quick question

Effy wrote:
Multiple quotes is the key. Recent inspection on one of the rental properties revealed we needed some exterior painting on the unit. Got 3 quotes - first was $2,800, then $680, another at $700. All licensed, bonded and recommended by the inspector. Usually I find when I get a really high estimate, it's because the contractor doesn't really want the job. The only way they'll do it is to make a ton of money so they throw out a crazy number.

This is a very good point. A high quote may simply mean that the professional is already booked or for whatever other reason doesn't really care for the job--maybe it's a long travel time, or maybe they dislike working with the particular tree species, or maybe they'd have to subcontract some particular piece of equipment--and so rather than say they can't or won't do the job, they quote a high price.

Particularly in this age there may be fear that refusing to quote a job would be construed as inappropriate discrimination, based on race or sexual orientation or whatever, even if the actual motives are far more ordinary and entirely reasonable.

1 Hide the motor home and get more quotes.
2 Meet the guys in a cheap bar and get more quotes.
Cutting down and removing a big tree is a BIG job. Dangerous too.

What the market will pay is a long standing pricing rule.

Yes it happens depending on you coach. My coaches, they give me a discount. No seriously though, I have heard people say things like "quote based on their shoes".

Multiple quotes is the key. Recent inspection on one of the rental properties revealed we needed some exterior painting on the unit. Got 3 quotes - first was $2,800, then $680, another at $700. All licensed, bonded and recommended by the inspector. Usually I find when I get a really high estimate, it's because the contractor doesn't really want the job. The only way they'll do it is to make a ton of money so they throw out a crazy number.

Dutch_12078 wrote:
Did you get multiple quotes for comparison?

This is how we do it. And if all the quotes feel like we're getting gouged, then I make the decision to hire one of them, do it myself, or leave the trees there. Simple

I think there is something to your notion that certain things prompt a higher price quote. I owned a home once that had previously been owned by a lawyer. You wouldn't believe the size of the furnace in that house: total overkill. Maybe the lawyer just wanted an excessive furnace, or maybe the HVAC guys took advantage of him. Who knows? I have a friend who is a medical doctor. He tells me that contractors are always highballing him. Instead of being irritated by it maybe you should take it as a compliment. I mean, after all, the contractors have to go where the money is, right? And you DO have enough money for that class A. Right? And you can always try to negotiate them downward, I guess.

-Speak

I don't think having an RV has anything to do with it. A good tree service is licensed, bonded and insured and those things cost. You, of course, can find someone cheaper or do it yourself but you need to ask yourself what if something goes wrong who is going to be sued? You didn't mention how hard is it to access the trees without damaging gravesites or tombstones? In my area taking down a tree and cleaning up afterwards with easy access is a minimum of 1K each.

Shop around. We had 3 trees, 2 hanging over the house, about 80 or 100 ft tall. The highest quote was $1000 for 1, and we got all 3 for $700. He used a bucket truck to cut the limbs on the side over the house and then we pulled them down. I cut them up and removed the brush.

When I first got started in my first career as plumbing contractor most of our work was local. As we got bigger we ventured out and the closer we got to NYC the higher the price. We started to quote like normal and people thought we were ripping them off.
We almost doubled our prices and they were happy. :S