We were a flat rate £400 to fell a medium pine tree (approx. 50ft high) that was overhanging the roof, dislodging tiles & remove a large old apple tree (3-4ft girth) that had not been looked after and was out of hand – also too close to the house. We arranged the full skip for the waste at £250 and he had some lad with him on work experience. Pine tree was gone in under an hour! The lad was sweeping up the sawdust when I popped out to see how they were getting on as the chainsaw had stopped a while before. Filled a full skip to the brim – the useful sized logs he kept.
He said he usually charges more, but it was a quiet month. Works as an arborist for the local council, does the private work out of hours.
In life, it's not who you know that's important, it's how your wife found out.