Pricing a mini job

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Ok mckeetree, I should've been a little more clear. That's when I'm out to give the estimate. I always carry a felling saw with me. Basically for those flop and drops or small limb laying on the ground calls. You really can't justify charging mobilization or a crews wages for something that takes me 30 minutes. Last week I had a customer that walked down the street while I was working and asked if I would plant two potted shrubs. Took ten minutes while the other guy finished cleanup. Hundred bucks. He knows the minimum. Handed it to me while asking. I make a lot of money on that stupid stuff. Didn't mean to sound "unbelievable"
 
Ok. This thread has gone ridiculous now. Most of that didn't really make any sense to me but that $17k a year got my attention...that is below the damned poverty level. No, no I'm not working for people below the poverty level. My average client has an income of around $250k a year. Some more...much, much more. Like I posted somewhere else...in ten years as a member here this place has taught me at least one thing, that at least 75% of us are basically working for peanuts. A guy that I bought some stump grinder teeth from emailed me a photo about five years ago of some dude in New Jersey holding a sign at an intersection that read "will do tree work for food". Now, I wrote that off as a joke but the one that sent it to me swears it was 100% real. He claimed at the time the photo was a couple of years old but he knew the guy and the guy was actually a decent climber and wasn't known to be a bum. I still didn't believe him at the time...but now...now I actually do. After the sh!t I have read in this place the last five years I do. $17k a year for an average client's income is plenty pitiful but someone, I can't remember who it may have been ropensaddle but I'm not sure, said their average client's income was $15k a year.
I'm on the corner of 3 counties.... 7,8,9% unemployment. One of my regular customers (tree service/lawn care) contract climbs for $12 hr plus $50 per tree. One of these days I will go out on a job and take pictures of trees these guys do and what they charge.

One plus to living where I do, a 3 bedroom, 2 story house on a 1/4 acre lot can be bought for well under 50k and with patience you can find one for under 20k.
 
I'm on the corner of 3 counties.... 7,8,9% unemployment. One of my regular customers (tree service/lawn care) contract climbs for $12 hr plus $50 per tree. One of these days I will go out on a job and take pictures of trees these guys do and what they charge.

One plus to living where I do, a 3 bedroom, 2 story house on a 1/4 acre lot can be bought for well under 50k and with patience you can find one for under 20k.

$20k here gets you a storage building.
 
**** buy a house cash for 25k n you would barely have to work to pay your bills. I'm moving to Ohio do one removal a month by yourself and pay your bills then sit on the front porch the other 29 days.

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Wow! I could move to Ohio and those hot Ohio milfs would think I was rich! Hot damn!
 
lifted diesel pickup, atv, and a case of busch beer will get you a long ways around here lol
Hah my dad drinks Busch and we're from the fancey burbs of Chicago!
Here, 20k is a down payment,,,
Jeff
Yup we put 20 down on our place 205k for a small 2 bed cheapest house on the market at the time! 12 years later you can dig up a crap hole of a house for 150 k

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The real estate market in Vancouver right now is unbelievable. Up 27% in the past year. Virtually every house sold this year has gone over the asking price. The cheapest teardown shack in the City or inner burbs is $800K minimum.

If you can find an apartment for under $400k you know the crackheads are living there.

Most of it appears to be Chinese money driving up the price.

I could sell my house and move to Ohio and never have to work again. But then I would have to live in Ohio. :laughing:
 
I have a $75 minimum for stumps and a $200 minimum for tree work. If I feel like it is too much I let them know what my minimums are and tell them that they are too much for the little thing they need. Then I tell them they can pay me what they think is fair. Sometimes I get the minimum, sometimes I get half, some old ladies give me a $20.
 
for small jobs i usually work at an hour-rate and try to agree with the owner to do it whenever i'm in the neighbourhood.
Those things are great to make a short day's work into a full day's work ;)
 
Our min is $300 for tree work and $100 for stumps. If it is a repeat customer i might take 50 off the 30o if it is something small and quick ( like 30 min quick) just because they remembered us and hopeful they will remember us in the future. I Feel anything less is working for free.
 
I am transitioning from $75 min for stps to $100. Small/non-technical trees, $50/hr, 1 hr min. Saw work is cheap to do! Labor rate for everything is $50/hr, and I make a lot of money with stump clean ups and brush clean ups. $80/ load (3 pickups into my trailer ), take the brush to my buddy, and he charges a case of beer to dump, plus I have to help him drink the beer!
 

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