If you have a question that wasn't answered by this page or elsewhere on the site, please send us an email at hitmantree@gmail.com with the subject "FAQs" or submit your question through our in-site form located on the contact page.
There are obviously many factors that come into play when bidding a job in this business. At the core of it all is the amount of time, with respect to the number of crew, it will take to complete a job in an efficient and safe manner. Our standard rate is $500/hr with a crew of three but we usually double up our crew to six whenever possible as it cuts our time spent in half while keeping the overall price of the job the same. Time-sensitive and emergency requests receive expedited service but we charge more (2 times as much for priority, 2 times as much for emergency) due to their tendency to bump other jobs back in the schedule and increase our overhead in transportation expenses.
The factors listed below and more help us determine the type of equipment and techniques needed for any given job. If you would like to know more about our techniques visit our techniques page. We are always looking for ways to improve efficiency and reduce cost, the product of which can be seen in many aspects of the way we organize and conduct a job. Tree removal bids can be done fairly accurately over the phone when given the trunk's circumference at 54 inches off the ground, it's relative location on the property (ex. front yard), and the type of tree if known.
In general, there is no overarching law in the State of Washington that requires a permit to contract the removal of a tree from private property. However, there are usually strict laws and ordinances that must be adhered to in each individual city. It is always a good idea to check with your city and make sure there are no problems with whatever work you might want done. If you fail acquire the proper permits, taking down a problem tree can result in a hefty fine. There are certain public right-of-way trees where a permit is always required.
If a neighbor's tree is overhanging your property, you are well within your rights to trim the limbs that hang directly over your property line, so long as it doesn't negatively impact the health of the tree too much. It is preferrable that you talk to your neighbor and receive permission before contracting such a job but not required. Laws are always changing and it is prudent that you stay up to date on them. For more information on the current laws and guidelines in your city, either call your city or visit this page.
As payment, we accept cash, checks, credit, and sometimes bartered goods or services. If you pay by credit, there is a 3% surcharge that will be added to your bill before tax in order to compensate for any fees credit card companies charge for this type of transaction. Keep in mind that sales tax only applies when a job is finished and paid for so while we may speculate as to what it may be, if it changes by the time the job is to be paid for, whether it increases or decreases, this will be reflected in the final bill.
No. We get asked this question more often than we should. Most of the time our customers don't want the wood and give it to us anyways. Currently, we do not process the wood that is produced from our services because it takes too much time and requires equipment that we do not possess. Without the proper equipment, the process of moving the wood through manual labor is a grueling one and ends up taking away from our true purpose and specialty. If a customer does not want the wood, we usually just give it away to anyone who wants it.
No. In fact, you don't have to pay us a dime until we finish your job. For private individuals, we typically expect payment unpon completion of a job unless otherwise agreed upon. For HOAs and similar group entities, we bill them at the end of a job and allow a period of 14 days for payment.
Our rate of $500/hr is based off a crew of three which is the minimum, but we often double up our crew. The number of crew does not affect the cost of the job because it directly correlates with efficiency. The more people we have working a job site, the faster we finish, generally speaking. Sometimes we send more people, sometimes less, it all depends on the scope of the job and what makes sense at the time.
We usually start work around 8:00AM, though we sometimes start earlier depending on when the sun comes up and/or how tight the schedule is. If there are two jobs scheduled on the same day, the second job starts at around 1:00PM. We've done as many as five jobs in one day but typically, we only do one or two.
As for our stopping work, we don't stop until the job is finished or until it gets too dark to work safely. Sometimes there are noise ordinances that we have to comply with in certain areas that require us to stop running equipment and the chipper at a cutoff time. For emergencies, we have worked in the dark before.
Our crew works in all types of weather in Washington State, the only exception being thunder and lightning due to it's tendency to strike the highest point off the ground which, as you can imagine, is a major concern for our climbers. Working in the snow can prove to be a lot more challenging than normal, but it is manageable.