Removal $

montanagrizzly

montanagrizzly

Prices of jobs are really never discussed and I understand that.

Just for kicks, what is the the most expensive single tree removal have you done? Mine is $3,000.00 (an elm w/DED).

I was told once by an arborist in California, that a company removed a 250' Ponderosa pine on a cliffside behind a house for $40,000.00.........Don't know if I believe that one though.

Remember this is for fun, feel free to tell of your worst bid ever, too.
 
This job was $6000. A 17 ton crane was needed to set the pads for the 80.
 

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5,500 pounds for two beech trees. Not sure what that is in $ and have no pics of it. The beech tree in my other thread is around 3000 but I'm not sure as the company I'm doing it for won't say exactly. BTW we are looking at @1000 pounds a day to get a 50-80 ton crane in, how does that compare with you guys?
 
At a company i used to work for Ive done them up to about 8500.

Since Ive been on my own, the biggest Ive done was around 3800.
The most Ive ever heard around these parts was 15k for a removal. Just heresay though.
I wrote a bid earlier this spring for a cottonwood removal of 7500. /forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
as far as I know it is still standing.
I cant recall a single worse bid, they seem to come in waves. Done plenty low ones though, dont we all? Not being able to recall a single worse low bid? A good thing or bad? /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
The one we started today is for $7000. Big Nasty Pin Oak with a ton of decay @ a canker 30 ft from ground. Really tight bad spot. Over three postage-stamp properties. Can't get any equipment near it. All by hand...old school.

Not a bad pic for a camera phone.

I had a hard time telling the customer the cost to remove this tree. Single Mom thing.
 

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I like this thread because I am kinda new to this and I have a hard time quoting still. I also own a landscaping business, so that helps, but I am often off.

My largest job so far has been $4400 and that was really the first one I thought was profitable. I did have to hand rope everything because I could not get anything in close. It actually took me two days though, my ground crew was very inexperienced.

Any pointers on quoting from you experienced guys?
 
I don't think this thread will help with you quoting. These are extremes here. But maybe I can tell you something. $4400 seems like a little high for 2 days with an inexperienced crew. Unless you had lots of big equipement that sped things up a lot. My area is a pretty high money area too, so..... I prefer not to say what I "need" to make an hour, or what I try to make in a full day. So, can't help you here. I do have a rate for a three man crew per hour that I keep in mind. When I look at a job, (example, removals) I piece the whole tree out in my mind; look at what can be dropped, what lowing points to use, and so on down to the felling of the trunk and hauling away any wood. I simply multiply the hours predicted by my figure I use. On trimming, I do the same thing, figure up my hours; Trimming is when I usually bid too low cause there's often more to do than it looks from the ground and we do a complete job. Cabling and bracing, I use my hourly figure and add in the hardware (I keep the figures written in my clipboard on the hardware). So, maybe some of this info will help you out a bit. After 9 years with my own company, my removal estimates are often exactly on the dot with the time I predicted, sometimes a half hour off.

My most exspensive single removal: should be around 2000 or 2500, but can't think of it right now.

Most expensive single customer job (multiple trees): I think it's tornado damage I'm working on right now, around $---- (i dicided to delete this amount since I'm working on it right now).
 
The truth is, I spent closer to three days on that $4400 job and I may have trouble collecting the full amount anyway. I took the job knowing that I would have to wait for an insurance claim to be processed and I maxed my quote for several reasons:

1. Tree was pushing over a shed that contained a well, plumbing, electrical, etc. and was moving about 1"+ a day. Owner insisted I start "tomorrow morning" forcing me to put off scheduled work. Emergency work has to command higher pay scale, correct?
2. Tree was boxed in by power lines front and side and the pool enclosure was close on the third side. I had to have someone hold the power service line away from my working area much of the time.


(Of course, I may have to wait a while to get paid and I may have to slap a lien on property or go the collection agency route if the deductible issues aren't worked out between the owner and insurance company. That is definately a down side, but it provided the incentive to tackle my toughest job to date without any incidents. My confidence is up some and I am starting to trust my book knowledge more. The field knowledge is harder to come by, but it is growing.)

I have probably done 20 to 30 trees this last month, and that is along with my lawnservice and other interests.

I am open to any and all suggestions as far as estimating is concerned. Thanks for the help so far. I am on this board to learn....
 
"Emergency work has to command higher pay scale, correct?"

I sure think so. Mine is job plus 1/2. Say normally $1000 job, $1500 if emergency. And I pass that on to my guys too. They get time and a half on any emergency as well (whether they have 40 hrs that week or not).

It does push out regularly scheduled jobs and often it's late in the evening or weekends and in the rain, snow and/or wind. So, why else would you place them over others that have been waiting for weeks to have their work done?

What do you other's charge on emergency? job + 1/4, 1/2, X2???
 
Money changes depending on a lot of variables. The biggest ones may be your geographic location, payroll and how many qualified arborists are in your area. If no one else can do the job, then I guess it's your call?

$3,000.00 single removals are common around NJ (and many places I've seen). When I see my job order and it says ...remove one... and the price is over $5K, then I know I'm gonna sleep well that night.

Here's a pic of one job I remember that was over $5K for just my tree. (crane video ring a bell). I know I have more pics of others, but this one I know I have.
 

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I'm with Mark here. We have lost many removals that we priced in the $3000.00 and up range smaller companies under bid us.,untill the become difficult. Then we charge appropriatly. The client is getting what they pay for. I do not remember our highest priced tree. We gave lots of proposals this season that were in the 5k to 8k range. We get about half.
 

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