Just got my first big removal quote accepted without dropping the price

A year back, I'd look at a tricky oak over a garage in Springfield and lowball myself, scared they'd say no. This time, I quoted the full $2,800 for the climb, rigging, and clean-up, explaining every step. The client signed right up. It took watching a more experienced climber do the same thing to realize my work has real value. Anyone else remember the first time you stopped undercutting your own bids?

4 comments

4 Comments

julia_fisher282mo ago

That "real value" thing is so true. I mean, I see people do it all the time with their own work, like they're afraid to ask for what it's actually worth.

the_jennifer3d ago

Oh, I'm going to push back on this a little (big surprise, right?). Sometimes asking for a lower price is just smart business, not lack of confidence. I've seen freelancers and contractors land way more work by being the affordable option in a sea of overpriced quotes, and then they get repeat customers and referrals that build up over time. It's not always about undervaluing yourself, sometimes it's about making a name and getting your foot in the door before you start jacking up prices. Plus, the market sets the price too, you know? If nobody's paying that four thousand dollar bid and someone else is getting the job at two grand, maybe the real value is somewhere in the middle.

elizabeth_gonzalez2mo ago

Oh man, I feel this. My first year, I basically paid people to take their trees down. I quoted a huge pine removal for like five hundred bucks because I was sure they'd laugh at a real number. @julia_fisher28 is right about seeing that value. It took me watching a crew boss explain his four thousand dollar bid with total confidence, like it was just the obvious price for that much skilled risk and labor. That was the click for me. Now I walk through the job costs out loud, and it turns out clients get it.

jadeg813d ago

the_jennifer, I have to gently push back on one thing you said. You mentioned "making a name and getting your foot in the door before you start jacking up prices." The problem is, tree work is different from something like freelance writing or design. If you lowball a dangerous removal, you're not just leaving money on the table, you're taking on serious liability for way less than the risk is worth. One bad fall or damaged roof because you were rushing to keep costs down can wipe out years of cheap jobs.