price for cutting trees cleanup etc
- Thread starter xabub
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cus_deluxe
Commie Satan turd
Im not a pro arborist by any means but i would say this is a difficult question. First i would say liability is up to you, not the customer. If you drop a tree on their house, they will be bummed they signed that waiver. I do mostly landscaping installation and maintenance and hire local climbers im comfortable with for any major felling operations. Insurance for climbing/felling is too spendy for me to carry for the amount of tree work i actually do, but the guy i hire usually will charge me $50-75 per tree to get it on the ground, then i bill customer hourly ($35-40 an hour) for cleanup/removal/scheduling the work.... This guy also climbs well and i will usually pay him $50 (which is pretty cheap) and hr for climbing, and bill customer $60-70 an hour depending on the job. Usually guys around here will grind stumps for about $2/inch not including cleanup, i would say probably $3/inch to grind and cleanup.
This setup allows me to get a hand in work i wouldnt normally be able to do solo, and helps the climber/feller types i work with. Probly not exactly the answer you were looking for but there ya go.
This setup allows me to get a hand in work i wouldnt normally be able to do solo, and helps the climber/feller types i work with. Probly not exactly the answer you were looking for but there ya go.
That gives me a little glimpse. But I'd really like an invoice from some place....like what to charge for certain jobs. I guess I could just do it hourly....$1.00/minute... Lol
By liability I mean...I'm not cleaning this stuff up unless you're paying me...not dropping a log on the poor peoples house you're hired not to do that at...otherwise they'd just chop it down themselves.
By liability I mean...I'm not cleaning this stuff up unless you're paying me...not dropping a log on the poor peoples house you're hired not to do that at...otherwise they'd just chop it down themselves.
cus_deluxe
Commie Satan turd
i gotcha. as the saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat. Same here, you could probably get 10 different answers out of 10 guys. tree work in a city will be more costly than in a rural area. The rates will vary wildly depending on if the tree is being climbed (and then if its being spiked or not) or if you are just dropping a tree and cleaning it up, or just some pruning. You may have luck in business management subforum a little farther down with an invoice. I think most guys who have done it long enough can take a good look at a removal and say its a $300 tree or a $500 tree etc etc...same for climbing (if you have appropriate gear and are insured and professional then theres no reason to charge any less than $80-100/hr). I think half the battle is being able to assess a possible job and give a fair bid price, which comes with experience.
We base our jobs on a $180/crew hr (2 man crew with truck/chipper and all gear). Doesn't matter whether the job is climbed, or use the bucket it's based on $180/crew hour. If we need 3 men then it's $270/hr. More equipment means the job is done quicker.
You also have to remember that you time will include travel to and from the job site, site set up (signs, cones, plywood if required etc), pre job paper work (we are legally required to do a prework job plan which include identifying hazards and work methods to overcome those hazards) and clean up.
$50-75 to drop a tree. I won't even drive to the house for that.
Unless the job is for a house being torn down and redeveloped, we always chip brush and clean up. Leaving debris to allow the homeowner to clean up at their whim is a sure way to get a bad reputation for doing a poor job. If the home owner doesn't want the job done properly, they can hire a hack, we're pros and expect to be paid accordingly. And yes, we get our rate.
If you are using Quick Books or equivalent, you can just use their standard invoice or create your own. What would be more important is to create a proper quote sheet/contract, complete with a unique identifying number. We don't do any work without signed authorization. The easiest way is to have a section in the quote sheet where the customer can sign. We'll also accept email authorization. Your invoice can then just refer to the quote sheet identifying number.
There are some images of people's quote sheets on the site. A standardized quote sheet also allows you to put all the necessary legaleze on it. You should run yours by a lawyer before using it.
You also have to remember that you time will include travel to and from the job site, site set up (signs, cones, plywood if required etc), pre job paper work (we are legally required to do a prework job plan which include identifying hazards and work methods to overcome those hazards) and clean up.
$50-75 to drop a tree. I won't even drive to the house for that.
Unless the job is for a house being torn down and redeveloped, we always chip brush and clean up. Leaving debris to allow the homeowner to clean up at their whim is a sure way to get a bad reputation for doing a poor job. If the home owner doesn't want the job done properly, they can hire a hack, we're pros and expect to be paid accordingly. And yes, we get our rate.
If you are using Quick Books or equivalent, you can just use their standard invoice or create your own. What would be more important is to create a proper quote sheet/contract, complete with a unique identifying number. We don't do any work without signed authorization. The easiest way is to have a section in the quote sheet where the customer can sign. We'll also accept email authorization. Your invoice can then just refer to the quote sheet identifying number.
There are some images of people's quote sheets on the site. A standardized quote sheet also allows you to put all the necessary legaleze on it. You should run yours by a lawyer before using it.
cus_deluxe
Commie Satan turd
Lots of great points in this post, thanks BC
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