Mind blowing price.... lost the job

[James905]

Sharing for everyone's amusement. I'm honestly still laughing at this.

 

This morning I was undercut by the most astronomical amount. 

 

Storm season is upon us and a TPO horse Chestnut fell landing through an outhouse and a historical wall.

 

Let me paint the scene.... its land locked. There is no access.

The drag is down a Hill, over a footpath, chucked over the fence to a rough banking then scramble up to a driveway. The tree sat across two gardens

 

Monster tree.... looking at a 661 with a 4ft bar and still wouldn't reach through it all. 

 

The tree is suspended in the air sat in the half collapsed building and on the wall, both will collapse further during the works. Not to mention potential asbestos on the building next along which has a couple of damage sections to the roof.

 

I quoted to remove brash, dig out the speared branches and cut the timber and leave stacked. Not to mention cutting in a half collapsed building. Great.

My quote was 3k ... fair to cover many hands to carry and 2/3 days of work, not super cheap but fair given the danger/ risk. 

 

This mornings message was that they had a quote for £350

It would hardly cover fuel and oil, never mind the 5 staff per day and equipment ! 

 

Just mind blowing 😂😂 

 

How do people out there get by like that?! 

2nd time this company has done the most ridiculous quote against one of mine, last time the owner was too concerned and went with us..this time the cheapest job wins! And they are welcome to it. 

[Ty Korrigan]

Ooooffff!

 Perhaps they left off a zero, seriously.

The client may shortly find several dismayed tree guys cussing in their garden or just walking out of the job.

My former business partner left off a zero once which saw 4 of us working 2 days for €250.

We were subbing to a landscaper who held us to the quote which in France is a signed contract.

 Are you going to ruck up and watch from a safe distance as jaws drop and the air turns blue?

   

 

[GarethM]

I'd say 3k was a bit of an under quotation.

[Doug Tait]

I wondered if they missed a 0 too. Or maybe they think they've hit the firewood motherlode but haven't identified it's HC.

[GarethM]

Just wait until tomorrow and the inevitable phone call saying they didn't turn up etc etc 

[peds]

I would like to subscribe to future updates on this situation.

Definitely be worth being a fly on the wall when the reality sets in. 

[James905]

I would love nothing more than to pull up a garden chair and watch the rodeo ! 

Sadly I know they havnt missed off a zero. I did a job in the past of 1 day per tree and there standard pricing was £100 per tree. The customer just said no that's too cheap and worrying.

 

I'd of had 1 day with 2 other tree lads and then just a couple more labourers then a 2nd day with two of us.

I could of gone higher cost wise realistically 

[coppice cutter]

1 hour ago, GarethM said:

I'd say 3k was a bit of an under quotation.

Some of the prices I see on here of people charging for jobs leaves me open-mouthed.

 

Considering what was involved with that one with access and all, and how they were going to leave it I thought it wasn't that bad.

Edited January 15, 2023 by coppice cutter

[GarethM]

Granted I don't have a clue what people need to earn per day but that's probably most of week with 3/4 guys and hearing the terrain and knowing it'll be involving insurance and asbestos.

 

I'd probably want to budget atleast a week with room for toys, probably closer to 4/5k.

[Stephen Blair]

1 man with a 500i will log that in a morning and walk away with £350 in his hand with a labourer throwing it into a pile if need be and still earn a good wage.  It’s a 9th of your price so customer will be happy with that for now until insurance gets sorted would be my theory.  
  Best of luck to them, most established companies have an owner with a bad back due to jobs like that when they first start out!

speaking from experience!