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

wellused

There are probably loads of out of work people that would be willing to have a go at cutting the tree down for a fraction of that quote, they probably wouldn't do such a thorough job as the professionals and if the tree fell and damaged someones property you would have to pay the compensation yourself but if you could find a suitable handyman you could save a fortune by the sound of it.

ukjoel

Pit it up on ebay - start the auction at 1 penny - buyer collects and removes.

Someone with a chainsaw and a day to spend would get a few months worth of logs out of this tree so well worth the time and effort.

peter_the_piper

Both the above suggestionse are ok if you have a very big garden where the falling tree would only land on your ground. If its a normal, suburban type of garden do not even consider using anyone who does not know what they are doing, it could well cost more than the £450-£900 you have been quoted. Get a few more quotes to compare prices.

VfM4meplse

I think you need some more quotes unless you are made of money!

ColaCube wrote: »

If it makes a difference I live on the Bucks/Beds border.

It's an affluent area and that may give people the impression you have cash to burn. Luton isn't a million miles away, there may well be more tradespeople there who could give you a competitive price.

peter_the_piper

Make sure they are insured in case of mistakes, else it falls back on you.

ColaCube

Thanks for all your thoughts, obviously I'm only going to use someone who knows what they're doing, I've been Googling Tree Surgeons as they seem to have the necessary insurance (yes I do check) and no I'm not going to use an odd job man and no I don't have money to burn and no I don't live in a mansion, LOL, I wish!! I could have a gardener then :rotfl:

We have a large garden but I don't think quite big enough for the tree to be felled in one, I wouldn't want to risk it.

I always planned to get a few quotes as how would I know I'm getting a fair price/trust what I'm being told if I'm only relying on the info from one person?! I realise a conifers are big trees if they get out of control as this one has done, so its not going to be 'cheap' but I was still shocked at the quoted price.

It did cross my mind that the guy who came yesterday was quoting as high as he thought he could get away with but maybe not.

I originally asked on here I was hoping someone might have had a similar job done with a conifer type tree.

ColaCube

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I think you need some more quotes unless you are made of money!It's an affluent area and that may give people the impression you have cash to burn. Luton isn't a million miles away, there may well be more tradespeople there who could give you a competitive price.

I wouldn't say its particularly affluent, its a big area Bucks/Beds border! but there are some 'nice' parts so I know what you're saying they could whack the price up if they thought they could get away with it. The guy who came the other day had a bit of a 'plummy' accent though, not at all what I was expecting :rotfl:

I'm not sure about using tradespeople from further afield, wouldn't they add on more to cover their petrol costs?

Conrad

Have you considered the true beauty of the tree?

Bare with me.
If you lift the skirts of such a tree (take out ALL lower branches up to say 10 ft or more), and maybe have some of the height removed, I personally find any conifer can look really nice and add to the atmosphere of a house by giving it a sense of age and mystery. Nothing worse than a treeless bleak house.

You'll find a lot of birds use it, you can even put in nesting boxes, and a little distance away a hanging feeder which will become a thing of joy if you use the right feeding mix of seeds.

Maybe when your'e out and about look for an otherwise shabby conifer treated this way and you might see them in a new light.

I just love the atmosphere a conifer can convey.

bobthedambuilder

Just a small point, but have you checked with the local council if the tree is subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO)? If by chance it is, and you cut it down without permission, you're committing an offence, and could receive a hefty fine.

ColaCube

Conrad wrote: »

Have you considered the true beauty of the tree?

Bare with me.
If you lift the skirts of such a tree (take out ALL lower branches up to say 10 ft or more), and maybe have some of the height removed, I personally find any conifer can look really nice and add to the atmosphere of a house by giving it a sense of age and mystery. Nothing worse than a treeless bleak house.

You'll find a lot of birds use it, you can even put in nesting boxes, and a little distance away a hanging feeder which will become a thing of joy if you use the right feeding mix of seeds.

Maybe when your'e out and about look for an otherwise shabby conifer treated this way and you might see them in a new light.

I just love the atmosphere a conifer can convey.

Well, sort of, usually I'm all for trees but this one really is too big, its massive and cuts out alot of sunlight. We are lucky here as there are already quite a few trees in the garden, we even have an Oak tree, so I really don't feel too bad getting rid of this one, although if it turns out to be too expensive to get it removed it'll have to stay!

I would keep it if it hadn't got so big. I asked about having it reduced in size but was told that'd cost even more.

Got 2 more people coming to quote tomorrow.