Client says I should remove this tree and do tree trimming as part of my weekly garden maintenance. I said no that’s an extra project. $300 to remove and haul on top of normal garden maintenance. The Any thoughts on this? Los Angeles
Client says I should remove this tree and do tree trimming as part of my weekly garden maintenance. I said no that’s an extra project. $300 to remove and haul on top of normal garden maintenance. The Any thoughts on this? Los Angeles
The limbs at the base are thick and I would need to hire a hand for a couple hours to clean as I go to not destroy plants surrounding. Plus dump fee..
jstmehr4u3
$300 per tree is what is charged up here in NorCal. More if permits are required.
CurveAdministrative3
Charge extra to remove tree as you stated. add tree trimming to regular weekly service with an added fee.
KreeH
Nothing wrong with the tree, just prune it back a little. You can make it round-ish. Its super easy with a hedge trimmer.
bigfatbrains
Tree work is extra. I live in LA and every gardener/landscaper I’ve had always treat it as separate from the routine. That client is trying to take advantage of you.
melodyknows
Definitely extra. Our gardener does basic mow and blow. He does a little weeding and a little trimming back of some of our plants. He makes a proposal to us for trees and larger projects (like planting a bunch of stuff) a few times a year though.
robrummings
lol customer can request anything they want, but it will cost extra. Or, yes, you can add to your weekly maintenance, but the weekly fee will also go up. Don’t let people talk you into what they should pay for. You provide a service which you should be paid for.
When building the business you almost never say no and bend over backwards to help people, but that gets taken advantage of quickly. Give them an estimate and if you like them, you don’t always have to charge the full price, that’s what I do.
Estimate is worst case scenario, if all goes right, it will be less. People LOVE a deal/discount no matter how much
strategic_upvote
Just a perspective from a homeowner who’s recently had lots of projects done on various properties, plus ongoing maintenance (townhouse complex, office, family, etc).
I think it really depends how you set up your maintenance agreements with your customers. If you’re billing a fixed fee for a fixed scope of work (ie. $500/month for mowing the lawn, weeding, pruning, etc) then absolutely it’s an extra charge – you’re working only the time required to do the work you’ve quoted.
However, based on the fact that you said you sometimes “leave early” and make up time for holidays etc, I’m assuming you’re billing a fixed amount for a fixed number of hours. That’s fine – but in that relationship I think it’s completely reasonable for the homeowner to expect to be able to give some direction for projects to focus on. You might need to charge a bit extra for materials or an extra hand, but if they have “time available” and want that tree done that seems normal to me. You might need to tell them that the lawn might not be mowed that week or whatever and then they can decide if that works for them.
That’s how my maintenance agreement works for our townhouse complex and it’s a great arrangement. 9 hours a week that generally includes a standard scope of work – but we can redirect to different projects and priorities as needed.
gripitandripit420024
You should tell him it’s not a tree so no
bspecific
What is it? Looks like privet. If so they’re right to want it gone, including roots.
Ohno-mofo-1
It would seem that this type of additional work should be priced separately.
It’s time to do a written agreement detailing what is included with the maintenance agreement.
11 Comments
The limbs at the base are thick and I would need to hire a hand for a couple hours to clean as I go to not destroy plants surrounding. Plus dump fee..
$300 per tree is what is charged up here in NorCal. More if permits are required.
Charge extra to remove tree as you stated. add tree trimming to regular weekly service with an added fee.
Nothing wrong with the tree, just prune it back a little. You can make it round-ish. Its super easy with a hedge trimmer.
Tree work is extra. I live in LA and every gardener/landscaper I’ve had always treat it as separate from the routine. That client is trying to take advantage of you.
Definitely extra. Our gardener does basic mow and blow. He does a little weeding and a little trimming back of some of our plants. He makes a proposal to us for trees and larger projects (like planting a bunch of stuff) a few times a year though.
lol customer can request anything they want, but it will cost extra. Or, yes, you can add to your weekly maintenance, but the weekly fee will also go up. Don’t let people talk you into what they should pay for. You provide a service which you should be paid for.
When building the business you almost never say no and bend over backwards to help people, but that gets taken advantage of quickly. Give them an estimate and if you like them, you don’t always have to charge the full price, that’s what I do.
Estimate is worst case scenario, if all goes right, it will be less. People LOVE a deal/discount no matter how much
Just a perspective from a homeowner who’s recently had lots of projects done on various properties, plus ongoing maintenance (townhouse complex, office, family, etc).
I think it really depends how you set up your maintenance agreements with your customers. If you’re billing a fixed fee for a fixed scope of work (ie. $500/month for mowing the lawn, weeding, pruning, etc) then absolutely it’s an extra charge – you’re working only the time required to do the work you’ve quoted.
However, based on the fact that you said you sometimes “leave early” and make up time for holidays etc, I’m assuming you’re billing a fixed amount for a fixed number of hours. That’s fine – but in that relationship I think it’s completely reasonable for the homeowner to expect to be able to give some direction for projects to focus on. You might need to charge a bit extra for materials or an extra hand, but if they have “time available” and want that tree done that seems normal to me. You might need to tell them that the lawn might not be mowed that week or whatever and then they can decide if that works for them.
That’s how my maintenance agreement works for our townhouse complex and it’s a great arrangement. 9 hours a week that generally includes a standard scope of work – but we can redirect to different projects and priorities as needed.
You should tell him it’s not a tree so no
What is it? Looks like privet. If so they’re right to want it gone, including roots.
It would seem that this type of additional work should be priced separately.
It’s time to do a written agreement detailing what is included with the maintenance agreement.
D what you need to do to satisfy your customer.