Quoted a big red oak today.

[merc_man]

What goes into pricing a job like this, I've never done one of these other than for myself. I would probably have quoted like $300 or something and thought I did real good.

After you did a job like that for 300 you wpuld understand why 1500 isnt so bad. Sure is a lot of fun running tje saws bit thats the easy part. The real work is making it look like nothing was ther.

 

[Guido Salvage]

If you have ever gone through a hurricane and lost trees you will know what is involved.

 

[idiotwithasaw]

Guess that's why I farm. I've never has to price a job like that but I would say if you hired help at $10 an hour plus your own time it adds up quick. Like you said fuel and wear and tear on your equipment. I've had to handle a couple trees that size and in this kind of weather they ain't fun. And when you don't have a saw with a big enough bar it really sucks. I said $300 because I already have a dump truck and heavy equipment to handle it. So I was just figuring time involved. Like I said I don't do public work so forgive my ignorance

 

[Duce]

In my youth, a friend of my parents paid a tree service to cut down 11 oaks in his yard between 10 and 24 inches. Service showed up took his money and cut the trees down and left. Looked like someone dropped pick-up sticks. Did the same to 91 year old neighbor, glad it was only 1 tree. I did the job for firewood and sold it. Knew owner of tree service and never spoke with him after asking how he could do business like that? So your $300 bid is not too bad, just not for me anymore.

 

[fearofpavement]

In my youth, a friend of my parents paid a tree service to cut down 11 oaks in his yard between 10 and 24 inches. Service showed up took his money and cut the trees down and left. Looked like someone dropped pick-up sticks. Did the same to 91 year old neighbor, glad it was only 1 tree. I did the job for firewood and sold it. Knew owner of tree service and never spoke with him after asking how he could do business like that? So your $300 bid is not too bad, just not for me anymore.

Is it possible that's what the tree service quoted? ie, to put the trees on the ground? I sometimes just put a tree down for a homeowner that can cut it up themselves.

 

[idiotwithasaw]

In all honesty I'm not comfortable downing a tree unless it's with a dozer or a excavator. Unless it's on the ground I don't wanna go near it with a saw. I'm just not experienced enough with felling. If I had some practice I might would do it without thinking. When we clear ground we take out trees by the dozens. But they are with a dozer and usually go into a pile that sits there for a couple years before they are burnt. If I could catch my dad before he piled them up I might would cut alot of it for firewood in the future. If for no other reason to reduce the size of the pile we have to drive around.

 

[fearofpavement]

Well if you're just getting rid of stuff, nothing better than a dozer to deal with it. Once they've been downed with a machine and pushed through the dirt, that's tough on the chains if you want to saw it up.

 

[idiotwithasaw]

That's kinda one of the reasons why once they are in the pile they stay there.

 

[Guido Salvage]

Five pages and no one has quoted the big red oak...

"I have fallen and I can't get up."

Your welcome.

 

[Motorhead]

2,000 to 2,500 in florida

 

[Duce]

Is it possible that's what the tree service quoted? ie, to put the trees on the ground? I sometimes just put a tree down for a homeowner that can cut it up themselves.

He thought service was cutting them down and removing wood. I guess in their defense Mr. Brotherton, in his 70's at the time, misunderstood what he said. Hard to understand how Mr. S. believed he was going to clean that mess up. Dropping 11 oaks and leaving for 4 grand, ripped the old guy off.

 

[fearofpavement]

He thought service was cutting them down and removing wood. I guess in their defense Mr. Brotherton, in his 70's at the time, misunderstood what he said. Hard to understand how Mr. S. believed he was going to clean that mess up. Dropping 11 oaks and leaving for 4 grand, ripped the old guy off.

I just find it hard to comprehend an established tree service would do something like that as it would shoot them in the foot. Fly by night gypsies maybe, but not an established company. I'm just thinking there was some kind of misunderstanding as to the scope of the work to be completed. Word of mouth is very important to most service type businesses and you can screw someone over a few times but you won't last long in most businesses if you make a steady practice of it.
I typically write a quote out and give it to the person. When I finish, what they owe me is exactly the $ number on the quote. (unless they ask me to do something additional)
Regarding $4000 for dropping 11 trees, that may be a rip off or it may be a great deal depending on the trees of course...
He should have put an ad in CL saying if someone cuts the trees down, he'll give them the wood without charging them for it. I see those all the time and laugh.

 

[DELETED (Struggle)]

One thing I Haven't heard mentioned is cutting a large tree up like the op posted is they can be down right dangerous in many ways. That is also where more money comes into play. Large rounds start to roll and they can crush the sawyer and or take a 1K saw and pull it right out of your hands. You earn every dollar on a large tree like that. Especially at 1300 if you have to haul it away.


Sent from somewhere

 

[MustangMike]

Excellent point, we all tend to overlook the danger, but I had to get a new tank handle on 044#1 after a tree ate it.

 

[Marshy]

I tried to score a fallen tree for firewood last summer just like this except it only crushed one small shed at the very top. I stopped in and talked with the resident but he said the land owner was going to have someone take care of it. I wanted it for firewood, it was even on my drive home every day but the land owner had to have a company take care of it because it was an insurance claim. I do not own the equipment necessary to remove a stump like that and I honestly have no interest in cleaning up a mess that big. I offered to pile the brush but that was about it.

If he called you to come chip the small limbs and brush and take care of the stump, what quote would you throw out?

 

[merc_man]

I tried to score a fallen tree for firewood last summer just like this except it only crushed one small shed at the very top. I stopped in and talked with the resident but he said the land owner was going to have someone take care of it. I wanted it for firewood, it was even on my drive home every day but the land owner had to have a company take care of it because it was an insurance claim. I do not own the equipment necessary to remove a stump like that and I honestly have no interest in cleaning up a mess that big. I offered to pile the brush but that was about it.

If he called you to come chip the small limbs and brush and take care of the stump, what quote would you throw out?

Most times they bring a chipper cause it cuts down a lot of trips with brush. Far as the stump. Most hire them out.

 

[fearofpavement]

If the guy called back and wanted "part" of the job done, I'd have to go back to the site and reassess it. The stump and lower part of the trunk would be $450 but I don't think I would only do that part for that amount, that's how I had split it out. I really don't want to have to deal with that root ball. I quoted it because it needs to be dealt with and I thought I gave a very reasonable estimate for the whole job. As I said earlier, I need some saw time to test out a few models and if that opportunity is gone, I'm not too interested in doing just the chipping and root ball. I'll see the site again on Sunday and see what progress has been made.

 

[merc_man]

If the guy called back and wanted "part" of the job done, I'd have to go back to the site and reassess it. The stump and lower part of the trunk would be $450 but I don't think I would only do that part for that amount, that's how I had split it out. I really don't want to have to deal with that root ball. I quoted it because it needs to be dealt with and I thought I gave a very reasonable estimate for the whole job. As I said earlier, I need some saw time to test out a few models and if that opportunity is gone, I'm not too interested in doing just the chipping and root ball. I'll see the site again on Sunday and see what progress has been made.

I wouldnt change your price.

 

[DELETED (Struggle)]

Excellent point, we all tend to overlook the danger, but I had to get a new tank handle on 044#1 after a tree ate it.

I was cutting a large elm tree down and sliding one section of the trunk in a lift and the trunk bit down on my Stihl 660 and pulled it right out of my hands and threw the saw about ten feet in a spinning motion as I watched in horror it hit the ground. Thankfully no damage but I felt like I saw $1,200 burn up fast when it was in the air.

This was the tree that did that. I'm on the right.

Sent from somewhere

 

[67L36Driver]

And, a handsome fellow to boot.[emoji48]