Ripped off by tree surgeons

[Steve Bullman]

Looks like a cut and drop job, hard to see from the pics but pretty sure I’d have that on the ground within 30 minutes.  Would you still feel ripped off if I then charged £150 for half hours work? 

[htb]

Ah but you've retired steve,but agree with you

[Haironyourchest]

1 minute ago, Steve Bullman said:

Looks like a cut and drop job, hard to see from the pics but pretty sure I’d have that on the ground within 30 minutes.  Would you still feel ripped off if I then charged £150 for half hours work? 

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing - chuck a rope in, cut at the red line with a polesaw and pull the sucker over, simples. Probly take an hour and a half.

[flatyre]

I've just been asked for a similar quote, three large dead ash hemmed in by power lines on one side, BT lines on another side, a mature conifer on another side, and an immaculate garden with shrubs, rose beds, and small ornate trees on the fourth side. Customer wants a price to "get them down in one, we'll take it from there" Tried explaining that was the most dangerous and therefore expensive part of the job, she thought £50 was a fair price, but then she did phone me originally to offer me a fallen pine for £300, that's for me to give her £300 for the "firewood". I'd say £200 would be a fair price based on the pics. Two men, one hour???

[chrisjpainter]

I know very little about this, but wouldn't a site check be pretty normal - especially as the photos you provided put the red line (assuming that's the cut line?) at two different points on the tree and there's a steep bank with a stream at the bottom on one side of the tree. seem to be a fair few logistics involved that you've not thought through or spotted, which is probably why getting professionals in is a good idea - and have to pay them as professionals. or you could get some cowboy in to do it, kill himself on your property and then be left with having to live with that on your conscience because you didn't want to pay for someone who knew what they were doing...

[onetruth]

7 hours ago, Martin95 said:

 He did however say that they normal industry price is £640 plus vat.

That's about £770?  Does seem excessive.

From the photos, I'd guess around £200 to get it on the ground.

 

Get more quotes, simple as that.

[Stihl123]

the £150 guy also forgot to mention that the 150 is part payment. he'll take the rest of the payment when he returns to your farm to collect some machinery. they like to do this out of daylight hours for some reason.

[Mark Bolam]

Pricing from photos is a bad idea.

 

Just get 2 or 3 quotes.

 

If they’re all around the same you have your answer.

[aspenarb]

12 hours ago, Martin95 said:

I have joined this forum in the hope of finding an arborist who will not rip me off. Today my wife whilst I was at work contacted an aborist with the view of getting a price to reduce the size of a large ash tree. In order to get a rough quote she sent some pictures which I have attached. The idea being if he was going to take our eyes out it would save him the trouble of a site visit. This particular arborist nonetheless insisted on a site visit and duly quoted my wife £450 cash at which my wife wonder where was his horse and mask whilst he was robbing us.

 

 

 

So you dont want it done then ? I cant win them all

 

Bob

[WesD]

Surely this should be in the “making the news” thread titled .......

 

Local Farmer Feels Hard Done To