Starving arborist

[Mick Dempsey!]

I could never envisage asking for money up front for normal tree work,
What for? Diesel, petrol? Wages?. I can understand if a job will last weeks or there are materials to buy, but if you haven't got enough cash flow for a tank of fuel or a saw chain....
No, never done it, never will.

 

[cerviarborist]

In my market, the tree worker demographic, which asks for half up front for production work, are the ones who get on the site, make a show of sawing some wood, take off for lunch and never come back.

I won't be painted with that brush, but I do have my clients sign a very thorough and comprehensive proposal/contract which makes it clear that I'm to be paid at the end of the final walk through.

 

[treehumper]

Yes, in both cases. Up front payment is not needed for normal tree work. Cerviar, that is a problem in the construction game too. There are contractors who abandon the final payment and the last bits of the job. Nothing unusual in the contracting game.

With a contract one needs consideration to make it binding. That is what the seal is about. Usually there is a clause that explicitly states that consideration has been given and accepted. At one time it was not unusual for a single dollar to change hands to meet this requirement regardless the size of the agreement.

In the end, creating a thoughtful system of paperwork actually streamlines and makes easy the whole process. If it doesn't then it's not the right system.