Ditto. I know they make alot more than that around here, I know a GF and he was telling me how much they get, I cant remember exactly but I want to say it was around what a good private crew gets.
Getting a handle on bidding with the big boys
- Thread starter Sunrise Guy
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Ditto. I know they make alot more than that around here, I know a GF and he was telling me how much they get, I cant remember exactly but I want to say it was around what a good private crew gets.
Sunrise Guy
Addicted to ArboristSite
Again, with all due respect to you guys posting here, I have yet to "hear" from any of you a hard and fast bid price. You all seem to skirt the issue, as in hearing things from "this guy I know'" or "this guy who knows this guy." If a single one of you knows, for a fact, what Asplundh's bid price is on a single contract at an hourly rate per crew, I'd be happy to know that figure. I'm not meaning any disrespect here, but it is pretty interesting that nobody on here has ever worked for Asplundh, apparently, at the level of bid submissions. I'm the first one to admit that I hate working for big companies, but I thought that the odds were pretty good that a former Big O middle-level guy or gal might be on here who could clear me up on this.
For what its worth sunrise, I just tried. It seems asplundh doesnt really give that info, my guy said he couldnt remember and that he was not sure, but that he had to figure it out for himself. He was doing paperwork for aspy at the time so not real chipper. Sorry.
the truth is sunrise: bid prices are subject to the scope of work that needs performed!!!
you think you`re going to get Big O`s bid formula....LOL well hell maybe the other big companies will join in & let us know their bid formulas too!!
what they charge shouldnt matter, its what you need to charge to make it!
there are too many types of ways to bid: firm bid, units, PBI(performance based incentive), time & material, capital work, re-work, BTS(by the span), etc..
so which bid as mentioned above do you need their formula for? is it true firm bid or do they have T&M option on select areas, what most of us are saying is the numbers you have given are ridiculous.....but more so what option of the above are they using?
LXT...........
you think you`re going to get Big O`s bid formula....LOL well hell maybe the other big companies will join in & let us know their bid formulas too!!
what they charge shouldnt matter, its what you need to charge to make it!
there are too many types of ways to bid: firm bid, units, PBI(performance based incentive), time & material, capital work, re-work, BTS(by the span), etc..
so which bid as mentioned above do you need their formula for? is it true firm bid or do they have T&M option on select areas, what most of us are saying is the numbers you have given are ridiculous.....but more so what option of the above are they using?
LXT...........
Sunrise Guy
Addicted to ArboristSite
The truth is, in the bidding sessions I've sat in on, everyone is very concerned with what the other guys are going to bid. It matters.
I know there are lots of levels in our profession. There are the big, the not so big, the huge, etc. I am now starting to come up against very large companies, and so average bid prices, on an hourly basis, are important to me.
I thought I might get a straightforward answer here, in this forum, but it's obvious that most of us are guys who are either our own bosses, or those who have worked for the big guys in lower level positions. No shame in that, of course.
I will now try other avenues, including public records, in my area. If I find a firm bid price on any of the documents I will examine, I'll get back to you. Thanks.
Husky137
Addicted to ArboristSite
Asplundh guy I know, says they bid $285 an hour for bucket,chipper and 2 crew. That was 8 years ago. No way it went down too much.
Sunrise Guy
Addicted to ArboristSite
mckeetree
Addicted to ArboristSite
Bob Tarin at Asplundh says every job is different and you can't very well expose all your bidding practices but according to him the ROW industry is at about $250.00 an hour for a bucket crew.
corndogg
ArboristSite Operative
I was browsing a local electric utitity's website yesterday. It said they spent 3 million last year on tree trimming and cleared x miles of line at an average of 2,800 per mile. That's all I have found. I too am interested in ROW clearing for reliable work and the privilage of working with professional companies and not homeowners. I am more interested brush mowing as I am not EHAP certified and I have more experience in land clearing.
Bigus Termitius
Addicted to ArboristSite
Sunrise,
I'm in a similar situation myself. Figure out what it is you need, then want, and split the difference.
I wouldn't want to win a contract for peanuts, I'd rather make it or move on to something else. Let someone else go broke screwing themselves.
Besides, it's always up for grabs anyway. If you don't get it..try again next year.
No one's going to give you the rate, and even then is it reliable?
I'm in a similar situation myself. Figure out what it is you need, then want, and split the difference.
I wouldn't want to win a contract for peanuts, I'd rather make it or move on to something else. Let someone else go broke screwing themselves.
Besides, it's always up for grabs anyway. If you don't get it..try again next year.
No one's going to give you the rate, and even then is it reliable?
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
just talk to the forester. There are several small cities around here that do not take lowest bid, but best bid based on how it is written towards best practices. I know the forester for Oak Creek and she has it in the bid specs that it will not be Lowest Bid
Sunrise Guy
Addicted to ArboristSite
Straight from the horse's mouth---so to speak!
OK, I have the figures. This fellow, who shall remain anonymous, bids gigs all over the country. He piggy-backs with Davey on many jobs, but handles his own share of their contracts. Asplundh was bidding out at $35/man/hr. Now, with the economic down-turn, they are at $22.50-27.50/man/hr. and have gone as low as $17/man/hr. on very large jobs. So, I was wrong on my $35/hr./crew figure, but still, the above figures mean that I am up against an average of about $75/hr. for a three-man crew from Big O. I usualy bid at $100/hr. for a three-man crew. Now, I'm going to have to re-think this thing.
OK, I have the figures. This fellow, who shall remain anonymous, bids gigs all over the country. He piggy-backs with Davey on many jobs, but handles his own share of their contracts. Asplundh was bidding out at $35/man/hr. Now, with the economic down-turn, they are at $22.50-27.50/man/hr. and have gone as low as $17/man/hr. on very large jobs. So, I was wrong on my $35/hr./crew figure, but still, the above figures mean that I am up against an average of about $75/hr. for a three-man crew from Big O. I usualy bid at $100/hr. for a three-man crew. Now, I'm going to have to re-think this thing.
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
And they must be adding quite a bit for the equipment hours.
I have seen Davey bid some winter work very low just to keep people working.
treemandan
Tree Freak
Well, after a brief peruse of CL I thought I might inform the population of us wonderers of such an exponentional mystrry of "how the hell anybody can make a living by charging that much"... So...here is some more:
Day rate for bobcat W/ attachments= 480 per day
I guess that's just with the one guy with the forestry helmet.
The ad I saw had some pics of what the guy had and he had some stuff. One thing the guy had was one of those old Promark stumpers with the wheel in the back. He had the small 625 chipper and so forth. Served the Philly area? Holy crap! That's a big area.
Amost made me want to dive in. Actually, goodbye.
Day rate for bobcat W/ attachments= 480 per day
I guess that's just with the one guy with the forestry helmet.
The ad I saw had some pics of what the guy had and he had some stuff. One thing the guy had was one of those old Promark stumpers with the wheel in the back. He had the small 625 chipper and so forth. Served the Philly area? Holy crap! That's a big area.
Amost made me want to dive in. Actually, goodbye.
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treemandan
Tree Freak
I was just joking. I am not going to do that. I don't need to... yet?
mckeetree
Addicted to ArboristSite
I think you were talking to some wino down there at Austin that filled you full of it. Straight from the wino's mouth-so to speak. You can't make sense of $75 an hour with a three man crew I don't give a da#n who you are unless you sent just that...three men with nothing. Not even a wild thing chainsaw. And no insurance on them either. I am not the smartest guy in the world but I passed economics 101.
Sunrise Guy
Addicted to ArboristSite
The figures I got came from actual bids Asplundh put out in open bidding. My source has absolutely no reason to blow smoke up my :censored: . If you have access to open bids at the county, state, or city level, check 'em out. If you get some hard figures, I'd like to see them. Thanks.
#1, someone is filling him with enema fluid, & it is flowing onto this forum!
$75 an HR for a three man crew.........LOL!
If they paid the men $8 an hr & sent them out in a 1975 truck with a 1968 chuck n duck chipper with bowsaws, then yes $75 an Hour might just work!
Just bid the job, if you are meant to get it you will!
LXT.............
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
Yes the orange weeny will lose a million to make one dollar!
They do it by paying a **** wage but I am betting it was t&m
time being 75ph the materials equipment ie girraffe,bucket,hydroaxe
kershaw etc. They will be competitive if they want the contract and
is how they operate ime!
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