# first gas station bid what is a fair price?



## ED922 (Oct 18, 2009)

i got a gas station owner that i know that is looking for me to plow his gas station i live close and i have been coming there for years . they guys that normaly do the station very rarely show up and when they do it looks like crap missed spot and little salt. i would like to have him as a customer but all so dont want to work for free. he would like to set up a contract and i never have done a contract i always just worked for a buddy for extra cash but things are tight and i need to find more work. the contract is for salt, shovle and plow but im new to doing this on my own and now that there is a lot of things to consider when bidding a contract such as time, snow fall , cost of salt and labor. what do you guys recomend


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Somewhere between $1 and $1,000 per trip.


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## Longae29 (Feb 15, 2008)

Given the specs you provided, (he's your buddy, old guys didnt do a great job, you have no idea how you're going to bid it) I think mark is spot on with that price, assuming of course thats including 100% sidewalk safe salt.


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## flykelley (Dec 29, 2003)

Gas stations are a pain to plow, and the owners dont want to pay worth a crap. Myself I stay far away from them. Plowed a couple about 4 years ago have bid one since. Oh and the tank lids hurt like hell when you hit one and you will hit one.

Good Luck Mike


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## firelwn82 (Feb 14, 2006)

I agree with Fly. Dont do it.
#1 Unless you have insurance. Rip one of those lids and you will be out a butt load of money.
#2 They pay for crap thats why ALL gas stations look like crap even days after a storm
#3 Traffic in and out is a pain. Nobody watches out for the plow truck, there always in a huge hurry. 

My advise is make it well worth every trip because you will lose hair and time and money doing it. My 2 cents


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## ED922 (Oct 18, 2009)

thank you guys i am greatful for your comments, hopefully it will be a good winter for all im sure we all; need it


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## cj7plowing (Feb 7, 2009)

you didnt mentiuon insurance are you covered or are you working under the gas station insurance? There is a reason all gas stations look like crap, the dont want to pay, cars whipping in and out and forget about the serivce tank covers. My ass is still sore from the last one I paid for. I dropped 2 of them and never looked back.


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## scottL (Dec 7, 2002)

firelwn82;864764 said:


> I agree with Fly. Dont do it.
> #1 Unless you have insurance. Rip one of those lids and you will be out a butt load of money.
> #2 They pay for crap thats why ALL gas stations look like crap even days after a storm
> #3 Traffic in and out is a pain. Nobody watches out for the plow truck, there always in a huge hurry.
> ...


 Never ever a gas station. Unrealistic to expect any quality. They can't pay so they don't Their profit on a gallon of gas is any where from 2 cents up ward to 14 cents. That's it. They get most of he dollars from hoho's, cigs and drink. You always use more salt than any other lot because there is always traffic. For get it.


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

firelwn82;864764 said:


> They pay for crap thats why ALL gas stations look like crap even days after a storm


Ummmm.......... Not the one I do.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

cretebaby;868316 said:


> Ummmm.......... Not the one I do.


Do you run a steel cutting edge in these?


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

2COR517;868346 said:


> Do you run a steel cutting edge in these?


Yes, and always freshly filed. :laughing:

Why?


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## Deco (Nov 14, 2009)

pre-treat or (NUKE) the woop dee doos uh huh .


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

cretebaby;868350 said:


> Yes, and always freshly filed. :laughing:
> 
> *Natch'*
> Why?


Thought maybe rubber with the lids

Do you pretreat with table salt or sea salt:laughing:


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

2COR517;868415 said:


> Do you pretreat with table salt or sea salt:laughing:


Duh, everyone knows you use this for a gas station.










I can't figure out my so many people have so many problems with the lids.

I have never even popped a lid off let alone need to replace the whole thing.


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## ED922 (Oct 18, 2009)

well guys no matter on this station any ways i went back to talk with the owner and he came to me and said he was sorry buy he got a good deal and he couldnt pass it up the whole lot plus salt and shovle for 1300.00 for the year! i told him to keep my card handy and ill check back with him after the firstsnow fall and see if the guy comes through. and he is not the only one went to three other accounts that i know and they all said the same thing i left them all my card. i talk to a couple of my buddies and they said the same thing that they are being out bid by this same guy for 1300.00


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## GatorDL55 (Jan 18, 2008)

ED922;868779 said:


> well guys no matter on this station any ways i went back to talk with the owner and he came to me and said he was sorry buy he got a good deal and he couldnt pass it up the whole lot plus salt and shovle for 1300.00 for the year! i told him to keep my card handy and ill check back with him after the firstsnow fall and see if the guy comes through. and he is not the only one went to three other accounts that i know and they all said the same thing i left them all my card. i talk to a couple of my buddies and they said the same thing that they are being out bid by this same guy for 1300.00


You're going to see this a lot this winter - the toughest thing about snow plowing is there are basically no barriers to entry. Anyone with a truck can go on ebay or craigslist and get a used blade and lowball the **** out of the deal.


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## Deco (Nov 14, 2009)

2COR517;868415 said:


> Thought maybe rubber with the lids
> 
> Do you pretreat with table salt or sea salt:laughing:


.........................................:laughing:


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## Deco (Nov 14, 2009)

GatorDL55;868805 said:


> You're going to see this a lot this winter - the toughest thing about snow plowing is there are basically no barriers to entry. Anyone with a truck can go on ebay or craigslist and get a used blade and lowball the **** out of the deal.


same with landscraping , painting , cement , concrete.....etc. ........ it's all around


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## anj4ever6236 (Nov 16, 2009)

Yup I'm new to the plowing used to plow for my father in law and he taught me everything so I could go alone and one think he taught me was not to be a LB and there is a lot of THEM AROUND I lost a bid for this apartment place I bid it at 250 per snow fall and some one said 75 wtf isn't salt for the ton around that price this year???????


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## T-MAN (Jan 9, 2001)

ED922;868779 said:


> well guys no matter on this station any ways i went back to talk with the owner and he came to me and said he was sorry buy he got a good deal and he couldnt pass it up the whole lot plus salt and shovle for 1300.00 for the year! i told him to keep my card handy and ill check back with him after the firstsnow fall and see if the guy comes through. and he is not the only one went to three other accounts that i know and they all said the same thing i left them all my card. i talk to a couple of my buddies and they said the same thing that they are being out bid by this same guy for 1300.00


Mickey D's will pay better then that flipping burgers LOL, and the hours are better.
Now you know why they look like crap all the time.


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## ff610 (Jan 9, 2009)

I plow 7 gas stations owned by the same company. They pay a very fair price, and they pay me out of the register before I leave the lot! You can't beat that! It does make it a pain working around cars, but its worth it for the money. Also, we have an agreement that the lot will look as good as possible around the caps because I know it costs 1500-2000 to replace a damaged one. My guys just take their time, and I make sure everyone knows exactly where they are with maps in all trucks. This is not a job for someone that has little experience or runs too fast!


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## HEStufrthnnails (Nov 20, 2009)

A fair bid and a good job will eventually beat out a low baller. I know your first season it's pretty discouraging when someone out bids you,but be patient. If you don't get a lot of bids,use the time to watch and learn from some of the older guys and even offer your services to them. Just remember they may want you to have liability insur.too or they may put you under there's . We're pretty rural here in this area. I bid a job in a neighboring town( 30 miles away),would have been in return route for 45.oo and still was outbid.WOW go figure! But that's the way it goes sometimes. Other times you'll bid what seems a little high do to maybe a little distance or time delay . And you'll get it right off the bat. Also ,gas risers !!! Shovel shovel shovel. Shovel around them. Expensive to repair riser or truck/plow. Maybe 10 minutes time you can clean the riser and adjacent area.Then your good to go .


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## Deco (Nov 14, 2009)

ff610;877340 said:


> I plow 7 gas stations owned by the same company. They pay a very fair price, and they pay me out of the register before I leave the lot! You can't beat that! It does make it a pain working around cars, but its worth it for the money. Also, we have an agreement that the lot will look as good as possible around the caps because I know it costs 1500-2000 to replace a damaged one. My guys just take their time, and I make sure everyone knows exactly where they are with maps in all trucks. This is not a job for someone that has little experience or runs too fast!


"a very fair price" to you may be a very unfair price to the next guy.
one mans trash , is another mans treasure ...or so i'm told


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## HEStufrthnnails (Nov 20, 2009)

That's true. You generally know what the average is in an area. On the other hand when it comes to working for a living , that's the "free market". That's what keeps guys from getting greedy also. That's what drives our American economy and keeps us creative and competative.ussmileyflag
P.S. Wheres the Echo Valley? I travel to PA quite often?


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