Prices

[Mark Bolam]

1 hour ago, Steve Bullman said:

In my experience you’ll always get the odd company out there prepared to pay over the odds for a good climber. 
 

scenario is climber does the odd day for said company, next thing boasts about charging £350 a day where the reality is 90% of his work is well below this rate 

 

You mean you’ll get gardening and landscaping companies, and gyppos, (who aren’t insured for real tree work) offering this rate for a gun climber ‘with his own insurance’ when they get the chance of a lucrative tree job.

[Excels1or]

I'll be honest, I'm a mediocre climber and if anything really tricky comes up we'll hire in a MEWP for £400 plus vat for the day. To me paying £350 per day (or passing on to the client) would be acceptable for a small number of jobs

[Steve Bullman]

8 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

 

You mean you’ll get gardening and landscaping companies, and gyppos, (who aren’t insured for real tree work) offering this rate for a gun climber ‘with his own insurance’ when they get the chance of a lucrative tree job.

Accurate

[Con]

3 hours ago, Excels1or said:

I'll be honest, I'm a mediocre climber and if anything really tricky comes up we'll hire in a MEWP for £400 plus vat for the day. To me paying £350 per day (or passing on to the client) would be acceptable for a small number of jobs

Same. I'd probably class myself as very mediocre! Bit like Everton.  I've been facing relegation for the last couple of seasons.

[Dan Maynard]

I did 2 pollards yesterday, seems I should charge about £40 at that speed.

 

More seriously I think rates in my area have gone up, problem for anyone is all the business costs have gone up but customers also have less spare cash around so there is a squeeze in the middle. You can only charge so much for a job before it just doesn't get done or some door knocker gets it.

[Treetom15]

4 hours ago, Dan Maynard said:

I did 2 pollards yesterday, seems I should charge about £40 at that speed.

 

More seriously I think rates in my area have gone up, problem for anyone is all the business costs have gone up but customers also have less spare cash around so there is a squeeze in the middle. You can only charge so much for a job before it just doesn't get done or some door knocker gets it.

I did think think that re rates for a company, especially if you’re employing a climber at 250/350 a day! Going rate around here is anywhere between 5/700 a day for a 2 man team depending on what you’ve got/how good etc, so if over 50% of that is just 1 persons wage that doesn’t leave much for chipper, fuel etc…….

[Raven]

On 04/05/2023 at 23:28, Mark Bolam said:

There’s a few thoughts initially mate.

 

If you’re a freelance climber you don’t need your own insurance, so **************** that off as soon as you read this.

You don’t need it, and they will never pay out. Ever. But will happily take your money.

 

Rigging kit?

No. Any decent outfit will have their own.

Who’s running the ropes?

A gyppo kid or £80/day jobseeker?

 

You must be in London with the prices you mention, and if you’re good you’re worth every penny of £300-350, but sack off all the other shit and make Glendales pay.

 

I’m in SE Kent, gun climbers on £220.

And I mean gun, Danny Mac gun.

Haha I started at Glendale's when I was 17 lol 35 now also I'm in Maidenhead

[Raven]

On 05/05/2023 at 06:14, JackR said:

It’s an interesting point this one. I’m in SE London and a shit hot climber seems to go for around £250 in this part of the world.

 

I do NOT have the same experience as the OP but I was consistently selling work in the £175-200 bracket when I was subbying. 
 

However I was offered £180 a day regular work in Bath the other day and I keep hearing rumours of similar day rates in other parts of the country. 
 

I think it’s a myth that London climbers are on silly money. 

I was making 200 a day in Newcastle but since moving South I'm on 250. After reading these comments and the fact I have insurance, tools, 17yrs exp and UTR I should probably charge more. 

[Raven]

On 05/05/2023 at 13:41, Dan Maynard said:

I did 2 pollards yesterday, seems I should charge about £40 at that speed.

 

More seriously I think rates in my area have gone up, problem for anyone is all the business costs have gone up but customers also have less spare cash around so there is a squeeze in the middle. You can only charge so much for a job before it just doesn't get done or some door knocker gets it.

The Pollard's I did that day were on London plain Street trees using a 151. I've always been told I'm fast at what I do but I know me and know I was quicker when I was younger. More technical now but even so I've felt my pace reduce.

[Raven]

On 05/05/2023 at 13:41, Dan Maynard said:

I did 2 pollards yesterday, seems I should charge about £40 at that speed.

 

More seriously I think rates in my area have gone up, problem for anyone is all the business costs have gone up but customers also have less spare cash around so there is a squeeze in the middle. You can only charge so much for a job before it just doesn't get done or some door knocker gets it.

Yeah that's kind of my point like if I charge 350 that's an extra hundred in the price which means some gypo company will come in under and get it. I know that's not really my problem but how else can we beat them. Also miss after taking to numerous people and companies I can reduce my overheads and up my wage. Not sure where I'm going yet or if I'll fold but it's really good to get other peoples thoughts on this.