# Michigan Rates



## Chevyguy04

I have been commercially Snow plowing for 3 years for a landscape company. I am planning on doing it for myself this year. I am planning on running a chevy 2500hd duramax with a bliazzard power plow. There is a good chance I can pick up some jobs from some of the large landscape companies in the area. Question is, what should I expect to get paid per hour for being a sub contractor? I just don't want to get taken or anything. I have heard of other people paying anywhere from $35-$70 per hour for a sub contractor? I am looking for Michigan people to help me out on this one as they know the rates for the area.

Also what are you guys charging for minimum drop fee for a resident? At my old company we charged like $25 for a basic two stall driveway. We avg about 24 nights a winter around here in the Hudsonville, Jenison, Allendale area.


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## framer1901

Are you looking to sub to someone or are you wanting to work on your own?


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## Chevyguy04

Looking to do both, pick up a few jobs from a landscaper and pick up some jobs on my own.


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## RBRONKEMA GHTFD

I was subed to a guy in grand haven last winter and I got $30.00 an hour cash, and paid at the end of every month. I know some guys around here will get about $125.00 an hour and + for a front end loader. If some guys in the holland area are getting subed for $ 70.00 an hour lemme know from whom so I can get subed to thempayup .


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## framer1901

It's gonna be real hard to play on both sides of the fence. Maybe if you have residential that can be blown off for a day, you can get away with it, but what are you gonna do when we get Lake Effect bands at 4am???

I pay $30 and up (new guy + old straight blade = 30, experience + Vee = 40 to 45), depending on experience and truck. You work as little or much as you want - but, my stuff will get priority. A no call no show and you can take a hike. 

I don't mean to sound harsh but some folks tend to think we'll get it plowed when we get there, we worked all night last nite, do we really have to plow again?? - that sorta thing.

We pay weekly, just delaying a week so paperwork has time to catch up. Check and 1099'd. 

If you find 70/hr in Holland you better buy every truck you can and put em on the road, unless it's for a particular company

We're always looking for drivers


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## troy28282

This area is different across the board as far as rates go. The Lakeshore area is alittle bit lower then what the Grand Rapids. Our market has an oversaturation of competitation and companys not knowing how to bid plowing all together and willing to work for pennys. 

With the equipment that you said that you have I would expect that you could get around $65-$80 per hour. Like Chuck said, if you are subbing for someone then their work should get done before your own. I would not stand for someone to leave one of my routes mid way through just because they have their own jobs. 

Ryan, whos paying subs $70 an hour? For that kind of money, I'll quit plowing my own accounts and sub out all my trucks to someone else. I'd be willing to work for that and not have to deal with the bs or billing.
And $125 for a loader is that pushing or stacking?


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## Chevyguy04

Thanks for the info, I am still trying to figure things out, figured I would look into stuff early before it got to late. I wanna get some residentials because they are easy to push off to the side till later, after the commercial stuff is done. 

If there is anything else you guys can give me that would be awesome. Like I said I have plowed for 3 years and am looking to branch off and do it myself, just need some help on the bidding side, mainly just to stay clase with the other guys in the area, I dont want to low ball anyone. I can look at a parking lot and easily figure out how long it will take with different amounts of snow. Are you guys running at about $70-$75 per hour per truck? And about $25 for a basic driveway?


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## Quality SR

Chevyguy04;394508 said:


> Thanks for the info, I am still trying to figure things out, figured I would look into stuff early before it got to late. I wanna get some residentials because they are easy to push off to the side till later, after the commercial stuff is done.
> 
> If there is anything else you guys can give me that would be awesome. Like I said I have plowed for 3 years and am looking to branch off and do it myself, just need some help on the bidding side, mainly just to stay clase with the other guys in the area, I dont want to low ball anyone. I can look at a parking lot and easily figure out how long it will take with different amounts of snow. Are you guys running at about $70-$75 per hour per truck? And about $25 for a basic driveway?


I would be careful of that. You may not be able to push it off until later. I plowed a temple out and the rabbi lived across the street, he wanted his drive done. I finished plowing the temple out at like 3am. I didn't want to do his drive way then. I waited until about 8- 9am. Well that wasn't a good idea, he wasn't happy. He wanted it done when the snow stopped (at 3am) 
I think your biting off more than you can chew. I would either work for someone or do your own, not both. You may get hit with 2 feet of snow, then what do you do. Tell your residentials you'll plow them out at the end of the week.  Good luck Rich


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## RBRONKEMA GHTFD

I have my own accounts and I also plow for someone in the grand haven area. I plow one of my commercails first, that takes me about 2 hours and then I go plow for him for about 5hours and then I finish off with my accounts, about another 3 hours worth of work. I always do my residentails last. I figure that more that 3/4ths of them have 4x4 suvs and also that it is easier to plow commercail accounts without any cars in the way. (Most of the time anyway, there always seems to be one jagoff that leaves his car right in the middle of the lot or right in the way of where you push your snow.)

Ryan


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## troy28282

There are alot of factors that go into pricing driveways. Like where it is located within the service area that you cover, the amount of obstacles at the residence, and what time the people want it cleared by. All these thing will determine the price. If you can get $25 for a regular driveway, thats great.


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## framer1901

I'd love to know everyones rates in this area. I've heard a few, actually have seen two competitors quotes. It seems that there is a good variety on how things are bid in this area - season, hourly, push and push based on snowfall.

Seasonal last year was not the hot ticket. I personally think hourly has no rewards, why buy big trucks and vee blades??

Your hourly bid will vary by how you are gonna price it - for me a per push price verses hourly price will be different. Also, high traffic accounts will be more than a machine shop for instance. 80ish and hour per average should be a starting point, good luck and don't snake any of my accounts away


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## Chevyguy04

Thanks for the replies, Anyone looking for someone to plow for them, I have a truck and a plow will be on the way, I have plowed for 3 years, have experience with straight blades, V-blades, blizzards (the best) and loaders. I know what I am doin, I am steady and efficient and try not to break stuff (joke). Like I said I would like to be a sub contractor for a company then also pick up some of my own stuff on the side, mainly just some residentials. Let me know if anyone is looking for a good plow service.


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## framer1901

Give me a call sometime, I'm pretty busy the next few weeks. 

What am I thinkin? A Chebie amongst a bunch of Fords??? At least it'd give us something more to talk about all nite.

Chuck 616-886-1506


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## Chevyguy04

Hey Framer, I will give you a call sometime in August, its a busy time for me too coming up here. Hey where are you located, like what city in west michigan here?


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## framer1901

Chevyguy, that'd probably help hunh?? We're in Holland, all the commercial work is in Holland. We do currently have over 30 properties (homes) that need serviced, they range from Whitehall to Grandjunction - but I really have no idea how that is gonna work this winter.


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## bribrius

i have little experience. a straight blade. and wont drop my blade for under a hundred twenty five a hour. if someone wanted to sub to me the odds of me doing it for under a hundred a hour cash with no 1099 are slim to none. if you are letting me use your equipment however ill do it for 35 a hour cash.


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## framer1901

Well Bri - good for you, we all want to make as much as possible, but you'd starve in West MI.

And working for cash?? That tells me that you and who ever you sub to more than likely are not a legit business. You see, legit business have to offset income with legit expenses.


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## bribrius

plowing isnt my business. its my passion. in all seriousness. i try not to take plowing too serious. a truck with piece of metal bolted to the front that can push frozen water droplets. doesnt seem to complicated. now if i started getting into bigger more expensive equipment with bigger returns i would say i might have a business. to say im not legit? not fair! just no way i would put in the cash to go LLC and do paperwork for a few k a year. HAHAHA:redbounce


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## framer1901

Well there you go, you make a few k all year, we make that by 4am on the first nite and have 29 or so nites to go.


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## bribrius

yeah. i hear ya there. sound like you guys count on your money. if it dont snow. i still eat either way. i work a regular unrelated job. and also do loans as a side job. the plowing is because i have two driveways of my own to plow out, and my mothers driveway. so why not make some dollars to help pay for the expenses plowing some others out? since im using it to plow rental property im guessing i can deduct the cost incurred from the plow but havent talked to my accountant yet. i already deduct for a snowblower. he may give me a funny look since its only a duplex.


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## Mark Oomkes

Rates in W MI? Great question and easy answer. $18-$150 per hour for a truck with plow--a company, that is. I doubt the guy at $18 is still in business, but it was there. 

Subs? Who knows, but I'd say $25 to $75 per hour depending on experience, type of plow, etc.

As a somewhat general rule of thumb, the closer you get to the lake, the lower the rates are. Having said that, there's more than enough 'established' companies in GR that are lowballing just to get business too. I know of one in particular that was told by their book keeper that anybody charging under $80 per truck is not making money, but they're out there at $60 an hour using inefficient subs. 

I would stay away from anybody offering cash, as that is usually considered less than ethical, as they are probably not claiming it as income and are not paying taxes on it. So when the IRS or Dept of Treasury catches up with them and you, bend over.


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## Chevyguy04

in reply to the guy from Maine, You have no idea what lake effect snowfall is. My girlfrind goes to school in maine and she tells me it sux, cuz it will forecast snow and people get all freeked out and cancel everything like 2 days ahead of time, and you will only get like 5 inches. Where with lake effect, they may forecast 2 inches and we will get dumped on, it is so unpredictable. We could get snow every night for a week because of lake effect, ranging from a trace to 10 inches. There have been many time we got out night after night, like Framer said avg around here is 20 to 29 nights depending on area. Plowing around here is usually done by landscape companies, cuz they have the equipment for the summer and there isn't much to do in the winter.


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