who use vague terms on their quotes and do not itemize each task. One older neighbour got charged $250.00 to clip off 8 branches with a set of loppers. . .
terri01,
Aug 6, 1:27pm
Tree trimmers are expensive Depending on the size of the branches, 8 for $250 good, I paid $380 for 4 big branches and he used a chainsaw
joanie04,
Aug 6, 7:31pm
I had a cabbage tree cut down and six reasonable sized bottle brushes that had the tops taken off and all the lower hanging branches trimmed back. Everything was taken away. Standard charge $299.
gabbysnana,
Aug 6, 7:58pm
10 metre avocado tree with many trunks$1500.
blueviking,
Aug 7, 7:26am
They are expensive, but so are the dump costs.Arborists used to be able to dump mulch for free. Now some places have stopped taking any greenwaste.
christin,
Aug 7, 7:57am
it varies. we had two massive trees, with a trunk diameter of probably about a metre, going up about six stories high both done for $1000. neighbour and i were expecting about $3000 so were pleased.
i have just used the same person to get rid of some big wide trees, probably about 5 of them for $800 plus gst.
lythande1,
Aug 7, 8:49am
Guess you need the quote to be specific first.
fibertrix,
Aug 7, 10:33am
They aren't just chopping down trees. They are also paying for insurance, high ACC levies, depreciation on tools and other hidden costs. Next time tell your neighbour you will do it for a few beers and then be stuck with the prunings.
gilligee,
Aug 7, 1:01pm
Plus wages, travel, skills, book work and running costs of machinery.
joanie04,
Aug 7, 9:20pm
When I had my job done, the guy took all the waste for his goats. He is also a qualified Arborist works on his own and looks at the job first and then gives a quote.
barrie2,
Aug 8, 9:23am
Big Macrocarpa, awkward site, guy doing some work next door came round and stressed how it needed to come out being close to house, fences etc.
I did want rid of it but not for $2300 previously quoted. He verbally quoted $1800, all down, all branches cleared. I told him too much, he said OK. $1500 but you get rid of cuttings! (That would have been a massive heap all round back of house).
Finally $1200 agreed. Condition they took all skinny branches and cut up other big stuff to manageable log sizes for someone’s fire. Placing them on front lawn. With 2 metres of massive truck left their chainsaw broke ? He had to leave the stump. However it is not unsightly and in a corner so not a worry as I was just pleased to get the thing down and wave goodbye to these guys as they rode off into the sunset. Chancy - team of cowboys - but I stood my ground and got job done. PS: put sign “Free” next to huge pile of logs - gone in no time.
scottea,
Aug 8, 1:45pm
What got me was the wording of the quote where they stated "lifting off roof" while he clearly stated he wanted them cut below the roof-line. It is a supposed reputable company but their quote was not itemized which I would have questioned but he did not and he never actually had a face-to-face meeting with the person who wrote the quote - only the two young lads who did the work. I got him to get a local who mows lawns to do what he wanted done and for a very reasonable cost. He had the same - barrie2 - had some branches chopped into fireplace sized logs and put them on his front lawn with a "Free" sign and they were gone in less than three hours.
mcgolly,
Aug 11, 12:51pm
I got two small trees lowered for 50$ and roof cleaned and large tree taken down and chopped up for firewood for 200$ Money well spent
reeb,
Aug 11, 5:30pm
as if, if they were doing that they wouldnt last a day for reputationwise, or {they the neighbours} must be really thick.
peacebird15,
Aug 17, 5:55pm
Small jobs cost more, they are the biggest PITA to deal with and generally uneconomical to do. 250 would be the minimum hours charge for your average crew. Not to mention this includes the time of the guy who had to do the "free" quote. Truck, chipper, probably 10 to 20k worth of tools on board. An easy 120k worth of gear weighing at least 4 ton to show up.
The quote should have been more clear, but the charge isnt unreasonable
thumbs647,
Aug 20, 1:27pm
Did the neighbour get more than the one quote? Why did he choose that particular arborist? Why itemize? was there a heap of work all around the section and he needed to work to a budget, so prioritized? Need more specifics.
Add: did they leave a written quote for him to peruse and clarify?
peacebird15,
Aug 20, 5:07pm
So he got a quote without meeting the guy on site? So client told arb company what he wanted. They told there guy who did the quote. He looked and made a note which the arborists had to follow. how was that ever going to end well?
We dont quote or look at any job aside from some stump grinding without a client or someone with authority to make decisions there to go through it.
lythande1,
Oct 6, 1:16pm
User error. Or Buyer Beware type situation.
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