Starting a new tree service FAST !

[treebilly]

Just saw this. The Yeah Trees guy (Owen) is actually pretty cool. He’s one of the guys that got screwed by Canary tree on those storm deals. But he helped a few of the smaller companies get their money from them. Even paid one of them himself, upfront, on a mutual storm job

 

[SeanKroll]

I hadn't heard about Canary screwing people.

 

[treebilly]

I would say the owner of canary. From what I recall they had at one time owed Yeah Trees over a million for services.
A friend of mine was called to a storm and after arriving was told sorry there is nothing for you here. That’s Ohio to Florida basically for nothing with equipment and manpower. He would receive payments of a few hundred dollars at a time for work that he did 12 months prior. The whole deal was bad.

 

[SeanKroll]

Storm work is a funny aspect of the tree industry.

It can make a company a lot of dough.

Can break a person, as well, literally.

We haven't had much storm work in 5 years. That was from a microburst. Very limited impact.

 

[cory]

From what little Ive seen about Yeah Trees, its hard for me to believe they could gross a million anytime fast?

 

[treebilly]

At the inflated prices that he was promised for the work I can see it. He did tell them to FO and bought his own treemek. Still running around doing storm chasing just not billing through them anymore. The whole get rich chasing storms seems like a scam to me.

 

[flushcut]

Storm work is a funny aspect of the tree industry.

It can make a company a lot of dough.

Can break a person, as well, literally.

We haven't had much storm work in 5 years. That was from a microburst. Very limited impact.

I'm still getting calls from the ice storm we had. It just ain't worth showing up for one or two hanging limbs.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Ive stopped doing estimates for submission to insurance andgrants. Waste of time

 

[SeanKroll]

Ive stopped doing estimates for submission to insurance andgrants. Waste of time

What do you do? Just decline to bid?

Seems like grants might be ok, for an estimate fee. Maybe a hard sell. Is it a lot of fuel management grant work?


Insurance work has paid each time for me.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I charge for the written estimate and bid. They submit 3 different ones from others. Collect money (often) and either get on a ladder and remove the tree from the roof, hire 1/2 price Harry working for meth and beer money.
Or....
They are often told, limited parameters on the work of which is way less than I bid on. Collect a lessor check and hire 1/2 price Harry or a family member and have them do it cheaper.
I never really need the work.
Most my clients just call, get on the schedule and let me charge what I charge.
I have acreage that can take over 3 weeks with a crew of 4-5 to maybe get it done on the storm damage.
I totally dislike storm work anyway.
Fuel management work grants I wont do at all. If I do them, it's usually an existing client that just pays me direct as we go.
Too many scheduling issues, dead lines, nesting birds, water ways......... Start, shut down, start, shut down. FUG it.
Also, folks that just don't know better call, expecting you to clear and thin and crown raise for 1500.00 per acre. NOPE

 

[CurSedVoyce]

This year, after the storms; I could have sat on my ass in the office all day every day writing up bids after driving out trying to look at 4 plus per day. I make more money in the field with a hellla of a lot less travel time and trying to see clients that can seem to be on time to a consult.

 

[flushcut]

1500.00 an acre! Lol no.