Groundie/climber current rates?

[Retired Climber]

13 minutes ago, Rich Rule said:

See that smiley face on the post...  a bit like this one

 

It generally means the comment was tongue in cheek.  

Yep, I know how it works. Just thought I'd clarify anyway. 

[Retired Climber]

12 minutes ago, Rich Rule said:

But was that 5 days a week or the occasional day?

I'm just playing at it now. As I think I mentioned, I retired from climbing in about 2006 and sold the business in 2010. My climbing these days is for clients for whom I've looked after trees and gardens for years. I don't have to price to get the work, they want me to do it regardless of what it costs or how long it takes.

 

I'd never compete with a lot of the guys on here if I had to actually 'earn' the money. 

[benedmonds]

19 hours ago, lux said:

Ha. Wouldn’t surprise me.
I was chatting to a rail side contractor. They were putting out a 3 man team at 650 a day. Must be paying staff peanuts but that probably goes some way to explaining the woeful standard of work they were doing.

Round here £650 plus vat a day for a 3 man team is upper end. Many charge a lot less. I am frequently told this when people turn down my quotes.

[lux]

Very cheap. Those figures wouldn’t add up for me.
Gotta be looking 800 plus vat for 3 man team if on day rate.
I’m amazed at regional variations in price.

[treevolution]

2 minutes ago, benedmonds said:

Round here £650 plus vat a day for a 3 man team is upper end. Many charge a lot less. I am frequently told this when people turn down my quotes.

Must be soul destroying as running a 3 man team on £650 just does not add up. 

 

I know it's a different area but in London we went out with 3 men for £900 a day 20 years ago. 

 

I more then happy to pay freelance groundies and climbers what ever they charge as its down to them to set their rate. 

 

 

[Jack.P]

I was surprised to find a few larger employers I noticed recently only pay minimum wage for ground workers on saws and chipper strimmer etc  .its definitely a poor business plan which will see high staff turnover and end up costing the employer more when they are paying to get all the tickets etc only to loose staff after a few months .

maybe it’s like council work where they hardly work at all though ??

 

[Retired Climber]

13 minutes ago, Jack.P said:

I was surprised to find a few larger employers I noticed recently only pay minimum wage for ground workers on saws and chipper strimmer etc  .its definitely a poor business plan which will see high staff turnover and end up costing the employer more when they are paying to get all the tickets etc only to loose staff after a few months .

maybe it’s like council work where they hardly work at all though ??

 

It depends what you mean by ground worker. Someone with a couple of tickets who drags brash and feeds a chipper is only unskilled labour. Someone you trust with your rigging is much more valuable. 

[Jack.P]

6 minutes ago, Retired Climber said:

It depends what you mean by ground worker. Someone with a couple of tickets who drags brash and feeds a chipper is only unskilled labour. Someone you trust with your rigging is much more valuable.

 

 

Seemed to be loading chipper and some ground based saw work aswell as using Strimmer and hedge cutter .all a major faf for less money than supermarkets

[Paddy1000111]

2 hours ago, Jack.P said:

 

 

Seemed to be loading chipper and some ground based saw work aswell as using Strimmer and hedge cutter .all a major faf for less money than supermarkets

It is disheartening. Especially when you look up "tree surgeon salary" and things like that and see pathetic numbers when you know that's not true when you compare it to how much you can make working for yourself. I think it puts a lot of people off the industry, on the bright side it may pave the way for a lack of man power in the future (I know my local utility arb guys are crying out for staff) and may push rates up and give this industry the much needed pay rise that it needs. 

Edited February 18, 2021 by Paddy1000111

[allseasons]

Well we are offering £120-£200 for climber depending on experience with us providing all kit just got to turn up and climb and had no interest all work is nice straight forward stuff and job and knock too.