Glossary term
What is Proposal?
Short answer
Proposal is a written offer that describes the work, the price, the timeline and the terms, sent to a customer after the estimate and before the job starts.
Proposal, explained for tree service owners
A proposal is the written version of your estimate. It states the scope of work, what is included and excluded, the price, the payment terms, the expected start date and how to accept it. For a tree service, a clear proposal protects both sides. It shows the homeowner exactly what will be cut, removed or hauled away, and it reduces arguments later about what was agreed. Keep the language plain, avoid jargon and send it quickly, while the customer is still deciding. A signed proposal is the basis for your invoice. Have a qualified lawyer review your standard terms before you rely on them.
Related terms
- Estimate
Estimate is the price quote a tree service gives a customer for a job, often after looking at the trees on site, before the customer…
- Scope of work
A scope of work is a clear description of exactly what the job includes and does not include.
- Stump grinding
Stump grinding is a service that uses a machine to grind a tree stump below ground level, leaving wood chips and a flat area that can be…
- Upsell
Upsell is offering a customer an extra or higher-value service that fits their need, such as stump grinding or a follow-up trim, during…
- Directional felling
Directional felling is cutting down a tree so it lands in a chosen spot, using notch, hinge, wedges and sometimes ropes.
- Hazard tree
Hazard tree is a tree with a defect or condition that is likely to fail and cause harm to people or property, such as a split trunk,…
- Job costing
Job costing is tracking all the labor, equipment, fuel, disposal and other costs of one job to see if you made money.
- Tree risk assessment
Tree risk assessment is a structured check of a tree's condition, its targets and its site, used to judge how likely it is to fail and…
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