tree surgeon - what cost can i expect?

Cat_M

I need to get a mature tree cut back as it is so big now it's doing damage to the house e.g. the branches broke an outside pipe. Have a guy calling out later but I have no reference point for cost at all. It would be to cut the tree back to about 8ft i think.
thanks

Sonnenblumen

Cat_M wrote: »

I need to get a mature tree cut back as it is so big now it's doing damage to the house e.g. the branches broke an outside pipe. Have a guy calling out later but I have no reference point for cost at all. It would be to cut the tree back to about 8ft i think.
thanks

Expect to pay €700-€800/day for insured tree surgery. Very important that you check for cover, do not accept verbals/someone showing you a policy certificate!

WARNING telephone the Insurance co to confirm, there are many recent stories of incidents whereby contractors (tree surgeons, landscapers etc) were claiming to be insured, when in fact no insurance was in effect.

tommy21

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

Expect to pay €700-€800/day for insured tree surgery. Very important that you check for cover, do not accept verbals/someone showing you a policy certificate!

WARNING telephone the Insurance co to confirm, there are many recent stories of incidents whereby contractors (tree surgeons, landscapers etc) were claiming to be insured, when in fact no insurance was in effect.

Cut back from what though?

As a point of reference, I recently had work done in our garden. We had 10 Leylanndri trees (may be slightly off on spelling) at bottom of garden that had grown to a massive 30-40ft. 9 of the 10 were quite thin, though they looked huge with all the fern that had grown since they were last cut 6-7 years ago. The last one was a grandaddy of a tree and the most work.

They were blocking light, broadband connection (we get ours via radio receiver) and a potential danger during windy days if they got much bigger. We got over a third taken off them, had one taken out completely, and ended up having to take a Mimosa tree out completely as well at the top of the garden, as it had died (originally thought it could be salvaged a few months back). They also cut up the wood into chunks for our fire (be warned this type of wood I'm told is most suitable for a stove, would not put it in a normal fire as it might cause a chimney fire, though twigs once dried out should be fine) and had a guy call back the next day who took away the leftover pieces etc. They used a woodchipper for the other debris, process took a day, they were insured and it came to 1050.

Personally compared to all the work I got done by a well-known tree company (in Cork though), I think 700-800 is a bit high. Depends on the circumstances I guess. Feel free to throw up a pic if you like.

Sonnenblumen

tommy21 wrote: »

Cut back from what though?

As a point of reference, I recently had work done in our garden. We had 10 Leylanndri trees (may be slightly off on spelling) at bottom of garden that had grown to a massive 30-40ft. 9 of the 10 were quite thin, though they looked huge with all the fern that had grown since they were last cut 6-7 years ago. The last one was a grandaddy of a tree and the most work.

They were blocking light, broadband connection (we get ours via radio receiver) and a potential danger during windy days if they got much bigger. We got over a third taken off them, had one taken out completely, and ended up having to take a Mimosa tree out completely as well at the top of the garden, as it had died (originally thought it could be salvaged a few months back). They also cut up the wood into chunks for our fire (be warned this type of wood I'm told is most suitable for a stove, would not put it in a normal fire as it might cause a chimney fire, though twigs once dried out should be fine) and had a guy call back the next day who took away the leftover pieces etc. They used a woodchipper for the other debris, process took a day, they were insured and it came to 1050.

Personally compared to all the work I got done by a well-known tree company (in Cork though), I think 700-800 is a bit high. Depends on the circumstances I guess. Feel free to throw up a pic if you like.

If you check my post, I quoted the day rate (which is usually for 2 men + chipping) and not a job rate! I doubt what's involved would require a full day

Cat_M

WHAT????!!! Are you serious? I had absolutely NO idea it would come to anything like that!
I can't afford that currently - bloody Nora!

Cat_M

tommy21 wrote: »

Cut back from what though?

Erm. not sure. It's definitely as high as my house! Looking back over the posts I see they seem to refer to day rate indeed but either way am I looking atr a couple of hundred?

Cat_M

Ok, so the man came around and priced it E300. He says that's his min fee and that it would the same price to take the lot away as to trim it right down. Says it will take 2 guys and about 1.5 hours.
How does that sound?
he also strongly recommended getting it cut completely as it is a cherry blossom and will cause foundation probs in next few years i.e. as it is beside a wall, that it will cause the wall to fall down?
In fairness, the roots are already cutting above the ground and a pain when mowing the lawn aswell.
Seems I have no choice but does the price sound reasonable?

redser7

Any chance of a photo? Is it possibly a DIY job? You can pick up a telescopic pruner with a saw attachment for 30 - 50 euro. I took down a number of trees myself and used one I got for 30 euro in B&Q to take off the high branches. It worked perfectly well. I would rather have gotten a pro but just didn't have the money. It was either DIY or leave it. Took me a long time but got it done. In my case I got rid of them completely so there was no worry of botching a tree that i wanted to keep. Worth comsidering maybe ...

It was this one ...
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=10767729&fh_view_size=10&fh_location=%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB&fh_search=telescopic+pruner&fh_eds=%c3%9f&fh_refview=search&ts=1286824432598&isSearch=true

redser7

Just saw your last post there. Once I got most the branches off I used this to go to work on the trunk. With the branches gone it fell nice and cleanly. You could take it off in sections. Obviously I don't know how safe that would be for you. It made mince meat of what was left and I was able to make a nice log pile at the bottom of the garden to invite wildlife in. Cheaper option for you and you get to keep the tools!

http://www.buy4now.ie/woodiesdiy/productdetail.aspx?pid=1927&loc=P&catid=10.5

Cat_M

Thanks. I'd consider trying a DIY job but my main concern would be the height of it! I'm not sure how I would balance a ladder there. Maybe as you say, doing it gradually in sections is the way to go but reckon i'd need some help. E300 is cash I don't really have at the moment so otherwise it will just have to wait.

here are some pics.

tommy21

Height is definitely the issue but you might manage it - obviously god forbid you might fall off your insurance would not cover you I don't think. Still some of the thicker branches look alright, how heavy are the upper branches? Would they injure someone/property if cut from below?

redser7

That's higher than the ones I took down. Perhaps wait a few weeks until the leaves have fallen and you can judge it better. At the very least with the telescopic pruner you could certainly take off a lot of branches standing on the ground, it does have a good reach. Sorry don't know what to say beyond that. There will be a hell of a lot material to dispose of there too. If the 300 includes taking that away then maybe you should get a pennies jar going and pay for it next year.

Carlow52

it needs to come out from the bottom as the wall is at risk.

Consider killing it by injecting the root system via the trunk with root killer and then it will now grow any more

Sonnenblumen

That's a small tree, and you should be able to have it cut down , chipped and the root stump grinded for < € 200.00.

Git101

Carlow52 wrote: »

it needs to come out from the bottom as the wall is at risk.

I'm confused, do you mean that the wall is at risk from branches cut from above it?

Carlow52 wrote: »

Consider killing it by injecting the root system via the trunk with root killer and then it will now grow any more

What would then happen to the dead tree?

Git101

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

That's a small tree, and you should be able to have it cut down , chipped and the root stump grinded for < € 200.00.

It's not just about the size of the tree, some other factors need to be considered. e.g. travel time, insurance, expensive equipment (saws, chipper, stumpgrinder, ppe) specialised skills, did I mention insurance?

I'd be fairly sure that the lads from the nearest "site" would gladly do the job for less than €200, with a saw "borrowed" from a farmer

Sonnenblumen

Git101 wrote: »

It's not just about the size of the tree, some other factors need to be considered. e.g. travel time, insurance, expensive equipment (saws, chipper, stumpgrinder, ppe) specialised skills, did I mention insurance?

I'd be fairly sure that the lads from the nearest "site" would gladly do the job for less than €200, with a saw "borrowed" from a farmer

If you read Post # 2, you will see I highlighted the importance of checking for up to date insurance. Tree surgeons ain't brain surgeons, and like many other professionals, attitude is also a factor. Not sure I understand what you're getting at, but the overheads you reference are not that prohibitive.

IMO any decent tree surgeon would do the job in < 2hrs. Plenty of choice these days too. :P

Git101

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

If you read Post # 2, you will see I highlighted the importance of checking for up to date insurance. Tree surgeons ain't brain surgeons, and like many other professionals, attitude is also a factor. Not sure I understand what you're getting at, but the overheads you reference are not that prohibitive.

IMO any decent tree surgeon would do the job in < 2hrs. Plenty of choice these days too. :P

Cheers Sonnenblumen, I did read your previous post but I thought it no harm to mention insurance again

What I was getting at was that people sometimes forget that other costs need to be taken in to account. The setup costs and overheads for a professional tree surgery company are extremely high.

There was a very interesting series of articles published in HLI magazine, including some about setup costs, insurance etc. Unfortunately the magazine is no longer published so I can't link to the articles but I'll try to find them elsewhere.

blackharvester

cherry tree shouldnt be cut back in autumn, you should wait till february/march. but from the pictures looks like is very near to the wall, so you may need to cut this tree down this year

Cat_M

ok, will have a think about it. thanks for all the advice.

kayleigh7

Cat_M wrote: »

I need to get a mature tree cut back as it is so big now it's doing damage to the house e.g. the branches broke an outside pipe. Have a guy calling out later but I have no reference point for cost at all. It would be to cut the tree back to about 8ft i think.
thanks

i had a guy from cork tree surgeons call to me last week i wanted 30 feet of a big beach tree he charged me 200 euro what a good deal
got another price of 800 and 600 euro from others try www.corktreesurgeons.com

kayleigh7

Cat_M wrote: »

I need to get a mature tree cut back as it is so big now it's doing damage to the house e.g. the branches broke an outside pipe. Have a guy calling out later but I have no reference point for cost at all. It would be to cut the tree back to about 8ft i think.
thanks

had a guy from cork tree surgeons call to me last week i wanted 30 feet of a big beach tree he charged me 200 euro what a good deal
got another price of 800 and 600 euro from others try www,corktreesurgeons.com

emt16

I got a tree surgeon today after the wind took a large tree down and blocked my drive, really cheap, 250 euro and it took him about 2 hours. He took the branches ect away also. His business is Greenfingers landscaping, i got his no off a friend, drop me a note if you want his details, can't post it on this add!!!!:)

monkeynuz

Just a few words, a tree that size (the Cherry) you should be able to lean a long ladder in fairly high up and put a rope around one the main stems, then just cut at top of the wall height with a bowsaw or small chainsaw and get someone tugging the rope.

Easy job, Bob's your Uncle, shouldn't take more tahn a morning for two inexperienced people and a few tea breaks.

Disopsing of the branches is your biggest headache, either cut it all into 3 foot lengths and pile it neatly at the end of the garden for wildlife or burn it I suppose?

M.

Nonmonotonic

Cat. I had much older and thicker Cherry tree which died of old age. I hired a telescopic pole saw and cut it down in sections myself. No requirements for ladders ( ladders + tree + chainsaw = accident ). I did wear a helmet ( hire one, borrow crash-helmet, whatever protects your head). Do it in small stages and when the tree is bare. You can kill the stump by pouring used motor oil on the cut bit.

This is the type of thing I'm referring to


The one I hired was telescopic and extended probably to the height of a 2 storey house. Don't worry about its weight, hold it literally like you were pole vaulting ( straight up ) then just rest the chainsaw part on the branch. Its own weight will allow an easy cut. Just be very careful, it is a chainsaw on a stick!

BTW If you think your Cherry is mature, you should see a 40 year old one. The trunk on mine was about 4 times bigger in circumference.

magicbastarder

used motor oil?
if the stump needs to be killed, use something specifically for the job rather than fouling the soil. plus, a lot of people would find herbicide easier to find than used motor oil.

http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about114.html

Nonmonotonic

Just so as there is no confusion, I mentioned the used motor oil to keep down the expense of the OP. Stump is cut proud of soil by one to one & half feet., oil put on cut portion ( soaking into bark) and left. Soil is not touched so no issue with fouling. The link in the last post mentions not to use diesel however that would also do the job if the above precations are adhered to. Any of these solutions only cause problems if the stump is cut at ground level.

Eldeberry has a completely different stem structure (hollow) to Cherry so I would take the advice with a pinch of salt (can of diesel?).

Herbicide of course can also be used but thats not the immediate issue.

Kashkai

Don't want to hijack this thread but we want to cut down the 14 Poplar trees at the front of our property as:
a) They are growing so tall (over 60 feet now) as to be a hazard to the house/road if they were to fall
b) I hate having to spend weeks collecting the leaves when they fall in the Autumn

A guy in my area recently cut down one of his 100ft+ Poplars as it was rotten and the roots had extended some 60 feet across his garden towards his house and had buckled his tarmacadam driveway. I saw the stump and it was rotten to the core.

I didn't plant my own trees. They were there when we bought the house but the previous owners had topped them at some point to reduce their height but they have doubled in height in the 7 years since we bought the place.

I've heard that its illegal to cut down a mature tree without permission - is this correct? These trees are also causing a potential hazard as there are phonelines and electricity lines either side of the row of trees and the trees hit off them when blowing in the wind.

So my question is, can I cut these trees down completely and how can I get rid of the stumps without ruining the lawn? Any recommendations for tree surgeons in the north Kildare/Dublin area?

Thanks

tommy21

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Don't want to hijack this thread but we want to cut down the 14 Poplar trees at the front of our property as:
a) They are growing so tall (over 60 feet now) as to be a hazard to the house/road if they were to fall
b) I hate having to spend weeks collecting the leaves when they fall in the Autumn

A guy in my area recently cut down one of his 100ft+ Poplars as it was rotten and the roots had extended some 60 feet across his garden towards his house and had buckled his tarmacadam driveway. I saw the stump and it was rotten to the core.

I didn't plant my own trees. They were there when we bought the house but the previous owners had topped them at some point to reduce their height but they have doubled in height in the 7 years since we bought the place.

I've heard that its illegal to cut down a mature tree without permission - is this correct? These trees are also causing a potential hazard as there are phonelines and electricity lines either side of the row of trees and the trees hit off them when blowing in the wind.

So my question is, can I cut these trees down completely and how can I get rid of the stumps without ruining the lawn? Any recommendations for tree surgeons in the north Kildare/Dublin area?

Thanks

14 60 foot trees?! I won't even hazard a guess as to the cost of removing them? Can anyone?

When we had ours done, we were told the most expensive thing would be to remove the heavily embedded stump so we just left them.

Are the trees all on your property (e.g. no neighbour or council areas sharing them)?

monkeynuz

Just in case there was any confusion, I wasn't suggesting that someone climb a tree with a chainsaw (although it can be done with the right equipment) I was suggesting using a bow saw high up
A decent sharp bowsaw will not take long to cut medium sized branches.

Also a way to kill the stump is to drill holes in the trunk and pour in SBk or a proprietary stump killing fluid.

All the best.:D

M.

Nonmonotonic wrote: »

Cat. I had much older and thicker Cherry tree which died of old age. I hired a telescopic pole saw and cut it down in sections myself. No requirements for ladders ( ladders + tree + chainsaw = accident ). I did wear a helmet ( hire one, borrow crash-helmet, whatever protects your head). Do it in small stages and when the tree is bare. You can kill the stump by pouring used motor oil on the cut bit.

monkeynuz

Hi Dave,

Just to clear this up, the legislation on cutting trees on your own property are basically, the tree must be on your own property and within 100 feet of your dwelling, if that is the case then you can cut down ANY tree including Oaks, if the tree is more than 100 feet from your dwelling then you can put in an application to remove the trees, I think you apply to the local forestry officer in the department of Ag or something but you would need to check that.

Another option with the trees is just to have the crown reduced for the time being.

Also, if you are getting a tree surgeon in they should have a stump grinder as well, this could be another option for dealing with the stumps?

Regards,

M.

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Don't want to hijack this thread but we want to cut down the 14 Poplar trees at the front of our property as:
a) They are growing so tall (over 60 feet now) as to be a hazard to the house/road if they were to fall
b) I hate having to spend weeks collecting the leaves when they fall in the Autumn

A guy in my area recently cut down one of his 100ft+ Poplars as it was rotten and the roots had extended some 60 feet across his garden towards his house and had buckled his tarmacadam driveway. I saw the stump and it was rotten to the core.

I didn't plant my own trees. They were there when we bought the house but the previous owners had topped them at some point to reduce their height but they have doubled in height in the 7 years since we bought the place.

I've heard that its illegal to cut down a mature tree without permission - is this correct? These trees are also causing a potential hazard as there are phonelines and electricity lines either side of the row of trees and the trees hit off them when blowing in the wind.

So my question is, can I cut these trees down completely and how can I get rid of the stumps without ruining the lawn? Any recommendations for tree surgeons in the north Kildare/Dublin area?

Thanks