Estimate Tool

Rob Murphy · Aug 1, 2002

Estimaing treework has so many variables so rather than reinvent the wheel Iam wondering what you guys use for estimates.

Checklists?
Hourly rates?
Degree of difficulty?
Acesss of equipment?
How successful is what you use ? Do you debrief on jobs?
Who won the ITCC?

TREETX · Aug 1, 2002

I use required man hours + risk.

That covers equipment access difficulty, etc.

I miss my mark sometimes but taking that sting a few too many times has me now using hours+risk+chaos factor (10%-25%).

Toddppm · Aug 1, 2002

You forgot whacked out customer markup! Just in case:alien:

DDM · Aug 1, 2002

and the Customer supervises fee +25%

And Stupid Tax like the Customer Attempted there own Removal or Limb removal over he house and sawed half way thru before Reality hit them + 40%

The Big Hurt · Aug 1, 2002

Similar Technique

When estimating I use the similar technique TreeTX mentions. I estimate man hours and the risk. I need to include that chaos factor. I usually hit my mark pretty well but I have been a bit off at times but for the times I have underestimated I have aslo overestimated and still got the job so all in all it evens out. Just depends on wether a particular customer is gonna get the deal or the raw end.

treeclimber165 · Aug 1, 2002

When I was doing my own thing, I used a similar technique. But I had a different way of approaching the 'chaos' factor. I looked at how complicated the coordination would be, how many trucks, dump trips, subs (stumps, crane, big dump truck guy, etc.). The more people you need to coordinate with, and the more trips you need to make, the bigger chance of something going astray. If it was one trip, one load then it wasn't a factor.

Equipment access was usually figured into man hours. If my specialized piece of equipment helped me save a ton of time, then I would try to charge as if I didn't have it. I'm not going to spend thousands of dollars on a piece of equipment to give it away, it needs to earn it's keep!