Contractors are still offering £225/day or less
💬 “We are undervaluing ourselves - and it’s our fault.”
Pricing wars, race-to-the-bottom quotes, and undercutting just to win work are killing the arboriculture industry. Skilled, dangerous, and highly technical work is being sold like it’s a commodity, and it’s unsustainable.
Let’s do some basic maths.
For a fully qualified, experienced climbing arborist, here’s a conservative breakdown of our real costs.
🔍 Here’s what a directly employed arborist costs us (and other responsible employers, depending on location):
✅ Competitive salary
✅ Employer NI
✅ Holiday pay
✅ Pension
✅ Training & CPD
✅ PPE & climbing kit
✅ Insurance cover
✅ Vehicles, fuel, servicing
✅ Uniform, welfare, H&S support
✅ Ongoing management, scheduling, admin
💰 Total actual cost? Over £200/day – just to do it properly, and that’s before any margin or profit is added.
Yet somehow we’re expected to match or beat £225/day for experienced, ticketed climbers, while expecting:
Professionalism
Safety
Reliability
Investment in continuous training
Quality workmanship
It’s not sustainable. Not for us. Not for our staff. Not for the industry.
📣 Skilled work deserves skilled rates.
If we want safe, professional, well-equipped climbers delivering quality work, then we need to start pricing like it!
"We invest in the best equipment, safety training, and professional development to ensure arboriculture is done right. Yet some clients still expect to pay rates that haven't changed in 20 years, as if inflation, rising costs, and higher standards simply don’t exist.
If we keep accepting outdated pricing, we’re not just devaluing ourselves, we’re sabotaging the future of our industry."
— Simon Rotheram, Managing Director, Beechwood Trees and Landscapes Ltd
The Message:
A fully qualified, equipped, and experienced arborist that works for a reputable company is worth more than £225/day
Any less, is not just undervaluing, it’s disrespecting the profession.
It forces companies to:
Cut corners on safety or equipment
Skip training or refreshers
And the industry wonders why we have a shortage of skilled arborists, poor retention, and rising incidents?
It’s time we raised our standards and our prices.
💬 Stop undercutting.
💬 Educate clients on why quality tree work costs more.
💬 Charge what your skills, risks, and professionalism are worth.
💬 If you're a Main Contractor expecting to pay £225/day for a competent employed climber in 2025, you’re not buying skill - you're renting risk.
