive fires here and destroyed alot of homes and property. I did a couple appraisals but the insurance company had a cap of $1000.00 per tree. Sad, alot of nices mature trees.
Jeff
Jeff
$150 seems hardly worth it for the time put into it.
What kind of Pine Tree?
30'
remove damged tree and stump...............1,000.00
cost of 30' pine at Nursery.......... 3,000.00
depends on diameter of trunk hand dig or truck dig. 12" plus diameter probably. Hand dig and tactor trailer delivery. 3,000.00
dig new hole and amend soil......................2,000.00
unload tree from trailer and plant B&B pine using loader or crane...4,000.00
cabling & mulch........................................2,000.00
watering.................................................
O/H & Profit..........................................
JULIE locate..........................................
Warranty/Gaurantee..................................
Estimate Fee........................................
Last edited:
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
If it is just you and your pickup truck going out to take notes, and you spend an hour round trip, then an hour with research and writing there is no big problem.
As for research what more is there then looking it up in a catalog and doing a little math? I look at it as an easy $150, and a chance to do something different. Or more like get paid for what I do here on a regular basis
. I do a few reports a year, I would like to do more, but too many people think they should get fee advice.
arbor pro
Addicted to ArboristSite
If the replacement appraisal method can be used, then that is the fast and easy route to take. However, most of the appraisals that I've done required that I come up with the 'appraised' value of a single tree or group of trees rather than a replacement value. The question is often asked, "what were my 3 ornamental trees worth before the neighboring farmer inadvertantly killed them with roundup overspray? I know I can plant 3 new trees but what were these nice 40' trees that took me 20 years to establish worth in terms of value to my property?"
To come up with those figures, you have to look at tree condition, location within the property, species hardiness and perceived value for your area, environmental value, aesthetic value, etc, etc. This method takes a lot more time and paperwork to come up with a value and, the bigger the appraisal value you come up with, the more thorough you have to be in justifying your findings.
For someone who just does it occasionally, it isn't much of a money-maker. It's more of a boredom buster. It takes time to do field surveys and to draw up a written report. A typical shelterbelt appraisal might take me a full day to survey and write up. I'll make $65/hr plus expenses on it. And, while I'm in the office doing it, my aerial lift, chip truck, chipper, stump grinder and the rest of my gear costs me money for every hour that it sits idly by.
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
But it is not the question asked by his client.
I started charging for all bids. If they hire us I give them credit for the cost of the bid.
I'm sure I've lost some business because of it. But so far it has cut way down on the number of people who are going to hire the cheapest they can find.
We did some insurance work one time and later got a call from the company. They asked what we were paid and I told them. They asked why it was$1000.00 less than bid. I told them we were paid exactly what we bid.
To make a long story short the homeowner had used white out to change our price on a computer generated bid before faxing it to the insurance company. Homeowner tried to claim that I had changed the amount for her. This was fairly easy to counter and she got in big trouble for it.
Mr. HE
I'm sure I've lost some business because of it. But so far it has cut way down on the number of people who are going to hire the cheapest they can find.
We did some insurance work one time and later got a call from the company. They asked what we were paid and I told them. They asked why it was$1000.00 less than bid. I told them we were paid exactly what we bid.
To make a long story short the homeowner had used white out to change our price on a computer generated bid before faxing it to the insurance company. Homeowner tried to claim that I had changed the amount for her. This was fairly easy to counter and she got in big trouble for it.
Mr. HE
arbor pro
Addicted to ArboristSite
Yes and no. He asked about coming up with a price to remove and replace and then how to appraise the "value" of the tree. These are two different things he's asking for even if he didn't intend it.
I just attempted to address the latter... My oops if I got off track of what he was asking.
