hourly rate

[Littletree]

Hi could anyone please tell me what hourly rate a customer should be expected to pay for a self employed tree surgeon?

 

Thanks

 

Hi there it's very unlightly you would get any tree surgeon to work for an hourley rate no one would do a job for a a couple hours doing it by the hour unless it was a couple of hundred pound an hour . . It's either quoted by the job or some may do it on a day rate depending if the job is very large and ongoing .

 

Littletree

[weldersunited]

Always try to quote the job- that way your customer knows how much it wil cost and can accept or decline.

 

If they insist on and hourly rate it may be worth having a scedule of rates that you could give them ie your time per hour, cost of plant per day eg saw, chipper, haulage, disposal costs etc, travel time and rates you charge at etc- the more it's broken down the more difficult it is to argue against, just make sure that your profit margin is built into these costs, eg any hired in plant would be cost + 20%. Have yourself a daywork sheet itemising all this and have customer sign at end of day.

 

Unfortunately try as you will to safeguard your interests there will always be one clown that will challenge everything you do. Trick is to spot them before you do the job and walk away!

[Mark Bolam]

Always try to quote the job- that way your customer knows how much it wil cost and can accept or decline.

 

If they insist on and hourly rate it may be worth having a scedule of rates that you could give them ie your time per hour, cost of plant per day eg saw, chipper, haulage, disposal costs etc, travel time and rates you charge at etc- the more it's broken down the more difficult it is to argue against, just make sure that your profit margin is built into these costs, eg any hired in plant would be cost + 20%. Have yourself a daywork sheet itemising all this and have customer sign at end of day.

 

Unfortunately try as you will to safeguard your interests there will always be one clown that will challenge everything you do. Trick is to spot them before you do the job and walk away!

 

[Niceboy]

Has anyone tendered for a park contract which also included submitting one hourly rate for extra work - both hedge/shrub trimming AND tree cutting and which includes removal of arisings?Would anyone charge the same per hour for pruning a bin bag of rose cuttings as they would for climbing a 40 foot tree and removing half a tonne of branches?!!!!

 

If you charged say £25 per hour you could have a truck load of timber on the ground within 15 minutes and I don't think your 25 quid would go very far disposing of it:crying:

 

Any difficult tree work or climbing I'd have to sub contract so I'd appreciate any suggestions for the labour cost side of it, but seems like 'how long is a piece of string' to me:confused1:

 

If I put forward a fairer way of pricing would my tender go straight in the bin?

[likeitorlumpit]

Haven't done hourly rate for 20 years or more

Occasionally do day rate but you then get customers complaining if you crack on and finish at 2 and don't want to pay a days work= no incentive

[Hodge]

I don't use an hourly rate unless I'm felling for a guy I know and then it's by the hour. I have had people call up and ask our hourly rate to take a tree down though. One man asks me to look at 3 x 50ft connys, asks how much per hour would I charge to drop them, sned them and leave in 4ft lengths, they were leaning and next to a caravan, I said I will just give you a price, I told him 200 pounds, he asks how long it will take and I said that it will take what it takes as I'm just charging to drop the trees and leave how he wants, he is still asking for the bloody hourly rate, in the end I just say its the job I'm pricing not the time. In the end he agreed and said go ahead. I dropped em and had the job den and dusted in an hour and had 2 brews with him. Saw my point in the end, it's taken him a year to clear it up!!

[daveindales]

Hi could anyone please tell me what hourly rate a customer should be expected to pay for a self employed tree surgeon?

 

Thanks

 

avoid an hourly rate at all costs. Better a quote for the job or a day-rate. I find a day rate works well for me. The day rate is usually for two of us and the chipper. For smaller jobs I usually just provide a quote.

[Niceboy]

avoid an hourly rate at all costs.

 

Ordinarily I do, but the contract asks for an hourly rate for jobs that may arise. The fact that it has to include disposal as well......

[Brett]

If you have to go with hourly rate inc disposal, give your hourly rate +per ton disposal, ie; £26+vat per ton or whatever

[Old Mill Tree Care]

None of us are charging nearly enough. We charge less than a plumber or electrician yet turn up with 40-50K worth of gear and have high daily operating costs.

Truck, chipper and 3 men at £1000 a day should be the minimum IMO. I pray for this day to arrive.