Price check on a quote I got.

[rmack898]

I need to have a ROW cut that is 2800 linear feet, that is 6-10' wide. At 10' wide that is one acre to cleared. The property is planted pine and the ground cover is palmetto. I don't need any trees removed, I just want the ground cover removed.

I got a quote to have it ground for $3800. The guy said it would take 2-3 days.

Is this a little bit on the high side?

I have attached a pic of what the ground cover looks like.

This may be my first post but I've been lurking for 8 years

 

[oosik]

Welcome to TBN Mack. Hey - a suggestion - complete your profile and tell where you live.

Ah - at first I did not understand. This ROW does not have to be straight as an arrow. It can go around trees rather than removing them. Then - JMHO - $3800 is a bit high.

Suggest you obtain a second and third bid.

 

[rmack898]

It's been 8 years since I registered here and never realized that I never completed my profile.

The property in question is in NE Florida (Clay county), and yes the ROW can go around the trees. I mainly want to have the lines of the property cleared so that my wife can make a decision on where we want to pin the house.

I am still living in the southern most part of NJ and making monthly commutes to Florida. I have a Bobcat S-185 and thought about trying to do this myself with a brush hog but quickly realized that a pro with the right equipment might be the best way to get the job done.

 

[millerellis]

fwiw... where i'm at that would be $8-12k.

i'll be clearing a 1/3acre lot no trees over 4" diameter, bit of a slope. giving the MIL a deal at 4k. i will charge more if it takes more than 2days.


i cant imagine a place that, man hours, equipment and overhead for 2-3days work be less than $3800 bid price. they do okay at 2days, 3 days a wash (might as well not have taken the job), 4 and they loosing they're ***. as a contractor you have to make money, i'm a self employed contractor with no employees and i'm at about $5k a month just to stoy open and in business. thats over $150/day. and will only increase as i add employees.

 

[tmc_31]

I live in West Texas and use a skid loader with a sheeps foot grubber to remove mesquite. This grubber extends about 16' below the surface and gets much of the root out. I typically can grub and rake 2 acres per day depending on the size of the trees (about 6 hrs per day is all my butt can stand running the skid). Not sure if this would work with the Palmetto but might be worth a try especially since you already have a skid loader. You could probably rent a sheepsfoot grubber. You may have to poison them too to limit regrowth. I generally get around $450/day for grubbing plus mobilization. My guess is that it would take two days or less to grub and rake (into piles) your one acre of land.

If you are not worried about regrowth, you might consider renting a front mounted rotary cutter for your skid steer. This should make short work of those pesky palmettos. If you do this, you will need to have a door on the skid loader.

 

[treemuncher]

Sounds expensive to me if all youre doing is removing palmetto and no trees. I often average $1k-2k per acre if the trees are not over 12" dbh and not so thick that you can't walk through it. Every job is different and size equals time as does density of what is left. Smaller machines take longer and cost the customer more cash.

 

[Oldoak]

Yep, I would say for what you want, $3800 is a bit high. And two or three days to do the job? What kink of equipment is he using. A commercial forestry mulcher would do that in a few hours. But then you did say remove, not just ground up to a few inches below the surface. I have no idea what it takes to remove palmetto. In any case, I would certainly get at least a second estimate from another contractor.

 

[rmack898]

And two or three days to do the job? What kink of equipment is he using. A commercial forestry mulcher would do that in a few hours. But then you did say remove, not just ground up to a few inches below the surface. I have no idea what it takes to remove palmetto. In any case, I would certainly get at least a second estimate from another contractor.

I would be happy with the palmetto ground to a few inches below the surface. I was thinking with the right machine this job could be done in 8 hours. $200-$225 per hour plus mobilization, I'm thinking $2k at the most. I'm looking to get a few more quotes.

 

[nybirdman]

Last year I was charged $285/hr.for a 95 h.p.skid steer with a forestry head.Local rental is $2600/wk.

 

[tmc_31]

rmack898,
I realize that this an old thread, but I am curious if you got your Palmettos removed. If you did, how did you go about it? Also, if you don't mind sharing, what was the approximate cost?

Tim