Help with Bidding Trees and Stumps by dBH

[WillyStDruid]

I took a bit of time searching to see if anyone else has posted this but came up empty.

I'm looking to bid on a municipal tree service contract in Southern Wisconsin. They are asking to supply a bid based on price per inch of dBH. They want this for both the removal of trees and trimming of trees. For stumps they are asking for a price per inch based on the diameter of the stump measured at 3 inches above the ground.

No specific locations of these trees are supplied. Aside from the dBH of each tree I won't know if they are near a busy intersection, in a nest of wires, in a spot where they must be climbed, etc.

The stump pricing shouldn't be too hard. The going rate around here is typically between 2-4 an inch just for grinding. 5-8 an inch for grinding, clean-up, and fill.

It's bidding the trees I get hung up on. I have no clue what the going rates of price per inch of dBH should be. Typically, I take into account a variety of factors when supplying a bid based on seeing what I'm in for. I hate bidding based on dBH because it completely ignores any variables of location, type of tree, location of nearby targets, etc.

Anyone have any ideas or experience on ball park bidding by inch of dBH for trimming and removing trees?

 

[BC WetCoast]

I would suggest you go through the city and take a sample of trees, various sizes and species from a variety of sites. At each tree, take a measurement and then price that tree and stump. Once you have taken a number of samples, you will be able to average a price per inch. Some trees will be over some under, that is averaging is about.

The more samples you take the better your answer will be.

 

[JCONN]

I have done a fair amount of municiple work never for tree work but many other things. The amount should be public knowledge of what prior contract holders have had. Thats not saying its going to break down there pricing to the tee, but if you know that they did 100 thyousand dollars of work last year and that they worked on 300 hundred trees it gives you a ruff number. Any city bid I have done always gives an estimate of how much work is predicted to be done. You also need to take in effect do you need more insurance for what they want for coverage. Also check to see if you are to be paying prevailing wage. I lost one contract to a larger company for way cheaper then I would ever due, he had it for two years and then the city did some book checking and found he was not paying proper wages and he had to pay out 40,000 dollars in back pay. I know the city bids around me look like phone books when they come out, and most of us just flip to the estimate and detail portion and browse threw the rest.

If this is a first time contract for the city to put out be carefull. I have seen some big contracts come out that i have been asked to bid on and have taken the pass for the first year or two to see how other companies have faired. Sometimes it is impossible to go after these contracts becuase the big companies come in way cheaper then you ever could, on a two day removal for me they due in one short day for 700 bucks and move to the next job.

Due some homework and drive around to see what you could be getting into. Good luck

 

[alpineman]

I ran into another owner of a tree company here in Denver who had a contract like that. He told me he was getting $33/inch for removals. I thought that was crazy, but I guess you can't expect much from a government work. The day I met him we were on a property that I was called to for a bid. By the time I got there, the city had already contracted them to cut the tree down. They only got about 900 for a large locust tree next to power lines. I thought that was low. Hope that helps you.