Contract Rates

[aspenarb]

If we bring in contract climbers we tend to go for teams, I prefer a climber to come with his/her own groundie and kit. Climbers/groundstaff are far more productive if they gel, £350 a day for a decent climber, groundie and all their own kit is not out of the way around here.

 

Bob 

[Pete Mctree]

Makes good sense Bob.

 

I could charge strong money if I wanted and on some jobs get it. However the number of those jobs are few and far between locally & I probably would end up sitting at home a lot as I would have priced myself out of a lot of the other work. 

Set your rate on workload & not just the "I want" figure.

[oldwoodcutter]

Just recently I can’t believe what some firms are quoting, I’ve looked at several nasty dismantles or removals and quoted accordingly, only for the would be clients to talk to me dismissively, or briskly bring the conversation to a close. And when I have tried to justify my price, they have named other firms who have quoted half my price.
I’m not prepared to offer prices that were the going rate 20 years ago, but it seems some are willing to work for absolute peanuts.
As above try getting an electrician or bricklayer at 2000 rates, you could have a long wait.

[spuddog0507]

dont climb now adays myself but have employed plenty of climbers over the years, a small amount of them are well worth the money, some are average and some are just taking the piss, for some one on the ground who is just accessing the abillaty of a climber in a tree, by far the best climbers i have employed are all the same build, small frame, no extra weight on them and quite strong for there size, apart from this group there is only one other guy i use who is worth his money, one young lad who qualified about 2 yr ago says he is good and wanted £160 a day, now i am fair and willing to give any one a chance but this guy was as near as you could get to being useless,had to tell him to get his kit on after he had sat and watched me unload chipper etc when he finally got up the tree, he just kept asking me which branch now, as if i know as i aint up the tree, just told him to get on with it as i was freezing stood there waiting, asked him down at dinner with about a third of one tree compleated, job was 3 trees and we should of had all 3 done for 2-3pm, i said to him we had done for today and i would come back with another climber and get finished another day, i told him not to take offence but he needed to watch some one who was good at his job, 4 days later i invited him back with another climber on site, climber up tree for 8.15 not 9.30, first full tree down for 10am 2nd one 11,45 3rd one finished for 12.45, cleaned up loaded up for 1.30 young lad just said he is quick and good at what he does, as far as know the young lad has been on several jobs with the other climber and says he has learnt loads of good tips of him and hence has come on in leaps and bounds and now asks for £110 a day as he says thats all he is worth (his words) compared to other guy on £200 a day, so make your own minds up on this, but this is just my view on climbers some are shit hot, some are better than average, some are average and some are just living a childhood dream, sorry,

[bigtreedon]

dont climb now adays myself but have employed plenty of climbers over the years, a small amount of them are well worth the money, some are average and some are just taking the piss, for some one on the ground who is just accessing the abillaty of a climber in a tree, by far the best climbers i have employed are all the same build, small frame, no extra weight on them and quite strong for there size, apart from this group there is only one other guy i use who is worth his money, one young lad who qualified about 2 yr ago says he is good and wanted £160 a day, now i am fair and willing to give any one a chance but this guy was as near as you could get to being useless,had to tell him to get his kit on after he had sat and watched me unload chipper etc when he finally got up the tree, he just kept asking me which branch now, as if i know as i aint up the tree, just told him to get on with it as i was freezing stood there waiting, asked him down at dinner with about a third of one tree compleated, job was 3 trees and we should of had all 3 done for 2-3pm, i said to him we had done for today and i would come back with another climber and get finished another day, i told him not to take offence but he needed to watch some one who was good at his job, 4 days later i invited him back with another climber on site, climber up tree for 8.15 not 9.30, first full tree down for 10am 2nd one 11,45 3rd one finished for 12.45, cleaned up loaded up for 1.30 young lad just said he is quick and good at what he does, as far as know the young lad has been on several jobs with the other climber and says he has learnt loads of good tips of him and hence has come on in leaps and bounds and now asks for £110 a day as he says thats all he is worth (his words) compared to other guy on £200 a day, so make your own minds up on this, but this is just my view on climbers some are shit hot, some are better than average, some are average and some are just living a childhood dream, sorry,

Weight watchers and a saw to my legs get some height off me that is the secret to climbing success thank u [emoji6]

[Rough Hewn]

Good tree surgeons come in all shapes and sizes.
I only care about their ability.
Some are worth well north of £200 as their work will show.
But the going rate in West Yorkshire is about £120 a day.
It's just wrong.
There are some firms paying better but it's high end stuff or CIS.
Good luck
[emoji106]

[oldwoodcutter]

I can sympathise with you there Spuddog , I’ve given climbers a trial who took til 11 o clock to ascend and make their first cut, and then the first branch going straight through a pantile roof, and others who claimed to be fully competent but constantly ask down to me what boughs to cut and where to cut them.
Needless to say I didn’t invite them back .
On the other side of the coin I have had the utmost respect for the climber who does the job safely and seemingly effortless, with all the branches coming down almost into the chipper hopper, and who doesn’t casually drop 100 kilo chogs without looking beforehand, with an early finish for everyone.
That’s the diff between £100 and £200

[Stuart Picken]

At 6.4 and 17 stone I strongly reject than nonsense about the wee bastards being the cream.

 

Edited June 2, 2019 by Stuart Picken

[Mark J]

Prices are a bit lower up here in the North East. I climb on most of my jobs when contracting but I would usually pay 150 for a competent climber and 200+ for a good one with all the trimmings,  per day. Job and knock. Many of the good climbers I know are happy to earn 35 euro an hour in Germany.

Edited June 2, 2019 by Mark J

[bigtreedon]

At 6.4 and 17 stone I strongly reject than nonsense about the wee bastards being the cream.
 

Here here although certain tasks do suite our slightly built fellow tree folk tip pruning small trees wen u nearly weigh the same as the tree is not great ?