The other thing I’ve realized about bidding tree jobs is there is a certain point when the customer is on board you sometimes need to step back and stop talking I find myself repeating myself and telling the customer the whole story of taking the tree down step-by-step and realizing they have a deer in the headlights look to them and you’re just wasting your time when you could be moving on because you have already won the job and their friendship, good video Joe thank you for your time ,Barry

If only I would have learned all this 20 + years ago! Sadly, I can honestly say that for my first 17 years in my landscape business I never really made much money at all. I was too busy being Mr. Nice Guy and that will kill you in the end. About 3 years ago I started to transition into more tree work and that necessitated that I do things differently- the cost of all the equipment forced me to look at what I had being doing wrong in the past. Now I'm 3 years in and am doing about 80% tree work now. I'm a relatively new climber but I've already put most if not all of your suggestions into place and its made a huge difference for me. I'm actually enjoying working again these days. It's really fairly simple. If you do honest hard quality work and convince people you're trustworthy, they'll be happy to pay you- what you're worth. I'm 57 years old this year, and old and new clients still tell me I'm the hardest working guy they've ever seen. Sure, I'm in good health, I'm only 145, my daddy taught me right and my Father has blessed me. But in the end, it's how you carry yourself and interact with the client that makes their day- then yours. Thanks for the quality advice Joe. Hopefully it will sink in sooner for others than it did for me.

Look over fences too!. I removed a Australian pine.Some wood had to be lowered in neighbors yard. Neighbor wasn't home came while we were in his yard removing wood. He called the cops claiming I threatened him with a chainsaw an destroyed his roses. In actuality there wasn't a petal on the ground .I also solicited a nice tree job from the cop.😜😉. Never miss a sales opportunity 🏁 Peace

Cool idea...show up nearly ready to go to work, hands on

Accessibility: to the tree you're working on. With equipment or to have your chipper near by. Dragging brush 50' around a house is a killer! Risk: hanging over homes, roadways, power lines, garages/sheds, dog houses, playsets, septic systems, driveways, fences. Health of the tree: decay, lightning struck, splitting, ext. Urgency: flat rate of.. x amount just to show up. Very important in storm calls. I think you covered about everything else in the basics of our line of work mister Joe. Good job man!

Thanks for taking the time. Subscribed. Started a tree managment service august of last year and its a good refresher listening to you catagorize your outputs and returns being the worker and owner. I am definitly shooting from the hip but i am improving and learning every day, honesty is the number one quality.

This video wasn't "so long" at all, man! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. This is SUPER HELPFUL!

You are 100% right. I learned everything myself by going through it over the years. I contract climb for some people that "own a tree business" but never climbed, so I can charge what I need to make. They don't understand so I try to explain but feel like I am constantly fighting them. So I do mostly pruning, charge more for takedowns, especially risky, & technical ones, and don't do an hourly or daily rate. I bid by the tree or the job. This is basically b/c: An experienced climber can do so much more than a beginner climber (like 5+ years vs. 2) I have contract climbed and took down 6 big pines in 1 day and made like 240$ a few years ago which is not even 50 dollars a tree. If that was my job, I felt even $100 a tree to climb to take down was low. My base rate is like minimum $300 cash with all the climbing gear & saws I have now.

Great job putting this together, Joe. When people ask me how much I charge for tree work, I always come back to 3 main factors. Risk, time, and what has do be done with the mess.

Great video and good information. Our lawn service is expanding to do tree work, this is gold for me! 🙏🏼 thank you!

This is the best video of this kind I believe I've ever seen. A lot of common sense, but put together in such a succinct and personable way. Thanks for sharing these valuable details from your hard-won experience.

Great attention to this matter of bidding. No doubt from your experiences doing some of what you advise to avoid!! Your honesty and sincerity comes across. Thanks friend.

Joe this video was awesome. I've been doing tree work for a few years and I just pulled the trigger and became my own boss a couple months ago. I noticed I already do the majority of the stuff you mentioned, but there were a few things you said that I never really took into account. Very helpful, keep it up man and stay safe out there.

Enjoyed the video, back in the day , we all worked together in New England states, I am now in the southeast , things have changed , good honest help is hard to find, drugs have really destroyed the catch climbers , I can no longer trust anyone in the business , I pay top climbers that spin it hard 500.00 per day, pay them after work , I may hear from them in a week, I am still plugging because I love trees , 🌳 it's been good to me , the old road to paradise is sadly missed, the days of good workers are about gone , stay true to your work ! Many blessings your way 🙏

You bought me into that introduction 👍✌ when you're stepping a foot off the ground in your saddle, core ropes,lifeline hand saw & chainsaw treework is minimum $250 there Shall be no question.The risk factor is immediately in effect. I don't mean trimming a hedge climbing in 8 foot tree you know what I mean TREE GUYS Signing out: Bill in the Hills Tree Service Is in effect Stay safe my comrades you can find me in the Tree Tops

Nice work on this one. The hardest part of bidding jobs for me when I started was taking the plunge and renting a chipper, or hiring out an excavator to load trucks, just spending it in general. It's hard at first to visualize how much money can be generated by saving time. I always have new ropes in the truck, its easier to replace the cheap stuff than to live down an accident from being cheap 😂

I keep coming back to this. Great video!

Nice explanation. Glad I found this one when searching for tree work videos.

Hey brother a very informative video. I like the fact you throwed in maintenance days and also the advice about getting out of your truck and bidding a job.

This video was on the spot. Keep up the great work and content. 💯 👍

Excellent video with Great tips!!! You can tell you’ve been doing this for awhile!!lol please keep them coming!!

Awesome video Joe 👍 love to see more videos like this.

Always enjoy your videos. This one gave me reflect on a few jobs and how I could have made better bids. Thanks for sharing.

I absolutely appreciate this mans videos I started a small side business due to being active duty I really miss tree work and I cannot work for some one with my scheduled. This channel really helps out a new business and climbers with moderate experience.

Joe, this video is solid gold. Thanks so much for your insight, I'll definitely be using these tips in the future.

Brilliant video. Thank you

I appreciate you taking the time to talk about this subject it was very helpful thank you!

Very good information for the all tree guys! My Estimate video that I’ve been promising my subs will be out before long and man you pretty much have said most of what I was going to tell them. In the mean time I will send them your way until mines hits YT. You summed up years of experience and knowledge that no one else will tell them. Great stuff! Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the info I'm just starting out climbing. I've been cutting timber for a few years but only on the ground. It's totally different. Much love and thanks again

Great video man, really well put together, no BS and a lot of solid information.

Excellent video joe thank you much

Bid with time solving of possible problems in mind. Weather, machinery problems, lawn damage etc...

Very useful tips 👍 One thing I would add is to film your work, upload it onto KZfaq/your website, and put the address on your cards to make sure everybody knows about what great work you do!

So true, made that mistake once n gave a price from a pic, well when I got there, what I thought was an easy notch n drop ended up having a huge limb off the back side of the tree that was covered up by brush etc making it impossible to drop. Took a big loss that day, will never happen again! Proly best piece of advice in your video!

Awesome video Joe that's some great information to use and very helpful tips, Thank you my friend !

Great tips Joe! Thank you.

Very informative video, thank you 🙏

Right on Joe 👍

You are a wise and good man sir! Thanks for sharing!

Great work love it

great advice going to bid right now.

Bid sheet complete with an extensive checklist and notes section works wonderful

I did tree service with my dad for many years and now I'm thinking about getting a side hustle going. I realize as an adult how many of these mistakes my dad made, almost exclusively underbidding jobs and or not accounting for all expenses. He did top notch quality work and never had a problem. But we were always dirt poor because he was too nice to get paid enough for his time and expenses.

thanks for helping out a fellow Joe!

Lots of interesting points. Stick to what you need to make from the work and make profit from. All the best for 2021

Great video! Thanks

Thank you Joe. Appreciated. 👍🏼🇨🇦

Really great video, thanks a lot!

Thank you! Excellent

Thanks for the tips, right on spot.

Very helpful, I appreciate you taking the time to make the videos. I'm trying to get out of the Mow Biz after 20 years. The business around here has bottomed out and everyday seems like something breaks. Anyone can get a mower at a box store and start mowing. They start making productivity after spending more on commercial equipment. But even buying commercial equipment the mow biz FOR ME isn't worth the time. I finally got a big chipper! Sure there are alot of tree companies out there but not as much as mowing/landscape it seems. I'm kinda glad in a way the chippers and arborists trucks aren't cheap. Helps a little on keeping the low ballers from getting the bigger jobs. I have had to turn away a bunch of big jobs that require a chipper, truck,and being able to climb. But hope that will change as I'm getting ready for another chapter. I'm getting older though . I'm still able as of now. Next I'm going to go to school for climbing skills. After watching many videos, I respect the climber. I had no idea how technical it can be. Great content.

great great tips much appreciated

Alot of great info.

Amazing video man! Thank you for literally the perfect video for someone like me who’s looking to start my own company.

Great vid, thank you very very much!!

Very helpful thanks 👍

Great video! Spot on.

Very helpful video thx

Thanks for information. I was expecting your vidéo

Joe, I really appreciate you taking the time to make this video. Thank you for the advice and tips. Do you have any advice on bonding/insurance? I am not sure where to find a policy that allows for working at heights. Every policy I look at seems to exclude tree work in general.

Good info 👍

Awesome video brother 😎

So many good points! I preach the same stuff ALL THE TIME! I got to have you as a guest on the podcast one day.

A wise man taught me. "Bid your jobs at a price that will make you feel thrilled to be there. . . And remember theres guys charging double what you are in you area . . . They also have probably been doing it twice as long as you"

This was an awesome vid bro!

Great video!!!

I learned from 2 long time contractors with 30+ year experience each that if Your getting all your bids Your not making money. You should get about 50% of Your bids as confirmed jobs.

thank you freind !

Joe, you bagged so many key points that are critical to have a business thrive. I run a handyman business and do tree work as well. Professional attitude and demeanor are key. The mindset you must create constantly. On my office wall, I have a sign that states. I only have great customers. So when I walk away from work because I see they won't be a great customer, I. am excellent with it. All I have to do is look at my customer base and see. I truly do only have hand-picked great customers. Early on, this was not the case. I must say I chased money like a cheap whore. Never ever make BS up while talking with customers. They respect when you say I don't know, but I can get that information. Like some electrical I. say I don't know, I will bring over a licensed electrician and make sure we do it by code. Remember, mindset is a learned behavior. Namaste.

If it wasn’t that big of a deal they would do it themselves

Hey Joe. Thanks for the videos. My question is what gross profit margin do you aim for?

My addenda: Remember that you're not going to win every bid. If you are, you're probably underbidding or doing something wrong. It's okay to not be the cheapest as long as you're not price-gouging. Don't view customers as one-time-use disposable entities. Look up - always find electrical wires, roof overhangs, etc in advance (this was mentioned in passing, but it bears repeating). "I have a guy who can do it for $200!" Great, I recommend you use that guy. Respect the customer enough to use the right terminology. If you look like you don't know the terms, that doesn't make you look good. Mentally plan where equipment will go, looking for clearance and space. Don't find out the day of the work your crane can't make the corner.

Hey Joe, I'm 65 and I've been doing some light tree work for neighbors. I want to do this as a business mostly working by myself. I have several chainsaws, ropes, Shackles, carabiners, pruning saws, slings, wedges, axes and such. Besides $1,000,000 of liability insurance is there anything else I need to consider? Great info, thanks.

Very Good Tips, wish this Video came out 2 and a half years ago. Would of scored me many more jobs lol

Great i formation .

Great tips Joe! After a few years of running a part-time company, all of these hit home. I gotta hand it to you; I climb and rig. Running the business end is a whole other animal. Then you shoot and edit content. Are there 30 hour days where you are?

When you do quality work the customer what's to pay you more then what you asked, I don't know how many times custys have handed me and my guys cash tips at the end of the day

Would you mind sharing how much you would charge for your hourly rate? For using all your equipment, drop and leave, or sub-contract? On both pruning and removal And where are you located? By the way, love the content! 👍🏽👊🏽

Great point on taking money off for raking. Don't know why I've never thought of that . Shit sometimes takes forever to slash an entire jobsite.

It is truth man one time l had to removed a lot of Italian cypress so we cut them then the client diceded not to grind then when l already rented the stump grinder so l had to charge the same price bacause it wasn't my fault she chanced her mind at the last time never back up on your estimate cause things you won't expect might happen like a broken pipe and you gotta pay for it.

but good vid all tru bro" cheers

If you want to learn just work for multiple services. I recommend moving on if your teaching the crew but not learning anything. But don’t burn your bridges and it’s good to share your knowledge with people willing to listen. Also read climbing books when carpooling practice knots at lunch. Keep your tools clean people will treat your tools better if they look good.

so grinding stomps is different bid.?what about the roots?

So what does a bid actually look like? And where do you dispose of the tree for haul away jobs?

I make sure my work and care justifies the price.

Hey bro im just starting out learning from the ground up just bought notch gecko spikes , harness, flip line , rope runner pro , and some carabiners, i need some rope and foot ascended and knee ascended..do u have any advice for a newbie with pretty much 0 experience

You should always be prepared to educate your customer

I usually wait a day before I give quote back to them. A lot of people want the number asap.

Miss your videos

This I really good info. I will say, as far as winter pricing goes, I refuse to give cheaper winter rates. It’s harder work in the winter, I’m not doing it for less money. Also. Please, for the love of god, don’t be the wicked cheap guy, the rest of us will hate you, and you’ll be doing a ton of work just to wind up poor. Walk away from the cheap jobs.

I definitely like all the tips especially how to bid professionally and not like some bum tree cutter

Figure out what it's gonna cost to get the job done. Double it and add a 1/3rd. Take no for an answer. Service is king. Be honest with them and your being honest with yourself. Never take money till your done unless your inputs are gonna have to be covered at risk. Hold the money till you spend it on what your going to need to do the job per the contract. Never change the price. Never. Sometimes you have to eat your inexperience. Education is expensive.

It sounded like you charge them to go give a bid? Is that correct?

I had to start charging a deposit cas iv had people back out the day before the one that did it for me I was on my way had my guys with me pulled out my drive stopped to get gas and canceled on me so I started charging a deposit

That's the hardest part of tree work in my opinion. Depends on everything and even pros have problems sometimes ( I'm not the pro btw, just a rookie in this business)

How do you handle quoting for friends and family? They’ll probably think that you should price super low because

Tell us about that workbench. How is it used, and why are the 2x4s along the sides...?

Great tips. Vid would have been much better if you used clips from the field to suppliment your point.

Hey joe ! I own Sam’s the Man tree service out in medina county ! I recently just started making videos I love your videos it would be awesome if you and me could make a video or two and meet up!

CAN U talk about actual prices on different trees and situation I think that’s more what people want to know all that other stuff is common sense NO OFFENSE love ur vids