Decayed White Oak...interested to hear how you would have bid it

[Alcoley]

Yeah, we’re “diet West Virginia” over here...about 2 miles from the highest per capita income county in the entire US. Good guess nevertheless!

I know what ya mean. I'm in Logan and my prices are a lot cheaper here than when I contract climb down south. I would have been at the same price. If you ever need a climber let me know.

 

[JE Chop Nash]

TreeMek it for 2,250 in the winter. Closer to 3,000 in the spring. Competing bids really push rates around depending on the season.

 

[Arvydas]

How are you guys making money doing trees like this for $2200 to $2800 dollars, in 6 hours with a crew of 4 using all that wildly expensive equipment?

My company does landscape contracting as well as tree work, and on a good 8 hour day a crew of 4 people generates $2000 to $2500 (after materials) in revenue doing planting installs and landscape installations using nothing but good horticultural knowledge, hand tools and a truck and trailer!

I've been consistently shocked by how little other tree companies are charging. I've been considering ramping up our tree care offerings and investing in more machines, but it's making me wonder if I should invest much more into it if rates are so low!

I'm assuming I'm missing something here, but to me if I had 4 experienced crew members tied up all day on one site, using machines worth many tens of thousands of dollars, I'd want it to be closer to $3500 or more. Down time, non-billable time, continuing education for the crews, machine maintenance, taxes - it's all killer!

 

[Alcoley]

Prices in my area are low because of the average family income. I have to go close to 2 hours away to make better money.

 

[Daniel]

Generally white oak can be considered structurally sound (enough to take down), even with a good amount of decay, especially if there is no rigging... I would be in the bucket bombing out big pieces as fast as possible without concern for the deadwood overhead... It would be another story if there were big pieces slamming back into the trunk during rigging.. Setting throw lines to break out the dead tops is not needed, nor recommended.. You could cause more problems that you solve. WHich may include not being able to break out anything of size.. White oak can be sound even when long dead..