Quote to prune

guymayor said:
Just got this email:
"I took pictures of these trees in my backyard today to send to tree companies for quotes on trimming them back from power lines and over home. They have damaged the roof, siding and many more places over the past three years as strong winds have thrown branches. As I looked up at this amazing speciman, the experience was almost tear jerking to think it was have to be cut back tremendously. It is so beautiful how it spans out and reaches so high.

Just wanted to share its beauty with you. I really wish the house wasn't built so close to it. I'm not getting much feedback from tree companies. How much would you charge to prune this beauty for the safety of the home and evaluate its condition. I am concerned that their may be some damage to the tree.

Thank you for your time and what you do as a profession. The world needs more people like you."

Based on the pics, View attachment 27115 View attachment 27116 View attachment 27117 View attachment 27118 View attachment 27119 View attachment 27120 View attachment 27121
How would you respond?
Click to expand...
Sometimes it's better to fish the budget ,,say well it can range depending on there true commitment ,,in my experience you have one of three types ,,fisherman,broke hippie or maybe goldmine ,,90% people who ask a price and don't want to meet don't have the $
 
Are you guys blind? Look at the condition of their yard and the trash on the porch. This fella isn't paying 2k for a prune/phc job. Sorry, ain't happening. I bet they are thinking and hoping for the $800 range.
 
Hi guy ry here
I would look at splitting it up for them so they see the costs. First of all looks like complete detailed crown reduction to reduce forces on all crotches, increasing the severity on specified more vulnerable crotches. 100 to 300 cuts. Maybe 25-50 between 1.5 and 2.5 inches or 8 to 12 feet in length. And many 8' and under.
So split up.
$100-$300 travel
$850 for the climbing and cutting
$500 clean up plus $100 fine raking/sweeping/blowing
If they are flexible enough they might say cutting only and come when convenient to keep travel closer to $100-$150.
Most people want cleanup but quoted this way seems more fair than 'crown reduce for $1700
Honestly I love this reduction pruning so much that I might quote it lower just for the tree
Crown cleaning is more for the people.
Crown reduction is for the tree and the people.
Do it on a Saturday so spectators that are home can see real tree care and come and ask you for this care for their trees.
Just remember to be thorough, strengthening the tree instantly with the larger cuts and in the long ter with some of the smaller 'habit changing cuts'
 
Redtree said:
Hi guy ry here
I would look at splitting it up for them so they see the costs. First of all looks like complete detailed crown reduction to reduce forces on all crotches, increasing the severity on specified more vulnerable crotches. 100 to 300 cuts. Maybe 25-50 between 1.5 and 2.5 inches or 8 to 12 feet in length. And many 8' and under.
So split up.
$100-$300 travel
$850 for the climbing and cutting
$500 clean up plus $100 fine raking/sweeping/blowing
If they are flexible enough they might say cutting only and come when convenient to keep travel closer to $100-$150.
Most people want cleanup but quoted this way seems more fair than 'crown reduce for $1700
Honestly I love this reduction pruning so much that I might quote it lower just for the tree
Crown cleaning is more for the people.
Crown reduction is for the tree and the people.
Do it on a Saturday so spectators that are home can see real tree care and come and ask you for this care for their trees.
Just remember to be thorough, strengthening the tree instantly with the larger cuts and in the long ter with some of the smaller 'habit changing cuts'
Click to expand...

Look at their porch and yard. Never would happen.
 
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That's funny I just got home, today I was reducing a Manitoba maple over a garage and pergola. For the third time over 7 years. No rentals. No problems. But a bucket lift thingy would help yes. Anyway I got photos of the 2 hours in the tree and before and afters. It was a great day and a fun tight little tree. I gotta figure out posting photos.
As for the porch, yes I'd probably tickle it a little, as the lower 2-3 pieces to rig might tip into it. Other than that I dunno. Maybe I'm missing something. In tree care I'm rarely totally right and rarely totally wrong. At least I'm somewhat right more than I'm somewhat wrong. How can you ever prune a tree totally right? I can't but I think I'm getting closer all the time.


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Ok so I looked at the photos again. The sixth photo might be the most revealing as you can almost see the whole tree. A multi stem mess that can no longer be corrected, only improved. Select a leader. Forget that, reduce all stems, some more than others. Which ones eyed more I don't know unless I'm in the tree. Certainly looks like a fun puzzle though.
Needs maybe more cuts than I thought and at smaller diameters
Lots of cuts at 1-2 inches diameter
I might start by standing on the roof and reaching up with a Marvin bull pruner on a 13 foot pole. Cut at 6-8 feet instead of twelve then cut further with pole saw if required.
Then regular Marvin on 18 and 23 foot pole.
Then climb and do the part which experiences the highest wind velocity, the upper crown, particularly the upper third quarter, the hardest part to get so bring the regular Marvin on adjustable 13-18 foot pole. If there's 10 cuts 1.5-2 inch, 50 cuts .75 to 1.25 inch then remember there should also be 100 cuts+ of .75 and under. The small cuts help retrench and maintain the foliage conical form around each branch and limb. This retains good texture of shape and avoids shear shaping.



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Similar to this maybe


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Although that was an intermingling set of trees. The end one was pruned retrench/reduce style because of a significant 'remove it or reduce it' issue. The second one in reduce/thin style and the third scheduled for next year, reduce/thin. The end Norway was reduced and retained instead of removed as the second one in would experience sudden exposure and related forces. The end two trees had strap installed loosely near the top. Inspection is required within two years.
Anyway, you could apply a similar dose, maybe a little lighter.


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Lighter than tree number one but very similar to tree number two. By the way that's not me its a squirrel nest. Perfect to see how the whole crowns leading edge is retrenched.


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I think that was a dumb thing of me to say. I just have had criticism for my trucks. But I think it wasn't directed at me it was directed towards clueless fly by night guys with a chainsaw and yellow three strand, three eighths. 40 feet for a 60 foot tree.
 
I rarely see email photo quotes go great, it's like a quote over the phone. I would reply that I'd be happy to come to his house talk to him take a look at the tree and give him a quote from there. That's the only way I'd do it so I know I'm not getting yanked around by good side photos view depth being off etc.

Do a lot of you guys do quotes with out seeing the tree? Unless of course he agrees to an hourly rate and an unknown amount of time then I guess that's an easy quote.
 
I've never given a quote for a photo. An estimate yes. Then quote on site the day of. But pics are good for at least giving the arborist an idea of the tree. Then he or she can often give the client an idea of the plan.
 
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