What was your most lucrative job??

[ClimbinArbor]

i grossed $1900 in an hour and a half not to long ago, with 8 people total. we were removing a row of twenty 25-30 foot pines, all waste raked and removed.

how about you guys? what was your best job?

 

[tree md]

$7000 profit in 10 hours. Crane job.

 

[yooper]

trimming bottom branches for view of lake shore, Used 4 sections of pole to get to height. just me, 3.5 hrs 1000 bucks and a very sore neck. all brush was left as the home owner was going to tie it together and weigh it down with bricks and throw it on the ice for a fish crib.

 

[Rftreeman]

I did a job that was a average size gum tree that had to be all rigged and hand carried out to the front wood and all, bid the job $1500 with 3 men for 2.5 hours, my net was $1200 after expenses.

 

[chip's-tree]

dead pine

cut hole in deck, hole in fence, climbed and put cable about 25ft in tree and cut it down---no clean up... 30 minutes $1000.00

 

[Greystoke]

By myself..had to top 7 Pine Trees so they could be fell in a small area...about 7 hours total (would have been shorter but the wind was giving me fits). Bid was $900 to get them on the ground, and home owner would do cleanup...they gave me $100 tip...so $1000.

Cody

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

10k for around 25 hours with 5 guys at a school district outside of Tulsa. Storm cleanup and removal of debris; bucket, clam truck and 2 mini loaders. It worked out great, we were able to fold it in with all the other work around the town. Since we could not work during school hours, we could stop by at the end of the day and bang out a few trees and stage them for the Prentice.

 

[tree md]

10k for around 25 hours with 5 guys at a school district outside of Tulsa. Storm cleanup and removal of debris; bucket, clam truck and 2 mini loaders. It worked out great, we were able to fold it in with all the other work around the town. Since we could not work during school hours, we could stop by at the end of the day and bang out a few trees and stage them for the Prentice.

Yes, that Prentice came in very handy in that Storm John. Glad you guys were able to make out. Wish I had the equipment to bid the stuff you guys were doing but was happy that we all made out.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Wish I had the equipment to bid the stuff you guys were doing but was happy that we all made out.

We got a few big gigs, but the bulk of it was straight residential work. The others were a few condo and apartment complexes.

 

[Bearcreek]

$475 in one hour, including driving time. Went to give the dude a bid on taking down a big pine in his back yard. All he wanted was the tree on the ground, no hauling or cleanup. It was about a fifteen minute drive from home. I told him $275. He says " that seems kind of low, I'll give you $375 if you don't hit anything". Obviously I wasn't planning on hitting anything to begin with, but I agreed. He asked when I could do it and I said next week. He said he'd give me $475 if I could do it day after tomorrow. I said ok! Showed up to the job, climbed up, put in a pull rope, rapelled down and felled the tree in about fifteen minutes. Wish I could do jobs like that every day!

 

[tree md]

$475 in one hour, including driving time. Went to give the dude a bid on taking down a big pine in his back yard. All he wanted was the tree on the ground, no hauling or cleanup. It was about a fifteen minute drive from home. I told him $275. He says " that seems kind of low, I'll give you $375 if you don't hit anything". Obviously I wasn't planning on hitting anything to begin with, but I agreed. He asked when I could do it and I said next week. He said he'd give me $475 if I could do it day after tomorrow. I said ok! Showed up to the job, climbed up, put in a pull rope, rapelled down and felled the tree in about fifteen minutes. Wish I could do jobs like that every day!

He prolly wanted to do the nasty with ya... :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I did $75 in ten minutes this afternoon on a small dead spruce, so that would be, what, $450/hr?

Drop, limb, slice and walk away. I spent more time in negotiations then actual work.

"I'll do it now for $50 and $25 for the other stumps there if I can just leave it."

"How much to haul it all off?" asked my folks neighbor, and fellow former Marine (He was Recon in 'Nam, so different league then I)

"With a crew and chipper I'd want $200"

"" said Al "Let's do it now"

 

[Blakesmaster]

Did $4500 in a day and a half, just me and my partners, last weekend. 7 trees, half of which we just tossed a line in and pulled into the woods with a 3 to 1. The others we simply blasted out the tops and pulled the logs over. Blew the chips on site. I overbid the job because I thought it was going to be to big for some reason. I don't no, my head was in my ass. The 2 other guys he called didn't show up or call back so he hired me and my high quote. Only expense was a hundo in gas and 2 for the dingo. Plus my old man got some sweet oak, ash and maple saw logs out of it.

 

[John464]

Ive done jobs in the $40,000-$70,000 range. Not the most lucrative or enjoyable. I like the one day'ers when you're in and out in a day for right around $5,000.

 

[yooper]

He prolly wanted to do the nasty with ya... :hmm3grin2orange:

Thanks! just spit a mouth full of pepsi all over my key board! still got a little coming out my nose

 

[ewoolsey]

3 jobs in one week $5600, last month, hope to see that again .

 

[TreeClimber57]

Ive done jobs in the $40,000-$70,000 range. Not the most lucrative or enjoyable. I like the one day'ers when you're in and out in a day for right around $5,000.

I agree, I had some jobs ten years ago or so which were into the six digits (but a lot of work and a lot of men I had to hire, so not much fun at all, and at the end not as profitable as one might imagine). Much rather have small jobs, in and out.. Not only that the bigger jobs, at least in this case, was government contract and payment was painfully slow. So I ended up being out of pocket by a large sum in the end for around eight weeks..

 

[tree md]

I agree, I had some jobs ten years ago or so which were into the six digits (but a lot of work and a lot of men I had to hire, so not much fun at all, and at the end not as profitable as one might imagine). Much rather have small jobs, in and out.. Not only that the bigger jobs, at least in this case, was government contract and payment was painfully slow. So I ended up being out of pocket by a large sum in the end for around eight weeks..

Real easy to screw yourself on the big jobs. Always slow to be paid on commercial jobs in my experience. I can't say I've ever lost money doing commercial work but I have never made the profit that I thought I would going into it and it always takes longer than you think. I much prefer the smaller jobs as well. I'd much rather string three small jobs together in a day than do a large one. Easier and usually more profitable.

 

[TreeClimber57]

I'd much rather string three small jobs together in a day than do a large one. Easier and usually more profitable.

Agreed. Lots of additional paperwork with larger jobs, as well as dealing with politics, etc. Only good thing is you don't have to look for another job to fill in next week.