What is the hourly rate to remove a tree?

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So this may be THE most common question we get from folks who are surfing our website or Facebook page.

Perhaps someone heard their neighbor had a tree removed and it cost XYZ dollars or that it took a guy a few hours to do a tree similar in size to their’s. They perhaps think that with an hourly rate in mind they can make some sort of educated guess about what it will cost to complete their job.

We get it. It is normal to want to establish a ballpark cost of something before we are faced with the actual sticker shock. We want to practice the face we will make when they tell us that the job is going to cost us more than a week’s groceries (even though many people are pleasantly surprised when we give them a price lower than expected!) Or, we don’t want to waste the Arborist’s time if we feel that it just isn’t in the budget for this year, or we are not quite ready yet but are curious to know what the cost will be.

Unfortunately, an hourly rate alone is not what you want to be quoted for any type of skilled Aborist work. Chances are that you will pay more in the end for the work.

Here is the scenario…

Let’s say you have a large tree in your yard that you need removed. You call two companies and obtain an hourly rate for their services. Company A tells you that they charge 150 dollars per hour and Company B tells you they charge 180 per hour. To be honest, it is pretty uncommon for a reputable Arborist company to offer a blanket hourly rate for any sort of skilled tree services. But for argument’s sake, let’s say you hire the company with the lowest rate; you may be making a poor choice…

Now let’s imagine you called those same companies for a free quote. Company A tells you that the job will cost 900 dollars. Company B tells you that the job will cost 720 dollars. Company B is a better price. But why? Both companies have taken many factors into consideration to get to that price. They have estimated how long the job will take them to complete and calculated the cost using their approximate hourly rate and the hours required to complete. Company B was more skilled/experienced and is more efficient. Yes, they charge more per hour, but they require much less time to complete.

Another similar scenario we come across is the comparison between a company with an Aerial Lift (Bucket truck) and a climber. A company running a truck will always run at a higher hourly rate yet are not always faster than a climber. Sometimes they absolutely are, but this depends on a number of factors, such as the location of the tree, the drop zone (area and structures where the tree limbs/tree will fall), the experience level of the climber in comparison, etc. Unless you are 100% certain the job requires a bucket truck, get your quotes from the truck company and a couple of different climbing companies. We have actually visited clients’ homes who were certain they needed a bucket truck and were pleasantly surprised to learn that the tree could be removed by a climber.

The skinny of it all…..companies should ALWAYS recommend that you obtain a free quote (we recommend at least two different company quotes). You are looking for a hard price that the service provider is guaranteeing you to complete the job. You do not want a ballpark figure that may change once the job has started and circumstances may change. Now, some companies use the two words “quote” and “estimate” interchangeably but make sure that you are receiving a hard price for the services outlined. Get this in writing. The last thing you want is to have the job 3/4 complete and the company tell you it is going to take longer than estimated and you now have zero choice but to pay the extra (or have a half removed tree in your yard!)

Okay, so now we are going to tell you that we do, in fact, also run an hourly rate. The hourly rate is situational. For instance, sometimes we will quote a job and the client will mention that they want some additional simple pruning and maintenance or bucking and chipping. We would offer a quoted price for the skilled work and then offer them an hourly rate for additional simple pruning and maintenance. We also offer our repeat clients hourly rates for odd and end tree pruning and maintenance and landscape type work and especially for chipping or bucking. The hourly rate may vary based on what task is being performed but is generally only offered on services where the skill level is fairly basic and comparable between service providers.

Every job is different but the main deciding factor affecting price is the difficulty of the job. If there is a significant skill requirement or danger level then the job is going to cost more. Risks are not always visible to an untrained eye so it is crucial to have a professional take a look. Often a climber will not divulge how many hours he thinks each tree will take. He takes into consideration many factors, such as skill level, danger level, risk level, special tools required, etc. He will then present the quote as an entire price and say he will be on site for approximately X amount of hours.

It is also important to note that each company may include different services in their total price. For instance, does the price include clean-up, bucking to firewood size, chipping, etc? What if you didn’t want clean-up or bucking? Can you opt out of those services or is that automatically included in the price? You must ask all of these questions to be sure you know what you are getting in the price.

We can’t recommend enough to get a couple of prices. Choose the company wisely by weighing price with your overall feeling of trust for the company and ALWAYS make sure the company has proper insurance coverage, both business liability coverage (should something unfortunate happen to your property) and employee liability coverage (should an employee of the company become injured on site at your home) (WorkSafe coverage in BC). You can ask the company to provide proof of this coverage.

We hope this helps.

 

 

 

Winter Giveaway!!

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It is time for our third quarterly Giveaway contest! Maybe you’ve got some trees or debris laying around from that nasty storm that you need dealt with? We are giving away 2 hours of professional tree service again. Contest draw will happen January 31 at 5pm. Winner will be notified on our Facebook page Forty Oaks Tree Service Ltd. 

The contest winner will receive 2 hours of free tree work, wood splitting or chipping, your choice! The tree work can only be provided within the Cowichan Valley (includes Mill Bay, Cobble Hill, Shawnigan Lake, Duncan, Crofton, Chemainus, Ladysmith, and Lake Cowichan). You may enter your home or business residence to win.

Here’s the skinny on the contest…

  1. Like our Facebook page (top right side of this blog click on the facebook widget)
  2. Like the contest post, and
  3. Comment in the contest post thread with your first and last name and which part of the Cowichan Valley you live in.***

***Each entrant will receive 2 additional entries for each time they share the Facebook contest post.

You MUST do all three of the above steps and reside within the Cowichan Valley in order to be eligible. Entrants will be entered into a random name draw, to be held on January 31, 2019 at 5pm. Winner will be announced on our Facebook page immediately after draw.

The winner will then arrange a suitable and convenient time with us to have their work performed. Work may include services such as pruning, service wire clearance, dead-wooding, hedge trimming, removals, etc. Please see our Services page for a full list of our services.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Facebook. The contest is run solely by Forty Oaks Tree Service Ltd.

Fall Giveaway!!!

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It is time for our second quarter Giveaway contest! Just in time for fall pruning, We are giving away 2 hours of professional tree service again. Contest draw will happen September 30 at 5pm. Winner will be notified on our Facebook page Forty Oaks Tree Service Ltd. 

The contest winner will receive 2 hours of free tree work, wood splitting or chipping, your choice! The tree work can only be provided within the Cowichan Valley (includes Mill Bay, Cobble Hill, Shawnigan Lake, Duncan, Crofton, Chemainus, Ladysmith, and Lake Cowichan). You may enter your home or business residence to win.

Here’s the skinny on the contest…

  1. Like our Facebook page (top right side of this blog click on the facebook widget)
  2. Like the contest post, and
  3. Comment in the contest post thread with your first and last name and which part of the Cowichan Valley you live in.***

***Each entrant will receive 1 additional entry for each like that their comment receives. So, get your friends to like your comment for additional entries into the draw!!!

You MUST do all three of the above steps and reside within the Cowichan Valley in order to be eligible. Entrants will be entered into a random name draw, to be held on September 30, 2018 at 5pm. Winner will be announced on our Facebook page immediately after draw.

The winner will then arrange a suitable and convenient time with us to have their work performed. Work may include services such as pruning, service wire clearance, dead-wooding, hedge trimming, removals, etc. Please see our Services page for a full list of our services.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Facebook. The contest is run solely by Forty Oaks Tree Service Ltd.

June Giveaway!!!

the flower pot (4)

It’s my birthday on June 30 and we have been thinking about doing a quarterly giveaway. It just so happens…..the end of this quarter is on June 30!!! So we are going to do a Facebook contest.

The contest winner will receive 2 hours of free tree work, wood splitting or chipping, your choice! The tree work can only be provided within the Cowichan Valley (includes Mill Bay, Cobble Hill, Shawnigan Lake, Duncan, Crofton, Chemainus, Ladysmith, and Lake Cowichan). You may enter your home or business residence to win.

Here’s the skinny on the contest…

  1. Like our Facebook page (top right side of this blog click on the facebook widget)
  2. Like the contest post pinned to the top of our facebook posts.
  3. Comment in the contest post thread with your first and last name and which part of the Cowichan Valley you live in.***

***Each entrant will receive 1 additional entry for each like that their comment receives. So, get your friends to like your comment for additional entries into the draw!!!

You MUST do all three of the above steps and reside within the Cowichan Valley in order to be eligible. Entrants will be entered into a random name draw, to be held on June 30, 2018 at 5pm. Winner will be announced on our Facebook page immediately after draw.

The winner will then arrange a suitable and convenient time with us to have their work performed. Work may include services such as pruning, service wire clearance, dead-wooding, hedge trimming, removals, etc. Please see our Services page for a full list of our services.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Facebook. The contest is run solely by Forty Oaks Tree Service Ltd.

Is your yard safe?

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The sun is finally on its way, which means you will be venturing out into your yard looking around at the pretty flowers in bloom, the long lush green grass and the weeds popping up all over the place. You will gaze up into the sky and may notice the first potential hazard in your yard. You see that your front hedge, or more commonly those fast-growing deciduous trees like the Alder, Maple, Willow, Poplar have grown since last year and are now moving in around your service wires. A deciduous sapling can grow 2-10 feet in one year!!

Your service wires are the wires going to your house from the power pole. These wires include the telephone, cable, internet and your house voltage power lines. They are 100% your responsibility to maintain.

If neglected, trees can grow into the wires and rub on the weather stripping causing shorting, arcing and loss of power. This can cause damage to household appliances, fire and even electrocution and death.

In a recent study by BC Hydro, 41% of people were unaware that the maintenance of these wires was their responsibility, as homeowners. BC Hydro will maintain the primary high voltage lines on the street but not the ones going to your house. If any damage occurs to the wires, or the pole it is at the homeowners sole expense.

This brings us to the next hazard…dead or decaying trees near the service/utility wires. Most homeowners are on the look-out for dead trees near their home or structures on their property. It is also crucial to look for trees that may come in contact with the service/utility wires. Let’s say a tree falls on your service/utility wires and takes down the power pole and mast on your house, which is common damage of a tree of any significant size. You are probably looking between $2-5,000 for repair costs, depending on any additional damage.

The obvious hazards remain, including dead or decaying trees near your home or populated areas, newly dead branches after the winter, broken branches hanging in precarious places, and trees that may be leaning more than in previous years (especially towards a house or structure).

So how do you remedy these hazards? If any vegetation is within 10 feet or 3 meters of the main power line (which is mostly grouped with the service wires going to your house) then it is required that you have a Certified Utility Arborist perform the work to prune the branches or remove the tree. A Certified Utility Arborist is a tree care specialist that is specially trained and permitted to work within proximity of high voltage power lines.

If you have any questions about a potential tree hazard on your property, give Forty Oaks a call, we can come out immediately and perform a free site assessment.

Try and find the service wire in this photo….it’s there, we swear!!!

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