I had a fairly standard tree-trimming job, removing dead limbs from a
large silver maple and cleaning up some debris. So I get a couple of
bids from local companies on doing the work, such things are usually
within a fairly small range of each other.

One gives me a bid for $450 (about what I'd expect).

The other, bids $2500. What! Five times the other?

I read the bid sheet, they had the correct job described, the right
tree indicated, the correct address, all that. Needless to say, they
didn't get work. I thought about calling and seeing what on earth they
based that on, but in the end didn't bother.



Brian

"Default User" wrote in message
...
I had a fairly standard tree-trimming job, removing dead limbs from a
large silver maple and cleaning up some debris. So I get a couple of
bids from local companies on doing the work, such things are usually
within a fairly small range of each other.

One gives me a bid for $450 (about what I'd expect).

The other, bids $2500. What! Five times the other?

I read the bid sheet, they had the correct job described, the right
tree indicated, the correct address, all that. Needless to say, they
didn't get work. I thought about calling and seeing what on earth they
based that on, but in the end didn't bother.


It pays to shop around--try and find the one spends more time in working
than he does in giving out estimates.........

I have a local tree guy that I usually call during the wintertime when
things are slow for them, and after the deciduous trees have dropped all
their leaves--I pay him by the hour, straight time....charges me~$45.00/hr
IIRC.

--

SVL

I thought about calling and seeing what on earth they
based that on, but in the end didn't bother.

The first bidder may be a friendly competitor of the second bidder. Often in
auto repair, construction and other trades you will ask someone for a "courtesy
bid" if you really want the job. Or it may have been a clerical mistake. HTH

Joe

Yep a free market you live in. Sucker pays the high bid. Get the
insurance co no and check liability and workers comp. Be sure work is
equal. Ive had bids of 7500, and got a better trim at 1800. Alotta ass
holes out there that want that new boat on your job.

Greed the human way

I got quotes for 2 60' oaks and 1 twin (split trunk) 50' oaks.

Quotes ranged from 800.00 for the whole job, to 800.00 per tree.

In article ,
"Default User" wrote:

- I had a fairly standard tree-trimming job, removing dead limbs from a
- large silver maple and cleaning up some debris. So I get a couple of
- bids from local companies on doing the work, such things are usually
- within a fairly small range of each other.
-
- One gives me a bid for $450 (about what I'd expect).
-
- The other, bids $2500. What! Five times the other?
-
- I read the bid sheet, they had the correct job described, the right
- tree indicated, the correct address, all that. Needless to say, they
- didn't get work. I thought about calling and seeing what on earth they
- based that on, but in the end didn't bother.

I can answer that. It was based on the fact that a lot of people
aren't going to get more than one bid/estimate so they won't know
they're being screwed.
--
8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail)
~~~~~~
"I reserve the absolute right to be smarter
today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson

http://www.suzanne-eckhardt.com/
***Revelation 22:12*** ICQ: 349878998

"Default User" wrote in message
...
I had a fairly standard tree-trimming job, removing dead limbs from a
large silver maple and cleaning up some debris. So I get a couple of
bids from local companies on doing the work, such things are usually
within a fairly small range of each other.

One gives me a bid for $450 (about what I'd expect).

The other, bids $2500. What! Five times the other?

Same thing happened here about two years ago when we wanted a tree taken
down (too close to the house). I called about 5 places, three returned my
call, two actually showed up to give me bids. There was no way for them to
use their big bucket truck because of how the land next to our house is
(steep hill, the tree was in the back too far from the road and downhill
from the street). Company #1: Drop the tree and nothing else (they
would leave all the wood and brush here) The quote was for $2000. He said
he wouldn't be able to do it until mid-January (It was November at the
time). YIKES! Company #2: He said he would drop the tree, cut it into
firewood size lengths and leave that wood here, he'd haul/chip the brush for
us and clean up after himself. The quote was for $800, and he could do it
next week. We obviously went with company #2. They came and did a nice
job. They even chipped up and hauled away another pile of brush from a lot
of other trimming we had done ourselves.

"Tracey" wrote in message
om...

"Default User" wrote in message
...
I had a fairly standard tree-trimming job, removing dead limbs from a
large silver maple and cleaning up some debris. So I get a couple of
bids from local companies on doing the work, such things are usually
within a fairly small range of each other.

One gives me a bid for $450 (about what I'd expect).

The other, bids $2500. What! Five times the other?

Same thing happened here about two years ago when we wanted a tree taken
down (too close to the house). I called about 5 places, three returned my
call, two actually showed up to give me bids. There was no way for them to
use their big bucket truck because of how the land next to our house is
(steep hill, the tree was in the back too far from the road and downhill
from the street). Company #1: Drop the tree and nothing else (they
would leave all the wood and brush here) The quote was for $2000. He said
he wouldn't be able to do it until mid-January (It was November at the
time). YIKES! Company #2: He said he would drop the tree, cut it into
firewood size lengths and leave that wood here, he'd haul/chip the brush for
us and clean up after himself. The quote was for $800, and he could do it
next week. We obviously went with company #2. They came and did a nice
job. They even chipped up and hauled away another pile of brush from a lot
of other trimming we had done ourselves.



This is Turtle.

Here we get the trees cut for nothing if we buy the wood from him when he cuts
and splits it. I had two 2 Pin Oak trees cut for nothing but bought 14 Ricks / 7
Cords of wood for $700.00. He cuts , Splits it, and stacks it for you and cleans
up everything.

It's Called Cut and sell .

TURTLE

"Tracey" wrote in message
om...

"Default User" wrote in message
...
I had a fairly standard tree-trimming job, removing dead limbs from a
large silver maple and cleaning up some debris. So I get a couple of
bids from local companies on doing the work, such things are usually
within a fairly small range of each other.

One gives me a bid for $450 (about what I'd expect).

The other, bids $2500. What! Five times the other?

Same thing happened here about two years ago when we wanted a tree taken
down (too close to the house). I called about 5 places, three returned my
call, two actually showed up to give me bids. There was no way for them
to
use their big bucket truck because of how the land next to our house is
(steep hill, the tree was in the back too far from the road and downhill
from the street). Company #1: Drop the tree and nothing else (they
would leave all the wood and brush here) The quote was for $2000. He said
he wouldn't be able to do it until mid-January (It was November at the
time). YIKES! Company #2: He said he would drop the tree, cut it into
firewood size lengths and leave that wood here, he'd haul/chip the brush
for
us and clean up after himself. The quote was for $800, and he could do it
next week. We obviously went with company #2. They came and did a nice
job. They even chipped up and hauled away another pile of brush from a
lot
of other trimming we had done ourselves.

Glad to see tradesmen like that still exist. And once you recommend them to
a couple of neighbors/friends/coworkers for stuff they need done, the
company will be paid back multiple times for their good practices.

aem sends...

On Mon, 13 Sep 2004 22:38:34 GMT, "Default User"
wrote:

I had a fairly standard tree-trimming job, removing dead limbs from a
large silver maple and cleaning up some debris. So I get a couple of
bids from local companies on doing the work, such things are usually
within a fairly small range of each other.

One gives me a bid for $450 (about what I'd expect).

The other, bids $2500. What! Five times the other?

I read the bid sheet, they had the correct job described, the right
tree indicated, the correct address, all that. Needless to say, they
didn't get work. I thought about calling and seeing what on earth they
based that on, but in the end didn't bother.

Brian


We had an old 80' oak in our yard. Called 7 companies and all
showed. 3 took a look and said "We'd rather live" and left (Fast!)

The other 4 ranged from $600-$1200 (This was 1984) Then one guy was
chatting with my Brother-in-law and me about gathering the wood. We
agreed to gather it as it fell and he'd just cut.

He turned to my mother and said "Cut the bid in half"

He did the job for $300 and we then gave him 5 other people (With
children willing to help them out) and we heard him cutting for months
afterward.

What goes around.....

In article ,
Default User wrote:
I had a fairly standard tree-trimming job, removing dead limbs from a
large silver maple and cleaning up some debris. So I get a couple of
bids from local companies on doing the work, such things are usually
within a fairly small range of each other.

One gives me a bid for $450 (about what I'd expect).

The other, bids $2500. What! Five times the other?

I read the bid sheet, they had the correct job described, the right
tree indicated, the correct address, all that. Needless to say, they
didn't get work. I thought about calling and seeing what on earth they
based that on, but in the end didn't bother.



Brian

Probably the $2500 guy was booked up for 5 or 6 months and just wanted
to see if you would bite.


--

Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland

"ameijers" wrote in message
...
Glad to see tradesmen like that still exist. And once you recommend them
to
a couple of neighbors/friends/coworkers for stuff they need done, the
company will be paid back multiple times for their good practices.

Yes, I'm glad too I've recommended him to a few people since then. I
also made sure to write him a nice note thanking him for a job well done. I
figure that I would complain if I were unhappy, so I try to make a point to
complement a job well done.

On Mon, 13 Sep 2004 22:38:34 GMT, "Default User"
scribbled this interesting note:

I had a fairly standard tree-trimming job, removing dead limbs from a
large silver maple and cleaning up some debris. So I get a couple of
bids from local companies on doing the work, such things are usually
within a fairly small range of each other.

One gives me a bid for $450 (about what I'd expect).

The other, bids $2500. What! Five times the other?

I read the bid sheet, they had the correct job described, the right
tree indicated, the correct address, all that. Needless to say, they
didn't get work. I thought about calling and seeing what on earth they
based that on, but in the end didn't bother.

We had a Hackberry tree growing between two houses. It was about three
feet in diameter and probably forty feet tall. A fellow knocked on the
door one day to ask if we needed any tree trimming, so I asked him his
price for removing that tree. He looked at it for a minute or two and
said $900.00. He offered a business card, which I took, and I politely
thanked him. I went inside and threw away his card since I'd never be
needing his overpriced services.

I've since had that tree cut down. Cost? $120.00. You do the math to
figure out how much the first fellow was overpriced. The two guys who
did the job were competent, had good chainsaws and safety gear (and
used the safety gear!), as well as a good work truck with assorted
other tools, ladders, and gear inside. Paying more money is no
guarantee of getting higher quality.


--
John Willis
(Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

$120 to remove a 3 foot diamater, 40 foot tall tree?!?!?! Now thats a deal,
esppecially if they removed the wood too.Could it have been a cherry and
they sold the wood? Could have been a gloat post over on rec.woodworking


"John Willis" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 13 Sep 2004 22:38:34 GMT, "Default User"
scribbled this interesting note:

I had a fairly standard tree-trimming job, removing dead limbs from a
large silver maple and cleaning up some debris. So I get a couple of
bids from local companies on doing the work, such things are usually
within a fairly small range of each other.

One gives me a bid for $450 (about what I'd expect).

The other, bids $2500. What! Five times the other?

I read the bid sheet, they had the correct job described, the right
tree indicated, the correct address, all that. Needless to say, they
didn't get work. I thought about calling and seeing what on earth they
based that on, but in the end didn't bother.

We had a Hackberry tree growing between two houses. It was about three
feet in diameter and probably forty feet tall. A fellow knocked on the
door one day to ask if we needed any tree trimming, so I asked him his
price for removing that tree. He looked at it for a minute or two and
said $900.00. He offered a business card, which I took, and I politely
thanked him. I went inside and threw away his card since I'd never be
needing his overpriced services.

I've since had that tree cut down. Cost? $120.00. You do the math to
figure out how much the first fellow was overpriced. The two guys who
did the job were competent, had good chainsaws and safety gear (and
used the safety gear!), as well as a good work truck with assorted
other tools, ladders, and gear inside. Paying more money is no
guarantee of getting higher quality.


--
John Willis
(Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 10:35:36 -0400, "Brikp"
scribbled this interesting note:

$120 to remove a 3 foot diamater, 40 foot tall tree?!?!?! Now thats a deal,
esppecially if they removed the wood too.Could it have been a cherry and
they sold the wood? Could have been a gloat post over on rec.woodworking

To be fair, it was winter and there wasn't much work around at the
time and these fellows were a little hungry. They'd just done a very
similar tree up the street from us, although removing it wasn't as
difficult as it was in the front yard and not between the houses.

'Round here the city picks up brush every week so although the tree
cutters didn't haul off the wood, they did place it on the curb for
pick up and even offered to cut it into fireplace sized logs. Alas, we
don't have a fireplace. And besides, hackberry isn't even all that
good for burning, and it certainly has no resale value!:~(


--
John Willis
(Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

John Willis wrote:
On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 10:35:36 -0400, "Brikp"
scribbled this interesting note:


$120 to remove a 3 foot diamater, 40 foot tall tree?!?!?! Now thats a deal,
esppecially if they removed the wood too.Could it have been a cherry and
they sold the wood? Could have been a gloat post over on rec.woodworking


To be fair, it was winter and there wasn't much work around at the
time and these fellows were a little hungry. They'd just done a very
similar tree up the street from us, although removing it wasn't as
difficult as it was in the front yard and not between the houses.

'Round here the city picks up brush every week so although the tree
cutters didn't haul off the wood, they did place it on the curb for
pick up and even offered to cut it into fireplace sized logs. Alas, we
don't have a fireplace. And besides, hackberry isn't even all that
good for burning, and it certainly has no resale value!:~(



Hackberry makes good furniture. It cuts into ugly yellowish lumber with
purple-gray streaks in it, but it takes a stain remarkably well.

Bob

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 15:08:39 -0500, zxcvbob
scribbled this interesting note:


Hackberry makes good furniture. It cuts into ugly yellowish lumber with
purple-gray streaks in it, but it takes a stain remarkably well.

Bob

Perhaps the next time we cut down a smaller tree I'll put one on the
band saw and see what it looks like!

--
John Willis
(Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)