How much do you pay?

[treeman82]

I was just wondering what is going rates for your employees (non administrative)... Like climbers get paid: $XX.XX per hour, Ground guys: $XX.XX per hour, Spray tech's: $XX.XX per hour, etc. I had talked with Mike a few weeks ago and gave him the numbers for a job I was hoping to bid on. He said that my labor was going to be $XXXXX.XX I told him that the numbers I had come up with were much less. I was just wondering where the guys I hire come in pay rate wise throughout the nation.
My head guy this year was $15.00 per hour
Gardening woman was: $12.00 per hour
Dopey laborer was: $10.00 per hour
I have the opportunity during the winter to keep guys busy at their regular rate of $11.50 per hour for the foreman, $7.50 and $7.00 for the two laborers. Most guys you get over by me go out for about $8 - $10 per hour. Most want more as they go along, but some guys you can actually get for dirt cheap if you look in the right places.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Top climber 20-25/hour.

Second climbers/line tenders 12-15/hr.

brush dragers 8-10/hr, or rent-a-labor.

The pool is small for skilled labor, so it seems that you gotta pay well to keep it.

You have to look at what the person makes per annumn. 15/hr makes 31,200 on a 2080hr year. Now if there is no paid vacation or layoffs and reductions it becomes less. Labor department wants to put 21k as poverty nowadays.

I've known a number of good climbers who have left for the construction trades so they can provide well for their families.

 

[sonny]

So Cal. wages, Ah never mind you good people would not believe how cheep it has gotten, In the last few years.

 

[treeclimber165]

JPS-

I'm impressed!! This is the first post I have seen from you that I didn't need to translate! All the words are spelled right!

 

[treeman82]

So my numbers are pretty much right in there. My pruning climber wants $300 per day to come in and climb so divided by 8 hours is... not good I think I gotta have a talk with him As far as everything else though I see that my numbers are either on the high or low side (I pay high / potential winter workers get paid real low)

 

[treeclimber165]

There is one climber here in town that makes close to $500-$600 per day as a freelance. He is the best, fastest climber I have ever seen. Most smaller companies around here pay $125-$150 per day for a good climber. Groundmen top out at around $10-$12 per hour.
Tree82, your climber needs a little dose of reality. Unless he is supplying his own worker's comp and liability, brings his own saws and gear, and is extremely fast and safe, he isn't worth $300 per day.

 

[treeman82]

Brian- Here is what the guy brings to work with him: his body / rope / saddle / other basic climbing gear / his own 020T. He does not bring any insurance with him. He does not bring his own vehicle as I usually have to pick him up. He does have a 2 year degree in forrestry though, so that is kind of a bonus. He always brings his own marjuanna though, that is something you can count on. Also I usually wind up having to buy his smokes for him . He said that if I wanted him to just come for a day and load wood and do other BS stuff he wants $150 per day. I think he really just talking out his rear here, but the last time he worked with me he backed it up... so I really don't know where it's at. Lately he has been avoiding me for god only knows what reason, so I think I am gonna have to find a new pruning climber.

 

[Eric E.]

3 Bills a day for a stoned climber with no insurance, no equipment, and no ride? Being stoned would automatically get him thrown off my job. If he was straight he would have to be very good. I have a friend that places in the top 5 at the ITCC every year and he gets $50 more than what you are paying this guy.

If you need someone send me a PM. I can do it for that price with insurance, equipment, and you won't have to pick me up either.

 

[treeman82]

Eric, I think that the kid is overly cocky, thinks he is worth way more than he really is. There is a guy over by me who goes out for $200 per day, possibly more now. His day begins at 8:30 and ends usually by 1:00. He is of course the type of guy where you price a single tree for 3 days, and it gets done in 1/2 a day, leaving only a little bit of cleanup left. I remember my old boss (still good friend) priced a single sugar maple for 2 days, get it brushed out in the first and the stick out in the second. We got the whole thing over and done with by 2:00 the first day because of that climber.

 

[jsirbasku]

treeman82--sounds like you got yourself a real weiner there!!
personally speaking i would fire him. Allowing a climber to be stoned on your jobsite under your insurance and comp policy, is near as bad as being stoned yourself. what if there were an accident and someone was severly injured or killed because of some stoners misjudgement? Your reputation is at stake and allowing a worker to use will do nothing but destroy your reputation. Aside from that, how could you the employer, live with yourself knowing that a major accident or catastrophe was caused by someone under the influence and you allowed it?

As Eric stated-for 3 bills a day he had better have all is own insurance including comp, all his own equipment, most certainly his own ride, he had better be sober, and for that kind of money he would need to be as good if not better than me! Too many times have i heard from climbers how good they were and how they were worth the big bucks$$, most of the time i could climb circles around these guys blindfolded
when a truley skilled (and sober) climber comes along they are usually worht what they ask for and fairly modest about it.
My first clue that a climber is all talk is exactly that, all talk. Good climbers are usually modest and not to big headed, when you cant even stand up straight because your big head weighs you down it is a sign to me that you are full of sh$#!

my 2 cents worth
john

 

[oakdancer]

Hey guys, interesting stuff, here in scotland the utility contractors expect you to dance over live lines on exposed trees for £7.50 per hour...approx $5.53 US probably why most of us intelligent climbers stick to residential work year round with an odd local authority take down along the way with an average hourly rate for a good climber of approx £30.00 per hour $21.17 US. so looks like we are on a similar par, anyway i've just completed a round trip from toronto round the great lakes and back to toronto and fortunately came across some good quality tree work on the way(pity i left my gear at home....much to my girlfriends delight) anyway guys remember good climbers are hard to come by so keep the rates up that way qualities guaranteed and the proffession keeps a good name

 

[underwor]

Oakdancer,

I think you short changed yourself. 30 pounds english is $43+ US I think. Hope you did not get short changed on your trip, since this would have been about $57 CDN.

Bob

 

[oakdancer]

hi underwor, your right and i'm stupid but no the travel agent did'nt screw me just my calculator... thanks for that

 

[treeman82]

I just saw the climber the other night. He busted up a whole load of stuff that I had loaned to him. I was fuming last night. A nice cold beer though and some sleep and I was fine today. He is never working for me again though and he is never gonna be able to borrow any of my stuff again either.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

You disrespect my tools, you disrespect me! With these things I feed my family!