Got a quote last week

[Carl_NH]

Here in NH and NE its about $1-1200 to remove a single tree without issues (like close to buildings/wires), 100' x30" diameter, including cut and chip and clean up. A crew of 2 guys maybe 2 hours.

Most of the tree guys around here will do a daily rate - 2 guys and a chipper about $1200, 3 guys and a bucket truck $1700 4 guys, chipper and crane $2000.+.

CatDriver - I would have have said "deal" at $500 and had it done. but I understand your point.

Off Topic But To that point,

I needed a new boiler 10 years ago, so getting bids, this HVAC guy arrived in a brand new Duramax 3500 and reviewed the project, spent an hour, didn't do a heat loss or any evaluation - you need 110K BTU unit - all the time his duramax was idling in the driveway.

His bid was $1K higher for same material but what bothered me most was the attitude, and if he let his truck idling for an hour, would he care about the efficiency of our boiler - likely not. I went with the guy that spent the time, did the heat loss calculation 70K BTU, and provided a fair quote, but not the lowest but we saved $ long term.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Sometimes your first impression is the most valuable.

I went with a mason who turned out to be first class, because I remember eating in a restaurant with him and his family and was so impressed how well behaved his young children were.

 

[Carl_NH]

Sometimes your first impression is the most valuable.

I went with a mason who turned out to be first class, because I remember eating in a restaurant with him and his family and was so impressed how well behaved his young children were.

Spot on!

 

[Deere Dude]

I said nope, take the $400.00, or leave it. He drove off.

Why do businesses do this, why quote ridiculous prices. That's rhetorical, I know why because there are people that will say yes to ridiculous prices without any argument.

With all the dickering back and forth, he may have been thinking that you may not pay him at all once the tree is down. Then what would he have done? Seen it happen with other contractor work.

That being said, a friend of mine had a 50' 30" dia at the base oak in his back yard he needed down. It was near his house and garage. He chipped or hauled all the brush and left everything in as big of chunks as he could as I was going to pick it up. He charge $400. That seems like a good deal for all that work.

$400 seemed like a fair price. I would just buy a 60CC saw and cut in myself before I would have it cut even at that price.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Here in NH and NE its about $1-1200 to remove a single tree without issues (like close to buildings/wires), 100' x30" diameter, including cut and chip and clean up. A crew of 2 guys maybe 2 hours.

Most of the tree guys around here will do a daily rate - 2 guys and a chipper about $1200, 3 guys and a bucket truck $1700 4 guys, chipper and crane $2000.+.

CatDriver - I would have have said "deal" at $500 and had it done. but I understand your point.

Off Topic But To that point,

I needed a new boiler 10 years ago, so getting bids, this HVAC guy arrived in a brand new Duramax 3500 and reviewed the project, spent an hour, didn't do a heat loss or any evaluation - you need 110K BTU unit - all the time his duramax was idling in the driveway.

His bid was $1K higher for same material but what bothered me most was the attitude, and if he let his truck idling for an hour, would he care about the efficiency of our boiler - likely not. I went with the guy that spent the time, did the heat loss calculation 70K BTU, and provided a fair quote, but not the lowest but we saved $ long term.

Maybe it's just me, but in negotiations, there's a point where one of you ticks off the other so no deal can ever be reached. That tipping can be almost anything when you or the other person is giving up cash for a product or service. It's happened to me on both ends of a deal, selling and buying. Most often it has to do with either insulting or being insulted or perceived to be insulted or insulting.

I've refused to sell to many people because of their attitude and their way of negotiating a deal.

For me, it's rarely about the money if I and the seller or buyer are close enough I'll call it a day and do the deal. It really wasn't about the $100.00 because I did feel the $500.00 would have been acceptable, it was 100% attitude.

Turns out I got another bid and that was for $100.00. Not a typo ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS. He would start the next day. Mind you temp all weel have been between 115 and 119 degrees here. I said OK how about you give me a price to trim 1,800 feed of 10-12' oleander bush and cut it down to two feet. HE said $300.00 for everything tree and trimming.

Since he didn't speak any English all this was done via Google translate. I repeated EVERYTHING for $300.00, he said YES!. I said NO I will not pay you $300.00 I will pay you $500.00 for the work. Of course, he was stunned, but then so was I. He wasn't an Illegal because he works for a local nursery and here in Ca. you need to prove you here legally. He showed me his paycheck when I asked him to verify.

7am the next day he was on time and hit it HARD. He was a tiny guy but worked as an army of men. He would cut and trim I would remove the trimmings with the tractor. This went on till about 2pm, he left for lunch. He came back at 5 pm worked to 8 pm. Remember 115, 118 degrees. This went on for three more days until the finale of cutting the tree down.

At one point his chainsaw broke down, and he never skipped a beat and was using a hand saw.


The job was complete way way way beyond my expectations. The deal was you cut and trim and I remove and clean up. I paid him what we agreed on and as he was walking away because I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop and he says " NO I MEANT $3,000.00" I called him back and gave him a hefty bonus.

I even told my wife, it's so hot even the AC in the tractor can't keep me cool how is this superman working like a dog in this heat and only taking brief water breaks.

These were the oleanders before he cut them down.




These were the oleanders after he cut them to size.



Him cutting the tree down




The Temps here today

 

[mmancuso13]

You sure got your monies worth...

 

[skipperbrown]

I got a quote of $1200 to cut 4 limbs about 4" in diameter from a Live Oak that needed to be removed before starting the addition to my shop. I contemplated the cost of the service ($300 per limb) vs. me ending up in the ER if I did it myself. I decided it was worth the risk and in 30 minutes I had set up my ladder, cut the limbs, trimmed to necessary size for garbage pickup, and hauled it to the street. You may want to buy a nice chainsaw and do it yourself. In the end, you'll drop the tree and have a nice chainsaw to boot.

 

[Cat_Driver]

I got a quote of $1200 to cut 4 limbs about 4" in diameter from a Live Oak that needed to be removed before starting the addition to my shop. I contemplated the cost of the service ($300 per limb) vs. me ending up in the ER if I did it myself. I decided it was worth the risk and in 30 minutes I had set up my ladder, cut the limbs, trimmed to necessary size for garbage pickup, and hauled it to the street. You may want to buy a nice chainsaw and do it yourself. In the end, you'll drop the tree and have a nice chainsaw to boot.

Already got it cut down - look at the post above for a price less than a fill up of diesel in my truck.

One thing about getting work done, there is always a person that will do it for less money. All service providers place a different value on a dollar. To some a few hundred dollars isn't worth their time. To others, a few hundred dollars feed your family for a week.

I agree about letting professionals do dangerous work. For me cutting down a large tree is dangerous. To others, they just walk over, run a chain saw through it, and then take a sip of coffee.

Even with a new shiny chain saw I wouldn't do it just like I wouldn't get behind a race car in a race just because I know how to drive.

I'm like you, I appreciate my arms, legs, and toes just where they're at.

 

[Cat_Driver]

You sure got your monies worth...

This brought up another issue that I never calculated with a high bid for a job.

A high insane bid or bad attitude prevents that person not only from that job but any job from that person or company ever again. Think about that. The person that I sent away lost any future business from me and who knows what that might add up to? The guy that did the work GUARANTEES the first phone call I will make and get every bit of future business from me and again that could be a lot of work now that I know and trust him and his price is low. Actually too low, but I'd rather pay a higher rate to a person that works as har5d as this guy did, and be glad to do it.

This again reminded me of how I ran my business. There were plenty of times I took a job that was below my standards and price but I liked the people so I did the work. Time and time again that bad job always turned into long term contracts that included really high prices and some low prices jobs, but they were loyal to me as I was to them. So that one bad job turned into a great paying event over the long term.

So many companies want to make it all on one job, one call, one event and then wonder why they aren't busy all the time.

 

[4570Man]

I got a quote of $1200 to cut 4 limbs about 4" in diameter from a Live Oak that needed to be removed before starting the addition to my shop. I contemplated the cost of the service ($300 per limb) vs. me ending up in the ER if I did it myself. I decided it was worth the risk and in 30 minutes I had set up my ladder, cut the limbs, trimmed to necessary size for garbage pickup, and hauled it to the street. You may want to buy a nice chainsaw and do it yourself. In the end, you'll drop the tree and have a nice chainsaw to boot.

A tree and ladder is a terrible combination and very likely to result in the 3rd possibility the ER. For future reference consider a pole saw or rental lift or on the cheap one of those rope chainsaws would work.