Tree-felling prices?

Red Nettle

Hi, I recently bought a place with a few mature trees that are very close to the property - well within hitting distance if there's a storm!

I've been quoted €1,000 to remove each tree as a cherry picker is needed and they are in really awkward positions. Is this a reasonable price?

I need a contractor with public liability insurance (the one that quoted the above) as the risk of damage to the house removing the trees is very high - otherwise I would hire a chainsaw and do myself.

magicbastarder

How long is a piece of string, or in this context, how big are they? The bigger the tree, the more complex the job, the higher the price.

Red Nettle

They're around 5 meters tall, in awkward positions - probably need to be felled in sections rather than one chop so they land away from the house - it sounds a complex job. Been quoted €4k to take down the 4 trees.

looksee

I'd say you are not too far out at that price, and much of it would be for insurance, assuming they are reputable and not complete chancers. Ask to actually see the insurance cover, they will probably have a document that is not the entire policy stating that they are covered (that was my experience), and you are entirely correct in asking to see it. It does add up quickly though!

I think you would expect them to be taken down in sections in most urban situations, even the very straightforward, medium size trees that I have had taken out because of proximity to buildings/power line etc were taken down in sections.

tabby aspreme

5 meters tall, is that a typo

enricoh

5m tall is nothing, get a couple ratchet straps, rope n attach to tow hitch on car for example, get a chainsaw in lidl n go yourself.

magicbastarder

5 metres is less than the height of a gutter on a two storey building, just for a point of reference.

I took down a 9m birch on my own earlier this year, simple job (albeit not within touching distance of the house)

looksee

Or the length of a piece of construction timber (around 16ft). Agreed, you would hardly need a chain saw, and it would be unlikely to do much damage even if it fell against the house. We'll take it as a typo, sounds more like 15m at least.

A2LUE42

Thought that must be a typo. Can the Op put up a photo,? Also, what part of the country? We have a really good guy locally that is reasonably priced and does great work (Has own cherry picker and a shredder that costs more than most cars). Another local crew has crazy prices, but the high prices don't seem to effect the amount of work they get. Then there are all the cowboys who have to hire equipment for the jobs..

I'd taken down a few trees when we moved into the house, but have used the local guys since, for the big ones. They shred everything and just leave me with the tree rings to split for firewood.

If 5M is accurate, a stepladder and a screwfix electric chainsaw would do it easily. Trim the branches first and then just take the trunks in smaller sections. Unless you are talking about something like a thick Leylandi 'hedge', where you need it shredded and gotten rid of.

In the Ops' situation, a picture would help to clarify.

893bet

Throw up a picture.

Most important question is are you competent with a chain saw. I am using one weekly for 20 years for firewood and still got in a pro for an 80 year old ash that I couldn’t afford to fall the wrong way. If not competent then forget about fooling around yourself.

Red Nettle

Here's a couple of pics of the trees. To correct myself earlier, I'd say they're actually closer to 10-15 metres tall. We're located on top of a hill in Co Mayo, so the wind really hits the Ash trees when it blows. Of most concern, two of them are around 5-10 metres from the house; the conifer is just a metre from the house. Looking at them again I'd say that only three would risk hitting the house if they fell - so that would still be €3,000 to take down three trees. With the tree surgeon, we looked at five trees in all as candidates for felling. We own the field behind the trees, which can be accessed by any vehicle. I've never used a chainsaw before and I'd worry any non-pro tackling this would land branches on the house or topple and uproot the conifer.

Chris_5339762

The second one is very easy… the others not so much. The first one, for instance, likely has a lot of its weight on the side facing the house.

Jellybaby_1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058366100/tree-felling-prices

I paid double that when a tree guy arrived and said my neighbour was complaining about my trees! My trees were the height of our two-story house. No cherry picker required, he was up those trees like a chimpanzee and took them down bit by bit. I wuz robbed!!

Probably nothing a cherry picker and a chainsaw couldn't do with a bit of care.

magicbastarder

well, yes; that's what you're paying for? a cherry picker, and 'a bit of care', which is time and insurance.

Jellybaby_1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122580029#Comment_122580029

Our guy didn't have a cherry picker.

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122559944#Comment_122559944

That's a well known ruse, never let anyone who randomly knocks on your door near anything.

Jellybaby_1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122592481#Comment_122592481

I don't usually employ random callers but anyway hard lesson learned.

Red Nettle

Thanks all. We've been clearing the ivy we can reach from the trees… they don't look as formidable now and I think we'll have a go at chainsawing the bits we can safely deal with. If we need to hire the professionals later we'll do so.

Crakepottle?

I took down some trees by starting with a long handled Wilkinson Sword lopper (standing safely on the ground).The type where you close the parrots beak blades by pulling back a cord. I used a Gardena pole with the Gardena curved saw screwed into it(very sharp) and got down as much as possible while standing on the ground. Without climbing too high I got on a ladder and sawed almost completely through a branch having tied a very long rope around it first.Then got down and pulled it from a far distance. Had to go up again to sever it completely .Did this again and again. Was left with a high stripped stump . Climbed up and tied a rope around it high up. Sawed through it almost fully down at the bottom. Walked far away with the rope and pulled until it creaked and came toppling over. Still not fully severed so finished it off with the saw. The important thing is not to take any risks. Dont bite off more than you can chew. And very sharp tools. Don't be in a hurry and clean up as you go along.

Crakepottle?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122617544#Comment_122617544

This is so true.It seems very intimidating when you can't see the wood for the trees, to coin a phrase.

Crakepottle?

As a cautious amateur I would never use a petrol chainsaw.Moreover I have found a good sharp handsaw to be as effective as my electric chainsaw.

Not made with hands

A 30' extension ladder would be about €400 but you have it forever more.

Don't try and eat an elephant in one bite as they say.

Tip away at them putting the remaining weight away from the house as you go.

looksee

Why would any householder need a 30ft ladder? It would be a nightmare to put up a tree, assuming there was anything 30ft up sturdy enough to lean it against. It would be too long to even lean up against a 2 story house. Granted it need not be at full extension, but then you would not need a 30ft ladder.

Ardent

Those look very manageable. Do it yourself with these:

https://www.caulfieldindustrial.com/p/little-giant-velocity-m22-5-step-multi-purpose-ladder/e13373

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/dewalt-dcmps567n-18v-li-ion-xr-brushless-cordless-20cm-pole-saw-bare/940jt

I'd rather put the money - or what's actually a fraction of it - into tools I will always have and do the job myself.

As already mentioned, tackle them in sections.