Pricing & the Art of the Estimate

Often, clients would like a quote over the phone or via email. Or they want to know our hourly or daily rate. Unfortunately, tree work is complex. Offering an estimate on the phone would make all our lives easier, but it wouldn’t be an accurate assessment of the job at hand. In determining pricing for any job, we must consider the following:
• What obstacles might keep us from completing the work? Are the roads icy or is the ground muddy? Are the neighbors uncooperative? Are there covenants? 
• How do we access the site? Is the tree right next to your flat driveway, or is it on a cliff leaning over the lake? Can we drive up to the site, or do we have to walk through a maze of alleyways and stairs?
• How big is the tree? Trees come in all shapes and sizes. Is yours a gnome or a giant?
• Can it be felled in one piece or will it need to be sectioned out? Dropping a tree from the base is a much different endeavor than having to climb it and cut it down piece by piece. Are there obstacles that prevent us from cutting it down in one fell swoop?
• If pruning, how many and which branches will be cut? No two pruning jobs are alike, and just like people, each tree requires a different form of TLC.
• If forest-thinning, what are the terrain and forest like? Selectively thinning trees in your front lawn is a much different endeavor than removing trees from rocky or swampy areas. Also, is the forest dog-hair-thick? Or are we tackling giant trees?
These are just some of the many factors we take into consideration when determining pricing. Please understand that a site visit is almost always necessary to provide an estimate for the work you need done. If you’d like us to bid on a job, please contact us.