Saving trees condemned to felling-help!

[Tonythetree]

Also Tony I hope you have PI insurance? cuz you ain't usin mine:001_tt2:

Tony

[Czlowiek Drzewo]

So here we are, guilty of the heinous crime that is under cutting opposition in business. The very core of several threads on this very forum, which as tree care professionals we all try to fight to maintain a decent price fo our work. Then figures of one tenth of the cost quoted are bandied about.

We dnt need outsiders to criticise our pricing structure, we have people on the inside undermining us at all levels.

Tree care is an industry, a business, a profession at certain levels, and with all professions come costs and expenditure. Its about time some people saw it as such.

 

Like.

[sloth]

Well said that man.

 

There is a school of thought that wants to hang on to trees that are compromised until the very last moment.

 

Anyone in that position needs to give serious consideration to tier exposure, the term reasonable foreseeability is key.

 

For the record, I don't wish nor think it is feasible to save every tree and 'hold its hand' till there is nothing left of it! But, ecological conservation should be at least considered when recommending work. If a client likes the tree and would like to keep it as long as possible, it is wrong, in my opinion, to recommend felling (because as a tree surgeon its what you do and you have a free day next week) and hold back other recommendations that could allow retention, because your wallet wouldn't benefit from it.

I'm not saying this is what you do, but many many contractors do.

 

 

 

 

So here we are, guilty of the heinous crime that is under cutting opposition in business. The very core of several threads on this very forum, which as tree care professionals we all try to fight to maintain a decent price fo our work. Then figures of one tenth of the cost quoted are bandied about.

We dnt need outsiders to criticise our pricing structure, we have people on the inside undermining us at all levels.

Tree care is an industry, a business, a profession at certain levels, and with all professions come costs and expenditure. Its about time some people saw it as such.

 

 

I think you may have misunderstood me. I don't wish to undercut or undermine anyone's business. I have my own overheads and goals, and price accordingly, regardless of what a potential clients previous quote was. I agree we must all stand firm on our prices, those going stupidly low simply won't last anyway.

I got the impression that the 3.5k was to survey 'some beech trees' to advise on their safety and retention potential. I don't know how many trees, but that sounds a lot.

3.5k to do work on the trees however may well be reasonable.

Cores and fractos aren't always necessary or first choice in hazard assessment, and their price will vary from one to another. However there are normally options for further clarifying perceived hazards in trees, and many options for managing them. Options which are often ignored (in my experience) by many contractors, and which result in people reluctantly having their trees needlessly felled on the advice of tree surgeons who they trust know better than them.

 

 

 

 

What do you mean by a 'no guarantee diagnosis'?

 

I wondered that too

[Paul Barton]

 

I hope those that need it most will find it, after recieving late in the day a plea for help on some condemned beeches, which a company wanted £3500.00 to give a no guarantee diagnosis! when if it was a do or die situation an increment core and fracto test could have been done for 1/10th of that fee, £350.00:sneaky2:

 

Have you taken a core and put it in a fracto then Tony? If you have I'd be interested to see the results.

[Gilogrt]

Interesting thread.

Having worked in the States where tree related qualifications are only really limited to the ISA cert arb, the mentality towards tree preservation in far ahead of the UK! Most (not all. I've worked with some really good ones) arborists and tree officers in the UK are very focused upon reactive and repetative works. Pigeon holed into doing what's always been done with no fore thought to the fact that correct species selection and maintaince would provide healthier and more structurally sound tree stock!

How many climbers could carry out a 'correct' formative prune on a young tree and explain how it will effect growth and structure over the coming years?

That's only to start a trees life.

My ADHD has taken me off subject but I do think tree preservation can be taken too far! Would you even go into pull tests etc on a Fagus with Meripilus giganteus if it was in a location liable to injure?

If you answer 'yes' then I'll have to tell the story of when a large beech was deemed safe after tests. Shortly before I had to remove it from 2 crushed cars!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I give up, you lot have missed the whole point, there was a member of the public desperately seeking help as they had been advised to fell the trees, when they looked to an expert for a second opinion they basicaly asked 3.5k to "test" with no certainty for that expense.

 

I started the thread because google will spit it out on a search if the searcher uses the right terms, the title should fit.

 

many of you have assumed way too much, I am a realist, and a very capable tree assessor, feel free to argue over that if you want, I am all too aware of just how many trees are getting over estimated risk levels attributed to them.

 

Yes Ive got some minerals, so what, somebody has to fight for the trees cos you lot certainly aint.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Also Tony I hope you have PI insurance? cuz you ain't usin mine:001_tt2:

Tony

 

I wouldnt ask nor expect to, mine will be in place when the time comes.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Interesting thread.

Having worked in the States where tree related qualifications are only really limited to the ISA cert arb, the mentality towards tree preservation in far ahead of the UK! Most (not all. I've worked with some really good ones) arborists and tree officers in the UK are very focused upon reactive and repetative works. Pigeon holed into doing what's always been done with no fore thought to the fact that correct species selection and maintaince would provide healthier and more structurally sound tree stock!

How many climbers could carry out a 'correct' formative prune on a young tree and explain how it will effect growth and structure over the coming years?

That's only to start a trees life.

My ADHD has taken me off subject but I do think tree preservation can be taken too far! Would you even go into pull tests etc on a Fagus with Meripilus giganteus if it was in a location liable to injure?

If you answer 'yes' then I'll have to tell the story of when a large beech was deemed safe after tests. Shortly before I had to remove it from 2 crushed cars!

 

do tell us about this case, they are all important examples of when even with the utmost care is taken all fails! I know a few cases but those have obvious flaws, as did yours, the case of meripilus on fagus!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

If you all knew how many trees with principle decays you drive under on a daily basis you would freak out!

[treequip]

If you all knew how many trees with principle decays you drive under on a daily basis you would freak out!

 

Go on then Tony, freak me out, how many trees?