day rate

[Lee Winger]

I take all these big day rates with a pinch of salt, infact i'd go as far to say most are BS!

[Zenfordinner]

I take all these big day rates with a pinch of salt, infact i'd go as far to say most are BS!

 

Do you play it by ear, so to speak?

We have a basis we would like to earn per day, but jobs vary and so we price accordingly.

[Lee Winger]

Do you play it by ear, so to speak?

We have a basis we would like to earn per day, but jobs vary and so we price accordingly.

 

no day is ever the same, going on my 20 years in the game, no firm can charge x amount day in day out, it just doesn't happen.

 

I like most, if they admit the truth charge on a basis of how technicle the job is, who the hell is going to pay over £400 per day for hedge trimming, groundwork, small ornametal trims etc and another thing no working day ever starts and finnishes at the same time!

[Zenfordinner]

Yes, inflexible pricing surely will end in loss of much bread and butter business. The little jobs add up.

[Lee Winger]

and another thing who is going to post the rates they charge on an open public forum:heeeelllllooooo:

 

oh did I mention i'm charging £1200 for a three man gang..:wave:

[Dean Lofthouse]

Well said Zen.

 

I can honestly say, I have never "topped" a tree. I have taken off new growth from a previously topped tree, and I have lost a few jobs because I haven't, but agian, it comes down to you advising your customer.

 

If they want a tree topping, I try to keep it simple, if you top your tree, you will end up making the problem worse, where you cut one branch off you will end up with ten growing from the stub, resulting in even less light penetrating the canopy. In years to come the tree will then become dangerous if this new growth is not removed and the tree will have to be taken down anyway. Have you thought of trying to get light underneath the tree rather than over, by doing a crown lift missus X. Basic rule of thumb is, you can't make a big tree small, but you can keep a small tree small. If the tree is too big for the location, have it taken down and replaced with a smaller species Missus X.

 

Nine times out of ten the customer goes, oh yeh, your right, take it down then.

 

As for day rate, you have to be flexible, "aim" for your set day rate, smaller jobs I try to fit them in all on the same day and "aim" for £60 per hour.

 

It works most of the time but sometimes you don't always acheive your target.

 

Good as a guideline though.

[Quickthorn]

Well this thread has certainly been a bit of an eye opener! Down here in Cornwall I can sub in a very good, experienced climber who will do any tree job for £85-£100 per day - and that's with his own 200T + fuel and climbing gear! I then do the ground work using my truck, chipper, big saws and yard and charge the customer around £220-£300 depending on how difficult the job is. Tree firms round here generally consist of the owner plus 1-3 staff (some employed, some subbies) and would generally charge between £200 - £300 per day for 2 men plus truck and chipper - it's all people are willing to pay! Self employed groundsmen get about £55-£60 per day (£70 if lucky) and climbers would be looking at around £80-£100 per day (£120 if lucky). Personally, if I can make £150 - £200 per day for myself after paying wages then I think that's pretty okay! I know I've got lots of overheads to pay plus around 40 grands worth of kit that I've bought, but it's all paid for and I own my own yard. If tree firms in Cornwall started asking for £600-£1000 per day for 2 men plus a truck and chipper I can guarantee that no one would have any work - ever! Still, perhaps that's just Cornwall?

 

I think it's Lincolnshire as well.

[Lee Winger]

Well this thread has certainly been a bit of an eye opener! Down here in Cornwall I can sub in a very good, experienced climber who will do any tree job for £85-£100 per day - and that's with his own 200T + fuel and climbing gear! I then do the ground work using my truck, chipper, big saws and yard and charge the customer around £220-£300 depending on how difficult the job is. Tree firms round here generally consist of the owner plus 1-3 staff (some employed, some subbies) and would generally charge between £200 - £300 per day for 2 men plus truck and chipper - it's all people are willing to pay! Self employed groundsmen get about £55-£60 per day (£70 if lucky) and climbers would be looking at around £80-£100 per day (£120 if lucky). Personally, if I can make £150 - £200 per day for myself after paying wages then I think that's pretty okay! I know I've got lots of overheads to pay plus around 40 grands worth of kit that I've bought, but it's all paid for and I own my own yard. If tree firms in Cornwall started asking for £600-£1000 per day for 2 men plus a truck and chipper I can guarantee that no one would have any work - ever! Still, perhaps that's just Cornwall?

 

I can't see how you ANYONE in the country can work at the above rates, your insurance and running costs are no different to the rest of the countrys, I know a few firms down your way and they charge a lot more than you'd think! not huge rates but comparable to the rest of the country.

[Zenfordinner]

and another thing who is going to post the rates they charge on an open public forum:heeeelllllooooo:

 

oh did I mention i'm charging £1200 for a three man gang..:wave:

 

Indeed! Thought that myself, cynical creature that I am!

[Dean Lofthouse]

At the end of the day all the figures you see on this thread are really for reference only.

 

Each person has differing equipment and differing overheads. So need to charge differing rates.

 

Someone turning up to take a tree down with nothing more than a machete and a washing line will take far longer than someone turning up with MEWP, mog and crane.

 

One will take a month and the other one a day, so one could charge a very high day rate.

 

What I am trying to say is there is a level you can't go below. If you have basic equipment, Truck, chipper, saws, climbing gear, clothing, training and insurance. You can work out a basic day rate determined by wear and tear and standard over heads. Plus the wage you wish to earn.

 

Therfore there should be a minimum day rate that all of us can charge without going under and whilst keeping all our tackle up to date.