Thesnarlingbadger

Quoting for jobs must be one of the hardest things to get right all the time. And I’m finding now that a selection of my regular clients don’t want to pay more ( yes I pruned your Apple tree 4 years ago for £225 but that was 4 years ago and now I have more overheads and am VAT registered so it will now cost you £360). I understand that the cost of living is sky rocketing but I need to make £500 a day after vat and staff are paid to keep the business running. I have found since going VAT registered a few years back my work has shifted massively to the commercial side of things (not the end of the world but the guys moan able wearing hi-viz all the time and hate it when there isn’t a cup of tea all day). The domestic side of things I try and keep cheep but find by doing that I’m shooting myself in the foot. I have just reevaluated my prices and am now charging £300 more on a 2 man day from when I started. Some jobs I’ll drop the price a little if it’s a nice job or I know the customer is friendly but I rarely do this because it’s only me who suffers. I quoted someone £450 for a sycamore take down the other day, half a days work with 3 guys and the customer said she had been given a quote for £250 and could I match it, not a chance. Also I’m fully aware that the staff are going to start needing more money with rising energy costs etc and that is another thing I have to prepare for. Tree work in general has always been a cheep game and prices for work haven’t changed a huge amount in the last 20 years compared to builders or other trades. We had a loft conversion 15 years or so back and it cost around £17k and a neighbour has just had one done a few doors down by the same builder we used for nearly £50k (almost identical work). I don’t see our industry changing our prices like that but then maybe I’m wrong and I’m just looking at my area. I’d be interested to know what other peoples thoughts are on industry prices etc.

Yep. Just been one of those weeks. I’ll have better ones

Just doing an Ash at the moment which I put £1500 on but I should have put £3k on it 🤦‍♂️. All the back side has to be rigged and nothing is allowed to go in next door and every bit that was rigged got caught up. We have managed to speed line one side out but then the weather turned and it’s only timber left and we can’t do anything till it drys up a bit because the lawn will get trashed with it being boggy. So I have a half done job that I am finishing in 3 weeks time. And to top it all off I’ve got one truck in the shop at the moment and my hilux has just cut out on me and had to get a tow back this afternoon. It’s under warranty but Toyota have said they can’t do anything with it till end of next week. What a week.

Ahh mate I feel your pain. I had an incident with some hedge cutters back in 2016 where I was putting them in the van at the end of the day and that caught on something and the sheath came off and my hand went along the blade. I severed tendons, cut all my nerves to my index finger and chipped the bone. Doctors stitched the tendons and nerves but only a few of the nerves took so I still have no feeling along the outside of my index finger unless it’s cold and then it’s just effing painful. I was off the ropes for about 6 weeks but have fully recovered now and hardly have any issues, I had to do a lot of physio for my tendons and I have to be carful I don’t cut that side of my finger as I wouldn’t feel a thing but other than that all good now. I always find it amazing how well the body can heal. Hope you recover fully and quickly mate.

I think the reason people aren’t finding out about it is because some idiots try and not tell anyone. I mentioned it to a friend of mine a few years back or whenever it first got set up and he told my Arbtalk was a waste of time (think he was thinking of the Facebook page though if memory serves). I later found out of one of his staff members that he was using it daily last minute to find tip sites (not knocking this if done the same thing in a pickle) but he told all his workers not to let anyone else know about the tipsite dictionary because all the tip sites will be taken. Fortunately the majority of people will spread the news and these sites will become more and more popular.

Filled up this morning in Bristol and it was . £1.89 pl for diesel and cost £120 to fill up the Hilux. My fuel bills are going to be almost doubled by the end of the month. All well and good the idiots running this country want us all in electric cars but I’m never going to make the money to buy one with the prices of fuel at the moment. That on top of trying to buy a house which is beyond a joke at the moment.

Maybe it’s all a myth mate.

Good point. Cheers

Thanks for everyone’s input. I think we are going to be pretty safe with this one. As I mentioned originally I have taken down countless trees in similar situations and not had any issues or heard of any before. I think my client was just being overly caucus as they have just moved in to the house and I said I would double check on here. Good to know that phased fells are a complete waste of time though and 10/15 years ago when I started they were all the rage. Thanks again, really appreciate the help as always. Cheers Eric

The tree is situated in yate Bristol which generally has a lomey clay content. The tree I would say was planted 10/15 years ago (going on growth rate) and the conservatory was slightly before that. The house would have been build in the 80’s or early 90’s. They are not worried about the wall as the tree has already caused damage so are planning on re building a section of wall at some point. I can’t say anything about the pre-existing soil moisture as I wouldn’t have a clue unfortunately. The other option is to do a phased fell but this would seem a little pointless if the likelihood of risk to the conservatory or house is minimal. Thanks again for the help?

Hi All, I have a client who has a tulip tree that she would like to remove. She is worried about heave with the tree coming down. I have explained that I think it would fine and wouldn’t cause an issue. However I have said I’ll double check and get back to her when I have some more solid advice. The tree is around 6/7m high and around 3m from the conservatory and 5m from the house. I’ve taken down plenary of trees this size near property’s and never heard of an issue but wanted to check with you lot to see what your thoughts were. Pictures of tree below. Thanks as always. Cheers Eric

If you do it and the council find out your tree officers would have good reason to make life hard for you in future. Just explain to the guy you are not willing to brake the law for a few quid.

I wouldn’t go near it mate. If I have anyone tell me they don’t want to go down the planning route I just say I’m not putting my company at risk and risking a good relationship with the tree officers. More jobs will come along and if there is damage to property then I doubt your LA with have an issue with a tree coming out.

I would start looking at sensors. Not 100% but generally issues like I have come across on our chippers tend to to be chased back to electrical issues.

I’d have rather climbed it than got in a MEWP, horrible things.

Fair enough. I know there would have been good reason mate.

Back to the op. I would jus spike it and use a silky if your feeling unsure. Get up as high as you can and if you have a good groundy and there isn’t enough space just snatch the top out an let I run. Don’t I’ve think it and if your really not happy find a decent climber to do a Hal day or you. Maybe not what you want to do but to be honest no shame in passing a job on until your a little more confident. Every tree I’ve been up since Friday has had a lean or have had a moving route plate. Effing weather

That’s a fell right there mate

The guy who did them before found someone more gullible so didn’t bother doing the church this time.

I dislocated my right shoulder and cracked my shoulder blade years ago when one of the guys took the handbrake off the chipper and I wasn’t ready. I dislocated my left 20 years back whilst surfing and neither have been right since. As people previously said hedge trimming is the killer for me and after 5min I have to stop and take a break. It’s not really painful but aches like mad. So I just have the guys doing the hedge trimming jobs now. Climbing has never been an issue which Is lucky but I struggle with big rigging jobs by the end of the day. Mind you my whole body is knocked after a big day now. A good physo will make all the difference after an injury but simple movements in the morning and walking up is the key. Another one that I found was a killer after my accident was sharping saws so if the 88 was blunt I would be looking for the cheapest chain online. This job has had a huge impact on my body and if I didn’t run my own company I wouldn’t still be in this gig. Best advice I can give is to avoid anything that really hurts and slowly build it back up with physio, it does get easier but it always take longer h to an you think of would like. Oh and the only plus side I found was you could get pissed off one pint whilst on heavy painkillers. Good luck with the recovery buddy.

We are getting a Crane and MEEP in for ever job now and I must say apple pruning has become really tricky but when I explain safety first to the customers they are all right behind me.

Hi all, we are a medium sized company based in the North Bristol area and are looking for climbers and groundsmen to help with the expansion of our business. We have commercial and domestic work, with 2-3 teams out most days. Most work consists of professional tree work, hedge trimming and other domestic work. We are looking for staff who are experienced, committed and reliable. License and a B+E is desirable but not essential. Work will be on a freelance basis and contracted days will agreed in advance. basis. If you are interested this opportunity in the Bristol and surrounding area please contact 07725951006 or email [email protected]

Just wear a hi-Viz and nothing else. Makes you look hard a nails. Plus when it gets all sweaty and horrible you just chick it in a pile in the yard and the boss has to take them back and wash them. That’s what the lads who work for me seem to think anyway [emoji854]

Hi all, I’m on a site at the moment where we are ripping out a load of Ash and Sycamore mainly. There are about 30 odd trees coming out due to early stages of dieback and the other trees are being removed as a precaution as the trees are on a main road and will be exposed if left. There is a gate access which is 3.5m wide and we can leave all the timber stacked in lengths (whatever size needed). Stab in the dark I would say there are around 30-40 ton of timber. And as long as you can get through the gate access is good. We can take the timber if needed and it will go for firewood but if there is anyone out there with a grab and a timber trailer who would want it it’s yours. The site is in the cleavedon area of Bristol so if anyone is looking for some nice straight lengths of hardwood let me know. Cheers Eric

I’d say they looked fairly in order to me. Good stuff. FYI timber weighs roughly the same as us so a good way to guesstimate the weight of timber is imagine how many times you would fit in that log and times it by your weight. You won’t be that far off.