Undercut by a pro today

[doobin]

love the comments about the hedge lol.... had a message in the office today off a lovely gentleman asking me to give him a price on removal for some stumps hes doing a self build / renovation of this big house. anyways someone passing today said he would do the job for him for £450 so with that inside information in mind i go off to see the job. its easy £900/ £1000 job and thats reasonable it is on a pavement's edge and services everywhere. so i rang him back and just said can we have a meeting on site to discuss before i give you the price , anyways i asked if you don't mind telling me how was this "guy" going to do the stumps? he said well he didn't say he just said he could do them but it would have to be this week as the he is off on holiday next week hahaha. In a nasty kind of way i don't want to get the job so i can watch this guy remove the stumps and probably the pavement and services as well haha

 

Or maybe, just maybe, it's a nice easy day with a stump grinder, access is perfect with pavement all the way and the guy has a CAT scanner. He also happens to think £450 is a reasonable price for a days stump grinding.

 

Just saying, like.

[Le Sanglier]

Or maybe, just maybe, it's a nice easy day with a stump grinder, access is perfect with pavement all the way and the guy has a CAT scanner. He also happens to think £450 is a reasonable price for a days stump grinding.

 

Just saying, like.

 

Agreed, I get a little miffed when posters always assume that only they have the experience/equipment to do the job, and that any one who undercuts them is a useless idiot.

 

the fact is that those little jobs can be done by a bloke and a trailer and a B&Q saw just as effectively as a team with a PTO chipper and mog, might take a little longer but gets down nevertheless.

Edited August 20, 2013 by Le Sanglier

[Taupotreeman]

Local fella here, most definitely no arborist, spent a week taking down a big ugly Leylandii hedge. Bit by bit and loaded on to his little truck and off to the tip. Took all the wood away as part payment. He told me how much he charged for the job and it was just slightly more than I charge for a day but he was happy with what he earned and the firewood. Some of us just need or want more than others.

 

I should also add that the finished job looked no different than if I'd have done it with truck, chipper and two guys going for two days.

 

 

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[doobin]

And how many of us shop around and buy the cheapest chain oil we can?

 

Not to mention the cheapest insurance.

[difflock]

Gosh!

Never?

They wouldnay hay the cheek.

Would they?

[spudulike]

Is there an echo in here?

 

Now they make decent hedge trimmers, got two myself and they aren't for sale:lol:

[Marc]

I was called to price up the removal and stump grinding of a pittosporum today by an existing customer.

 

Went round and figured small quotes for removal/grinding as she is already a customer and does a lot of work for the same place we do discounted rates.

 

She said she has a 'friend' with a chainsaw who can cut it down but would I do the stump for the agreed price if the 'friend' cut the pitto down.

 

I dropped by on the way home and the friend was there already.

He was wearing a pair of trainers, a pair of shorts, and a pair of glasses and was swinging a McCulloch petrol saw about. I guess he must have been 60+

 

I had to laugh, I stopped and congratulated him on his lightweight PPE and went on my way. It was funny seeing him loading it all onto his 4ft x 3ft Erde trailer. :lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

I had only heard about these people on here but now I've seen one.

 

I don't see the issue, some amateur gardener cuts down an overgrown shrub. As for the PPE many professionals especially in the states do not wear half the stuff we do as the regulations do not require it, it doesn't make them any less competent or at risk.

[Rich2484]

I don't see the issue, some amateur gardener cuts down an overgrown shrub. As for the PPE many professionals especially in the states do not wear half the stuff we do as the regulations do not require it, it doesn't make them any less competent or at risk.

 

True. This up looked about 60+, what's to say he hasn't been using a saw all his life?

 

Too quick to jump in, people charge what there needs require. Except for repairs, that's a fixed hourly rate.

 

If I had a trailer, and was on my own, I bet I could charge less than any pro on here. Only because I could and would quote that I would do the hedge in a week where a pro could do it in half that time as they would have the gear.

 

Not that I'm going to as I like being in the workshop too much. Unless I'm grounding for another company. Then its up to them what they charge, I just drag brush.

[Shane]

I didn't say I was bothered about him doing it, I thought it was quite funny.

He was like a cartoon character in a 'how not to do it' video.

 

I left with a smile on my face and he looked happy enough too.

 

I just hope he don't hurt himself.

[d-raittuk]

Agreed, I get a little miffed when posters always assume that only they have the experience/equipment to do the job, and that any one who undercuts them is a useless idiot.

 

the fact is that those little jobs can be done by a bloke and a trailer and a B&Q saw just as effectively as a team with a PTO chipper and mog, might take a little longer but gets down nevertheless.

 

not for one minute saying saying iam the only man for the job and the only guy with the kit and access is a dream however that price he gave is doing it for free. open forum opinions are opinions an thats mine. i would like to know how hes so cheap. and just spoke to another guy who does stumps and he said the same maybe were just too expensive