The Cost of Cutting Down Our Oak Tree

[Greene's Basin Girl]

We recently received an estimate on cutting down a large oak tree that is leaning toward our house in Greens Basin. The estimate is $400.00. We will keep the wood. Is that cost reasonable or not?

[This'nThat]

Originally Posted by Green's Basin Girl

The estimate is $400.00. We will keep the wood. Is that cost reasonable or not?

Yes, it is. It cost me nearly $900 to have a tree taken down that threatened my house. It was a particularily delicate task that took a lot of time. I also kept the wood.

I don't know how big your tree is, but a largish oak can yield 1/4-1/2 cord of wood. A cord goes for $275 these days, so your real cost is around $200 - $300.

The only other way to get the cost down is to let the tree fall on your house, and get the insurance company to pay for repairs and tree removal afterwards. This only works, of course, if your deductable is $0.

Make sure the woodsman has insurance. And demand to see the paperwork. Any legitimate woodsman would have no problem giving you a copy of his insurance papers.

[Belmont Resident]

As mentioned above check that they are currently insured. Don’t have them give you proof ask for a dated binder from the insurance company.
As a contractor I have copies of my binders on file. I also have binders from previous companies because I check and compare rates and sometimes switch companies.
A good policy for anyone to follow weather it be home auto of business, it pays.

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by Green's Basin Girl

We recently received an estimate on cutting down a large oak tree that is leaning toward our house in Greens Basin. The estimate is $400.00. We will keep the wood. Is that cost reasonable or not?

Very reasonable assuming they know what they are doing and are insured.

[Lakesrider]

Yeah really. Get their insurance papers. I had an oak cut down in my yard and it was $700.00 from a guy with insurance and he took the wood too. $400.00 from a guy without insurance and I kept the wood. I went with the guy with insurance. It was a huge Oak that I did not want to cut down but I was putting in an extended driveway for the boat and it had to go.

[fatlazyless]

I have a large dead pine, that is huge, and about 3-feet from the paved town road, so when it comes down it could take out one of the following; cable-phone-electric wires, my old pickup truck, my rich neighbor's very nice garage, or my old Force-5 sailboat. The bark is falling off big-time and it attracts red, white, & black woodpeckers, plus one large woody woodpecker style bird.

Being somewhat underfunded and struggling along with the burdensome property tax I will probably just let the wind blow it over. Where it goes, nobody knows? It's a surprise to me, at this time, that it is still even standing.

Cut me a little break here Green's Basin Girl, and what's the name of the $400 tree guy, and are there any $200 tree guys out there?

[tis]

Fll, usually if the the tree is going to knock the wires down, if you call the electric company and let them know, they will come check it out and take it down if they feel it is necessary.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Green's Basin Girl

We recently received an estimate on cutting down a large oak tree that is leaning toward our house in Greens Basin. The estimate is $400.00. We will keep the wood. Is that cost reasonable or not?

G.B.G.;

Great price and as others have said make sure to get a copy of his insurance.

Dan

[SAMIAM]

Just wondering how big the tree is.A small oak can be taken down and cut up in less than an hour.Still a good price.

[BroadHopper]

I had a huge pine tree taken down. It had a 4 feet trunk and not towering but fat. There were power lines on one side and the house on the other. A bonded tree company quote $1300 to cut the tree down and haul the wood away. So $300 is cheap.

[dpg]

Almost to cheap, did you request a price from anyone else? I had an oak tree cut at home in Mass this past summer. It was a decent size not huge and it wasn't threatening the house I paid 550.00 for that. Wood was hauled away by the person.

[fatlazyless]

Say....how's about a 99-dollar, no insurance, cannot afford those premiums no more, el cheapo-deluxo tree take-down-guy with an old Stihl chain saw that still can cut it and an old Dodge dually diesel pickup, who will take it down for $99 plus a 30-can suitcase of Pabst Blue Ribbon (11.99)?

Insurance can have so many different provisions that an individual tree take-down-guy may or may not have.....like....what if the tree falls on top of the tree take-down-guy and he becomes a paraplegic for the next nine years until he dies....or falls on the utility co electric wires.....or falls on your neighbors garage.....or......lands in the road and causes a motor vehicle accident......or.....


It all kinda makes just lett'n nature tak'n its' course in its own time to be look'n more attractive. You know what they say....sooner or later.....the wind will blow....and the tree will fall...... practically guaranteed!

[BroadHopper]

If you are adventurous, take a trip to Lowell, Mass. Bring up a bunch of Cambodians and they will take your tree down, inch by inch. It's amazing how they shimmy up the tree and cut it down. Witness a Dracut friend of mine tree cutting. Cost a trip to Lowell and back. A decent meal at a restaurant, and you have your tree down!

[Redwing]

Yes, GBG.... "our" collective handyman is the best, and I would trust his professional opinion when it comes to recommendations and pricing. Thank goodness for him..... he has helped so many of us over the years, and he is generational as his father was my parents (and many others in our lake community) handyman/carpenter. And hopefully his son will be our childrens' handyman!!

[Greene's Basin Girl]

Originally Posted by Redwing

Yes, GBG.... "our" collective handyman is the best, and I would trust his professional opinion when it comes to recommendations and pricing. Thank goodness for him..... he has helped so many of us over the years, and he is generational as his father was my parents (and many others in our lake community) handyman/carpenter. And hopefully his son will be our childrens' handyman!!

Hello.... His son will be our electrician. His apprenticeship will be done in May.

[Greene's Basin Girl]

Originally Posted by dpg

Almost to cheap, did you request a price from anyone else? I had an oak tree cut at home in Mass this past summer. It was a decent size not huge and it wasn't threatening the house I paid 550.00 for that. Wood was hauled away by the person.

We have a handyman that has lived here his entire life. He has the best connections on things like this. He is also a great handyman. I will say though- I don't believe he wants anymore business than he has. He takes care of a number of us in Moultonborough.

[WinniTroll]

You get the wood....Who gets the branches?

[RLW]

Regarding the chips, they can go into pellets. As mentioned a hundred times in the thread. Do make sure you get a insurance binder. Do not take a binder from the contractor, request that he insurance company send it to you directly this issures you that it is up to date. They do it all the time. I've had hundreds sent to customers before performing work.

[Kamper]

By way of comparison...

My neighbor and I have some trees we want to take down. Because of their height we need a lift/cherry picker (he is trained to use one). The best price for the equipment rental is $600 for a day plus $75 to deliver and $75 to pick up. He can keep the wood.

Good luck!

[John A. Birdsall]

We had a pine tree up at the camp. I think it cost 1,000.00 for a 65 year old man and his son to take it down, and most of it away. This was about 2' from the kitchen on one side, and 2" from the bedroom on the other side. The father is the one that climbed the tree and cut it. They took a section of tree and made slab wood 2" thick and my dad built three coffee tables with that. The Father asked how high do we want the stump, as we were not removing it. Dad said 4" and I think you can put a level on it amazing work. When they were done you did not find any signs of the tree other than the 4" high level stump and the slabs. no sawdust, no branches nothing. What a great job. oh this tree was perhaps 5' in circumfrance at the base.

[Greene's Basin Girl]

Originally Posted by John A. Birdsall

We had a pine tree up at the camp. I think it cost 1,000.00 for a 65 year old man and his son to take it down, and most of it away. This was about 2' from the kitchen on one side, and 2" from the bedroom on the other side. The father is the one that climbed the tree and cut it. They took a section of tree and made slab wood 2" thick and my dad built three coffee tables with that. The Father asked how high do we want the stump, as we were not removing it. Dad said 4" and I think you can put a level on it amazing work. When they were done you did not find any signs of the tree other than the 4" high level stump and the slabs. no sawdust, no branches nothing. What a great job. oh this tree was perhaps 5' in circumfrance at the base.

The big oak tree came down today. It took two guys 2 hours and the cost was $400.00. They cleaned everything up when they were done. We kept the wood, but they kept the chips. We were very pleased. We didn't ask if they were insured even though I know we should of. I will blame my sister because I was not there to ask. They had business cards and seemed very professional.

[This'nThat]

Originally Posted by Green's Basin Girl

The big oak tree came down today. It took two guys 2 hours and the cost was $400.00. They cleaned everything up when they were done. We kept the wood, but they kept the chips. We were very pleased. We didn't ask if they were insured even though I know we should of. I will blame my sister because I was not there to ask. They had business cards and seemed very professional.

~ The search for someone to blame is always successful.~

Glad you got it down with no complications. Enjoy the warm fire next season!