YNAB You Need A Budget

[medicechic]

Hello everyone!

I have a question. How much do you think it would cost to have a large old oak tree cut down? It is 80 feet+ tall and the trunk is about 6 feet in diameter. Note it is between mine and my neighbor's house, on my property. It is in the front corner of my backyard. It is threatening his utility lines and possibly mine also. Most of the branches have serious damage, which I'm sure would make it more difficult to cut. I've been putting it off, but someone told me one of the largest branches could fall at any time.

Definitely worried about the branches (they're so big I'd call them trunks on any other tree!) falling on my house or his. We had one incident last year when a large branch fell into his back yard. We were lucky it fell over and away from the power lines...barely! It also missed his house and his outbuildings. It landed on a swing set and a clothesline. I swear it took up his whole back yard, and his back yard is huge!

I know I would have to take down and put back up parts of the fence. I also know utility companies would have to be contacted to shut everything off and possibly take down and put the lines back up, while they are cutting the tree. I'm also going to call the power company to see if they can do anything to help. I know where my parents live the power company has right of way along the power lines going to their house. They come out and cut trees and brush every couple years along the lines and take down anything that is threatening them, but it's a different state and different power company.

I've already had one estimate, but am not sure how reasonable it is. (And I'm frustrated because it takes half my window budget. Meaning I won't get the full tax credit I was hoping for next year.) I'm going to call about getting 2 more estimates from local companies tomorrow. My grandparents found a great guy to cut trees around their house, but they were much smaller and I'm not sure he comes across state lines. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!
E

[rollercoaster]

I have no idea on a number, but I do know that tree removal is almost always VERY pricey.

I hope you are able to get someone to do it for a reasonable cost.

If you contact the power company, and it is threatening their lines, they may very well send someone out to at least take care of the branches that are the most likely to cause problems, allowing your more time to save the money to remove the whole tree and still get your windows. Our power company comes out and/or hires contractors out to trim trees around here all the time. When the guys were working in our next door neighbors backyard last spring, I asked how much it would cost for them to grab the half dead pine tree between our driveways on my property. $10 and about 2 minutes later, the tree was completely shredded and headed out to a compost pile somewhere.

[malisab]

If you contact the power company, and it is threatening their lines, they may very well send someone out to at least take care of the branches that are the most likely to cause problems, allowing your more time to save the money to remove the whole tree and still get your windows.

That'd be my suggestion too. They probably won't cut it "pretty", but they'll cut it safe. Then you can decide between spending more on it vs. the windows.

[medicechic]

I'll try calling the power company today and see what they say.

I called last week about a tree out front covering up the streetlight. They cut enough away from it that it shines on the street again, but I'm thankful it doesn't really shine into my house. I keep the front lights on at night anyway, since I feel a little safer that way... people less likely to break in to a well lit house vs one that is dark and they can hide.

When I called about that tree, they said it might be my responsibility depending on where it was, that they would come out and look at it. The next day there was a pile of branches at the street. It's on the other side of the sidewalk though... I think that's city right of way. I'll call and see what they say about this one. Hopefully they can help!

The one estimate I got so far was $1800! I'm worried about being taken since I'm young and female though. I had a roof repair guy try that crap one day, but I knew his number sounded ridiculous. I have no idea with this one. I tried calling the guy my grandparents have used for years, but he doesn't come across state lines. There's a whole list in the phone book. I'll try some more. I'm also going to try to find a certified arborist... maybe they can take care of the dying branches in a way I can still keep the tree. I hate having to cut it down. It's been here for at least 100 years if not longer. It's the only source of shade for my back yard. I wonder if city would send theirs out for free to just look? Even the city has cut down a lot recently though.

Thanks!
E

[medicechic]

Grrr! Power company only cuts between poles, not from pole to houses! Oh well.

[xraymd]

Greetings, medicechic, 2-3 years ago we had an arborist come to our house to do some tree "thinning" to an Aleppo pine that has been here for over 50 years but was ominously leaning over the house. The estimate for completely removing it and grinding down the stump (which is what we did NOT want to have to do) was over $2000 if I recall, but the arborist figured out that he could re-weight and save the tree if he did some branch trimming along one side of it. That did cost $1000-ish alone but the net result is that we kept the tree and it is likely much safer now.

We were referred to the arborist from at least 3 different sources - all of which were local nurseries and that was the one name that consistently kept coming up. I think we may have also called the local university to inquire of their landscape division and that name was also on their list. In any case, the outcome is better than the alternative, and less expensive, too, though still an expense. The home maintenance category was pretty well emptied at the time, though once the decision was made to proceed, I did take a couple of extra months to try to fatten it first.

I definitely advise the services of an arborist because that's what they are good at, figuring out how to save a tree when it is feasible to do, and it was a payoff to seek recommendations from sources I felt were neutral and reliable rather than trying to throw a dart at the yellow pages (I've always been wary of taking that kind of chance for a big expense). Hope this helps!

xraymd

[essnjay]

Seeking the advice of an arborist is a very good idea. Also consider that if the tree or a branch falls on your neighbors house you might be liable. If you do hire someone to trim the tree or take it down be absolutely certain that the person has both liability and workmen's compensation insurance. You don't want to end up liable if a worker gets hurt or your house or your neighbor's gets damaged

Jack

[medicechic]

I had an arborist come out today. He said he thought the best option was removing the tree, although he does work for a tree removal company. He said he wasn't willing to give me an estimate, that he really didn't want to come this far to remove it. He estimated between $2000-$4000 to remove it and grind the stump due to where it is, the size, and the power lines close to it. He said I would be better off going with someone local, but he didn't know who to recommend.

I'm also going to try a even more neutral source and call the forestry commission and local extension agencies.

I had posted on allexperts.com and the expert was actually from the area (don't know the chances of that!). He gave me the name and phone number of someone with the forestry commission and also the websites for the forestry commission and extension agencies. He said he thought it would be high, "somewhere between $500-$1000". He said someone from forestry would be able to recommend someone that is bonded and everything. This is even more of a headache than I thought!

**edit: Oh and he did say that people would try to rip me off!

[WairereRose]

Good luck with it all. And ditto what was said about insurance.

[bookman413]

I would give consideration to the following:
YOu could start looking at this as not merely a problem and an expense but also as an asset.
You have a very valuable oak tree on your property if it is 6' in diameter. Cabinetmakers (and some instrumentmakers as well, I would imagine) pay premium for this kind of wood once it is processed, particularly the quartersawn trunk sections.

I would call some and find out where they source their wood, then call that source, and find out the marketability of the lumber.

If you really want to save money or take on a project, buy a book about tree removal or arborism and a climbing harness, rope and a chainsaw. You can take it down over a period of months starting a couple branches at a time. Or you can just remove the branches or portions of branches that are most dangerous and wait on the rest. I believe to remove branches that are over valuable property, say, a fence, you secure the end you are going to cut using a rope to either a higher branch or to the same branch in such a way that when you cut it the rope catches it as it falls, then you can lower it safely using whatever method you've got going on. (block and tackle or even a simple rope going over a branch). Yeah you are talking about large forces here on a branch section that will act as a lever once it catches so you need to account and plan for that.

Watch some videos on youtube as well.

yeah, some would say it's dangerous. I would call it a challenge, and it's easily as fun as anything else I'd be doing on my days off. I'd start just by getting a harness and rope and learning some basic rope/harness climbing.

If this is definitely not up your alley or the location of the tree is to sketchy then $2000 for a pro to take it down safely sounds reasonable to me (without calling my friend to ask) . Since oak is highly marketable wood I would have them section it and leave it on my property, then depending on the state of the trunk sections, sell it to a lumber merchant/sawmill or a firewood merchant or properly section and split/dry it myself and sell it. You can be sure that if you didn't say anything about it they would be selling that wood themselves after they leave your house with the $2000 check. Call a local lumberyard and find out what section size is best for lumber purposes. You may be able to sell the wood to the lumberyard. If not, and you want to go the firewood route, I wouldn't be surprised if a big oak tree probably has 5-8 cords of wood in it, retail value is usually $250/ cord after one years' seasoning so $1250-$2000 in retail value just as firewood. Several times that retail value value in lumber if the wood's in good shape, which most of it probably is (of course you aren't a lumberyard so you won't likely get full retail) . Having them not take the wood away will affect their quote as well I would imagine.

The lumber can be removed by truck and processed either at a local sawmill or by a portable sawmill operator on your property. What's left over can be firewood and you can sell that too.

sure, the neighbors *might* think you're crazy but they aren't paying your bills.

If you are doing the work yourself and you drop a branch on your house, your house insurance will cover it. double check with your home insurance co. If you drop one on your neighbor's house...well i don't want to go there. Just don't drop one on the neighbor's house. You can cut as little as a time as you like. You can go the the end of a branch and cut off an 8' section or a 6' section, and leave it hanging from the same branch if you've presecured it with rope.

[WairereRose]

I would give consideration to the following:
YOu could start looking at this as not merely a problem and an expense but also as an asset.
You have a very valuable oak tree on your property if it is 6' in diameter. Cabinetmakers (and some instrumentmakers as well, I would imagine) pay premium for this kind of wood once it is processed, particularly the quartersawn trunk sections.

I would call some and find out where they source their wood, then call that source, and find out the marketability of the lumber.

I'd love to hear how you get on with this idea if you give it a try - what a great idea to solve the problem - even if they take it away for nothing you're still coming out ahead of where you think you are at the moment.

[bookman413]

As they say, one (wo)man's problem is another(wo)man's living. Actually, I don't think they say that but I just did!

[maryea]

We just had a tree taken down last month. It was a pretty tall evergreen but your tree sounds larger. We got 4 estimates and they ranged from almost $2000 to $984 (this cheapest one was after a senior discount)...we looked the company up online to make sure they were licensed and bonded (employees too) and went with the cheapest one. They did a great job, worked quickly yet safely and efficiently, took away all the branches and top of the tree debris, cut up the rest for firewood and left it in our yard, removed the stump and ground it up leaving us with a good-size pile of mulch. We paid a couple teenagers $20 to haul the firewood into our backyard and since my dh has a fractured leg right now I decided to shovel and haul it myself to save more. We will use it when we plant in the spring.

[lisarojer]

Hello everyone,
cutting tree is not good for environment and if it is really necessary then we have to plant 4 more trees plant in place of one
Thanks.

[davideugene05]

If you are located near ohio I could poss. come out and take a look at it for a cheaper estimate...send me an email if you still need this done... screen name at yahoo
thanks,
david