if a tree falls in the ditch...

I'm always amazed why people choose to remove trees on their property. Here in the city my company does a lot of tree work. Actually one of the highest profit margins of all, also has a high risk for us. I always try to educate a property owner to the value a tree or trees can add to a property (sometimes $10k per tree). I also point out the liabilities or a risk a tree can pose. I remember once giving a quote for a tree removal, I almost immediately advised that the tree should come down, insect, decay, poor root development, poor pruning in the past, in short the tree was not maintained. On top of that homes had been built on both sides of his property recently, if the tree had came down in a storm, injury to people or property was almost guaranteed. My bid was several thousands of dollars, he said he would have to think it over, and I advised him to make calls to other tree companies. About six weeks after a storm he called me back, wanted to know how much would it cost now, as the storm caused the tree to fall. It was much cheaper now, but he lost his guest house and pool house. He wished he had taken my bid and I wish I had told him about our payment plan!

I remember taking down a 100+ year old cedar, property owner wanted a nice big lawn and grass won't grow around a cedar. I tried to give many alternatives to removing the cedar. Bottom line was the owner wanted it gone and a new landscape in. We started early on a Saturday morning, the tree was so large, it required a small street be closed for a couple of hours. We had pulled and secured needed permits from city. Closing of the street, caused neighbors to ask us, what are you guys doing? When people found out this tree was coming down, I thought we would have a riot. The police were called, city inspectors called out and pretty soon TV crew came! We ended up advising owner we would have to put this one on hold. We ended up cutting it down the very next Saturday, property owner, his lawyer, police, TV crews and the tree huggers all spectators. A job I wish I had not done at all, it was a landmark tree, not worth the bad publicity it brought our way and could have been left standing with just a little less lawn!

One reason it is so expensive to cut trees near houses is the liability insurance. insurance for this is much more expensive than for cutting them in "safe" areas.

Make sure you get more proof of insurance than just a business card saying "fully insured". accidents do happen, and so do under trained workers.

I always loved the look of property's in the south with tree rows well planted many years ago either field side, down roads or driveways.
we had 110 acres logged this summer.. but logging has come a long way I can look at the hill from a distance and all you see are tree's. landowners, forestry, and loggers work together for the good of the land and bottom line to try and do what's best for people and environment.
It's a constant battle when you live "in the woods" if you don't cut or have someone cut the woods will retake whatever land is open and it doesn't take too long.
I personally have been cutting tree's since 9 or 10.. me and my buddies would axe a few down to build forts.. never forget that 50 ft birch tree we hacked down. Started bucking logs and limb work with a chainsaw around 13 and cutting down tree's at 17. You start small and learn the basics then work your way up to larger and larger tree's. It's dangerous work for sure and the prices you have put up are on par even here and what I charge.. mostly insurance cost is what drives price.
On the other hand I have planted hundreds if not over a thousand tree's that will be here long after my death as proper placement is not common these day's with "landscapers" who plant them so close together or close to houses with no thought of 40,50, 100 years into it's growth. We have also saved countless tree's from untimely death from the crowns getting buried during lot development and also damage from the same.
I respect old tree's they have their place and I let them be.
we recently had a new septic system put in and I had to take down my only shade tree that reached the back of the house. It was not something I wanted to do... but my hands were tied.
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71 ft white pine, but it will live on as a 3 sections are going down to a good friend who built a sawmill out of scrap and was willing to trade labor to slab it up into siding that will be put on my sugar shack.
I will miss the shade but it will give me protection from the wind rain and snow come early march..