Looking for change...

[islandarb]

@TCtreeswinger is this your first child? If so I have something to share with you.....

 

[Winch]

The link in your website for "living wage" states 13 per hour for your area, but your site states more dollars for those with "extras" haha, like extra arms? Looks like the average 1 bedroom flat in your area is about 1k per month. With 40 hour weeks at 13 you're looking at less than 2k monthly income after taxes... I think the website is misleading or flawed unless it is reasonable to spend more than 50 percent of your income for housing. You can click to join or donate though, hopefully to improve research capabilities. https://justeconomicswnc.org/about-living-wage.html

What kinda desperate sucker goes for that? Franchise No. 1037 McDonalds Tree Service.

Looks like a dishwasher at the Over Easy Cafe can start at $14, with no extras!!

(Over) Easy there, Levi. That's a starting wage for a green-horn.

We are lucky to live in a beautiful (tourist) city with tons of trees. These facts alone are a recipe for tons of tree services. Last time i checked (it's been years, I admit) there were 96 other HIGHLY RATED tree services in Asheville alone per Angie's List. It is quite cut-throat here, and it's true that wages are lower here than in other cities with less to offer. It's a trade-off to live in such an exciting place.

To paint my tree service as something even remotely close to McD's is offensive.

 

[Rangerbait]

Might be worthwhile to seriously consider a new path, like you say. Everyone is different of course but from my personal experience once you get that feeling, it's over and quality will steadily decrease. Maybe like when you got that feeling about your girlfriend, it was over, but you stayed in it, because maybe she had a sweet ass, and you just didn't know what else you would do, but it just always got worse, until one night you had to grab your dog and a handful of clothes and jump out the back window while she slept, never to return...

A sweet ass...the Achilles Heel of many a poor fool! Haha.

 

[TCtreeswinger]

@swingdude no kids and no plans to have them. Just turned 30 young life crisis maybe? I live a simple life as well although not as simple as you. Paid off my first vehicle worth more thank 5k yesterday. First loan i ever had.

 

[JD3000]

So what interests you the most?

 

[islandarb]

@swingdude no kids and no plans to have them. Just turned 30 young life crisis maybe? I live a simple life as well although not as simple as you. Paid off my first vehicle worth more thank 5k yesterday. First loan i ever had.

Oh shite different thread...thought you had a newborn.

 

[TCtreeswinger]

At this point tree preservation. Reduction pruning rcx installing mulch etc. Feeling like i actually helped our environment. But im blue in the face explaining mulch benefits the nees to structure prune autumn blaze and the cost to start caring for silver maples that were planted in 40x100 lots 50 years ago when the next guy can crane it out in half a day. Something like being Guy's apprentice would be fun and rewarding but i dont think we have anyone like that around here. Or maybe training and education? But i dont think id like teaching full time either plus the pay aint there

 

[Stephen Moore]

The link in your website for "living wage" states 13 per hour for your area, but your site states more dollars for those with "extras" haha, like extra arms? Looks like the average 1 bedroom flat in your area is about 1k per month. With 40 hour weeks at 13 you're looking at less than 2k monthly income after taxes... I think the website is misleading or flawed unless it is reasonable to spend more than 50 percent of your income for housing. You can click to join or donate though, hopefully to improve research capabilities. https://justeconomicswnc.org/about-living-wage.html

What kinda desperate sucker goes for that? Franchise No. 1037 McDonalds Tree Service.

Looks like a dishwasher at the Over Easy Cafe can start at $14, with no extras!!

My starting wage for a rake operator is 20 bucks an hour? Is the USA that messed up? You guys sound like you can barely by toilet paper as a tree worker?

 

[Stephen Moore]

I love freakin treeing...love it all. I am 51 and climb 5 days a week for myself. View attachment 53370

You even look like a monkey! Suites you perfectly! I’d hire you based on that chimpanzee physique alone!

 

[TCtreeswinger]

20 an hr up there is probably close to equivalent to 13 down here depending on location due to your higher cost of living. You can make 15.50 in the janitors union around here as just a cleaner. Buddy of mine just started as union carpenter at 20 and he can barely swing a hammer. Iron workers start at 28. Lots of jobs right now to be had.

 

[TCtreeswinger]

Haha no kidding! Ive been pondering marketing my llc as more of a tree mechanic. Heres my hourly rate if you really want the best ill give you a time estimate and do whats best for the tree once i get in the canopy. Probably not many takers but itd free up my weekends and evenings!

 

[TCtreeswinger]

Good luck Levi!

 

[GreenstoneVT]

Haha no kidding! Ive been pondering marketing my llc as more of a tree mechanic. Heres my hourly rate if you really want the best ill give you a time estimate and do whats best for the tree once i get in the canopy. Probably not many takers but itd free up my weekends and evenings!

I think you’ll be surprised how many takers you have. I’ve got 3 clients that morphed into that exact format and gotten a couple more as word of mouth from those 3. All of them started out wanting it priced like a commodity but after watching me changed their minds saying something like “I didn’t realize what went into this. Take all the time you need.”

 

[TCtreeswinger]

Now if we could do that as an industry we'd be set!

 

[Stephen Moore]

20 an hr up there is probably close to equivalent to 13 down here depending on location due to your higher cost of living. You can make 15.50 in the janitors union around here as just a cleaner. Buddy of mine just started as union carpenter at 20 and he can barely swing a hammer. Iron workers start at 28. Lots of jobs right now to be had.

Yeah but we don’t have the insane medical dues the Yanks have.

 

[Stephen Moore]

20 an hr up there is probably close to equivalent to 13 down here depending on location due to your higher cost of living. You can make 15.50 in the janitors union around here as just a cleaner. Buddy of mine just started as union carpenter at 20 and he can barely swing a hammer. Iron workers start at 28. Lots of jobs right now to be had.

Certified Arbs are 35 to 38 an hour here. Honestly, if a guy is a good climber/ rigger it pays way better to be a solo artist. But you gotta get rep first before guys will consistently hire you. The obvious better choice for respectable pay is running yer own show!

 

[Stephen Moore]

This tree is overtaking the neighbors yard and needs major surgery? It’s beautiful in its current state but nobody cared for it.

 

[Stephen Moore]

This tree is overtaking the neighbors yard and needs major surgery? It’s beautiful in its current state but nobody cared for it. View attachment 53377

This is the only Sycamore tree in the entire North Shore!

 

[Stephen Moore]

1 Canadian Dollar equals
0.76 United States Dollar
Aug 10, 11:25 PM UTC ·

Woohoo we gained 3 cents then?

 

[Stephen Moore]

So the math is simple... 20 bucks an hour Canadian is roughly 15 an hour Yankee! Then you have deductions. Unemployment insurance, medical, social security in the US and Canada Pension Plan contributions. The US has expensive health care.