MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
When I was younger, no tree was inpossible. Nowadays, not quite the same...
One I walked from
- Thread starter sotc
- Start date
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gf beranek
Old Schooler
The proof of the pudding was finishing those jobs at a loss, but to the customers satisfaction.
The early years. What great experience to learn from. I am wise and retired now.
Damn, I wish I knew back then what I know now. But it's all hindsight and knowledge that we can pass on.
Least the young'uns listen.
The early years. What great experience to learn from. I am wise and retired now.
Damn, I wish I knew back then what I know now. But it's all hindsight and knowledge that we can pass on.
Least the young'uns listen.
Burnham
Woods walker
Wise words there, Jerry. I'm sorta settling into this retirement gig, too. 
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Ha! I wish!!!
SouthSoundTree
Treehouser
I just saw Resistographs were on sale recently. Thought it might be a tool you'd have or be interested in getting, so I thought I'd ask.
I got to use Scott Baker/ Tree Solutions, Inc's new version of the Resistograph. Nice tool there, seems like a big jump from the older ones we have at Parks.
I got to use Scott Baker/ Tree Solutions, Inc's new version of the Resistograph. Nice tool there, seems like a big jump from the older ones we have at Parks.
Burnham
Woods walker
I can see the value if you need to justify/quantify a recommendation to a client, but for simple information gathering, I think an 18" 1/8th" drill bit in an 18 volt drill is every bit as accurate.
bonner1040
Nick from Ohio
I walked from one today... Smack dab between the open primaries and a house drop. 3' from the primaries, twice as high and dead as Dracula. Big lean to the deck. Told the customer, a landscaper who was hiring me as a sub, that he had to get the house drop down and we could flop it past the deck, otherwise he might find someone to climb past the primary but it wasnt going to be me.
On the bright side hopefully he appreciates the discretion and brings me in on some other jobs... I found him on CL and he is looking for a contract climber; no general labor, cut and leave...my ropes, saws and rigging. His labor, trucks, and insurance. I told him $200-400 a day for climbing, depending on the job. Today was supposed to be the first job as we had hammered out terms on the phone.
On the bright side hopefully he appreciates the discretion and brings me in on some other jobs... I found him on CL and he is looking for a contract climber; no general labor, cut and leave...my ropes, saws and rigging. His labor, trucks, and insurance. I told him $200-400 a day for climbing, depending on the job. Today was supposed to be the first job as we had hammered out terms on the phone.
Burnham
Woods walker
Stick to the $400.
bonner1040
Nick from Ohio
Yeah I figure 200 as a minimum, I cant justify charging more than $100/hour and I wouldnt go out for less than 2 hours.
I cant imagine this guy taking on a removal that would take more than 8 hours much less 6. If I can stay at an absolute minimum of $50/hour and $100 max thats pretty good for a kid like me! Especially if I dont have to bid the jobs, chip, rake, move logs or anything else... I sound like brian! Maybe I will start contacting more landscape companies....
I cant imagine this guy taking on a removal that would take more than 8 hours much less 6. If I can stay at an absolute minimum of $50/hour and $100 max thats pretty good for a kid like me! Especially if I dont have to bid the jobs, chip, rake, move logs or anything else... I sound like brian! Maybe I will start contacting more landscape companies....
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
I'm hibernating in this heat....
Burnham
Woods walker
I dunno, Nick. I haven't done a lot of side work over the years, but it seemed that people who wanted me, wanted ME. I cannot recall making less than $150 an hour (might have happened in the early years, we old guys tend to forget some details 
) but not recently at all, and I never cleaned up, though I certainly did some bucking into firewood rounds on occasion.
) but not recently at all, and I never cleaned up, though I certainly did some bucking into firewood rounds on occasion.
pantheraba
More biners!!!
Hell, J and B...I ain't a young'un but I amma listening. Y'all just keep talkling...it's all good.
SkwerI
Treehouser
I dunno, Nick. I haven't done a lot of side work over the years, but it seemed that people who wanted me, wanted ME. I cannot recall making less than $150 an hour (might have happened in the early years, we old guys tend to forget some details
I don't know if my market could support $150 per hour on a regular basis, but I'm willing to try.
bonner1040
Nick from Ohio
I will try to! I could see it with the bucket maybe...
Al Smith
Mac Daddy
FWIW the going rate with a 3 man crew and associated equipment is between 150 and 200 per hour in these parts . Of course that's figuring total removal and clean up .Flop and drop or whatever is adjusted as to the nature of the job .
SouthSoundTree
Treehouser
Likewise here, for a climber and two groundies, Lic/Ins/Bonded.
I've dumped trees for $75-100 for 10 minutes out of the truck, on the more rare occasion, but that's not counting travel time.
I've dumped trees for $75-100 for 10 minutes out of the truck, on the more rare occasion, but that's not counting travel time.
bonner1040
Nick from Ohio
I agree with Al and Sean, around 150-200/ hour is normal here for 2-3 guys and a truck/chipper... What I am trying to do is work for a landscaper who doesnt want to hire another tree service to do the work, he wants to do the labor and make the money he just cant put the tree on the ground.
Its like Brian always says, some people, for whatever the reason seem to be thrilled paying someone the easy money while they work their ass off for the hard money.
The impression I got from this guy, Monty, was that he had enough money on it that he could pay me my rate to put it on the ground and then pay his lawn mower/mulch spreading guys minimum wage to put it into pickup trucks and take it away and make a good profit. All the while I dont believe he had any intention of touching a single piece of brush. He was a pretty big, older black guy, drove up in a Charger or some Dodge sports car had nice clothes and no tools with him. I get the impression that he owns a medium sized landscaping outfit he mentioned having a bunch of trucks...
Its like Brian always says, some people, for whatever the reason seem to be thrilled paying someone the easy money while they work their ass off for the hard money.
The impression I got from this guy, Monty, was that he had enough money on it that he could pay me my rate to put it on the ground and then pay his lawn mower/mulch spreading guys minimum wage to put it into pickup trucks and take it away and make a good profit. All the while I dont believe he had any intention of touching a single piece of brush. He was a pretty big, older black guy, drove up in a Charger or some Dodge sports car had nice clothes and no tools with him. I get the impression that he owns a medium sized landscaping outfit he mentioned having a bunch of trucks...
I don't necessarily have an hourly rate. I base my price on what the job entails, all associated risks (did owner let the dead tree stand until it's about to fall on its own?), who I'm working for, and other criteria that happens to be rattling around in my head at the time of bid. I sub for several guys, and treat them all about the same, except Carl. Carl and I sort it out at the end of the day, with him usually writing the check for a little more than I asked for.
One guy is constantly wanting me to come tell him my price prior to his submitting his price, then after I'm done, asking for a cut. I asked him once if he was going to pass the cut on to the customer, and he emphatically said, "NO." I said, "Then why would I give you a cut? That's just giving you money."
Speaking of rates, hourly or otherwise, I'm not making any more per hour than I was 20 years ago, really. I had a day back in 1990 that I was proud of at the time. Brought home over $600 and home before 3:00. I thought I'd won the lottery!
One guy is constantly wanting me to come tell him my price prior to his submitting his price, then after I'm done, asking for a cut. I asked him once if he was going to pass the cut on to the customer, and he emphatically said, "NO." I said, "Then why would I give you a cut? That's just giving you money."
Speaking of rates, hourly or otherwise, I'm not making any more per hour than I was 20 years ago, really. I had a day back in 1990 that I was proud of at the time. Brought home over $600 and home before 3:00. I thought I'd won the lottery!
SouthSoundTree
Treehouser
This was intended to tag onto Burnham's input on the drill, but it didn't quote it properly, or should I say, I didn't click the right button to quote it properly.
Written documentation will help in a legal case much more than "it felt solid enough to me when I used my construction drill".
It can give a objective, longitudinal record of the tree for evals/ reports. We have most recently used it on a 7' dbh doug-fir broken off at 170' (around 40' diameter).
It can be a bit more accurate for looking into hinge quality, too.
We use it for all three cases at Parks.
Written documentation will help in a legal case much more than "it felt solid enough to me when I used my construction drill".
It can give a objective, longitudinal record of the tree for evals/ reports. We have most recently used it on a 7' dbh doug-fir broken off at 170' (around 40' diameter).
It can be a bit more accurate for looking into hinge quality, too.
We use it for all three cases at Parks.
Burnham
Woods walker
While I don't disagree, as you can see from my previous post, I would not make the statement as you posited. Using a drill bit, I can still quantify sound wood.
I'd write something like this: "Starting at the center point of the northern quandrant at DBH and moving in a clockwise direction, I observed a solid rind of 25% of diameter, then 10% of diameter on the eastern quandrant, then less than 5% on the southern quadrant, and 20% on the western quadrant. With the client's home well within strike distance to the northwest of the tree, and with the 15 degrees beyond perpendicular lean in that same direction, removal is recommended, as the strength of the bole at DBH to provide stability is significantly compromised."
I'd write something like this: "Starting at the center point of the northern quandrant at DBH and moving in a clockwise direction, I observed a solid rind of 25% of diameter, then 10% of diameter on the eastern quandrant, then less than 5% on the southern quadrant, and 20% on the western quadrant. With the client's home well within strike distance to the northwest of the tree, and with the 15 degrees beyond perpendicular lean in that same direction, removal is recommended, as the strength of the bole at DBH to provide stability is significantly compromised."
Burnham
Woods walker
See? No lawyer could make a case against that, could they?
Jack
Treehouser
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2010
- Messages
- 2,537
See? No lawyer could make a case against that, could they?
I once had a patent lawyer tell me: "We can lie equally well out of all our orifices."
Burnham
Woods walker
True, but she'd have to know what a lot of highly technical terms mean, to parse my bit of consultation smoke and mirrors...words like "DBH", and "is".
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