Fair hourly rates for climbing

[Harlen]

Sorry, but I was unable to find this topic with the Search. It must have been discussed many times, as it changes from year to year, and place to place.

My question is from an expensive part of California-- the Santa Cruz Mountains area, and I wonder if my last rate of $75 climbing, and $50 on the ground is fair. I am a good climber with long years of experience, but with minimal gear (no buckets), no bonding , no crew but me and sons, no license, no insurance except health-- yes, I am a bit of a cowboy. At 65 now, I generally only do work for friends, and then friends of those friends, so I try to give very fair rates. 90% of the time I will bid the work, and it is usually full removals, and everyone is happy with the rates. For shaping trees I sometimes will work for an hourly wage. I was shocked to read online that average wages average around $30 - $45 per hour, and even less elsewhere. Can this be true?
Thanks for your knowledge on this. I have been working less and less, and feel out of touch with the current state of tree work. Harlen.

 

[Harlen]

WTH,
Is writing about wage rates not cool? Or am I too reprehensible a character to respond too-- no license, and all that?
Well, I stoop even lower by often using ladders to get into the branches--now I will really be hated.

I did honestly want to hear what others thought about the seemingly outrageously low average rates posted online for working high up in trees. Apart from heaps of free work for friends, I haven't touched spikes to a tree for less than $50.00/hour for ten years! And I am no great expert. As I stated above, I have done less and less treework of late, and it hasn't been my full-time career since I was in my early 20's--back in the 80's. I retired from another career, and got back into it because I love it. My bidding of trees is generally an easy deal between me and a friend or new client. I state what I think is fair, they are surprised it is so low, I work my ass off, clean up well, and everyone is happy.

I just tried without success* to include a quote from one of the many online sites I checked, which all state tree work rates of around $28 to $36 per hour.

Anyway, does anyone care to enlighten me? Harlen.

*couldn't figure how to re-load my draft.

 

[Definitely Maybe]

Sorry, but I was unable to find this topic with the Search. It must have been discussed many times, as it changes from year to year, and place to place.

My question is from an expensive part of California-- the Santa Cruz Mountains area, and I wonder if my last rate of $75 climbing, and $50 on the ground is fair. I am a good climber with long years of experience, but with minimal gear (no buckets), no bonding , no crew but me and sons, no license, no insurance except health-- yes, I am a bit of a cowboy. At 65 now, I generally only do work for friends, and then friends of those friends, so I try to give very fair rates. 90% of the time I will bid the work, and it is usually full removals, and everyone is happy with the rates. For shaping trees I sometimes will work for an hourly wage. I was shocked to read online that average wages average around $30 - $45 per hour, and even less elsewhere. Can this be true?
Thanks for your knowledge on this. I have been working less and less, and feel out of touch with the current state of tree work. Harlen.

It's fine. The search is a feature often overlooked by people here, so it seems... As I encountered plenty of the same questions. Agree with you that it changes over time, no worries. 75 dollars climbing and 50 dollars ground is actually already fair. Your rates are still generous, especially for friends and referrals. Hold your ground it's fineee.

 

[Harlen]

Definitely Maybe,
Thank you for the reply, and the good news that I am not gouging my friends. Harlen.

 

[Todd777]

WTH,
Is writing about wage rates not cool? Or am I too reprehensible a character to respond too-- no license, and all that?
Well, I stoop even lower by often using ladders to get into the branches--now I will really be hated.

I did honestly want to hear what others thought about the seemingly outrageously low average rates posted online for working high up in trees. Apart from heaps of free work for friends, I haven't touched spikes to a tree for less than $50.00/hour for ten years! And I am no great expert. As I stated above, I have done less and less treework of late, and it hasn't been my full-time career since I was in my early 20's--back in the 80's. I retired from another career, and got back into it because I love it. My bidding of trees is generally an easy deal between me and a friend or new client. I state what I think is fair, they are surprised it is so low, I work my ass off, clean up well, and everyone is happy.

I just tried without success* to include a quote from one of the many online sites I checked, which all state tree work rates of around $28 to $36 per hour.

Anyway, does anyone care to enlighten me? Harlen.

*couldn't figure how to re-load my draft.

Dude, this is a new forum. At the time of your post, there were probably only a handful of registered users.

At the end of June there are still less than 120 registered members. Look at all of the forums, there are a grand total of 61 threads. Half of the forums don't even have posts.

Give it time, it may grow as people come over from ArboristSite and the other associated sites.