got a quote to have some trees cut down. is it fair?

[ColdNH]

I have a bunch of oak trees in my yard that i would like to have cut down in order to bring in some fill and level off the slopping back yard. problem is all these trees are too close to the house for my comfort level of dropping them. 6 trees, all about 50-70 feet tall, white/red oaks 15-30" diameter. all 10-30 feet away from the house surrounded by other trees.

the quote was for 1000.00 to drop them in their place, they would have to be climbed. the price does not include any cleanup what-so ever, as i would do that to save some money.

location is southern NH.

I have a few other companies im waiting for quotes from as well
just wondering if you guys thought that was a fair price
thanks!

 

[zzr7ky]

I cut a fair number of trees ever year in the 24-36" diameter range. I paid $200 to have one tree topped at my place. I had quotes even higher. I'd say it's a fair price if they must be climbed.

 

[smokinj]

If they have to climb 1000.00 is fair.

 

[billb3]

I paid $900 for a climber , a tractor with claw to move the rounds far down the trail away from the house and two helpers that fed all the branches into a chipper and hauled the mess away. Also $850 to do another house a quarter mile or so away. Weekend and they left their gear in my yard.
First quote was $1200 for just one house. Once it became two jobs at the same time the price came down.
Chipped branches hauled away was a trade for about a cord of red oak from the other house. (also the lower $850 price).

 

[ColdNH]

I paid $900 for a climber , a tractor with claw to move the rounds far down the trail away from the house and two helpers that fed all the branches into a chipper and hauled the mess away. Also $850 to do another house a quarter mile or so away. Weekend and they left their gear in my yard.
First quote was $1200 for just one house. Once it became two jobs at the same time the price came down.
Chipped branches hauled away was a trade for about a cord of red oak from the other house. (also the lower $850 price).

how many trees?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

To drop 6 trees for $1000 does not seem overpriced to me.

 

[FLINT]

Man, we must be lucky!

we had a big white pine leaning towards our house, so last summer we had it taken down.

we found a guy who climbed way up it and cut it off in about 8' sections and just left them all on the ground where they fell.

He only charged us I think $150.

My wife said it was really neat to watch, apparently he's been doing this for 30 years and scampered right on up there and made short work of it.

 

[Danno77]

around here it's something like 600 to drop and dispose of a big oak tree (for example). Multiple trees get you better rates, dropping and leaving it will be even cheaper. I'd guess that 1,000 sounds like a decent deal. I'm just having a hard time understanding how you have have 6 trees that are ALL too close to the house. I'd figure maybe 3 of em are close and 3 are not, etc.

 

[hareball]

I was quoted $900 to have one poplar (2 sections) in my front yard. Has to be climbed and have to bring it down at some point.

 

[gpcollen1]

The price sounds decent enough but I would see if you can get more done for the price. Get those other quotes. Anything over $1000 and I am sure to get 3 bids. See how it shakes out. Then see if the guy with the lowest bid will at least chip up the brush for you. Quite often these guys work as a complete crew anyway. Knowing that you will have to cut and split the wood, it would be great to have all the brush cut and chipped. Then again, some of these guys chip anything under 12 inches so I am not sure I would trust them with my oak.

When I had a few of my 100 ft monsters taken down, I came back from getting lunch and the guys had a 9 inch branch winched into the chipper. I could not get there in time to save it.

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

LOL, yer gonna get $1,000 back in FW if you had to buy it. Pay the guy already! . . . unless you think you can drop them without hitting the roof . . . :bug:

 

[ColdNH]

around here it's something like 600 to drop and dispose of a big oak tree (for example). Multiple trees get you better rates, dropping and leaving it will be even cheaper. I'd guess that 1,000 sounds like a decent deal. I'm just having a hard time understanding how you have have 6 trees that are ALL too close to the house. I'd figure maybe 3 of em are close and 3 are not, etc.

its a pretty wooded lot for a .25 acre, all the trees are pretty close to the house, some hanging over the house, maybe not 15-30" in diameter, i think that was a typo! more like 8-20" in diameter

This pic shows 2 of the trees (two close ones on the left)

 

[Danno77]

its a pretty wooded lot for a .25 acre, all the trees are pretty close to the house, some hanging over the house, maybe not 15-30" in diameter, i think that was a typo! more like 8-20" in diameter

This pic shows 2 of the trees (two close ones on the left)

Ok, I get it now. 1000 still doesn't sound too bad, but I'm leaning more towards agreeing with:

The price sounds decent enough but I would see if you can get more done for the price. Get those other quotes. Anything over $1000 and I am sure to get 3 bids. See how it shakes out. Then see if the guy with the lowest bid will at least chip up the brush for you. Quite often these guys work as a complete crew anyway. Knowing that you will have to cut and split the wood, it would be great to have all the brush cut and chipped.

 

[midwestcoast]

Sounds like a fair price. Make sure they have adequate insurance as that's part of what you're paying for. On a 1/4 acre lot I'd agree it's worth it getting the brush chipped as well unless you have somewhere close to take it. Chips could be left on-site for mulch.

 

[jharkin]

I also agree it sounds fair.
Last year I had one big old crabapple dropped that was right next to the dining room and hanging over the electric line. $500 to drop it, cut into 16s and grind the stump. They used the bucket truck to take it down limb by limb.


Sounds like you are gonna be all set in wood for at least 2 years

 

[billb3]

I paid $900 for a climber , a tractor with claw to move the rounds far down the trail away from the house and two helpers that fed all the branches into a chipper and hauled the mess away. Also $850 to do another house a quarter mile or so away. Weekend and they left their gear in my yard.
First quote was $1200 for just one house. Once it became two jobs at the same time the price came down.
Chipped branches hauled away was a trade for about a cord of red oak from the other house. (also the lower $850 price).

how many trees?

Oh 2 really huge pines , plus 3 average sized pines dropped here.
(I had dropped one of the pines I wanted gone the year before and it went the wrong way and the tip of it clipped the sail boat in the driveway just inches away from my garage. Kinda when I decided it was worth paying people with better toys to do things)

I've dropped a hundred trees in the woods, figures when I do one near the house it does something totally unexpected.




and 7 0r 8 trees of various sizes , some had to be climbed at least partially before using a bucket truck at my sister's house. I would like to have had the wood, but they were to0 close to the house for me - and electric lines.
mostly oaks, most would be pushing the limits of an 026pro.


no stump grinding, though. But cut quite low to the ground.

 

[trailmaker]

In my area that would be such a low price that I would be skeptical. There's probably big regional price variation so neighbors would be your best source of info.

 

[RNLA]

Probably OK. I price like that for TDO, take down only....

 

[gregp553]

I had two oaks like this one hanging over my house. He climbed both and took them down piece by piece. Bucked it all and hauled away the branches for $250 each.