Will Not Work For Free
- Thread starter Slvrmple72
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custom8726
ArboristSite Guru
Since we are all B!tching a little. I give this guy a price on a 60' catalpa removal all material taken and stump ground also he wanted a price on taking 40' out of another catalpa because he wanted to keep the log for a clothes line.
I gave him my oppinion on topping 40' out of a 60' tree and that he would be better off in the long run to just remove it and put a pole in for the clothes line. He said nope I want to leave the log. OK, its your choice I said I am just making a recomendation for you to consider. Now back to the complete removal, its completly hollow at the base and I could see where someone had previously tried filling the base with cement about 5' up the trunk. I then look a little higher up and see about 50 yellow jacket buzzing around this hole about 30' up the tree. The tree is also over a fence and the neighbors house. Also the service line is about 1' away. I give him my estimate of $2,400.00 he looks at me and says thats way to much the guy that was here before said he would do the whole job for $1,400.00 and that he was going to save the bee's. I could not believe some one was going to tackle this headache for $1,400.00. I asked the guy if he told him how he intended on removing the catalpa and toping the other. He said he was going to take the fences down and climb them. I said, Good luck with that, just make sure the guy has tree insurance. I also informed him that If I was to do the removals they would be done with a crane and a bucket for minimal impact on the property and also for safty because of the hollow base and bee's. The trees were not very tall but were in a tight spot and between the bees and the cement I was not about to touch this job for any less then $2,400.00. Most people calling you out of the phone book are just shopping around and the best price usually gets the work. I would rather lose some jobs if nessary to get others were our proffesional service is appreciated and understood. RANT OVER!!
I gave him my oppinion on topping 40' out of a 60' tree and that he would be better off in the long run to just remove it and put a pole in for the clothes line. He said nope I want to leave the log. OK, its your choice I said I am just making a recomendation for you to consider. Now back to the complete removal, its completly hollow at the base and I could see where someone had previously tried filling the base with cement about 5' up the trunk. I then look a little higher up and see about 50 yellow jacket buzzing around this hole about 30' up the tree. The tree is also over a fence and the neighbors house. Also the service line is about 1' away. I give him my estimate of $2,400.00 he looks at me and says thats way to much the guy that was here before said he would do the whole job for $1,400.00 and that he was going to save the bee's. I could not believe some one was going to tackle this headache for $1,400.00. I asked the guy if he told him how he intended on removing the catalpa and toping the other. He said he was going to take the fences down and climb them. I said, Good luck with that, just make sure the guy has tree insurance. I also informed him that If I was to do the removals they would be done with a crane and a bucket for minimal impact on the property and also for safty because of the hollow base and bee's. The trees were not very tall but were in a tight spot and between the bees and the cement I was not about to touch this job for any less then $2,400.00. Most people calling you out of the phone book are just shopping around and the best price usually gets the work. I would rather lose some jobs if nessary to get others were our proffesional service is appreciated and understood. RANT OVER!!
treemandan
Tree Freak
Everybody knows that labor in this country is to expensive. What I do is ship my treework overseas where it is done at a fraction of what I pay here. I just had to find someone who could do it cheaper, it would surprise you how well a 6 year old can work when they are hungry.
If it just has to be done on site a just use a handful of desparate mexicans. They don't always survive but there seems to be an ample source.
This is the foundation upon every last damn thing the was ever built, brought, or bonified in this world.
I don't stick it to people but I ain't cheap either. If I was making your top rate as a climber and your employee it would probably not be enough, but ya gotta make do.
If it just has to be done on site a just use a handful of desparate mexicans. They don't always survive but there seems to be an ample source.
This is the foundation upon every last damn thing the was ever built, brought, or bonified in this world.
I don't stick it to people but I ain't cheap either. If I was making your top rate as a climber and your employee it would probably not be enough, but ya gotta make do.
treemandan
Tree Freak
Love that REDEMPTION.
Slvrmple72
Addicted to ArboristSite
Rule #1 All brush piles will be a minimum of $250.
Rule #2 Said brush piles will be photographed prior to chipping.
Why? Because magically they grow into bigger piles! I wish I could do that with cash. Leave a big pile of 5's,10's,20's,50's, even some 100's for good measure and see if it magically grows. Honestly do people think we are blind? Gotta go the wifes eyeballing my cash pile like a vixen near a chicken coop!
Rule #2 Said brush piles will be photographed prior to chipping.
Why? Because magically they grow into bigger piles! I wish I could do that with cash. Leave a big pile of 5's,10's,20's,50's, even some 100's for good measure and see if it magically grows. Honestly do people think we are blind? Gotta go the wifes eyeballing my cash pile like a vixen near a chicken coop!
ClimbinArbor
ArboristSite Guru
Selling the "I have a lower bid"s
Lets say you go bid. The old bag with the $450k home say "oh well this one guy gave me a quote on the back of a parking permit (seriously though, ive been told that) for $500". This is what you say in response- "well mam its simple really, i can give you a bid of $200 to prune and structure train this 35 foot pin oak, and any yahoo with a chainsaw can come up and tell you he will do it for $50. The problem is, after he butchers your tree and/or possibly kills it, you will be calling someone to come remove said tree for $600." thats the point at which you see the cheap old ladies' light bulb come on while she's thinking "hmmm $200 now or $650 later and no tree...."
works everytime
Lets say you go bid. The old bag with the $450k home say "oh well this one guy gave me a quote on the back of a parking permit (seriously though, ive been told that) for $500". This is what you say in response- "well mam its simple really, i can give you a bid of $200 to prune and structure train this 35 foot pin oak, and any yahoo with a chainsaw can come up and tell you he will do it for $50. The problem is, after he butchers your tree and/or possibly kills it, you will be calling someone to come remove said tree for $600." thats the point at which you see the cheap old ladies' light bulb come on while she's thinking "hmmm $200 now or $650 later and no tree...."
works everytime
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
ClimbinArbor
ArboristSite Guru
And while were on the subject of free work
Free work CAN BE GOOD.
Scenario: Ice storm
Lets say your knocking doors fixing ice damage. The poor little old lady in 1409 is broke as a joke and has a hanger dangling by a thread over her car. Tell her to move her car, grab a Jameson, jank it out, and put it on the curb. The rest of that block may just here about that and give you a call.
Now lets say that the old lady has a different problem than the one discribed above. She has two 25', 20" leaders laying on her home and cluttering the place so bad you had to talk thru a window cause she cant get out of her front door. same deal, the old lady doesnt have a penny to her name. take it off her house and put it on the curb. Not only will the rest of the block see and hear of this happening, but it might just make the news at 10....
Scenario: You just started your own company.
A little deep discount, or the occasional free removal of the ever popular broke old ladies river birch that looms over her bedroom never hurt anyones client base....
Free work CAN BE GOOD.
Scenario: Ice storm
Lets say your knocking doors fixing ice damage. The poor little old lady in 1409 is broke as a joke and has a hanger dangling by a thread over her car. Tell her to move her car, grab a Jameson, jank it out, and put it on the curb. The rest of that block may just here about that and give you a call.
Now lets say that the old lady has a different problem than the one discribed above. She has two 25', 20" leaders laying on her home and cluttering the place so bad you had to talk thru a window cause she cant get out of her front door. same deal, the old lady doesnt have a penny to her name. take it off her house and put it on the curb. Not only will the rest of the block see and hear of this happening, but it might just make the news at 10....
Scenario: You just started your own company.
A little deep discount, or the occasional free removal of the ever popular broke old ladies river birch that looms over her bedroom never hurt anyones client base....
ClimbinArbor
ArboristSite Guru
Maybe in Kansas toto
works good in tulsa, sprinfield, and lil rock too :monkey:
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
May just do that if we got rid of illegals! However I do pro bono
several times a year but I don't want no stink for it. When I do
that work I try, I repeat try to keep it in secret as; I am working
for a different employer and don't want the trumpet blown here!
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ClimbinArbor
ArboristSite Guru
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
Ok but it was not man I was speaking of.
ClimbinArbor
ArboristSite Guru
Its getting late here saddle, dont confuse me
are you trying to say your boss is a :monkey: ? lol
are you trying to say your boss is a :monkey: ? lol
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
No I am saying when I do free work I try to do it private and not toot the horn because my employer on those jobs is god! I am self employed too, but on free work no! I want my rewards for that to be in a different form.
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ClimbinArbor
ArboristSite Guru
Clarity Thy Name Is Saddle
Agreed, charity is just that, charity. It is done out of the kindness of ones heart for the benefit of one lesser off than ones self. but the added PR never hurts
Agreed, charity is just that, charity. It is done out of the kindness of ones heart for the benefit of one lesser off than ones self. but the added PR never hurts
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
ClimbinArbor
ArboristSite Guru
Pointy Hats
Dont sweat it saddle the pope is a close personal friend of mine, i'll send him over.
Also, on the subject of free work, I contacted the local counties' Parks Superintendent (sp?) and told him that i was a local arborist who learned to climb in his parks, and offered to do as much work as my spare time would allow if he had his boys clean everything up. he did a back flip! alot of the 50 ft cottonwoods around here have 12" hangers directly over playgrounds and bike trails. so i take the missus out on saturdays and we will rec climb for awhile, clean the trees and go have a cigar (well i do anyway lol). the park guy loves it and i am all to happy to keep some 4 year olds brains in his skull.
Dont sweat it saddle the pope is a close personal friend of mine, i'll send him over.
Also, on the subject of free work, I contacted the local counties' Parks Superintendent (sp?) and told him that i was a local arborist who learned to climb in his parks, and offered to do as much work as my spare time would allow if he had his boys clean everything up. he did a back flip! alot of the 50 ft cottonwoods around here have 12" hangers directly over playgrounds and bike trails. so i take the missus out on saturdays and we will rec climb for awhile, clean the trees and go have a cigar (well i do anyway lol). the park guy loves it and i am all to happy to keep some 4 year olds brains in his skull.
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
Yeah I can remember what twentyfive was like, it was only twenty years ago.Enjoy the feeling it does not get better than that, bones get old, then some young feller moves in on your territory and starts underbidding ya lol! Anyway good luck to ya, just remember to put back some of that good money to cover ya in your golden years!
ClimbinArbor
ArboristSite Guru
Bones get old too??? Oh crap!!!
lol young fellas underbidding :jawdrop: . its the yahoos with a saw and a rope underbidding that drives me up a wall....
as far as squirreling away money... way ahead of ya, id like to retire sometime, especially if my bones are getting old lol
lol young fellas underbidding :jawdrop: . its the yahoos with a saw and a rope underbidding that drives me up a wall....
as far as squirreling away money... way ahead of ya, id like to retire sometime, especially if my bones are getting old lol
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
Young fellers are not the worst problem as they do learn, but
illegals; even young fellers have limits
illegals; even young fellers have limits
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