# 18 acre site



## Ne1 (Jan 15, 2007)

Looking for a little advice to see what you guys think. I'm bidding a 18 acre retail site that wants a seasonal price. We get around 30" of snow per season plus 5-7 salt only events. There is a 2" trigger. 

I would be using a wheel loader with a 12' pusher and at least one if not two skid loaders with 10' pushers.

I have several smaller sites around this that I could also use the skid loaders on.

I came up with 29k for the season

Any advice would be greatly appreciated


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## Longae29 (Feb 15, 2008)

Does that price include salt? 

What about walks?

Might want to replace the batteries in your calculator, I don't think its working properly.


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## dfd9 (Aug 18, 2010)

You do realize that there are guys here who are in areas that charge $30\hour and others who charge upwards of $200\hour for a truck? 

Hopefully you can figure it out from there.


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## Camden (Mar 10, 2007)

The keys are knowing what your costs are and knowing what type of productivity you can get from each machine. It's all downhill from there.


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

For me it is more important to know how many plows you are going to have instead of how much snow like 30". If there all 2" falls you are going to plow 15 times. If you get more like 4" or more a few times that # will decrease and so will your expenses.

I don't honestly know how much snow we get on average per year but I know we plow on average 18-20 times and that is more important to me.


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## Ne1 (Jan 15, 2007)

Sidewalks are done by management company and yes price does include salt. We average 8 plow events and 7 salt only events per season.


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## IMAGE (Oct 21, 2007)

I don't think you have all the services you're actually gonna be required to perform figured into your number. If you do, man you guys work cheap.


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## leigh (Jan 2, 2009)

It must be a regional thing, that pricing here in the NE is silly low! 8 tons of salt per application x ? 10-15-20 applications per year! That would be the salting price alone around here. Fuel costs for equip alone got to be 500$ per storm. Good luck!


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

I guess the first question should be is that including buildings?


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## leigh (Jan 2, 2009)

1olddogtwo;1644751 said:


> I guess the first question should be is that including buildings?


Your right! Sometimes some like to brag about the size of entire property and it ends up a fraction of the original figure. No offense op not directed to you ,just an obser:salute:vation


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## Ne1 (Jan 15, 2007)

Thanks for all the advice. I'm going to go back and refigure and look closer at my production rates.


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## Ne1 (Jan 15, 2007)

The total site is 23 acres with 18 of that being concrete. I understand every part of the country has different pricing and what your able to charge for a service. Putting aside the seasonal cost where would you guys be at "per push" with a 2" trigger including salt?


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

Ne1;1644766 said:


> The total site is 23 acres with 18 of that being concrete. I understand every part of the country has different pricing and what your able to charge for a service. Putting aside the seasonal cost where would you guys be at "per push" with a 2" trigger including salt?


In the ballpark of -+ $4k per event.

Factor in your effiency. They need to pay you for that b/c your worth it. Not everyone has equipment like you plan to use. The low ballers wouldn't and it would take them 3x longer to do the job. If not more. There's your sales pitch.


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## Ne1 (Jan 15, 2007)

So assuming we average 7 plowable events per season that would be 28k. Plus I would need to factor the salt only events also. I'm using 15 years of past winter data to come up with total outings in a season broken down into plowable or salt only events. Would you guys up the total number of events to play it safe?


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## ryde307 (Dec 3, 2009)

In a seasonal I always add some extra to help cover the heavy years.


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

Most people just cap it. Take your last 3 years average snowfall and base the average on that. If average is 30", allow 35" and anything more is per push.


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## PhilFromErie (Jun 29, 2009)

Still don't get how guys get away with caping a seasonal...ain't that the whole reasons customers get seasonal accounts? To fix their cost.


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

Get away with? My seasonal accounts are the ones that make the cap, not me. Pretty industry standard around here.


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## PhilFromErie (Jun 29, 2009)

Must just be a difference in market, around here seasonal is seasonal.


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## dfd9 (Aug 18, 2010)

PhilFromErie;1645190 said:


> Must just be a difference in market, around here seasonal is seasonal.


Same here. At least for me.


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## Ne1 (Jan 15, 2007)

Around here seasonal's are rare. The ones I have seen dont have cap's.


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## PhilFromErie (Jun 29, 2009)

For only 30 inches of snow a year I wouldn't say your that far out of line. But like someone said every market is different.


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## snowman55 (Nov 20, 2007)

I do not cap seasonal but i do insist on a blizzard clause. 1-24" storm can take an entire seasons worth of hours to clear. If we receive more than 12", I have the right to charge time and material for that snowfall. Happens about every 5 years. Should I increase my seasonal bid by 20% to cover this? It may not happen again for a decade, it may happen and be the only snowfall for the year in which case I will not charge extra.

I saw alot of people put out of business in 1991 and vowed I would not be one. Not an uncommon clause around here.


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

Blizzard clauses are also common here. I never used one since we cap it anyway, but I know others that use both. The blizzard a few years ago here put us over the cap, so we were paid extra regardless.......


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## dfd9 (Aug 18, 2010)

snowman55;1645425 said:


> I do not cap seasonal but i do insist on a blizzard clause. 1-24" storm can take an entire seasons worth of hours to clear. If we receive more than 12", I have the right to charge time and material for that snowfall. Happens about every 5 years. Should I increase my seasonal bid by 20% to cover this? It may not happen again for a decade, it may happen and be the only snowfall for the year in which case I will not charge extra.
> 
> I saw alot of people put out of business in 1991 and vowed I would not be one. Not an uncommon clause around here.


Smart man.


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## PhilFromErie (Jun 29, 2009)

I guess if your area gets 25 or 30 inches of snow per year it's a legitimate idea.


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

Had I not capped my big account during the blizzard season I would've lost my ass. That storm alone cost me over $10k in just subs. Obviously not including my own costs, salt, fuel, drivers etc. This was on a $60k seasonal account. The blizzard alone was 28". We typically average 40-50".


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