Removal but I'm still not sure what it was...

Jack S said:
Hey, Tim, happy to share. I'm just starting out, and trying to build some goodwill and get some good word of mouth. I'm not hurting for money at the moment because I'm still teaching full time (hoping to transition to business owner or contract climber before August so I don't have to go back to teaching). When I thought it would be a quick, half-day job I offered to do it for free. I didn't feel right asking for money after the job proved to be a bigger one than I'd thought, so I didn't.
Lesson learned.
It was a great learning experience, anyway -- I got more practice with notch cuts, snap cuts, and new (to me) rigging techniques. Also, any time I can get in a tree just to climb is time well spent.
Also I'm a freediver/spearfisher, and the owner has a boat, so he offered to take me and some friends offshore for a day after all was said and done. Pretty fair trade.
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Ah, I see. Thanks for the response. It does sound like you got a fair trade. Might have even made a new friend.

Tim
 
Jack, great that you're going after a dream. I'd only suggest that you take some small business management and sales courses. The biggest downfall of most small businesses is an owner's lack of business skill. I'll drag out my old refrain: Once you go into business for yourself, you are a business person first, a tree guy second.

Good Luck and enjoy the fishing!
 
treehumper said:
Jack, great that you're going after a dream. I'd only suggest that you take some small business management and sales courses. The biggest downfall of most small businesses is an owner's lack of business skill. I'll drag out my old refrain: Once you go into business for yourself, you are a business person first, a tree guy second.

Good Luck and enjoy the fishing!
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Yes I agree to this. In my opinion you should never do something for free. Now that you did this person will say to others "He did it for free I just offered to take him out on my boat". If you only work for cheap you will only get cheap customers. Up your arboriculture knowledge. The fact you don't even know the tree Species is a problem. Educate yourself in arboriculture. Best of luck.


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Jack S said:
Two of the four main branches we over the roof and it was near a small fence so most of it had to be rigged.
I swear the hardest thing about this so far has been trying to figure out how much to charge people for what.
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It's not easy. Err on the high side. If he chooses you, great. If not, life goes on. But you can only charge more if you're worth more. What do you offer him that the other guy doesn't?

Doesn't even need to be expertise, though that wouldn't hurt. Could be as simple as him liking or trusting you more.

But for reference I had a plumber out a few weeks ago. He removed and replaced a rusted up outside spigot.
Took him under an hour and I got a bill for $430. I think that was a bit high. But he wasn't afraid to charge for his time and expertise.

Keep in mind plumbers show up with 1 guy, 1 truck and some parts and tools. We show up with multiple trucks (sometimes), multiple men, chipper, loader, grinder, and dozens of other expensive ropes, saws and tools. Not to mention astronomically more risk and the associated WC and insurance costs. Charge for your ability, equipment, risk, and agony.
 
Sorry just catching up on all the replies. Lots of good advice, here, so I'll just say thanks to all who replied.

I'm not proud I couldn't identify the tree, but I'm actively working on tree id skills. I would have felt a bit worse if I'd posted this and a dozen people popped up and said, "It's a (blank), stupid." But as far as I can tell there's still no positive ID on it.

I know a lot of people have suggested some kind of ficus but every florida ficus I could find a fact sheet on has an alternate (simple, too, if I'm not mistaken) leaf arrangement, and this is not. I don't have the branches anymore, but it's not alternate simple. I found a few that matched in some ways, like Olive or Redberry Stopper. It could have even been a mahogany if not for the lack of those massive stones littering the ground. But after going through both my books on Florida trees and looking at all 200 species I couldn't find a good match.

Maybe that says more about my skills as a researcher but I'm educated and literate, so I think it's more likely it's just a difficult tree. I'm good at picking out most common species around here just from living in the area for a long time and being interested in local flora.

In any case, I'm working on it. If I were trimming it or pruning, or even being asked to remove it still healthy (like I said the owner hacked off several large branches after the storm), I wouldn't have proceeded without identifying it.

But it wasn't long for this world after the owner had his way with it and I was more than happy to be the guy who took it down safely, whatever it was.

As for doing it for free, hey, what can you do. The owner was a good friends' neighbor and his wife manages property for a lot of very wealthy owners around the county. I'm sure it'll pay off in the long run and, if it doesn't, lesson learned. If nothing else, doing jobs like these for friends or friends of friends, I get a lot of valuable experience not only in climbing and rigging, but in estimating time, risk, and resources so I can be better at knowing how to bid jobs.

Hindsight on this job told me $600. The fact that I might have been able to go a few hundred higher is only good news, and I'm not afraid to ask for real money. Another homeowner on this block had a massive mango tree coming out and I bid that job at $3500 because a third of the tree was over a neighbor's fence and property and would have to be carefully rigged down. Another company with a crew of six did it for $2500, but you get what you pay for. They damaged that same neighbors fence and denied any responsibility, and were also kind enough to mutilate -- er, sorry, I meant "hurricane proof" -- all her cabbage palms at no extra charge.

Again, thanks for all the great input. Lots of great advice. Looking forward to being a part of this community.
 
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Hey, @Jack S! Really great post! I think you are kicking butt & taking names, & that you have your head on really straight. This might sound like I'm kidding, but congrats on not being the lowest bidder on that job you did not get. I consider that to be an achievement.

I think you are going to build a solid reputation in your area. I wish you success.

Tim
 
JD3000 said:
Shingle oak doesn't go too further south than Tennessee.
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I agree about the range, but I was wondering if this could be a single specimen. Possibly planted? I've seen a mature Mahagony in New Jersey, so I try to look at every singular specimen as an isolated case unless surrounded by similar species. I'm also just going out on a limb since the OP has rejected every other suggestion thus far.
 
Also, in the last year I've encountered Carya aquatica in NJ. Well outside its natural range but thriving in a suburban environment. It took me more than a day to identify it. I was sure it was hickory, but my coworkers insisted it was some strange walnut species. They made me second guess myself.

Edit: These two posts should have been one, but my only point is it is possible for a single planted specimen to be present when the major population is not within range.
 
ThatsNotMaple said:
Also, in the last year I've encountered Carya aquatica in NJ. Well outside its natural range but thriving in a suburban environment. It took me more than a day to identify it. I was sure it was hickory, but my coworkers insisted it was some strange walnut species. They made me second guess myself.

Edit: These two posts should have been one, but my only point is it is possible for a single planted specimen to be present when the major population is not within range.
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All good points but still not a shingle oak.
 
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