# Finished my contracts today - looking for some input



## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

I have finally finished my contracts (with a bit of help from all the samples here)
im looking to either PM or email them to anyone willing to help and make sure they are 100% 
im hoping to get everything all squared away by tonight so that tomorrow i can begint o sign contracts and start making some payup
anyone interested - your help is greatly appreciated
Thank you to everyone once again for all the help
Kyle


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

i figure ill attach it so that way it is easier for people to access


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## Clapper&Company (Jan 4, 2005)

That was smart


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Who's Steve? About the staking of the lot ,that's another big discussion on here If I was to have stakes I would do it myself. Why are the checks made out to you? Should they not be made out to the company? Do you have to charge sales tax?


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## Snowpower (Sep 2, 2007)

Not bad. Little busy and too much legaleze for my tastes. A couple observations....

2-12"? Interesting. Im 1.5 to 6 and 6.1 to 12. 2-12 may work or leave you vulnerable because your set price to plow 3 inches is gonna seem high.....overall it may average out and you hope thats all you ever get is 3 inch storms.....

Something that really really caught my eye was how clean and professional the bid looked, and how legitimate it all seemed and then you have ...in Bold no less, that checks are to be made out to you 
personally.

That may or may not bother your clients. It bothered me.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

Snowpower;580084 said:


> ....
> 
> , and how legitimate it all seemed and then you have ...in Bold no less, that checks are to be made out to you
> personally.
> ...


we agree?
3 pages of contract just to get my drive plowed
seams excessive..

Your not legit?
Why are the checks made out to you and not your company?


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

that was a typo i have corrected it.. thanks for the input
also for the price i wasnt sure i just assumed that it was my rate 35-65 per visit for any amount after my 2inch trigger unless it was a blizzard ill attach it fixed
a note on the checks thing it just slipped my mind since i just got my business bank account it was easier to ahve them made out to me prior but i intended to have everything made out to the company
thanks again for any and all help
Kyle


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## EGLC (Nov 8, 2007)

I think theres too much legal stuff.......my maintenance contracts aren't even that long. JMO


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

so just a couple questions reguarding what has been said by you guys
1. reguarding the legal stuff - i was trying to cover everything possible, what do you recommend i remove or shorten?
2. i guess im still confused on the price per push - i thought i would charge 35-65 per push(each time drive is plowed) at the 3inch trigger to 1foot of snow, then after 1 foot its a blizzard and then i would cahrge 35-65 times2(doubled) does that sound correct?
thanks again for any help/comments/suggestions or input
Kyle


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## linycctitan (Aug 13, 2007)

looks pretty good. btw- who is cutting edge landscaping, inc.??


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

that is a mistake also, what i did was took many of the sample contracts and used small bits of each one plus some of my own stuff and complied it into one contract. So in going back through i missed a few names. this is all why i put it up here to get second opinions and make sure i didnt miss anything.
thanks once again for the help and for catching my mistakes
Kyle


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

linycctitan;580279 said:


> looks pretty good. btw- who is cutting edge landscaping, inc.??


that is a mistake also, what i did was took many of the sample contracts and used small bits of each one plus some of my own stuff and complied it into one contract. So in going back through i missed a few names. this is all why i put it up here to get second opinions and make sure i didnt miss anything.
thanks once again for the help and for catching my mistakes
Kyle


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## linycctitan (Aug 13, 2007)

gotcha! best of luck this year!


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## elite1msmith (Sep 10, 2007)

well, it looked ok.... heres my advise.... 

shorten some of the leagal stuff up, its great to have your but covered, but on resid. customers, theres not that much damage that can be done, to the landscaping. I would simply put, if the property isnt stacked im not resposible... and you must pay me to stack it...blah...blah

if this was going commercial , then id tell you to keep it

the way you have ot at the top , im not big on.... its hard to tell what charge is for what, uless you pay attention... your 2-12 make it look like your only charging me X no matter how many times it snows....but then you "pull a fast one" in the fine print...

i liked you used the "per trip" i think thats a great term and i might steal it from you. 

heres what i do on my per trip - i call it a 2-4 program.... its a 2 inch min, and a 4 inch max... when the snow reaches four inches, i plow.... (i might do it sooner, but i make sure that a 5-6 inch storm gets plowed twice). i also make sure to note that if the snow fall rate is excesive with greater than 1 inch per hour, then the drive will be plowed as soon as possible, a may have a 4-7 charge on it , even thought it was plowed once.. its really hard to cover your self in every dirrection

you didnt really metion sidewalks , and shoveling , how close due you get to the garage door? if you did , i missed it... it need to be at the top, in bold.... very visible, this will be asked of you frequently


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

ok so i should go with somewhere in 2- 6 inches this charge and one-two visits. then 7-12 this charge 2-3 visits and for over 12/ 1-2 inch snow per hour this charge and as many visits as necessary. then this price for sidewalk and shovel at end of storm. then get as close as possible with out dmaging property to the doors.
ill add this in and post it revised
thanks again 
Kyle


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Sorry guys, maybe because when I plowed driveways mine were all seasonal .When it snowed and the 2-3 inch trigger was met I went out and stated plowing. I started at my 1st one and kept plowing. If I had to do the route 1 time or 4 times I kept plowing until every drive was cleaned out. 

If your doing per push it's the same thing . Let's say you have 30 driveways. Start at the 1st one and start plowing and you go through the route and at # 19 it stops so from #19 to #30 they get plowed out once ,they get billed once and #1 through 18 get plowed twice and get billed for 2.

From what you Mass. guys say about snow it's always wet so I would want to wait to long to plow that stuff especially driveways.

As for a blizzard clause ,not sure because where were you while it was snowing the whole time?

Not sure if I make sense on the computer.


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## elite1msmith (Sep 10, 2007)

heres what i would say , others may tell you different... 

i would price the side walks seperate.... their were lots of times, its easyier to do them while its snowing...then again theres times when im rushed and i do them at the end...

I have 3 price levels

1-3.99 , 4- 7.99 8 - 11.99 12 and up , is quated at the time of the storm...more than likely of the same nature as the others


i put most RES on what i call the 2-4 program, if its only going to snow 3.5 inches....i just wait till its all done snowing, they get charged a level 1

if its going to snow 5 or 6 inches... i plow them at 3-4 , and then when the strom is done... they are charged for QTY 2 --- level 1 cleanings ,


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

ok heres the final draft i hope . i think ive taken all suggestions into consideration. grandview do you just charge one standard rate or different rate per amounts but still charge it more than once?
at first it hought i would jsut go from 35-65 depending on drive and then charge whatever that number was per time i plowed during each storm based on my trigger amount

anyways heres the new contract
thanks again for any help
Kyle


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

I don't do driveways any more. When I did it was seasonal contract Nov.1st to Apr. 30th it was unlimited plowing. No clauses for anything.


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

ok, hopefully one day i wont do driveways either. but do you think once price and thats it or three different prices depending on amount. i always thought per push meant each time blade went down you pay that amount after the trigger is reached? am i right?
thanks again
Kyle


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

a seasonal would be the easiest

listen to your elders like GV


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

ColliganLands;580397 said:


> ok, hopefully one day i wont do driveways either. but do you think once price and thats it or three different prices depending on amount. i always thought per push meant each time blade went down you pay that amount after the trigger is reached? am i right?
> thanks again
> Kyle


That's about it . At least for me. Why should someone have to pay more for a plow because you took on to much? But as they say do what you want if it works for you.


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

so youre saying to go with a seasonal for my first year of plowing? and how do those work. take average of say 15 storms at XX dollar amount then charge 10-15 more for each over and refun 10 for each under. Still im confused on do i charge two plowings if i have to go back twice reguardless of which type of contract?
thanks again
Kyle


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

ok so ive changed my price again 1 set price for anything not constituting a blizzard( 2+ inches per hour snowfall) and then slightly higher price for the blizzard. i think this is more intune with what everyone is saying. also i might draw up a seasonal to get opinions on that as well
thanks again
Kyle


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Isn't that the same one? Didn't see seasonal price.

All my contracts are based on 25 plows for commercial. but for driveways you may have to look around and see what others are charging. If you have to pretend to be looking for a quote for yourself and see what others are coming up with.Back when I did do driveways I was basing it on 21 plows but most of the time I was charging 350-400 for a subdivision size driveway.

No refunds!

If your seasonal there are no other charges even if you plow them 5 times in one day.You have to remember you don't plow everyday it's the whole season you have to look at.


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

yes that was the same contract i just changed the pricing at the top since im already confused now i dont know if i want to try and get this seasonal contract going. my plan as of now is one flat rate per visit(push) 35-65 or up depending on driveway and just charge that everytime i plow the drive in 24 hour period at the 2inch trigger. So that means 2inches plow whole route, then it snows 4 more inches, plow whole route again, storm stops whole route charged twice. or 2inch snow, plow route, 1/2 way through snow stops, finish route, replow beinginning, so 1/2 charged tiwce, 1/2 charged once and so on? right?
Thanks
Kyle


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

That's about it. some maybe charged once ,some twice. That's way I like seasonal contracts I bill them 3 times for the season and don't care how much snow falls.


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

yea maybe tomorrow when im less tired ill go over a seasonal and see but for right now i like that last post 
...... washing f-350 = lots of work, also did a full interior detail 
thanks again
Kyle


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

ok heres a seasonal that i made up based using my same format but using the seasonl average and explanation from one of the examples posted on here.
on this its just one flat rate based on 20 storm average. but the example had a provision for a refund of $10 if under and a charge of $10 if over so i left that int.
my understanding of seasonal is that you charge just the one rate based on your average- is that right? 
does anybody have the provison for the refund/charge?
let me know what you think - im trying to decide between this or a per push - however i might now have it so that like ti is but if the homeowner only wants 1 plow at end of storm ill charge double or something laong thos lines
thanks again for opinions/suggestions/comments
Kyle


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## elite1msmith (Sep 10, 2007)

hey , looks good , very simple, and has all your bases covered , i like it .

i also like the fact that you are willing to learn and still doing the work your self... too many ppl on here are asking how to come up with numbers, or contracts., but in a monnor are basicly asking us(members) to do all the work... i dont mind helping, but im not going to price someones job for them.... its just nice too see someone taking the hint, asking the right questions when needed, but using there own brain for a change


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

haha yea ive been working really hard to get this business off the ground wound up with only 1 grass account but did a bunch of little mulchings etc so i was happy with it since i started in july for real, so now this is a big next stpe for me and im jsut trying to get everything 100% right before i head out and start taking accounts. So you think the extra 10 charge for over the averaged amount or the refund is also a good idea
thanks again
Kyle


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Instead of a refund how about it will be applied to next yrs contract if they sign up ? If they don't sign no refund. I look at it you earned all of it no need to give it back.


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

i like that idea... i think im going to go with that one.. thanks
- got my first contract today plowing for my moms tennant

Thanks again for all the input and ill post up a finalized version in a little while
Kyle


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## QuadPlower (Jan 4, 2007)

You should have a 2" trigger. You charge $35 to do a driveway. If you get up in the a.m and there are 6" on the ground then you go out and plow the drive for $35. If, like grandview said, it keeps snowing while you plow 1-18 and stops at 19 then you continue through till the end at say 30. Then you go back and plow 1-18 again. 1-18 gets bille $70 and 19 - 30 get bill $35.

The customer should not be charged more for there being 12" of snow in his driveway while you were either sleeping(because it happened over night) or pushing someone elses drive. One push, one price.

Sorry I couldn't look at your contract because my laptop only has Works instead of Word.


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

ok that makes perfect sense and thats what i have now changed all my perpush/visit contracts to reflect. also i have drafted a seasonal contract as a second option - tkaing grandviews idea to apply any rebates to the next years contract.
Im going to post my finalized per push/visit contract, the seasonal contract and my estimate sheet up for review.

Thanks again to everyone who has helped out on clarifying the prices and anything else
Kyle


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Getting there! 
you need to change the dates in your estimate sheet


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

Thanks for noticing that. i guess i should stop writing these so late at night.
Kyle


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

How does your contract look printed out?


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## QuadPlower (Jan 4, 2007)

grandview, you rebate customers the following year for something? please don't tell me if it doesn't snow 20 times you forward the difference to the next year.


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

ok so quad you think thats a bad idea, just no rebate. what about the charge for over amount.
thanks again
and grandview it looks really good i think also i had my parents read it over and they liked it. well see what customers think hopefully very soon
thanks again 
Kyle


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## ServiceOnSite (Nov 23, 2006)

two things i noticed in your contract. 
1. you only charge 30 for a bounced check? if your putting it in a bank and it bounces there gonna charge you 35. double check with your bank and see I'm pretty sure its 35

2. you state that you give customers a 15 days to pay in one section then at the top of page 3 you say 10 days??? kinda confusing. over all looks vary vary nice. i should send you my contract to jazz it up with the border and logo on it.

as far as the rebate goes i don't do it, and think that its kinda a bad idea. Ive been pushing snow before i had a driver license. everyone has a ***** when it comes to the plow guy. he was late, thats more than 2'' on the ground, he was early now he has to come back and plow and he didn't, blah blah blah. i seem to have a really good base of residential customers that i have trained well. i just think that if you state you'll give them back the used portion of there seasonal your setting yourself up for big time head aches. then it will turn into, well you plowed a few times that didn't need it, or you really didn't plow it twice that night you only plowed once. during a 18'' storm you might plow 3-4 times depending on how big your route is. instead of just one push. it just leaves to much open for debate and reason for them to try and get money back that you may have worked for,or just not pay you at all.

another thing about your contract. you say that you'll come back and plow the approach with in a reasonable amount of time after they call you. you don't have on there to charge for this service. its not your fault and you cant control if/when it happens being plowed in by the town. if you plow commercial you get paid to come back and do this service. if your just starting this you may include this also drifting. i charge to come back and do this.

what i tell my customers is fair and the truth. i have a life outside of plowing. if while I'm out plowing you find that your driveway has gotten hit by the town just call me if I'm in the area ill come back and hit it for you. if I'm out snowmobiling, or not in the area i can have one of my guys hit it for you but its going to be a 15or 20 ( depending on where they live) return visit fee. if you start off including all of this they will just find more and more things that they think you should do for free, and thats when you'll start to hate what you do , and get out of doing this. good luck hope this helps and i am gonna pm you to see if you are interested in jazzing up my contract. thanks


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

QuadPlower;581286 said:


> grandview, you rebate customers the following year for something? please don't tell me if it doesn't snow 20 times you forward the difference to the next year.


I never give rebates. But he was so that's why I said make it a credit for next if you want to do something like that.


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

ok so heres what ive added/removed after the suggestions. i took out the rebate (the more i think about it the more you're right - bad idea) added in a service charge for the return visit to cleanup then entrances/dfirts(put it after the part of call and well return in a reasonable time and at top under the deicing walkway) changed all 10 days to 15 days and changed bounced chack fee to 35
and service on site - i cannot receive pms as of yet since i just joined on friday night but when i can ill be more then happy to see what i can do for you.
thanks once again to everybody
Kyle


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## mike33087 (Feb 9, 2005)

ok... i wasnt gonna say anything but for simple driveway plowing you are making this way to complicated for not only you but also the customer... bottom line is, the customer wants to hear you say the price is 40.00 (or w/e) and thats all they care about... now you need to keep that driveway plowed. say for a 6 inch snowfall (depending on timing of storm) you should plow it at 3 inches and then again at the end of the storm. on an average storm you typically plow a drive once (Full plow) then go back at the end to clean up from the street plows. as long as that driveway is able to be used by the customer he will be happy. they dont want to think about three different prices.. keep it simple makes ur billing easier and a happy customer cause they understand what its gonna cost them everytime. anything over 12 inch double your rate


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## bribrius (May 5, 2007)

mike33087;581626 said:


> ok... i wasnt gonna say anything but for simple driveway plowing you are making this way to complicated for not only you but also the customer... bottom line is, the customer wants to hear you say the price is 40.00 (or w/e) and thats all they care about... now you need to keep that driveway plowed. say for a 6 inch snowfall (depending on timing of storm) you should plow it at 3 inches and then again at the end of the storm. on an average storm you typically plow a drive once (Full plow) then go back at the end to clean up from the street plows. as long as that driveway is able to be used by the customer he will be happy. they dont want to think about three different prices.. keep it simple makes ur billing easier and a happy customer cause they understand what its gonna cost them everytime. anything over 12 inch double your rate


did you put a clause in there saying your not liable for the street plow going by colligan/?:waving:


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## mike33 (Feb 15, 2006)

Hope you can plow snow better than you can write a contract.
Mike


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

ok so i thought the contract was good. maybe a little bit too much legal stuff but i t covers everything. as far as the prices im now at 1 price and thats it. i have the seasonal and the per push contract.
so what do you guys think is wrong with it?
thanks 
kyle


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## ServiceOnSite (Nov 23, 2006)

dont try and reinvent the wheel. your doing a good job out of the gate now just make sure you do a good job plowing and they will keep coming back year after year payup


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

yes.. i just want to make sure im not throwing too much at once. im figuring by the time the insurance company gets done adding to my contract it will look just like it already does now. 
also let me know if you want me to take a lok at your contract and "jazz it up"
thanks for everyones input
Kyle


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## curty85 (Jan 27, 2005)

Kyle, in Paragraph ix;2, replace Steve's plowing with Culligan Lands. I wouldnt give the customer another 10 days after your 15 to pay. you may plow three more times in the 15 days! 15 is long enough. If it were me setting myself up this way, I'd give them "pay upon receipt" of invoice. You will still end up waiting for your money.


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## ColliganLands (Sep 4, 2008)

curty thank you
i was considering changing the payment times so now i will
also thanks for noticing the steves plowing typo
Kyle


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## scitown (Dec 9, 2007)

Snowpower;580084 said:


> Not bad. Little busy and too much legaleze for my tastes. A couple observations....
> 
> 2-12"? Interesting. Im 1.5 to 6 and 6.1 to 12. 2-12 may work or leave you vulnerable because your set price to plow 3 inches is gonna seem high.....overall it may average out and you hope thats all you ever get is 3 inch storms.....
> 
> ...


Im not sure it matters that checks are made out to you and not your company... Some of my mowing resi's make the checks out to me some to my company. My company bank account recieves checks to either. I was going to make a point of telling customers to pay to my company but I realized the ones made out to me showed up first every month. Seems like people around here see a person and not a company and pay faster. Im not complaining. It all goes in the same bank account some a little quicker than others. Ps. This thread gave me a headache, Nice contract though.


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## iceman563 (Oct 21, 2008)

thanks for the contract help. It's me first year plowing and this helps a lot. I LIKE THE LEGAL TALK. I've been mowing for 5 years now. I haven't done contracts for that but this last year i had a problem with an elderly customer. She told them some story and then the cops were at my house and everything. So I LIKE THE LEGAL, and for now on i'll always get contracts sign to protect my A$$. It only takes one bad run in for all hell to break loose and now i will always have legal documentation.
Thanks
Kevin


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## blair.munro (Sep 28, 2011)

Hmm...this has me wondering big-time.
...is it the same insurance carrier issuing this contract template?
...or is there some well hidden link to a PDF in cyber-land to a popular contract only available to members of a secretive underground plow cult?

Great Divide sent me a suggested contract for 'Tom's Plowing'...with an
awesome and funny clipart plow truck background graphic...smiles

I smell a conspiracy...hahaha


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## MikeRi24 (Dec 21, 2007)

grandview;580335 said:


> Sorry guys, maybe because when I plowed driveways mine were all seasonal .When it snowed and the 2-3 inch trigger was met I went out and stated plowing. I started at my 1st one and kept plowing. If I had to do the route 1 time or 4 times I kept plowing until every drive was cleaned out.
> 
> If your doing per push it's the same thing . Let's say you have 30 driveways. Start at the 1st one and start plowing and you go through the route and at # 19 it stops so from #19 to #30 they get plowed out once ,they get billed once and #1 through 18 get plowed twice and get billed for 2.
> 
> ...


Seasonal is the way to go. I dont know about anyone else, but if we're getting a foot of snow, I'd rather plow 4-5" twice and a foot+ all at once. Easier on the equipment. But you know theres gonna be cheap people out there who are gonna say "well why can't you just wait and plow a foot all at once?" The only bad part about seasonal, is sometimes you lose out, sometimes you make out like a bandit, depending on how much snow you get.


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