how to price a job

[Dave M]

People usually After years of experience in the arb industry working there way get the feel for a job and should be able to look at a tree evaluate all the possibilitys and time scale, removal of rubbish ect .... And thats the answer

 

 

 

 

Hey guys the OP is just starting out, can you advise him where to buy "years of experience"? possibly post a link??

[Steve Bullman]

You can't! If he's just starting out he's going to make a lot of mistakes, simple as that. He can get all the advise he wants on how to go about working out hourly rates etc etc but it means nothing when he starts tackling a tree that takes him 3 times longer that he thinks.....there's no getting away from that fact unfortunately

[Mark Bolam]

If you're having to ask this, then in my opinion you are not ready to start taking on your own work. Most of us put a little time in at the sharp end before trying to set up on our own.

 

Probably not what you wanted to hear, but I'm just being honest.

 

In the words of Bodhi in Point Break -

 

'It's for your own growth Bro'.

[RobRainford]

I agree with you Mark. I set up on my own half way though college with very little experience.

 

I've made a few cock ups on jobs where I've run low on pay for myself or it's taken longer than I wanted. But I've never lost money. Seems to be a lucky guess most of the time and it does take a few tries to get the pricing somewhere on the money!

 

Price for a quality service aswell. I do emphasise this too sometimes when people umm and arr on a price. I say if you get a gardener or someone cheap in you'll get what you pay for. Get an arborist who knows trees and what to do in and you'll get lsome tidy looking stumps at the end of it!

[john p]

im with mark on this,unless you are coming at it with a few years under your belt you will balls up repeatedly and painfully,i still do from time to time,there are so many variables to each job.good luck though!!!

[MattyF]

Yep to many variables to take in to account not one job will be the same as the other, a bit of rain can turn an easy climb in to an grease pole and make every limb walk a tense and slow climb. Wind can either work in your favour or completely against you and no two trees are ever the same, personally I love the job for these challenges and variables other wise it would be all to predictable and boring, nothing quite like beating every thing mother nature throws at you!! But im agreeing with mark 100% ,but sorry if my first post sounded condescending !

[Stephen Blair]

thanks for all the advice guys i just dont want to over charge and b thought off as a rip off merchant

 

What do you class as a rip off merchant?

[Sam Thompson]

If you're having to ask this, then in my opinion you are not ready to start taking on your own work. Most of us put a little time in at the sharp end before trying to set up on our own.

 

Probably not what you wanted to hear, but I'm just being honest.

 

In the words of Bodhi in Point Break -

 

'It's for your own growth Bro'.

 

Bolam is right. Anything backed up with a Point Break quote is always right. Its the source, man.

 

 

On a more serious note, you work out pretty soon how to do it. Good luck

[DN22 Gardening]

its a sad fact of the job that you'll not be able to make the same money on hedge cutting, as you will on tree work.

 

we all cock up either way from time to time.

 

i've just lost a job,

approx 50' of conny hedge to remove (approx 8' high and 5' wide), three 30' wide ass single connys, plus another 12 single 12/15 footers, all stumps and make good the holes with soil and grass seed.

my price was £750-00

the guy who got the job was £400

 

who's right ??????

am i too dear, or is he too cheap.

personally i think there's a day and halfs work for three men. must be half a days stump grinding, approx 5 trannys worth of chip

so imo he's way too cheap.

 

he probably thinks i'm way too dear.. who knows

 

its all trial and error

 

good luck to you for trying though

[Graham Jackson]

i agree with mark prob is to soon to start on my own but u got to give it a go .

as for rip of merchants i mean people that buy a saw then dont bother to get any training then take work away from the guys that do no disrespect to anyone here