cost of cutting down a tree?

Hi everyone

we have a very large tree out the front of our house which we would like removed.My question is does anyone have an idea of what it should cost.
We have had quotes ranging from either around $1200 or around $4000 nothing in between (we've had about 6 quotes) and it seems the dearer ones are trying to quote themselves out of the job because they say they don't want to do it.
The cheaper one didn't turn up 4 times.

The tree is growing beside powerlines & is only a couple of metres from the house. i've attached a picture & the house is highset(doesn't show in the picture)

If anyone knows a treelopper in the Ipswich area or western suburbs of brisbane
who would be prepared to do the job at a reasonable price please let me know
i'll get a better picture if needed

thanks

Well I don't know how it works in Brisbane, but if you cut a tree down in Sydney without Councli approval, it can be VERY expensive.

Have you talked to you local Council?

From th pic it looks like an inapropriately planted tree to me so I wouldn't think you'd have a problem getting a tick.

Best to check first though.

i've checked with Ipswich city council & they said i was allowed to cut down any trees on my property

Have you tried Energex?

They'll give anything a lusty old haircut if it looks like it could damage a powerline in a storm.

Once severely lopped, you might find the costs go down a bit??

Cheers,

P ;)

yes i've tried Energex & all they ever do is cut 1 or 2 branches off
apparently as long as there are no branches within 2 metres or so of the powerlines its safe.
doesn't matter how many are above the lines though
apparently if they come off they don't fall down
i've tried everything to get rid of this tree over the last couple of years short of trying to do it myself
but being inexperienced i don't think thats a very good option

Update your insurance.
Three sticks of gele.
Very, very long fuse.
Two tickets to Tibet.
Taxi waiting.
Light fuse and GO :D

Cheers
Richard

That looks like crane work given the site of the tree.

If I'm right then $1200 is an absolute bargain because the crane will take up about half of that quote.

I recently had a tree cut down in the Council setback area with the same problem. They couldn't cut it down because of power lines and my fence. The loppers like to cut it down whole then cut it up. Thats the easy way. The crane job is the hard way (and slower- one chainsaw at a time).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by reybec

i've checked with Ipswich city council & they said i was allowed to cut down any trees on my property

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Really? ANY trees? Are you sure?

I didn't think that you were THAT neanderthal in Brisbane.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by craigb

Really? ANY trees? Are you sure?

I didn't think that you were THAT neanderthal in Brisbane.

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i think in Brisbane you can't

but out in Ipswich you can according to the treeloppers & the person i spoke to in council

i wont tell you what they say about us Ipswich people:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by reybec

ibut out in Ipswich you can according to the treeloppers & the person i spoke to in council

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The person on the council was probably the tree lopper's brother :eek: :rolleyes:

Is Ipswich closer to Kingaroy or Brisbane? :confused:

its closer to Brisbane
in fact its the city next to Brisbanes west

Quote:

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Originally Posted by reybec

its closer to Brisbane
in fact its the city next to Brisbanes west

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Geographically perhaps.

Alas, it sound like its soul is closer to Kingaroy (Joh Country)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Reybec

in Ipswich you can according to the treeloppers & the person i spoke to in council

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Do you have that on paper in black and white... it could be hearsay.

We had some treeloppers call around some years ago to quote on removing two tree's, $600 and claimed that they would be the cheapest by far, a local bloke was dioing some work in the street and I approached him.
He had a look said $100 cash and he would do it straight away.
Took about 15 minutes and he cut it off in 1 metre sections and lowered it on a rope, he left me about 2 metres poking out of the ground to do myself.
Tree's were about 10 metres high and about 1 metres at the base.
Shop around a bit more.

Hi Reybec

$1200 is a bargain. To do a tree like that is a real ba$tard. You need to be VERY careful around power lines When I was a tree lopper I had a couple of very close calls with them.

The tree either needs to be climbed and cut down bit-by-bit or use a cherry picker.

Climbing the tree and cutting it down is time consuming and relatively dangerous whilst hiring a cherry picker can get expensive but is MUCH safer.

The cheapest way would have been to offer the SEQEB boys a couple of hundred dollars to complete the job for you. This may still be an option. :)

There is a man in Brisbane (Frank Kingman) (he lives at Rochedale) used to work with me in the bad old days. He is very good. Look up his number and give him a ring. Mention my name. :)

The main cost of removal of the tree is actually taking everything to the dump to get rid of it. If you can do this bit yourself then you could save heaps.

raybec

We had a Pecan trimmed in Ipswich about 2 years back. Cost was around $1000. $1200 sounds reasonable.

regards

John Scott

Quote:

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Originally Posted by reybec

i wont tell you what they say about us Ipswich people:D

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Please Explain?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by vsquizz

Please Explain?

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Dear Pauline,

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone from Ipswich wears Ugg boots, many prefer rubber thongs, particularly on formal occasions.

Many of the Formula One teams retain Ipswich-bred chaps to lead their pit crews (no-one can get a set of mag wheels off a car faster than a lad from Ipswich).

A picture is worth a thousand words.

P

:D :D :D

ringbark it and let it fall down itself...not your fault if it falls on someones head in the process ;)

otherwise offer the power boys some extra cash next time they're around, as suggested earlier :D

Just had 6 self seeded Radiatas (=noxious weeds) cut out of my front garden....three 40m trees and 3 about 15m in height. All up cost was $3800. Add on $300 to the kid across the road who split the wood.

The 3 big trees were on the council verge but council not interested in chopping them down despite the things being a potential traffic hazard in years to come.

Faced a similar problem last year - gum tree towering over HV lines. The power company assessed the tree and said the same - if it's not within 2m above/beside the lines they don't care. How times have changed since private ownership of assets started.

It would take an anchor crew + climber to get it down in sections. If they won't touch it due to proximity to the lines contact the power company to clear it back so as it can be removed. Steer clear of cranes - they would need the local grid isolated and diverted to operate a crane that close to live lines = anywhere above power lines and within 3m to side 3m below the lines). The typical cost to have lines isolated is $5k -$20k depending upon ease of isolation and diversion and the number of customers affected. Similar issue for booms unless operated by an authorised person (e.g. a HV line technician for line works).

Hi
my parents live in ipswich and recently had a mature silky oak dropped (much to my horror) for $550 if they still have the number I will PM it to you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bob Willson

The tree either needs to be climbed and cut down bit-by-bit or use a cherry picker.

Climbing the tree and cutting it down is time consuming and relatively dangerous whilst hiring a cherry picker can get expensive but is MUCH safer.

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Sounds like the sort of stuff the guy on the Amazing Race would say when the racers get to a road block. :D Avid tv watches may get the obscure reference.

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Originally Posted by Sir Stinkalot

Sounds like the sort of stuff the guy on the Amazing Race would say when the racers get to a road block. :D Avid tv watches may get the obscure reference.

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Yes Sir Stink. It does indeed.

Love the race. :)

:) finally got someone to cut the tree down.
they came today and cut 2 trees down for only $1550:)

only minor damage to garden

letterbox didn't fare so well:rolleyes:

Evening Reybec

Count yourself lucky.

1. The cost could have been much greater. About 10 years ago now, I had a huge tree cut down on the North Shore of Sydney and it cost about $11,000 including moving from a very difficult site.

2. What an opportunity! A new letter box to build from the old tree. Cut and dry in the approved methods, and be King of the property. I can hear it now, casually mentioned as you stroll by - "That letterbox used to be 50 metres high".