i thought my estimate was low........

[rms61moparman]

I think you have to be a really crappy person if you are a tree guy that has family that is asking you for you to do them a discount favor, (family discount), and you have them get a couple bids just so you can under cut them by a couple bucks to line your pockets so you can make your family think you did them a favor,,,:msp_ohmy:
Jeff

I think a lot of times people do that just so their family will know what a favor they are doing.
Especially with older people who in many cases are lost in the 1960's (like me) and think when you tell them you'll do a job for them for the fuel and hired labor cost, they still think................."I paid him as much as I gave for that '51 Chevy I got in 1967!!!...some family discount.



Mike

 

[jefflovstrom]

Time is money,,even family know that.
Jeff :msp_smile:

 

[rms61moparman]

Time is money,,even family know that.
Jeff :msp_smile:

Time is money, even families SHOULD know that.
Doesn't always work out that way though.


Mike

 

[mitch95100]

I dont care who it is. If you do good work your coustomer will tell 1 person. If you do a ####ty job theyll tell 20 people

Sent from me to you using my fingers

 

[capetrees]

I think you have to be a really crappy person if you are a tree guy that has family that is asking you for you to do them a discount favor, (family discount), and you have them get a couple bids just so you can under cut them by a couple bucks to line your pockets so you can make your family think you did them a favor,,,:msp_ohmy:
Jeff

I think a lot of times "family" will get the estimate to make sure that it really is a better deal for them to have crazy uncle Joe take it down. Might be dangerous for Joe but hey, I'm not paying $800!:msp_rolleyes:

 

[capetrees]

I just gave a price on a tree that really had me second guessing myself. Red oak about 28-30 inches in diameter at 4' off the ground. The tree is rooted inside the side walk and hooks out to the middle of the street as it goes up, about 65' tall. The trunk is cracked from about 7 feet up to about 18'. I planned on 100% rigging this tree down to avoid damaging the street, sidewalk and curb. $800 without grinding.

There is also another large oak next to it with dead limbs in it, some just unattached and resting on live branches. $200 to trim out the dead wood. I was going to set 2 lines and transverse between these two trees and leave my tip in the good tree for the removal, no need to worry about that now. Funny thing is, I'm not worried in the least about losing that job. I feel the tree was larger than an $800 removal accounts for, that's not even considering the danger that the crack up the side of it puts into the equation.



Two more slightly smaller white oaks to trim, trees are dumping dead branches on their parked cars. $150 each.

A 5th tree that is about 18" in diameter, tree hooks clean across the street and branches overhang 7.2kv primary. $150 to trim, $650 to remove leaving the stump behind.

Am I in left field or are these low prices? She just called me and told me she found someone in the family who will do it with a "family discount in mind." I simply said thank you for the call and call again if you need anything.

Am I in the right ballpark with my estimates and how I see the job as a low estimate? The family deal thing gives me the feeling that the job was in the toilet from the get go.

Happened to me too but in the end, the guy paid through the nose.
Guy called to cut up a downed tree. Did it real cheap, figuring future work. Went around the proerty at the same time and discussed other trees. Said he'd call. Called me 6 months later to give estimates on 7 trees in the yard, cut it all to log length, chip the brush, leave the stumps flush. Told him my prices and a week later, I see two of the bigger ones on the ground. These were the easy ones. The funky ones remained. Month later he calls again to get prices on trees. I figured no way I was doing this again, didn't call him back. Why give him a good deal when all he's doing is "kicking the tires"? Following week he's got "green & yellow" doing the job. 4 guys, chipper, boom truck and a supervisor. No doubt, twice my price.:tongue2:

Point is, price according to what you need. Don't try to keep up with the "industry standard". As a result, you'll get more calls. Family deals are nice on occasion but sometimes, you have to remember how big your family is and how can they return the favor. Where I am, I'm related to half the town it seems but they all refer me to everyone they know so it all comes back to me twice over. Don't be afraid to do a freebee once in a while. I find it goes a long way.

 

[TreeAce]

You mentioned that she called you to tell you about her "family discount". makes me wonder if its even true. Sometimes people say they got a better price (lie) and then hope you are willing to lower your price. She may call you back in a week or two and tell another lie that will involve needing you after all. Or not. I wouldnt sweat it a bit. Reminds me of a case last year. Sold job and lady calls and said she had a "financial hardship" come up and could no longer afford the removal. I said "ok, let me know if I can help you at a later time" and to "keep in mind the tree is rather dead and will continue to decay and become unstable" I also told her "its not to bad (the decay) now but in a year from now the price will most likely change and there is a good chance it will be unsafe to climb". This was followed by a pause and the she kinda muttered "OK" and that was it. Less than two weeks go by and she calls back and asks if I can do the tree. I said sure. Went to do the job and looked at the tree and it seemed different somehow. I started up the tree and noticed some spur marks and noticed a bunch of dead suckers had been cut off. I new it looked different! Guy made it almost half way up (to the first large branch) or 1/4 the way up the tree. So later that day the friendly/nosey neighbor made his appearance and filled in me in how she got a great deal from the other guys except for the part of not being able to do it. And these guys tried it on two different days. My favorite part was that there must have been 5,000 spur marks in the area that was the highest he got.

 

[Goose IBEW]

I will be back to see what comes of it. The woman's neighbor is a good client of mine and I have three more trees to do on his property. It will be very interesting to see the progress when I get the call back to do my client's trees.

 

[Zale]

I don't believe in "friends and family" discounts. If I leave the ground, I get paid. Mom and Dad are the exception.

 

[ropensaddle]

I've done family discounts but it comes with no clean up I want them to see why tree work costs :monkey:

 

[woodchuck357]

Sometimes the wife changes her husband's mind for him. A while back a fellow called, I stopped by, gave a quote for a simple take down, we agreed to do it next day. I showed up with a single helper, pickup, trailer, and saws. His wife took one look and said no way, she wanted it done right and we couldn't do it with what we had.
A week later, dude calls back, says a neighbor recommended me to fix his fence. I stop by and find the 5 man crew that she hired, with three trucks including bucket, ruined 2 flower beds, and messed up his privacy fence. Being good guys, they cut $250 off the bill to cover the damage. Could I fix the fence for half that? Sure, I could, when I get around to it. That was almost what I would have charged for dropping and cleaning up the tree--without doing the damage. I didn't ask what the other guys charged, but he did tell me they took 3 hours to do a job I would have done with one helper in less than two.

I think I have been called to do all tree work in that neighborhood since.

 

[pro94lt]

Sometimes the wife changes her husband's mind for him. A while back a fellow called, I stopped by, gave a quote for a simple take down, we agreed to do it next day. I showed up with a single helper, pickup, trailer, and saws. His wife took one look and said no way, she wanted it done right and we couldn't do it with what we had.
A week later, dude calls back, says a neighbor recommended me to fix his fence. I stop by and find the 5 man crew that she hired, with three trucks including bucket, ruined 2 flower beds, and messed up his privacy fence. Being good guys, they cut $250 off the bill to cover the damage. Could I fix the fence for half that? Sure, I could, when I get around to it. That was almost what I would have charged for dropping and cleaning up the tree--without doing the damage. I didn't ask what the other guys charged, but he did tell me they took 3 hours to do a job I would have done with one helper in less than two.

I think I have been called to do all tree work in that neighborhood since.

You will drop and clean up for 250$?

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Wow, I just went up to get one widowmaker today for 250

 

[woodchuck357]

Simple, no climb, solid dead white oak, few limbs. In and out in less than 2 hours. Only overhead is taxes and insurance, old truck, old trailer, helper never touches a saw. Both truck and trailer will work longer than I will.

That day we did 2 other jobs, records show helper made $70, and I bought $30 worth of gas. If we had done that little tree helper would have cost me an even $100, and I might have used another gallon of gas in the truck and maybe a tank of gas in the saw.

We do excellent work, hire bucket when needed, and price according to each tree. None of our jobs has to pay for equipment and man power not actually used on that job.

So yes, I will depending on the tree. And yesterday I dropped a 34"dbh red oak for a hundred. I got the call, went and looked at it, and left 10 minutes later money in pocket and homeowner happily cutting it into firewood.

 

[ropensaddle]

Simple, no climb, solid dead white oak, few limbs. In and out in less than 2 hours. Only overhead is taxes and insurance, old truck, old trailer, helper never touches a saw. Both truck and trailer will work longer than I will.

That day we did 2 other jobs, records show helper made $70, and I bought $30 worth of gas. If we had done that little tree helper would have cost me an even $100, and I might have used another gallon of gas in the truck and maybe a tank of gas in the saw.

We do excellent work, hire bucket when needed, and price according to each tree. None of our jobs has to pay for equipment and man power not actually used on that job.

So yes, I will depending on the tree. And yesterday I dropped a 34"dbh red oak for a hundred. I got the call, went and looked at it, and left 10 minutes later money in pocket and homeowner happily cutting it into firewood.

I see, are you the one in craiglist guarantee cheapest price ? I sure hope prices get better here I made more in the 80s before all these fly by's trashed the business.

 

[woodchuck357]

Been around better than 50 years, never advertised, never handed out a business card. Have had more stuff and workers, mostly retired now. Don't grow faster than your market, don't own equipment you don't have to have. The worry of trying to pay for idle equipment will put you in an early grave. Good work for fair pay and everything works out.

 

[miko0618]

its all about what you feel your worth. I wouldn't feel defeated by this. if your working for a customer that can hire a professional to do the job, they usually make decent money. its unrealistic for them to expect you to risk everything and make less money than they do at their job.

 

[woodchuck357]

its all about what you feel your worth. I wouldn't feel defeated by this. if your working for a customer that can hire a professional to do the job, they usually make decent money. its unrealistic for them to expect you to risk everything and make less money than they do at their job.

The work that needs to be done should determine the price, not how wealthy the customer is. A Wal-Mart exec gets the same price from me as the old lady getting by on social security. I never discount for anyone, but sometimes I do a freebie. It is full price or nothing.

 

[ropensaddle]

The work that needs to be done should determine the price, not how wealthy the customer is. A Wal-Mart exec gets the same price from me as the old lady getting by on social security. I never discount for anyone, but sometimes I do a freebie. It is full price or nothing.

Well at the prices you mentioned full price is survival so I guess I can see that lol. I do some work discounted for elderly and some free if it seems the best thing but my discounts are more than your whole price


If I truly seen your work was high end I might be tempted to sub you and sit at home lmfao.

 

[Goose IBEW]

Is there any middle ground here? I have seen the half million dollar brigade of arborist trucks and the 2 men/1 pick up deal. I have a C70 dump that I blow chips into, a chipper and an F350 crew cab that tows an enclosed trailer. Trailer houses all the saws, rakes, rigging equipment, backpack blower, and other necessary things. Hopefully it will house a stump grinder this year as well. I do try to price a bit lower as I have no vehicle or equipment payments but I'm not working to cover wages and loaning my equipment out for free.