southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
I'm hoping that we can take our collective knowledge to be more effective and self-protective by posting some of our bid sheets, work orders, and rationale behind making them as we do.
I'll start with my blank bid sheet, which also serves as my crew work order (though I'm working on 99+% of my company's jobs),
and contract with signature of acceptance of the contract and ownership of the trees,
signature of completion (limiting my liability for things that could happen after we are cleaned up (we do some drop and leave as it lays jobs, too) and receipt of payment.
I have a clause for unmarked utilities and permits. I inform them of what city permits they need to get. I coordinate for Call before you Dig utility locates, and utility line drops and re-hangs.
I have been getting commercially printed 2 or 3-part NCR forms.
I like having room to write customized options, and a la carte options, as well as to write down hazards on the sheet which gets the customer's signature. This is good hazard IDing can lead to future work and lessen my risk exposure. I just had lady that wanted some trees removed, but wanted to keep the aspen that she liked, which was co-dominant, with a 2 foot inclusion down to the soil level, which if/ when it splits will most likely land on her house. It was obvious as the day is long, and it could be legally construed as my due diligence to inform customers of such hazards.
So frequently, when I present options to them such as pruning versus removal, they want to know about costs on both. Disposal options are similar. I try to avoid taking firewood offsite if they can get rid of it through family or friends. The Kiwanis Club has a needy family firewood program, too. (A funny thing that I like to say when asked if they can have a credit for the wood is, "Firewood to me is like snow to an Eskimo. Its everywhere, and a ton of work move it repeatedly from here to there to there with processing and delivery." Gives me an opportunity to reinforce my arborist nature over being a dedicated tree removal/ firewood service.)
I'll have to scan a completed form sometime.
I'll start with my blank bid sheet, which also serves as my crew work order (though I'm working on 99+% of my company's jobs),
and contract with signature of acceptance of the contract and ownership of the trees,
signature of completion (limiting my liability for things that could happen after we are cleaned up (we do some drop and leave as it lays jobs, too) and receipt of payment.
I have a clause for unmarked utilities and permits. I inform them of what city permits they need to get. I coordinate for Call before you Dig utility locates, and utility line drops and re-hangs.
I have been getting commercially printed 2 or 3-part NCR forms.
I like having room to write customized options, and a la carte options, as well as to write down hazards on the sheet which gets the customer's signature. This is good hazard IDing can lead to future work and lessen my risk exposure. I just had lady that wanted some trees removed, but wanted to keep the aspen that she liked, which was co-dominant, with a 2 foot inclusion down to the soil level, which if/ when it splits will most likely land on her house. It was obvious as the day is long, and it could be legally construed as my due diligence to inform customers of such hazards.
So frequently, when I present options to them such as pruning versus removal, they want to know about costs on both. Disposal options are similar. I try to avoid taking firewood offsite if they can get rid of it through family or friends. The Kiwanis Club has a needy family firewood program, too. (A funny thing that I like to say when asked if they can have a credit for the wood is, "Firewood to me is like snow to an Eskimo. Its everywhere, and a ton of work move it repeatedly from here to there to there with processing and delivery." Gives me an opportunity to reinforce my arborist nature over being a dedicated tree removal/ firewood service.)
I'll have to scan a completed form sometime.
