Tomorrows gonna be fun...

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by Ax-man
....do they have climbers but don't think they can handle the job and do it right, so they have to bring in someone who can do it right.

You are correct, sir. I work like this for 4 diff co, 2 of them more than the other two.

Abbershay, $300 for what I anticipate 4 to 5 hrs of work is not an unreasonable price. I rarely consider the price of the job to establish my fee. Thats not my business. The tree co have more expenses/overhead to deal with than me.
I have toyed with the idea of charging a percentage, but I think that would be more headache than its worth.

Someday I may tire of this arrangement, and begin my own business. I have a couple of financial backers that would help me to do it. I'm just not too keen on being the 'Boss' at this moment. Been there, done that, big PITA.

Believe it or not, I've got a good thing going. Unless I'm trimming multiple trees, I'm usually home by noon every day.

I likes that!

 

[Eagle1]

You all should move up New England way. That removal sounds like $550.-$650. But, it all comes out in the wash.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Ditto to that!

 

[Stumper]

I'm amazed at how many people do not understand the subcontract climber end of things! Butch explained where he fits into the industry when he first came onboard. Brian and JPS have talked about the "hired gun" side on the business for a couple of years. I do think that it would be reasonable to be paid above the normal rate on especially hairy removals but I'm amazed that so many act like Butch is somehow getting cheated. At least ol' MB is happy and understands how is bread is buttered!:alien:

 

[Abbershay]

Hey if you are happy thats the main thing... you are really doing these tree services a big help. However you will not be able to climb forever and one day you may really regreat the amount of money you gave away. The truth of the matter is you have done all the tree work and the services you work for are just the garbage men. And should be paid that way. Now it would be different if they were actually paying you for climbing. As a part of their crew.. say 50 to 60/ per hour under their company.. THen they would have to bare the risk and put their faith in you work. BUt the way it is now you take all the risk and have your own expensies , for work that very few people can do.

At least you could start your own company and take some of these jobs yourself. You said this was about a $3000 job.. it takes you a few hours to put it down and you get 300... It would seem to me that you could have jobs and sub contract people who will clean up for allot less than 2600.00

The way you are doing it you cant even save the money on your own to get equipment .... You have paid for the others guys eqiupment very fast.. I would really like to find a guy like you to come and work for me.

I could do the work you are doing , it would take me allot longer ... speed isnt your friend here you can look at it in hours. you have to look at it in the risk and the money for the job.

why would anyone do job themsleves when they can hire a machine(you no offence) to take all the risk fiancial take care of his own up keep and mainteniance. Have him their when ever needed.. and only pay 60/ hour ... and know that that machine is going to work really fast besides..... wow! i see someones bread being buttered and it isnt MB. You cant even afford to have all the ropes you need yourself.... SOrry if i may be offending anyone but you seem to me to being taken advantage of.

A special man like this deserves much more .... a machine would cost more than this at twice the price. Like i said dont look at it in an hour sence.. you will lose perspective.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Well, everything went without a hitch. This was one of those rare occasions where the tree didn't seem to grow overnight. I told the zoo director guy that if it got to the point where the only thing I could see to do was to take a chance I would tell him and he could veto it. Of course then I would have to come down and go home.
It was their fault letting the tree get that dead, its silly! I axed them and they said they don't notice things like that, their too busy. Bulldoodie. I told the guy I would charge them $80 to come out once a month to look for hazards. I know they won't, but they outta. Somebody needs to do it!
Anyway, the surrounding trees coulda been closer, but they got the job done. I did my rigging out of two trees and, except for one hanger, everything went textbook perfect. A bit of luck was involved when the dead wood went to flying, nothing below was damaged.
I once got 26 stiches to my forearm from FDW.

In hindsight it looks as if I may have been premature calling it the worst that I've ever done. It was pretty close, though! There were two butthole-puckering moments for sure!

I got one pic in before my digcam battery died, but its a good ground shot. You can plainly see the tree in the middle, and the hanger barely holding at the crotch. Nothing but cages and covered walkways underneath.

The orange is how I roped the hanger out first.
The yellow is getting the 'top' out.
I roped the blocks out with the right orange.

It took about 3 hours.

 

[Abbershay]

dude you are good. and fast.

 

[NeTree]

Originally posted by Eagle1
You all should move up New England way. That removal sounds like $550.-$650. But, it all comes out in the wash.

Remember, rates can vary widely within a small area, too.

A $2000 cape cod removal is a $1500 Andover removal, and about a $400 here in town.

Or about $3000 in Arlington, Winchester, or Medford.

 

[NeTree]

Nice to see you're still with us, Butch.

Why is it the hard ones end up being easy, and the easy ones end up being a PITA?

 

[geofore]

Zoo

You had how many guys handling ropes for you? 2 or 3? If you did a walk through the Zoo would they read your report of the work you think needs to be done or would it sit on someones desk to gather dust?
When doing this work, do the contractors let you pick the guys you want to handle the ropes? This is not one I would do if I didn't trust that the guys working the ropes knew what they were doing.

 

[Eagle1]

I know all $$ is relative to cost of living where you live. I more so was saying that I think MB could have gotten more for that job. Now, not to offend and raise neck hairs. I am a firm believer that an aborist should get fair pay, but more so "credit where credit is due" pay. Not everyone can do a removal like the one MB did. Not everyone can do dangerous removals, rigging, advanced rigging. My point is that if I have to go into the "ZEN state of mind, lose sleep thinking about the job, climb, rig...etc you have to bid the job according to what you have to do and how you have to do it. What if all that rigging and thinking ans planning happened to be a 2 hour job? What?? $100.00???

There are alot of hacks out there who will be hired one time, one time to do a dangerous or advanced rigging job. They will F--- it up and have no Ins.

So, My point. MB you seem to be a very talented arborist and maybe you did well in the $ department on that job. But to all Arborists out there who thinks about a big job all night, plan, use all your experience, pay Ins, love the job, etc.....Don't be afraid to get paid for all that. You deserve what you want to get for any job. Ok? Ok bye bye

 

[MasterBlaster]

Hey Abbershay thanks for the compliment. Most of the reason I was so quick was because smoking was not allowed on zoo property.
Geofore, I have to deal with the groundmen provided. Sometimes good, mostly bad. I do my rigging accordingly.
And if I did a walk-thru and saw something approaching what I dealt with today, I would be IN THEIR FACE! Screw paper, I've been cutting this zoo's trees for over 20 years.
Erik yur right about the inverse relationship between the hard, and the easy, jobs! And I STILL would like to know why you always run out of gas in the middle of your last cut!

 

[SilverBlue]

Job well done Butch, I was stuck plowing the white stuff today and since my crew is working on the big job up north I will be taking down 5 spruces 1 maple tomorrow while breaking in the newbie. But I’ll be paying myself $1500 a day

 

[MasterBlaster]

Can I come???

 

[Eagle1]

RJS. point taken and I agree. If I was working for someone and getting $50. per hour or $25 per hour I would be happy as a clam. I was writting that post from the other side. I own my business, I have all that pita overhead. That is way I came across that way. You are right though, the longer I am in business...the more I just want to sell, and work for someone.. and climb.


MB bye the way... nice job!! and great pics!!

 

[SilverBlue]

Sure! Anytime! Putting in an order for some prime steaks this week. Don't forget to bring your guitar. Be warned though, smokes are $200.00 a carton up here

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Pictures don't accurately show what's going on, but this looks like a very simple removal. The problem wasn't a lack of roping points, that's for sure. Maybe all the other trees were so thick, they were in the way. Sometime you can't get the pieces to fall down.

Where did you tie in and work from?

Abbershay's point about what you charge was dead on. And we have talked about this before but... I assume you are working without Workman's comp or Disability????
Whatever pay you make without insurance is like half that, or less, with it. Then what's it worth to work uncovered?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

God knows, we don't ever want a topic to go off!

Do you ever sleep?

 

[Gord]

Originally posted by Mike Maas
Pictures don't accurately show what's going on, but this looks like a very simple removal. The problem wasn't a lack of roping points, that's for sure. Maybe all the other trees were so thick, they were in the way. Sometime you can't get the pieces to fall down.

Yeah it looks like a piece of cake from the picture you posted MB. I mean the tree is only, what, 4 or 5 inches tall? What were you doing for three hours?


^
|

dripping with sarcasm

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by Mike Maas
Pictures don't accurately show what's going on, but this looks like a very simple removal. The problem wasn't a lack of roping points, that's for sure.

The main bugaboo was that the tree was rotten!
I was tied into the tree on the right.

And being a Vietnam-era veteran, the VA takes good care of me.

Oh, and I only charged $200. It went a lot quicker then I thought it would!