Trees are important for our homes and provide shade on hot days. However, if they have grown too close to your roofline, you may need to hire a professional tree trimming service. After the job is done, you may wonder “What about the gratuity?”, “Should I tip tree trimmers?”, or maybe, “How much to tip tree trimmers?”.
In this piece of content, I will help you understand the etiquette of tipping tree trimmers. Keep Reading!
What Do Tree Trimmers Usually Do?
The tree trimmers have certain levels of tasks including climbing trees to remove the dead branches and trimming live ones. They also have to use some special equipment to remove large branches or entire trees.
Moreover, the detailed duties of a tree trimmer can be described as follows –
- Works with handsaws, pruning hooks, sheers, and clippers in order to manage the growth of trees and shrubs.
- Trims and reshapes trees to make them attractive by removing low-hanging branches.
- Take away dead and excess branches from trees; even from around the power lines.
- Operates necessary equipment and tools like truck-mounted lifts, power pruners, boom trucks, loaders, tractors, power saws, etc.
- Executes the recommendations of tree surgeons regarding pruning, fertilizing, and spraying trees.
- Nurtures healing and impedes decay by filling tree cavities.
- Loads and takes away debris and trash.
- Adheres to all the applicable safety rules and regulations required for tree trimmers.
- May sometimes supervise and train lower-level or new staff for tree trimming works.
Now you know that tree trimmers have a lot to perform as their duties.
Are You Supposed to Tip Tree Trimmers?
Many people including you may ask this question while hiring someone to trim their trees. However, you need to take into consideration some important issues before deciding whether or not to tip your tree trimmers. These can include the nature of the job, the costs associated with the job, your personal finances and many others that will be discussed further.
For now, you should keep in mind that in the majority of cases, you should consider tipping the tree trimmers for their effort and service. The amount may differ a bit in the cases of certain circumstances, so do not just feel pressured to stick to a fixed rule!
Do You Need to Tip Tree Trimmers?
Tipping tree trimmers may not requirement in some regions, but it is very common in the USA to show appreciation for the work they do. Tree trimming can be a difficult and physically demanding job, and tipping the tree trimmers can be a way to show your gratitude for the time and effort they spent on your property.
That being said, whether or not to tip is entirely a personal decision, and the appropriate amount can vary based on the size of the job, the difficulty of the work, and the level of service provided. You may choose to tip a flat amount, such as $20-$50, or you can tip a percentage of the total bill, such as 10-15%.
What Is an Appropriate Tip for Tree Trimming?
The appropriate amount to tip for tree trimming services can vary. You can consider some factors, including the size of the job, the difficulty of the work, and the quality of the service.
As a general guideline, a tip of $20-$50 is a common range for tree trimming services, although the exact amount can vary widely. If the job was particularly large or complex, you may want to consider tipping more. On the other hand, if the job was relatively small or straightforward, a lower tip may be appropriate.
Ultimately, what is most important is that you provide a tip that you feel reflects the level of service you received and shows your appreciation for the work that the tree trimmers did for you. Whether you choose to tip a flat amount or a percentage of the total bill, the important thing is to provide a tip that you feel is generous and that demonstrates your gratitude for their work.
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What Factors To Consider Before Tipping Tree Trimmers?
There are a few things that you need to consider while deciding whether or not to tip your tree trimmers for their services.
• What was the quality of the work?
The first thing you need to consider is the quality of the work of the tree trimmers. If you feel that they have done an exceptional job and went above and beyond your expectations, you should consider giving them a tip for their effort.
Note that this is basically the most important factor in your tipping journey. Do not hesitate to give the tree trimmers a little extra if they do a really great job.
• How long did the project take to complete?
The second factor that you need to consider is the length of the project. That is, how long it took to trim your trees for the trimmers. If you find that the job was pretty large and took several hours, you should consider giving them a tip for their time and effort. You should also consider the weather conditions here in this case. Because sometimes the pretty bad weather can make a small task way too difficult and time-consuming to complete.
• How often do the tree trimmers come to your property?
This is the third factor that you need to consider carefully. If the tree trimmers come on a regular basis to your property, it might be a nice gesture to show your appreciation with a little bit of extra something every now and then. Now note that it does not have to be money all the time. Rather, you can consider some non-monetary tips here in this case as well.
• How much was the trimming cost?
This factor includes taking a closer look at your cost structures for availing the tree trimming service. If you have to spend a lot of money on tree trimming services because the work requires a huge effort, you might also consider a tip to show your appreciation towards the workers.
• Do you have a good relationship with the tree trimmers?
The last thing you need to consider is if you have a good relationship with your tree trimmers. For example, if you have been using the same tree trimming service provider for years and have also developed a good rapport with the workers, you may certainly consider giving them a larger tip after their work.
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How Much to Tip Tree Trimmers?
Now let us dig into the most common question with no easy answer – how much you should tip the tree trimmers. As I have discussed, the amount you need to tip can depend on a number of factors, including the difficulty of the job, the weather conditions, and most importantly, the quality of the job.
In general, it would be a good practice to tip anywhere from $20 to $50 per tree trimming job. Again, you may want to tip to the higher end of the range if you feel the job was particularly difficult or dangerous. Also, if the tree trimmers do something above and beyond your expectation, feel free to give them a larger tip to show your appreciation.
However, there can be some rules of thumb that you might want to consider while tipping the tree trimmers:
If your tree trimmers perform a small task, like pruning a few branches of the trees, it can be okay to give up to $10 per worker.
If they had to reshape a small tree that took no more than an hour to complete, you can consider an average tip of $20 per worker.
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Who Should You Give the Tip to?
There is much debate on the answer to this question. Because some people argue that the person who does the work should be tipped always – it doesn’t matter if he is the owner or an employee. Some others say that the owners should be tipped only since they are the ultimately responsible persons for ensuring that the job is done well.
Well certainly, it depends on the situation. But the important fact to consider here is if the job is a larger one and you are working with a big company having so many trained tree trimmers, it would be appropriate to tip the people who did the work by themselves.
On the other hand, if it is a really small job that the owner did by himself, you may skip monetary tipping; rather you can offer him a drink or lunch instead. In the end, you just have to be sure to take into account the size of the job, the level of services you get, and your personal budget for the work.
What If the Tree Trimmers Don’t Accept Your Tip?
It is a common question among many of you since some tree-trimming service companies forbid their employees to accept tips for their work. If you are also in such a situation when your tree trimmers do not actually accept the tip, you may need to find other ways to show your appreciation for their hard work. Some options for those cases have been given as follows –
One option can be to write a positive review on their website or social media pages. A good review is something everyone will appreciate and this can also help the company to get other potential customers. Those future customers may get benefitted from their services as well!
Another option can be to give them a gift card to a local restaurant or store. This will somehow show your appreciation in a more concrete way and they can use it at their convenience time out of their working hours.
Final Remarks
So to conclude, it can be wrapped up by saying if you feel that the job the tree trimmers did was exceptional and they went above and beyond their capacity and the work scope, you definitely should be tipping them as an appreciation.
However, there is always the no-tipping option open for you if you feel that the job was just average or not up to your standards. You can simply thank them for their time and effort even after not giving a gratuity. After all, thanking someone for their work is also a good gesture!
