Is this a reasonable or OTT price for felling a large conifer etc?

ColaCube

Hi All

We have recently moved house and its my mission to sort the garden out!

Firstly I'd like to get a very large conifer type tree removed. I thought about having it reduced in size but I've pretty much decided it'd probably be better if the tree went all together. Its so big, at least as tall as our house and very wide. The tree guy thought it has most probably been planted and just left, possibly planted 30yrs+ ago.

Anyway, I got a couple of quotes from this guy.

Complete removal of tree and taking it all away £900+ VAT, this seemed ridiculously expensive to me :eek:

Or £450+ VAT to remove the tree but chip it all down on site, leave us with the logs and bark? for composting?

I also asked about the removal of a row of smaller conifers, about 6. The price came out as £450+ VAT which again I thought was quite steep and we could possibly remove these ourselves as they're not too big but big enough!

Or both jobs for £750+ VAT to include removal of the large tree, onsite chipping and removal of the smaller trees.

He said it'd be around 2 days work. As I have no idea how much this sort of thing costs I'm totally unsure if I'm paying over the odds. I intend on getting a few more quotes before deciding.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Thanks

amcluesent

Crazy money unless you live in Chelsea. I had a 30ft beech cut down, cleared and stump ground for £90.

emiff6

I had a rowan tree cut down last week, about 25ft high but only 14inch diameter trunk - cost £90 to fell, chip and remove, plus £45 to grind out the stump (including VAT). That was at the front of the property with easy access, and a one man job.

A lot depends on how they will have to fell it, e.g. branch by branch or drop the whole tree then cut it up. Even so, that seems a lot. Definitely get a lot more quotes first, and refs if you can.

edit: also check if some of the cost is for actually taking the wood away, 'cos if it is, then for sure someone with a wood burning stove in your area would be delighted with some free wood.

Leif

emiff6 wrote: »

edit: also check if some of the cost is for actually taking the wood away, 'cos if it is, then for sure someone with a wood burning stove in your area would be delighted with some free wood.

Or charge a modest sum for the wood to cover the cost of felling. Note that wood needs to be seasoned for a year or two before burning in a stove.

If you are lucky you might find someone qualified to fell the tree who will take it for free due to wanting the wood.

ColaCube

amcluesent wrote: »

Crazy money unless you live in Chelsea. I had a 30ft beech cut down, cleared and stump ground for £90.

Really, OMG, what part of the country are you in?

Definitely not going to use the above guy! Rip-Off merchant by the sounds of it :mad:

ColaCube

emiff6 wrote: »

I had a rowan tree cut down last week, about 25ft high but only 14inch diameter trunk - cost £90 to fell, chip and remove, plus £45 to grind out the stump (including VAT). That was at the front of the property with easy access, and a one man job.

A lot depends on how they will have to fell it, e.g. branch by branch or drop the whole tree then cut it up. Even so, that seems a lot. Definitely get a lot more quotes first, and refs if you can.

edit: also check if some of the cost is for actually taking the wood away, 'cos if it is, then for sure someone with a wood burning stove in your area would be delighted with some free wood.

Our tree does have a very thick trunk but even so!

I will be getting some more quotes and this bloke has no chance of getting the work now as I feel he's trying to massively over-charge me, good job I posted on here, time to get clued up!

Yes, the most expensive price was for taking the wood away. He said we could burn it on our fire but would need a fire guard as this type of wood spits a lot, but it'd be fine for a wood burning stove. I have to admit I know nothing about wood burning stoves and very little about open fires (this is our first house with an open fire).

ColaCube

Leif wrote: »

Or charge a modest sum for the wood to cover the cost of felling. Note that wood needs to be seasoned for a year or two before burning in a stove.

If you are lucky you might find someone qualified to fell the tree who will take it for free due to wanting the wood.

Thanks for your help Leif. All useful to consider.

Owain_Moneysaver

This person is looking for a tree to cut down for a film shoot.

wallbash

Lot of posters making wild assumptions . Will give the original contractor the benefit of doubt until the OP comes back with other firm quotes .

this bloke has no chance of getting the work now

He has given you a quote , until you get other quotes for the same work , YOU don't know ( and neither do we ) wots a fair price.

cost £90 to fell, chip and remove

Costs me more than that every five years just to tidy up one of my trees ( and that is after getting four quotes)

peter_the_piper

Assuming the OP does not have a mansion then the tree surgeon will have to climb the tree/ use a cherry picker if access available. Cut off all branches and then reduce the tree trunk from the top down. If it was the case of just felling it and chopping up then the £90 type of cost would be right but considering the above scenario then £450 may well be right. As for the extra to remove, try lifting a large conifer trunk and you'll see it would have to be cut into small pieces and either chipped or removed on another vehicle.

emiff6

wallbash wrote: »

Costs me more than that every five years just to tidy up one of my trees ( and that is after getting four quotes)

Yes, but that's a job that has to be done with care to preserve the health and shape of the tree. If the whole tree comes down it doesn't matter if, for example, you knock bark off branches as you go.