Hi All, I'd just like to ask those on here with the experience if they could offer any advice on how I would go about quoting to clear 6.5 acres. The land is all part of a disused farm, and was once gardens, which will eventually be restored, but I have initially been asked to quote to clear all brush and scrub etc, fell numerous trees, grind stumps, dig out roots, level a couple of areas, and I really have no idea where to start on the quiote. Should I charge for the entire job, or per day (for labour) and how would I put profit etc on top?? Would I include travel? Im thinking perhaps to get a QS to go in and look at it for me to get a timescale and initial outline of costings, but thought Id ask here before any (possibly unnecessary) expenditure! Many thanks for any replies!
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Assuming you have never done anything like this before (can't tell as your profile is set to private).
Obviously the major factors here are the chainsaw and stump grinding work - is this something that you are LICENSED and have equipment to do or are you subcontracting it (in which case check your insurance very carefully).
Root removal may need heavy machinery and operators(s).
6.5 acres of scrub is probably best dealt with using a forestry mulcher (mega money there) - how is waste to be disposed of - how clean do they need the areas left???
Too many variables here to advise on precisely.
Day rate is a non starter - think about it carefully - if YOU were the client, you would want to know how much it will cost, how quick it will get done etc......
More information about your business may help me and others advise you.
Hi guys, thanks for your replies. The reason i don't know where to start is ive never done a job this big. Yes, we are licensed, fully qualified tree surgeons, with insurance, and are not used to doing a job like this. Whilst our main business is Maintenance and Landscaping, we are able to carry out tree surgery, but have never been asked to quote a job of this scale. My view is, better to have tried and failed, than never to have tried! I thought people with more experience may be able to offer some help. There is now way I can make a financial loss on it, as a small ish business, we have nothing to lose! But we have to take the next step....
6 acres is a large site and if you have no idea where to start it's probably too big a job. You could quote a day rate but most clients will be after a fixed price for work like this.
Work out how many man days would be required, then add in plant hire, waste removal, sub-contractor costs and other expenses. Then add a desired profit on the job. But wrongly priced this job and you could be in real trouble.
If you’re a small business then I wouldn’t pay for a QS for work that’s far from guaranteed, unless you feel the cost/ risk is worth it. Better to get any subcontractors , tree surgeons, ground work/ excavation contractors to visit the site to give you a fixed quote which you can then add a margin to and add in the man day you will spend on site to the quote. For a job of this size you would need to be an established business with a team of staff as can imagine it would take many man days.
Get this wrong on man hours alone and you will be seriously out of pocket, get it wrong on a couple of others and you are neck deep in woes. Tread carefully on this job. But good luck on it, get it right and you'll be in the money.
In my opinion - when you talk of more than 2 acres and the word clearance comes into it - leave it to the Agricultural contractors - or sub one in yourself.
6 Acres of scrub with say say 10 trees per acre of 3ft diam... would probabbly take a contractor about a day and a half to 2 days to clear with an Average 90hp tractor and Flail.
The flail will level everything thiner than 4 inches to tiny shreddings on the ground... anything larger can be pulled out of the ground with the tractor
(remember 6 acres is several football pitches, we are not talking domestic gardens here.
Agri contractors would probabbly bid 1/5 of what you could afford to do the job at - Your looking at a week or 2 solid work for a well equiped tree surgery company / grounds maintenance firm. - 2 days max for a Agri contractor.
If you can lay your hands on a forestry mulcher as adam says (think £150k +) have some fun with it......
Hi Alex,
The way I approach larger jobs is just like any other, break it down into its component parts and price up from there. You know what it costs for you to do the individual parts all you need is a larger piece of paper to write it all down on.
It does take a while and don't rush it as there is a lot to think about.
If you are confident that everything is within you scope of operations then have a go at costing it, we all have to learn as we go, just make sure you over think it rather than rush it. Its better to not get it than be working for weeks for nothing.
Ditto that, we only quote for big jobs now and we just break it into elements to be done with a estimation of costs per element, sounds a fun job!
Are there two Alex Brown's on here?? One is the very helpful Mr Blue Skies Water Systems.
Maybe add a public profile Alex Brown N0.2?
Alex,
I have just had the same situation but 15 acres.
I managed to break down the work load into sections.
I told the customer that it would be hard to quote to reinstate as I could not see what needed reinstating. Tree wise we could not get to all the corners to see what needed doing so we have quoted phase 1 of tree work which is to go in and "make safe" then phase 2 can be quoted following that which is make pathways, prune back etc.
The customer was given a 7 day price which is an over estimate of how long will be needed but we know how these things go. If it does not take 7 days we then go on to one of the other tasks until the time is used up.
It is very hard to quote if it is not a rip out to start again