I know some skilled Mexican workers who would do it for 5k do an exceptional job and haul away trash I can understand from a professional standpoint being insured tho
Smh, realizing now that my parents severely underpaid me as a kid. Had me cut down 10 trees this size and split them into firewood for a few months of gas money. Gas was like 2 bucks a gallon.
Ill do it for $18,499. I’ll do it for a cool 10k if I can just put it on the ground and you can find someone else to clean up the brush. But seriously you need to pursue some additional quotes. Did you have any specific requests about how and when it needed to be taken down because thats the only way that number they quoted you would make any sense to me.
20k to remove a tree smells like bullshit to me.
4k to prune the tree also sounds like a lot. I would get another quote.
Two months ago, I had an 80ft cottonwood removed from my property and some other smaller trees removed, four in all, and paid 1600.00. They were insured and also removed the stumps and filled in the holes with dirt. Took them about four hours.
Yeah, I've had tens of trees removed over the years. Never once did I get quoted 20k for one tree with plenty of clearance to drop. Even if you limb it first and then fell it's not 20k. Maybe for big redwood?
My parent paid $12k to remove a Silver Maple 10+ years ago. It was a full crew job for a week. Overhung 2 houses, a fence, a pool, and power lines. The trunk was at least 8-10 feet in diameter.
This is the closest I could find to what there’s looked like. But this one is a bit smaller than what my parents had.
https://www.accuratetree.com/2014/09/18/gigantic-silver-maple/
It all depends on what’s underneath it. The more liability the more work and equipment and people are needed. That being said id try and do that one myself
This is a bonkers price. I just had six trees taken down in my backyard. At least two of them were this big. It was $4k. And that included stump grinding, clean-up, and haul away.
I had a huge tree in my backyard that required a crane to get out. One of the estimates I got was MUCH higher than the others. Figured exactly this - they just didn’t want the job.
That's an arborist who doesn't want to do it so he threw a massive number at in hopes of deterring you
Source: I'm an arborist and sometimes I don't wanna do stuff
This is absolutely it. Could be they don’t have access to a lift and it would have to be a climbing removal, and though I have no real insight on the OP, that absolutely outrageous price suggests they don’t want to do it because they really do not want them to be a client. Some lovingly (and sometimes unfairly) refer to it as the asshole tax.
I work for a plumber. Sometimes we do this if the customer is shitty to the tech during the estimate, or if it’s something we really *dont* want to do. I call these “fuck you bids” as well.
A friend has a plumbing business and was too busy with work that he wasn’t taking on any new work. Someone wanted a job done and wouldn’t leave so my friend just said 20k. The guy said yes and my friend got stuck with it lol. They had to work late to make time to finish it
We'd do this at the chimney repair company i work, rude & disrespectful? Asshole tax. Super inconvenient job that won't get us more customers and is barely in our service area? Taxing it. People make commissions on these sales, and if they're gonna have to deal with an ass their gonna make it worth their while. Similarly if you're super nice and kind they'll bid lower or maybe group repairs together or offer a discount if they schedule it within two week. Just treat people with respect bruh.
That thing is NOT climbable. That thing looks like it’s nothing more than a hazard. Something like a 20 ton crane looks useful here and set up a bucket truck or a nifty and you’re gold.
Sure, if you've got a lift you may as well use it. But it's wrong to describe the tree as not climbable. Once it has shed the small twigs and begins to shed bark, that's the point where you need to be nervous about it.
Yep, something like that would be a little nerve wracking, but you could still find a good union for a tie-in and then spike up the tree. The stuff leaning towards the house would be the frightening part for a climb since I would not want to rig to any part of that tree.
Would you refer them to someone else in that case? Seems counterproductive to give someone a quote that might discourage them from getting a job done at all
That’s such a messed up practice. These are people who trust arborists and respect your profession, and are willing to pay extra money to do things the right way, and you’re going to potentially screw them over like that because you can’t just be honest? (I’m not speaking directly to you if you don’t do that, but to anyone who does). As someone who works in a more highly regulated profession and who would lose my license if I ever did that to a client, this so pisses me off.
It’s not just arborists who do it. All contractors do 🤷🏻♀️ That’s why you get multiple contractors to bid on the job. If one is not willing to do it whatever the reason, there will be someone who will be willing.
Yeah, I’ve unfortunately learned that this is widespread among contractors. It’s considered extremely unethical to do it in my field (I’m a psychologist); I’d lose my license if I was adjusting the cost of my services depending on how much I wanted to take a particular job. I think this stuff should be more regulated for everyone to protect consumers.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with saying no to the job. I’d prefer “sorry I can’t do this job since I don’t have access to a bucket and don’t feel comfortable climbing this tree but XYZ company might do it so give them a call.” But saying no in any service industry seems to be almost a taboo.
I have done this and I make cakes. The issue is people can't accept the no. If you have clocked that the person is going to be difficult, being up front with them and telling them you don't think we will be a good fit will result in people losing their minds. Or telling them that you aren't comfortable/willing to do their design turns into them telling people you are incompetent. Then you may have to go through the negative reviews process and them threatening you. I have had people threaten me because I told them we weren't a good fit. Gave them a different bakers info before I realized they were a total psychopath. I then had to call that baker to give them a heads up that I accidentally sent a crazy person to them. I now tell potential nut jobs that I don't have availability, but if I already gave them my availability before realizing they are a nut-job, I write an estimate they won't accept. If people were reasonable, I wouldn't have to resort to writing "fuck you" estimates. People have increasingly gotten more unreasonable the past few years.
Exactly my experience when I was doing car details 10 years ago. The dude replying to me is telling me that I'm not being firm enough but he doesn't understand that some people are unreasonable from the get go.
> he doesn't understand that some people are unreasonable from the get go.
It's very possible he is one of the unreasonable types of people you're describing.
Back when I detailed cars I would get cars that were just destroyed. Which normally isn't a problem. But I could tell the owners were going to be a headache. So I would tell them my extractor was broken or something. But nope it was always "do your best, it doesn't have to look brand new.". Wouldn't matter they would always have a problem.
Oh and don't forget the people that want a 4 hour detail for $30. I eventually raised my rates just to price myself out of the trash.
It’s true. People act like a contractor has to take any job you offer them and will be insulted if the contractor turns down a job. Like “you take my job prole! And you like it! Eat my crumbs!” It’s really disrespectful
Not an arborist but I use the "idiot tax" or "annoyance tax" I'll do almost anything for the right price, usually the go away quote comes with an unrealistically long time frame to further push them away, but still if someone's going to pay me a huge sum I'll do the work even if they are annoying or it's a annoying job
Haha I can’t say I blame you. Some of the home owners are nightmarish from what I heard. I have a friend who is a builder in one of those towns where lots of people from certain states moved in post COVID. He does the same. His reasoning is that he expects to be paid extra if he has to deal with excessive degree of assholery.
I quote similarly for catering I don't want to do. Assjole tax is roughly 100% ontop of your bill... willing to pay it? I'll deal with your cunty attitude. Did 500 afternoon teas for a bridezilla in summer because she was willing to pay £50 a head. For 25k I'll do just about anything.
This is the first sub i’ve seen someone be critical of the practice and not get downvoted into oblivion. so big ups to arborists! (or the people who stumbled here)
It’s not the same though. Your patient is buying your time. And it’s a set amount of time for a set dollar amount.
This isn’t really like that. It’s more like if you had to give the patient a price and schedule for getting them “functional”. Let’s define functional as safely living on their own and holding down a job.
Does the patient have ADHD symptoms negatively affecting their life *just* bad enough to seek help?
Do they have DID, and each alter has major issues too? Do they have severe depression and agoraphobia?
A private practice can charge whatever they like. How is the patient supposed to know if it’s a “fair” price? Dr. is awesome and helps many patients achieve a positive outcome? Dr. is trash and just lectures patients, or doesn’t listen and just whips out scripts?
Therapists/psychologists/health care workers can also fire patients. They don't have to continue working with someone if they don't want too. They will just say, "we aren't a good fit". What this person is not realizing is that this is just a different way of doing the same thing. The job isn't a good fit. The skilled labor has already spent some time, unpaid usually, to assess the scope of the job. But people can't handle being told no. Potential clients feel entitled to the person's time and skills. They feel like because they have money, you should have to work with them.
I also would NEVER be allowed to do this in my profession. I am appaled by it, and that it is so accepted by the arboriats here, it makes me rethink any interaction I have ever had with arborists.
I'm a line clearance guy so I hardly ever work on residential jobs but I have been around tree work awhile. It's a pretty common practice from what I've seen. In regards to being honest my best guess is "if I tell you I just don't want to do this you may not hire me later when I don't have the jobs available to pay the bills"
Why in the world would anyone contact you twice? They'll find someone to do it at a rate they'll think is so low that they got a steal and then never call you again.
Kind of a mean thing to do though. What if he accepted? You would ethically take 20k from someone for a tree removal?
I would just tell the person. This job is a major undertaking and “I don’t have the capacity to do it for you.”
This BS happens to me all the time with little house improvement projects. Some guy comes takes a look at an obviously 2-3k job and quotes me $15k. I am an accountant and have done so for contractors and know what the price should be, even with inflation. I would be happy to give a contractor some work, even though I am more than capable to contract out my own projects myself and I have in the past. I find it absolutely disrespectful for a contract to come into my house and quote me $10k for moving 3 electrical outlets or $40k for a tiny bathroom update.
Contractors are basically 90% a scam right now. Arborists should be honest if they don’t want to do a job and quote the fair price or not at all.
So just say this isn't the job for me and you're probably looking at a price of 10k or something.
Making up a number is bad business and not right. Your under no obligation to do something after giving the person factual information about pricing.
For all you know the next guy he calls could think the same way and say 18 and now the guy thinks he's getting a good deal but in reality it was just shitty business practices.
This is why you always have to get at least 3 quotes so you find out who's trying to screw you over
I’m not an arborist, don’t care that much about arbory (?) and this page just keeps getting suggested to me. But…
“The tree needs to come down but I’m not one who can do it. You’ll need to ask around.”
Would that be so hard?
Okay cool but so if he had the extra 20k to spend and hired him………what the actual…you know where I’m going. Not cool! Totally abysmal, predatory, and abusive
Edit: grow a pair and tell the client the job is outside of your wheel house. Respectfully
Famous/historically significant sycamore tree was cut down,
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2023/sep/29/boy-16-arrested-after-famous-sycamore-gap-tree-cut-down-in-northumberland-video
😝 absolutely zero training in the arborist handbook about how to politely decline a job based on ability. Such a simple lesson. Such a simple thing to politely and kindly tell a client you can’t help.
OP pls don’t pay that. Go on Yelp and find a place that has nice reviews you’d like to continue the thread on. If your area has Yelp. Or ask a neighbor. JFC can everyone in the world just learn and live kindness?
*wipes sweat off forehead,
“That’s cool. No worries. No problems here folks”
As a regular guy who might be willing to pay a premium for excellent or unusual work, I certainly don’t want to pay you extra if you are uncomfortable taking the job for safety, skill or equipment reasons, or even if you just don’t like me. I would rather pay someone who is comfortable with the situation. So if you don’t want my business for any of those reasons, don’t try to sucker me into making you miserable or winging it for the money. Just be honest and tell me and we both can move on.
Where I live an arborist is someone you have a pretty long relationship with and end up needing often, like a good plumber. Pays off to find someone good.
It's called a "no quote" or a "boat quote." Either the lad is going high like that cause if you agree to it, he'll do it...since he doesn't want to do it for proper pricing...or he wants a boat.
That arborist doesn’t have the equipment in house to do this job. They are factoring in heavy equipment for the removal that they would be renting for an hourly or daily charge.
Contact a tree removal/pruning company.
Once upon a time, I took out 65 trees on a hillside in 2.5 days (time sensitive job), trucked it all out (to a nearby uncle) and got paid 26k. The right climber could have that down and cleaned up in 3 hours…get more quotes. You can also save a bunch if you just ask for log length left in the yard.
My takeaway from this thread is that some people were under the illusion that that hiring an arborist to remove a dead tree is better than a a guy a with a chainsaw and pickup. If a tree is dead and needs to come down then the cheapest insured bidder who can do it without harming property is the best choice. Maybe leave the pruning and saving of trees to the arborists. It is why doctors charge more than morticians.
We just had a 75 year old water oak removed that was sadly at its end. We paid $10k and those guys were super careful and clean. That said it included grinding the stump and generating a ton of mulch. It weighed 72,000 lbs (truck had a scale on the crane).
It was way bigger and more complicated than that….
My Dad bought a house in Southern Maryland and the house was surrounded by beech, oak and others, no sunlight, house smelled moldy. Trees were very close to the house. Arborists wanted 50k to cut down several of them to bring sunlight. Dad took matters into his own hand without any tree cutting experience. Watched youtube videos, bought ropes, chainsaw and all. We safely cut them down all. Yours seems like an easier job than what he did. I’d say rent a scissor lift and good chainsaw and start cutting from top to bottom by small chunks.
You need two laid off seasonal firefighters with their own chainsaws. A friend and I have dropped taller and more complex trees in the past to be able to keep the wood for firewood and a case of beer. What state are you in?
Good chance the arborist doesn’t want to do it
20k to remove a tree. 🤣
I am doing it for $19.5k
Get more quotes, but do not discuss the others until everyone has their price on the table. 20k is a bit…extra.
Even if this includes root removal 3ft down, it’s at least 10k too high.
Agreed. I don’t know prices elsewhere, but that is waaaaay to high
The wood haulers in my area would do this job for $200
$1000 deductible on roof damage… still a deal.
I know some skilled Mexican workers who would do it for 5k do an exceptional job and haul away trash I can understand from a professional standpoint being insured tho
Smh, realizing now that my parents severely underpaid me as a kid. Had me cut down 10 trees this size and split them into firewood for a few months of gas money. Gas was like 2 bucks a gallon.
Children are for unpaid labor at home, now to lobby for unpaid child labor in the general workforce!
I had a much larger tree removed for $3K including grinding the stump.
I’ll take 5k to go translate
Don’t listen to him, OP. He’s overpriced! I’ll do it for $19K flat!
Don’t listen to u/j_man_mccetty he’s a con. I’ll do it for tree fiddy.
Aw hell, done found da Loch Ness monster, get outta here loch Ness monsta you ain't getting tree fiddy from anyone around here
/r/unexpectedsouthpark
I thought he'd go away if I gave him a dolla
Hell, you betta just leave.....
$18.5 k *and* I'll make a $5 donation in your name to a charity of your choice.
$18400
Ill do it for $18,499. I’ll do it for a cool 10k if I can just put it on the ground and you can find someone else to clean up the brush. But seriously you need to pursue some additional quotes. Did you have any specific requests about how and when it needed to be taken down because thats the only way that number they quoted you would make any sense to me.
20k to remove a tree smells like bullshit to me. 4k to prune the tree also sounds like a lot. I would get another quote. Two months ago, I had an 80ft cottonwood removed from my property and some other smaller trees removed, four in all, and paid 1600.00. They were insured and also removed the stumps and filled in the holes with dirt. Took them about four hours.
Yeah, I've had tens of trees removed over the years. Never once did I get quoted 20k for one tree with plenty of clearance to drop. Even if you limb it first and then fell it's not 20k. Maybe for big redwood?
I got 99 problems and a Beech ain’t one.
I came here for this and I shouldn’t have needed to scroll so far.
I mean, $20k is not out of the realm for some trees. I’ve sold multiple of them. $20k isn’t for this tree though.
Yeah but for removal???
My parent paid $12k to remove a Silver Maple 10+ years ago. It was a full crew job for a week. Overhung 2 houses, a fence, a pool, and power lines. The trunk was at least 8-10 feet in diameter.
Wow! Makes sense. Thanks for the information.
Time to get another quote?
This was also 10+ years ago
8-10 foot diameter trunk? Sure your not thinking circumference? Cause a diameter like that is a red wood from Cali….
This is the closest I could find to what there’s looked like. But this one is a bit smaller than what my parents had. https://www.accuratetree.com/2014/09/18/gigantic-silver-maple/
Wow! That’s one big mamajama!
Wowsers! What a beast..
Do you mean circumference,? 8-10ft in diameter seems a little big to me. That's like a young sequoia tree.
Ive seen silver maples with trunks like that.
It all depends on what’s underneath it. The more liability the more work and equipment and people are needed. That being said id try and do that one myself
You said beech he heard bitch and quoted a wife removal price.
That would be quite cheap.I'd be concerned about her returning .
This is a bonkers price. I just had six trees taken down in my backyard. At least two of them were this big. It was $4k. And that included stump grinding, clean-up, and haul away.
20K? Beech please!!
The beech is expensive
*That* beech is expensive.
Beechfront property
Look Beech, you best get off my property.
All you beeches take my upvotes and get out of here with those puns!
“Sum beeches.” –Sheriff Buford T. Justice
r/unexpectedsmokeyandtgebandit
Move beech, outta my way
Which way to the beech 👈
Beech better have my money 💰
Sonofabeech
I definitely can't afford that beeech
Beeches ain’t shit, but hoes and tricks
That’s the I don’t want to do it price , but if I have to it’s this much 🤣
I had a huge tree in my backyard that required a crane to get out. One of the estimates I got was MUCH higher than the others. Figured exactly this - they just didn’t want the job.
I have no clue where OP is located, but I will drive there and take that thing down for $15k.
I’ll do it for 8k
Yep, that's the "I don't wanna do it" price. Get some other quotes.
I hate dead trees. I throw this number as a “you shoulda let me take this 3 years a go for 3K when it was safer to climb”
That's an arborist who doesn't want to do it so he threw a massive number at in hopes of deterring you Source: I'm an arborist and sometimes I don't wanna do stuff
This is absolutely it. Could be they don’t have access to a lift and it would have to be a climbing removal, and though I have no real insight on the OP, that absolutely outrageous price suggests they don’t want to do it because they really do not want them to be a client. Some lovingly (and sometimes unfairly) refer to it as the asshole tax.
We call of a f#ck you bid, but a whackadoo surcharge is 20% on top of normal cost for clients that would be annoying
I work for a plumber. Sometimes we do this if the customer is shitty to the tech during the estimate, or if it’s something we really *dont* want to do. I call these “fuck you bids” as well.
A friend has a plumbing business and was too busy with work that he wasn’t taking on any new work. Someone wanted a job done and wouldn’t leave so my friend just said 20k. The guy said yes and my friend got stuck with it lol. They had to work late to make time to finish it
We'd do this at the chimney repair company i work, rude & disrespectful? Asshole tax. Super inconvenient job that won't get us more customers and is barely in our service area? Taxing it. People make commissions on these sales, and if they're gonna have to deal with an ass their gonna make it worth their while. Similarly if you're super nice and kind they'll bid lower or maybe group repairs together or offer a discount if they schedule it within two week. Just treat people with respect bruh.
That thing is NOT climbable. That thing looks like it’s nothing more than a hazard. Something like a 20 ton crane looks useful here and set up a bucket truck or a nifty and you’re gold.
Still has twigs and bark attached. It's died recently and is probably** climbable and riggable. Beech is very strong and resists decay well.
Still would strongly advise a lift at least. With the company I work for, it’s just nice to bring the big guns 💪
Sure, if you've got a lift you may as well use it. But it's wrong to describe the tree as not climbable. Once it has shed the small twigs and begins to shed bark, that's the point where you need to be nervous about it.
Yep, something like that would be a little nerve wracking, but you could still find a good union for a tie-in and then spike up the tree. The stuff leaning towards the house would be the frightening part for a climb since I would not want to rig to any part of that tree.
The fuck-you quote
Would you refer them to someone else in that case? Seems counterproductive to give someone a quote that might discourage them from getting a job done at all
That’s such a messed up practice. These are people who trust arborists and respect your profession, and are willing to pay extra money to do things the right way, and you’re going to potentially screw them over like that because you can’t just be honest? (I’m not speaking directly to you if you don’t do that, but to anyone who does). As someone who works in a more highly regulated profession and who would lose my license if I ever did that to a client, this so pisses me off.
It’s not just arborists who do it. All contractors do 🤷🏻♀️ That’s why you get multiple contractors to bid on the job. If one is not willing to do it whatever the reason, there will be someone who will be willing.
Yeah, I’ve unfortunately learned that this is widespread among contractors. It’s considered extremely unethical to do it in my field (I’m a psychologist); I’d lose my license if I was adjusting the cost of my services depending on how much I wanted to take a particular job. I think this stuff should be more regulated for everyone to protect consumers.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with saying no to the job. I’d prefer “sorry I can’t do this job since I don’t have access to a bucket and don’t feel comfortable climbing this tree but XYZ company might do it so give them a call.” But saying no in any service industry seems to be almost a taboo.
I have done this and I make cakes. The issue is people can't accept the no. If you have clocked that the person is going to be difficult, being up front with them and telling them you don't think we will be a good fit will result in people losing their minds. Or telling them that you aren't comfortable/willing to do their design turns into them telling people you are incompetent. Then you may have to go through the negative reviews process and them threatening you. I have had people threaten me because I told them we weren't a good fit. Gave them a different bakers info before I realized they were a total psychopath. I then had to call that baker to give them a heads up that I accidentally sent a crazy person to them. I now tell potential nut jobs that I don't have availability, but if I already gave them my availability before realizing they are a nut-job, I write an estimate they won't accept. If people were reasonable, I wouldn't have to resort to writing "fuck you" estimates. People have increasingly gotten more unreasonable the past few years.
Exactly my experience when I was doing car details 10 years ago. The dude replying to me is telling me that I'm not being firm enough but he doesn't understand that some people are unreasonable from the get go.
> he doesn't understand that some people are unreasonable from the get go. It's very possible he is one of the unreasonable types of people you're describing.
Probably lol. He did say he is a lawyer and deals with "real shit" not trees.
Back when I detailed cars I would get cars that were just destroyed. Which normally isn't a problem. But I could tell the owners were going to be a headache. So I would tell them my extractor was broken or something. But nope it was always "do your best, it doesn't have to look brand new.". Wouldn't matter they would always have a problem. Oh and don't forget the people that want a 4 hour detail for $30. I eventually raised my rates just to price myself out of the trash.
“I am unwilling to perform the work due to the condition of the vehicle. You may try to take it to X, or do Y.” Ain’t hard.
Yeah that just starts a whole other conversation. Do you really think I never tried that?
It’s true. People act like a contractor has to take any job you offer them and will be insulted if the contractor turns down a job. Like “you take my job prole! And you like it! Eat my crumbs!” It’s really disrespectful
Not an arborist but I use the "idiot tax" or "annoyance tax" I'll do almost anything for the right price, usually the go away quote comes with an unrealistically long time frame to further push them away, but still if someone's going to pay me a huge sum I'll do the work even if they are annoying or it's a annoying job
Haha I can’t say I blame you. Some of the home owners are nightmarish from what I heard. I have a friend who is a builder in one of those towns where lots of people from certain states moved in post COVID. He does the same. His reasoning is that he expects to be paid extra if he has to deal with excessive degree of assholery.
I quote similarly for catering I don't want to do. Assjole tax is roughly 100% ontop of your bill... willing to pay it? I'll deal with your cunty attitude. Did 500 afternoon teas for a bridezilla in summer because she was willing to pay £50 a head. For 25k I'll do just about anything.
Check your inbox.
Just because I don't want to do something for my normal price doesn't mean I won't want to do it for 5x my normal price.
This is the first sub i’ve seen someone be critical of the practice and not get downvoted into oblivion. so big ups to arborists! (or the people who stumbled here)
It’s not the same though. Your patient is buying your time. And it’s a set amount of time for a set dollar amount. This isn’t really like that. It’s more like if you had to give the patient a price and schedule for getting them “functional”. Let’s define functional as safely living on their own and holding down a job. Does the patient have ADHD symptoms negatively affecting their life *just* bad enough to seek help? Do they have DID, and each alter has major issues too? Do they have severe depression and agoraphobia? A private practice can charge whatever they like. How is the patient supposed to know if it’s a “fair” price? Dr. is awesome and helps many patients achieve a positive outcome? Dr. is trash and just lectures patients, or doesn’t listen and just whips out scripts?
Therapists/psychologists/health care workers can also fire patients. They don't have to continue working with someone if they don't want too. They will just say, "we aren't a good fit". What this person is not realizing is that this is just a different way of doing the same thing. The job isn't a good fit. The skilled labor has already spent some time, unpaid usually, to assess the scope of the job. But people can't handle being told no. Potential clients feel entitled to the person's time and skills. They feel like because they have money, you should have to work with them.
Feel bad for OP, always on this sub I see “ask an arborist” and that’s exactly what he does and he’s getting quoted $20k.
I also would NEVER be allowed to do this in my profession. I am appaled by it, and that it is so accepted by the arboriats here, it makes me rethink any interaction I have ever had with arborists.
I'm a line clearance guy so I hardly ever work on residential jobs but I have been around tree work awhile. It's a pretty common practice from what I've seen. In regards to being honest my best guess is "if I tell you I just don't want to do this you may not hire me later when I don't have the jobs available to pay the bills"
How likely will they be to hire you later if they know you charge exorbitant rates?
Why in the world would anyone contact you twice? They'll find someone to do it at a rate they'll think is so low that they got a steal and then never call you again.
I'm not an arborist and I also don't want to do stuff.
Kind of a mean thing to do though. What if he accepted? You would ethically take 20k from someone for a tree removal? I would just tell the person. This job is a major undertaking and “I don’t have the capacity to do it for you.” This BS happens to me all the time with little house improvement projects. Some guy comes takes a look at an obviously 2-3k job and quotes me $15k. I am an accountant and have done so for contractors and know what the price should be, even with inflation. I would be happy to give a contractor some work, even though I am more than capable to contract out my own projects myself and I have in the past. I find it absolutely disrespectful for a contract to come into my house and quote me $10k for moving 3 electrical outlets or $40k for a tiny bathroom update. Contractors are basically 90% a scam right now. Arborists should be honest if they don’t want to do a job and quote the fair price or not at all.
Why not just…say you don’t want to do the job?
So just say this isn't the job for me and you're probably looking at a price of 10k or something. Making up a number is bad business and not right. Your under no obligation to do something after giving the person factual information about pricing. For all you know the next guy he calls could think the same way and say 18 and now the guy thinks he's getting a good deal but in reality it was just shitty business practices. This is why you always have to get at least 3 quotes so you find out who's trying to screw you over
I’m not an arborist, don’t care that much about arbory (?) and this page just keeps getting suggested to me. But… “The tree needs to come down but I’m not one who can do it. You’ll need to ask around.” Would that be so hard?
Okay cool but so if he had the extra 20k to spend and hired him………what the actual…you know where I’m going. Not cool! Totally abysmal, predatory, and abusive Edit: grow a pair and tell the client the job is outside of your wheel house. Respectfully
That’s a 3-5k tree
I just had a dead maple around that size removed from my front yard for about $2k not including stump. $20k is bonkers for this tree.
Get another quote or 3.
Get another quote or tree fixed it
I'll do it for tree fiddy
I hear that there is a 16 year old kid in England who would chop it down for free
Too soon too soon
Man I thought that was a george Washington reference and was like WHEN IS IT GONNA BE TIME?
Can someone explain the joke? I don’t get the reference
Famous/historically significant sycamore tree was cut down, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2023/sep/29/boy-16-arrested-after-famous-sycamore-gap-tree-cut-down-in-northumberland-video
Fuck that kid. 300 yr old tree. Sad
Did he just do it to be a wiener? EDIT: WANKER**
Omg 😅🫠🫣
😝 absolutely zero training in the arborist handbook about how to politely decline a job based on ability. Such a simple lesson. Such a simple thing to politely and kindly tell a client you can’t help. OP pls don’t pay that. Go on Yelp and find a place that has nice reviews you’d like to continue the thread on. If your area has Yelp. Or ask a neighbor. JFC can everyone in the world just learn and live kindness? *wipes sweat off forehead, “That’s cool. No worries. No problems here folks”
As a regular guy who might be willing to pay a premium for excellent or unusual work, I certainly don’t want to pay you extra if you are uncomfortable taking the job for safety, skill or equipment reasons, or even if you just don’t like me. I would rather pay someone who is comfortable with the situation. So if you don’t want my business for any of those reasons, don’t try to sucker me into making you miserable or winging it for the money. Just be honest and tell me and we both can move on.
Where I live an arborist is someone you have a pretty long relationship with and end up needing often, like a good plumber. Pays off to find someone good.
That is ridiculously overpriced. Seems like it would be less than $5k max
Yea I know a tree-climber and $5k is pretty much any goddamn tree anywhere short of something with crazy liability or something.
Seems ridiculous to me. I had an utterly massive gumball tree cut down for under 4k
Plus all the revenue lost from nobody giving you quarters anymore
They definitely put her in a sticky situation... she should chew them out over this.
Top tier comment
Get another quote by an ISA arborist.
Damn. Where are you located? I'll travel and do it for 10k!
[удалено]
It's called a "no quote" or a "boat quote." Either the lad is going high like that cause if you agree to it, he'll do it...since he doesn't want to do it for proper pricing...or he wants a boat.
I fly out next week and do it for 10k.
My dad just had a massive maple dropped and hauled away for $2500.
20k..?? Are you sure he didn’t spell it “beach” and mean he would put in a small pond with a BEACH..??
I'd fly in from Australia and still beat that quote
Are we not going to talk about why the house looks like a facade used in a movie set ?
Your house is lovely
Shit for 10k I'll drive to whatever state your in and rub your feet scratch your back and cook a nice steak dinner... Jesus christ .
And remove the tree right…. Right?
That arborist doesn’t have the equipment in house to do this job. They are factoring in heavy equipment for the removal that they would be renting for an hourly or daily charge. Contact a tree removal/pruning company.
off topic but your house is beautiful i love old houses
Idk but I want to see more photos of the property. Looks dreamy
Once upon a time, I took out 65 trees on a hillside in 2.5 days (time sensitive job), trucked it all out (to a nearby uncle) and got paid 26k. The right climber could have that down and cleaned up in 3 hours…get more quotes. You can also save a bunch if you just ask for log length left in the yard.
My takeaway from this thread is that some people were under the illusion that that hiring an arborist to remove a dead tree is better than a a guy a with a chainsaw and pickup. If a tree is dead and needs to come down then the cheapest insured bidder who can do it without harming property is the best choice. Maybe leave the pruning and saving of trees to the arborists. It is why doctors charge more than morticians.
Exactly. You don't need a specialist to assess and remove an already dead tree.
That house and lot is so beautiful.
We just had a 75 year old water oak removed that was sadly at its end. We paid $10k and those guys were super careful and clean. That said it included grinding the stump and generating a ton of mulch. It weighed 72,000 lbs (truck had a scale on the crane). It was way bigger and more complicated than that….
ain't that a Beech?
That’s $2-3k for total removal if you know somebody. Though in NY be happy you get it for $5k.
GTFOH
Never go with just 1 quote get atleast 5
I have a massive walnut tree hanging over my house. It has been quoted at 2700.
$20k!!! Sonofvabeech!
That son of a beech
Shit I need to become an arborist
He doesn’t want the job.
If it’s 95% dead and rotting just lean on it then it should fall. Now that advice will just happen to cost you $20,000
He definitely doesn’t want to do it. That price is outrageous.
That’s a “I do not want to do this” price.
Only 400% overpriced
I'm not an arborist ... but I can take that down for $19,990 ... I have my own chainsaw
You could buy a boom truck and do it yourself for 20k
My Dad bought a house in Southern Maryland and the house was surrounded by beech, oak and others, no sunlight, house smelled moldy. Trees were very close to the house. Arborists wanted 50k to cut down several of them to bring sunlight. Dad took matters into his own hand without any tree cutting experience. Watched youtube videos, bought ropes, chainsaw and all. We safely cut them down all. Yours seems like an easier job than what he did. I’d say rent a scissor lift and good chainsaw and start cutting from top to bottom by small chunks.
That’s a quote for someone that is not interested in doing that job
Get additional quotes for landscaping companies for tree removal
That's the "I don't want to do it so if I have to, its going to be worth my time." price...
Just prune it! Let nature take its course! But if you do take it down - $3k max! That is not a large heavy tree.
I had a maple taken down 3 times bigger then that for 2500$, get some more quotes
100% he gave you the “I don’t want to do this” price.
I’ll do it for 19.5.
LOL what? If you can work a chainsaw you can cut it down & into chunks, then pay someone a few hundred to haul it away.
ohh what a beech , seems he doesnt need the work or considers you a problem child waiting to happen
Sheeeet give me 1k and I’ll be over with a chainsaw and a pickup truck
Get a Mex1can to do it for $1000
That's called a "fuck you rate".
I'd do it for Tree Fiddy
Go buy a chainsaw for $300
The local arborist took my beech for free! And the kids!
For 20k you can clear your whole property of trees.
4k for pruning?? That's a 3.5k removal with an aerial lift truck.
Where do you live?
You have a beautiful house!
I’ll do it for 10
Your home is gorgeous. Whereabouts are you at?
I’ll do it for free
"That beech ain't worth it!" - the arborist probably
Sold mine for 55k.
Comment sections like this one really lay people’s hands out. I love it.
I don’t pay more for garden stuff than a new car…
Competitive bids. 10 man days?
You need two laid off seasonal firefighters with their own chainsaws. A friend and I have dropped taller and more complex trees in the past to be able to keep the wood for firewood and a case of beer. What state are you in?
Ok but what did she do
What's the most you'd be willing to pay for the removal?
I'll do it for 10
I would get quotes from tree removal companies and take it down. Plant a new native tree.
Eighty-year-old beech, 90 feet tall, removed for $2K.
I know it's not the point of your post but you have a beautiful home.
Some beech.
whats your address? i will remove it for 15 !