[mudman]

Pricing varies greatly from region to region, but I'm just a few miles east of you and that sounds really high. Really high! That being said I haven't seen your site, so there may be factors that make it so much $$$. I would call a few people as the tree guys in my area are fools. One week they want 3K to do a job for me but two weeks later when they are short of work and cash they will do it for 1.5K. Not kidding.

Blocking trees is not for beginners. I've seen bad things happen to even experienced crews. Make sure you have a copy of declarations page for insurance from all who bid.

If this is something that can easily be done later in the season let the contractors know, they might give you a break if they can schedule it to meet their needs. This is oak trimming season so any reputable company is taking care of work they booked during summer.