how to quote a very hazardous tree

[kjasmant]

I have been doing trees for about 3 yrs now but have just recently went solo trying to get my own business off the ground. I am not the best at quoting because I HATE asking for other peoples money so I usually underbid trees which I am trying not to do anymore since arborist equipment is a small fortune. I am doing a maple tree that is very dead and very brittle. there is no room to get a crane or a bucket truck/lift up to the tree because it is on a hill in the middle of a woods. because of being in middle of woods it is very tall and straight with not a bushy crown but still a lot of wood up there. there is very little room to bring down the branches. there is a house on one side shed on another and neighbor fence on third side. the tree is about 80-100 ft tall and leaning toward the corner of shed and neighbor property. I know theres more to quoting a tree than the information provided but I only live a mile away so gas/travel doesnt matter. can anyone give me a rough estimate on the tree. here is a lil picture sorta of the tree
View attachment 244855

 

[sgreanbeans]

First- Get to LOVING "asking others for money" , its kinda the point to it all...........isnt it?
Second- get a real pic, no one is gong to give you any good idea of what we would charge based on your drawing.

Dont go cheap on this stuff, no tree is worth getting killed over, and it would be really bad if you where risking your life for peanuts. If they don't like your price, move on to the next and forget about it. Let someone else work for nothing. Above all, stay safe.

 

[fearofpavement]

By the tree being hazardous, i assume that means you feel it would be "risky" to climb it or that it might break if you pull on it. There are some trees that I just tell the people are outside my capabilities. Never hesitate to refuse to do one if it isn't something you're comfortable with. The phrase "A man's got to know his limitations" applies here. It is not going to reflect badly on you to say to the landowner that the tree is outside your capability. (whether that be experience, equipment, crew size, etc.). If you are not comfortable removing the tree then pass on it.

Charging for tree jobs is all about the complexity of the take-down or removal. If I give someone a quote of $500 to put a tree on the ground I explain to them that the reason it costs that much is because of where it is and the complications involved in removing it. In fact I sometimes tell them if the tree was out in the middle of a pasture I would cut it down for free just to watch and hear it fall. You have to charge a reasonable price so that you are not shortchanging yourself or "cheapening" the trade in general. People know that a technical removal in their yard is going to cost some serious bucks. Sometimes this can run into the thousands of dollars for one tree. So figure out what you need to make on a job based on what equipment and hours it is going to require and then add some because you probably underestimated how long it will take to do the job. Also, for large yard trees I add enough to cover a new chain or two because there are lots of surprises these trees collect over the decades to rip the teeth off your chain. ie, a large tree and using a long bar = expensive chain.

Also, in my opinion, it is impossible to quote trees from photos. Just not enough 3 dimensional information there.

 

[capetrees]

If I get a tree that is going to be a hazard or a real pain to work on, I always give a much bigger price than usual. Most of the trees I work on are like your situation but I've become used to the shed, skylight, fence, power line issues. If it were alive what would you price it as? Take that and double it. If they say no, as one door closes, another will open. You'll be that much more available to do the other trees waiting out there and this one is no longer your problem.

 

[no tree to big]

because of being in middle of woods
View attachment 244855

tie into another tree and rig off a third

 

[kjasmant]

Thank you all very much. The information you all gave me is much appreciated. I am horrible at quoting trees. But, I told him a price of 2000 and he jumped on it. he then told me that a few others wouldn't touch it at all and the one company that actually gave him a price was 3500. so he's getting a helluva deal and I'm gonna get some nice pics to advertise with. It is definitely a doable tree but its gonna take a few days and a lot of nerve. there is a neighboring tree just as tall that I will anchor into and use to lower the limbs.

 

[kjasmant]

tie into another tree and rig off a third

sorry to mislead. Property owner lives in the middle of a woods. but its a large enough clearing that there is only one neighboring tree. the next closest tree is on the other side of the shed.

 

[802climber]

I know what you mean about bidding high AND reasonable, I am relatively new at it myself. The way the market is around here, the HO make me feel like a used car salesman.

Maybe I'm missing something, but have you talked to the neighbor? They may be very agreeable (or quite the opposite) if it's posing a risk to their property. Could you disassemble a section of fence, and just drop this tree?

Or did you leave the neighbor's house out of the drawing?

 

[Jeffsaw]

When I give estimates for tree removals, especially tricky ones, I tell the HO that I'll call or email them a quote. I have found that it is better to break down the cost of the removal using an hourly rate, an 'added risk' amount, a percentage for incidental problems, etc. I then give them the total amount to have the job done. In the past, I used to try to come up with a price while I was looking at the work with the HO but I usually estimated too low.
Make sure you work for a good wage. Tree work requires specialized equipment and training and it's not an easy job so you should be paid well for it, as long as it is done right of course. Good luck.

 

[tree md]

Did a very hazardous removal last week. Medium size tree but very dead and in a tight drop zone with high voltage lines on one side, house drop and utilities on the other, house and carport on the remaining sides. Had to climb it and piece it out. Bark was peeling and I dropped it in the largest pieces I could. Brushed the house with a very dead tip but did no damage. HO tried to talk me into $275. I refused and held out. He called back a week later and went for $375, leaving the wood where it fell. I did it in a half hour in 104 temperature.

 

[mikewhite85]

What's the DBH? It takes a looong time to slice and dice a 4' trunk into manageable firewood pieces, even with big saws

Seems that I typically do not make much money on the big ones due to long hours and wear and tear on equipment (unless there is a crane involved). We like rockin' the small-mid sized removals :cool2:

 

[KenJax Tree]

DBH=diameter at breast height

 

[Carburetorless]

DBH=diameter at breast height

opcorn:

 

[KenJax Tree]

I must've still been asleep when i read that post