benedmonds

I feel guilty sometimes when a mortgage company demand one when there is no valid reason. However like you say they are always needed asap, there is travel time, soil searches etc. Still need to pay professional imdemnity insurance and advertising costs etc.. 290 quid does sound alot.. for a simple site.. but if comments from other threads are true i am devaluing the industry:001_smile:

i don't print my reports often, cuts into the profit too much... just email them!

Not the original poster this thread has wondered way off.. simonm made the £4500 for 5 days work quote and is based in leeds from the look of his profile..

Thats what I say about the guys who under price me. The market round here won't pay £300 per man. No way you will win work with a 3 man team at £900.. Maybe a 2 man at £600, I would price 2 men including VAT around the £500-£550 mark but additional men are not worth (or cost) the same and can only charge £100 a head. There are benefits and disadvantages of being a slightly larger organisation, there are some savings with scale, running two teams doesn't cost twice as much as running one. My advertising, yard, insurance costs for example haven't doubled. Therefore per head my overheads are lower so I can charge less. I am not however cheap... Comes back to best value.. On a site clearance job two decent guys and some hard working but low skilled (cheap) labour are a better use of resources. You are not paying the highly trained (expensive) staff to do stuff that less qualified guys can do just as well. That's what I reckon anyway. There are different ways of doing it and I agree that for most domestic jobs the most efficient team is going to be an owner operator with one or two staff. The OP was in Leeds so similar area, different world to the SE..

I disagree.. A three man team with truck and chipper at £900 a day would be good going. I'd send 5 guys (or even 6) including 2 climbers, 2 tipper trucks, a 3.5 ton tipper trailer and a 10 inch chipper for £900 a day. All things being equal and assuming you have a 6 inch of 7 inch chipper, we would probably get the job done in 2 days therefore would have quoted £1800 + VAT so yes you are way out...

Maybe they think they could do it in three days. Maybe they have a mog with crane fed grab and will do it in 2. Site clearance using a little 6 inch chipper and 3.5 ton trucks can't compete with bigger kit. That's why folk buy bigger kit..

I am all for best value, but that isn't always the cheapest and definitely NOT the average..... If I can do a job cheaper because I have better kit am more skilled etc why should the council be wasting money on someone not as efficient.. We recently felled 13 big poplars for a council, we had a digger, tractors and trailers and did the job in about 5 days, did it safely and efficiently. Another contractor couldn't believe we managed it such a time and would therefore quoted loads more. At the other times we've not won works as we were more expensive and the contractors doing them did them to a a low standard. In this instance the best value for the council would have been to spend more. Unfortunately there is no easy solution..

Hes got 6 artic loads a year! Thats going to be about 100 to 150 tons a year... quite a lot of bags. Try stobart biomas. They will pay between 3 and 10 quid a ton for wet woodchip.

[quote=Andrew Evans;1256278... the wood is at the foot of cadair idris and in snowdonia national park! Cheers All! Best not sleep there then.... One of the nicest mountains in the UK. I love Cadair.. Spent a year leading field studies trips up it..

I did a 12 week at Plumpton, back in 2000. Merrist wood used to do the same and there was always a waiting list. I have no idea if they still do them but to me they were great. Most people doing it like me had done a bit of tree work and wanted to progress. You got your basic tickets which enabled you to climb and even back pack sprayer. Tree law was covered, tree ID, pruning, even street works and we were shown stump grinders and chippers.. It was full time 5 days a week, fairly intensive as I recall. As an employer I would be happy with this as some one coming from one of these would have their tickets. They are legal onsite and I can concentrate on training them to do the job. It's alot less risky for me as spending on training is expensive to an employer as you pay the employee and the training costs.. As an employee you haven't had to waste a whole year or even two being a student. I don't know if it's the same everywhere but I know the students at Derby only go in for two or three days a week and have long holidays. I have two climbers working for me who are now after two years finally becoming economic and I have been pushing them up trees at every opportunity. I have had to pay for their training and the time for them to learn the job. Some one who has spent two years at college climbing infrequently in a non commercial environment is still unlikely to be any good. I think one of the issues is funding as I believe it is biased to the younger 16-18 students, when arb is best suited for grown ups.. IMO

http://www.tpts.co.uk/tree-care.htm I think Tommy Plummer has one, he might travel to Nottingham.

We have a set fees for call outs that you can tell the client before you go to the job. First you shouldn't have been climbing on your own especially in that situation.. I don't think a client is going to be happy with £500 for 40 mins work for one man. Includes travelling: and chipper. 2 man team - normal hours £150 for first hour then £95 per hour Antisocial hours (after 5pm and sundays) £250 for first hour then £150 per hour. I would then give a price to clear up if there is any..

Your to young to be hanging up the harness.. Leave the survey's for us old fella's:001_smile:

Where were the groundies?

Perhaps being an AAAC ...

Our lads seem to be braking everything at the moment. No one seems to know it happens either... Sat nav, truck door, tail lights, panel on the chipper, rakes, winch cable, shovel, etc etc... All stupid little things but frustrating...

Hire in someone with the right kit to do it. If it is all stacked and ride side, shouldn't take them long.

That where I got the sign from page 72.. As had been mentioned stop and go boards are not what I want...

Any one know where I can get these more cheaply. Best I have found is £105 for a fancy fold able one. Would rather something more solid! Stop Works Lollipop Sign 450mm dia, 1500mm pole : Safety Signs - Security Safety Products

Some people like to haggle, I generally don't, but if you think they're the type stick a few extra quid on so you can take it off. They think they have got a bargain your happy with the price everyone is a winner..

3 places I have tried. Arbtalk, Earborist, Arbjobs But never been flooded with calls from qualified experienced people. Lots of trainees/wannabes. A firm local to me just approaches other firms climbers and offers them jobs Luckily my guys have yet to take him up.. yet...

Didn't Chris Gill and Johny Walker downsize? The biggest downside is getting drivers, the 12 weekly checks are a pain, but keeps it in good order so come MOT time (which is strict...) your less likely to get any surprises.

We are "reducing" a couple of 100 street trees for our local council. Pretty standard stuff, some fairly busy roads. What to people think is the most efficient way to go about it. Currently sending a team of 4. 2 climbers, 2 groundies both climbers are generally going up the same tree, keeping the work site small and moving frequently. Chipper under tree, clear up move on. One of my climbers thinks we would be better off doing it at night. Personally I don't think it makes sense.. In New Zealand we used to have a team of climbers with groundies who would stack the brash at the base of the tree and a chipping team following after. I don't think we have the space to do this. What have others found to be the most efficient.. Does it make more sense to have one team plugging their way though it or send 3 teams out together to smash it?

We have 4 tipper trucks, Landrover 130, 6 ton Iveco, 3.5 ton Iveco, 3.5 ton Isuzu. If I had to have one it would NOT be the landrover! Great when you need it, but expensive (the oldest but most costly to buy vehicle in our fleet) uncomfortable (we all went to the same job last week, there was a scramble not to be in the landrover) and way to small! We've had two transits in the past and they were also fine. If you need 4wd and can afford a LR there isn't much else, if you can operate without it most of the 3.5 ton tipper trucks are much cheaper and do a better job. If you occasionally need 4wd just get a 2wd tipper and standard cheap 4x4 (not LR)as most times if your off road you get away with chipping onsite anyhow.. It would probably cost less then a decent 130 and be much more versatile. I am a LR fan my first car was a series 3, but just don't think they make sense unless they are needed.

We carry two first aid kits in each vehicle. 1 is the standard green jobbie for 10 men, the other in a pelican case has more in it but is cable tied together and only used in an emergency. Makes sure we always have a complete box!