CaPowell
Participating member
- Location
- Stillwater, OK
Yeah, I'm with Levi. Glad to see you're off to such a good start!
What would you charge?
- Thread starter CaPowell
- Start date
- Location
- US
We don't sub or rent trucks out so we put equipment on top of the man. Since some jobs are just a chipper while others are bucket and a chipper and some have the crane and a chipper with or without a bucket it's just easier to have your 3 or 4 man base then add on equipment.
Sorry for the confusion
Now we try to charge 75 an hr for the crane but do we always get it? Nope but that's the goal. Sometimes we use it on a job that normally wouldn't be a crane job and it works for free but it saves energy and headaches.
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southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
I clearly don't know your market Steve, but $175/ hour sounds too low, if you can produce.
Same to you as well, don't know you from around the buzz like Steve but it seems like you have a good head of steam and a good plan. I like the small operator stories and the lean and mean businesses!
Steve Connally
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Suffolk, Virginia
Honestly it is but my market has no idea about the services I provide. Nobody knows what my truck is much less what it can do for them. I’ve gotta break in the market at a reasonable rate until I get a good headwind. Then I can slowly bump up to what I’m worth. If I started at 200 an hour people would never call. Give it time. It’ll work. Gotta ease into things. Hell im booked through April 16th. Patience danielson
Treetopflyer
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Coastal N.J
That's one hell of a job for one guy. How did you rig this out? Zip line brush right into the trailer? I love chunking down wood on lowering line right into bed of truck when possible,in about a week I'm doing a big ol pine where we,re span rigging with another tree to center logs right over driveway to lower large pieces right into truck..none of this i pick things up and put them down shit..and speedlines right to back of chipper ...or in your case trailer are the way imo, of course when permitting, side loading bad trees no go... i would recommend one very good groundsperson at some point, probably obvious and I'm wasting my time writing this , youll know when that time is though I'm sure.. anyone who can dismantle a tree safely by themselves ain't no fool...Good work. Again can't tell the tree from a picture that great, but sounds like a fair price all things considered.
CaPowell
Participating member
- Location
- Stillwater, OK
I couldn't find a green wood weight chart to see how catalpa trees compare to others, but it was EXTREMELY light. I wasn't thinking about that when I bid it and figured on having to rope down most of it. Turns out, I was able to use snap cuts on 75 percent of the limbs and then just chucked pretty big limbs. I took a rope and a block up with me, but didn't even need to use them. I did use a simple speedline for the top limbs.
Normally, I would have backed the truck up as close as possible, but it had recently rained. Probably would have been fine, but I got stuck in a nice yard earlier in the week and decided to play it safe. So I had about a 100' drag. It really wasn't a hard day at all. Pleasant surprise!
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
On a sidenote, fwiw, CaP, pre-anchoring one or more ropes at the ground can make a good solo removal speedline system, tensioned up top (perhaps throw line for speedline installation).
You can take a bunch of slings, as well as natural-crotch on the speedline.
You can take a bunch of slings, as well as natural-crotch on the speedline.
CutHighnLetFly
Been here a while
- Location
- Cape Cod, MA
@CaPowell I'm one to shoot myself in the foot bidding low sometimes, particularly on the one big removal situations. That around here would have been around 2 as well. Don't give that final number based on time or how long others will take. That's how you end up tough talking yourself into going cheaper, at least that's what I've done to myself.
But i feel like I'm making these statements to a smart dude who's been around the block with good plan. Just don't sell your self short I guess is all I wanted to say.
But i feel like I'm making these statements to a smart dude who's been around the block with good plan. Just don't sell your self short I guess is all I wanted to say.
CaPowell
Participating member
- Location
- Stillwater, OK
Yes, I use that all the time and it saves a ton of time!
Jehinten
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Evansville
On that note, if your climbing to install the top anchor, or using a lift, the rig-n-wrench up top works great for this. It allows you to easily pull slack out and automatically applies tension instead of taking wraps on a stub. I used that the other day on a pine in a deck. Solo speedlining the brush out.
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
Great use of the Rig-n-wrench. Hadn't thought of that. You can hang it on a floating anchor (non isolated rope installed from ground with RnW on the end.
islandedge
Participating member
- Location
- downriver
Good job for being able to do it yourself! Don't ever charge less if the job was easier or faster than you thought. You reap the rewards of having the skill and strength/ endurance to be able to complete a job in a timely manner.
islandedge
Participating member
- Location
- downriver
I'm a treemek owner and operate with 1-2 guys. Most of the time I'm making more production than a 5-7 man crew, does it mean i should charge less since there's only 2 on my job? You get the point.
Steve I'm happy it's working out for you. Although I only got mine set up last year I'm at $200 an hour if I even have time to sub. And I understand the frustration everybody trying to compare you to a 28-ton that they use locally for 125 an hour. Even at two hundred bucks an hour I feel like there could be more on the table. But then again I run a complete Tree Service so we reap the full benefit of the job that's when we're already in full season and there's no time for subbing.
Steve I'm happy it's working out for you. Although I only got mine set up last year I'm at $200 an hour if I even have time to sub. And I understand the frustration everybody trying to compare you to a 28-ton that they use locally for 125 an hour. Even at two hundred bucks an hour I feel like there could be more on the table. But then again I run a complete Tree Service so we reap the full benefit of the job that's when we're already in full season and there's no time for subbing.
climbhightree
Branched out member
- Location
- Lebanon, Pa USA
200 for crane and one op? Then add the extra man if you have them there (plus truck and chipper).
The 40 ton I sub, just increased his price to 150 (crane and op). Other than the grapple saw aspect, I'm not sure I can charge much more than that. Mid range from pin he can out lift me, even single line.
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islandedge
Participating member
- Location
- downriver
Right, that's 200$ for me and the mek. I never bring help or anything else cause its not my job. I'm the crane operator, climber, and the rope guy. Like yesterday I cut the tree down which was in the backyard and swung it all the way over to the front for one person to handle at the chipper.
islandedge
Participating member
- Location
- downriver
On my job we average 4-600 per work hour. Before the crane I'd average 300$ per hr
Steve Connally
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Suffolk, Virginia
It seems to be picking up steam around here. I'm booked 3 weeks out so I think i'm at the rite break in price range. Hopefully after 12 months I can up my rates even just $100 a day makes a difference over 12 months. Especially now i've figured out how much diesel the truck actually uses when the crane is in operation.
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
In 12 weeks you will be proven in your market, and should charge it.
In 12 days you could start to charge it.
In 12 hours you can answer the phone differently.
In 12 seconds, you can decide to do it differently.
You are saying 1 hour for the whole job? Including set up and clean up? Either way I think the tree is worth $1500 however you do it.
