Massively undercut on job! But why?

[Hodge]

Just don't worry about it, if they can do it for £200 then let them get on with it. Life's too short to worry about such things, imagine if you lived in Nepal, then you would have things to worry about.

[Mr_D]

All valid points gents

[Mark Bolam]

Had a job this month, 5 large Leylandii with terrible access, everything chipped and away, allowed 3 days for 3 men - £1800.

 

Didn't get the job.

 

Came across 2 guys working out of a newly built chip box made of G clamps and ply on the back of a trailer pulled by a disco.

 

I watched with interest as they proceeded to take 14 days to complete the job and left a mess, I also hear they brought in 2 extra men towards the end.

 

Then found out they charged....£800

 

What a waste of a job.

 

Not prepared to compete with that.

 

Pete Hall

Green Tree Works

 

Had similar in the village here recently Pete, although on a lesser scale.

Conny takedown (actually 2 trees grown as one), previously topped and very dense.

A bog standard day for 2 blokes, chipper and Tranny or similar.

 

These old Dids were on it for 4 days with a pickup and trailer, started with 3 blokes.

Funniest part was watching them deal with the dusty dead tops they had rammed back into the tree last time they did it.

Pulling lumps into the road, bust a fence and the clearup seemed to have missed about two bulk bags worth of rakings.

 

I've no idea what they charged, but the bloke who owned the trees is a bit of a cock so I hope it was about £3k, although it was probably more like £300.

 

Fair play to the size of their balls though, I doubt you'll find me 30' up a wooden ladder with a saw when I'm in my sixties.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[jase8519]

As people have said set you price and stick with it. Let them crack on you are a tree surgeon and have overheads.

[Ian C]

Any one can buy work, I have lost a few recently as there are loads of guys buying work, being a busy fool is easy!!!

[jamesd]

Would not worry about it. If you know what it costs to run your business stick to your price.

If you use good kit and went in at £200 and your saw broke the job could end up costing you money,

[Ty Korrigan]

Do you really have so little work that losing one job hurts so much...?

Ty

[Tom D]

Everyone has to learn, maybe this time the other guy will learn the hard way that he has underpriced it and next time you compete with him you will be more competitive.

[Ty Korrigan]

I think we have all been there before...

Ty

[V6 WRA]

Difficult to know the exact reason for the price differences or the circumstances around the different quotes. So many variables.

 

Had one job where the customer had a small field to clear of brambles and saplings. One firm had been in and given up half way. I went to quote to finish the second half. 2 hours with the flail on the tractor plus minimal travel, so £120.

 

Was informed afterwards the other company had spent 70 hours with the strimmer at over £1000.

 

Both prices could be justified for the time and effort spent, but different equipment and work systems can make a massive amount of difference.

 

A like for like quote isn't necessarily just about the end result, but how a company is going to achieve it.