Field notes

Before you hire a climber

Plain answers to what tree companies and crews ask before bringing in a contract climber. Day rates, methods, and when to make the call.

• When to hire a contract climber instead of forcing the climb

  Most crews can fell a tree in the open. The call gets harder when there is no drop zone, the wood is dead, or the climber on staff is already booked. Bringing in a contract climber for a day is often cheaper and safer than forcing a removal that does not fit.

• Sectional removal vs felling: when you cannot just drop it

  Felling is fastest when the drop zone is clear. Over a house, a fence, or lines, the tree has to come down in controlled sections, roped and lowered piece by piece. Here is how a climber decides, and what the ground crew runs.

• What a contract climber charges, and what a day actually covers

  Most contract climbing is priced by the day, not the tree. A flat day rate keeps the math simple for the company hiring: you know the number before the climber leaves the ground. Here is what a day covers and when a one-off piece is quoted per-job.

• Crane assist vs climb-and-rig: picking the method for a takedown

  A crane speeds up big picks and keeps weight off the spar, but it is not always the call. Sometimes a climber rigging the tree down piece by piece is faster and cheaper. The climber works either way; here is how the method gets chosen.

• Storm damage: the hazards your crew wants a dedicated climber on

  After a wind or heavy-snow event the dangerous work is up in the tree: hung limbs, snapped leaders, and loaded leaners. These are the climbs where a crew is glad to hand the rope to a dedicated climber. Here is how to spot them and when to call.