# Sodium Chloride $16/50lb bag!!



## Jays Green Daze (Aug 23, 2009)

Im bidding on a couple commerical jobs in SE Michigan (Grand Blanc) that the company require sodium chloride to be used (lots are approx 13,000 sq ft each so Im guessing about 8 bags per event per lot). I checked today and sodium chloride is $15.94/50lb bag on pallet with 52 bags/pallet so approx $850/pallet. How do you guys bid sodium chloride jobs by the bag and does anyone know of a better price per bag?


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

I came up with 260lbs so that would be more like 5 bags, 6 to be safe. I would probably bid it at around $100-120 depending on difficulty of application and how much needed to be walked out.


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## Jays Green Daze (Aug 23, 2009)

Terrapro....By your calculations, sodium chloride can be used at a rate of 50lbs per 1000 sq ft versus 20lbs per 1000 sq ft with rock salt? Also, at 6 bags to be safe my cost would be $96....how can I bid it at $100-$120, there would be $0 profit....unless I am missing something?


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

Jays Green Daze;799075 said:


> Terrapro....By your calculations, sodium chloride can be used at a rate of 50lbs per 1000 sq ft versus 20lbs per 1000 sq ft with rock salt? Also, at 6 bags to be safe my cost would be $96....how can I bid it at $100-$120, there would be $0 profit....unless I am missing something?


Yes 13Kx20lbs=260, or are you saying you want to apply it at 50lbs per K.

I do not know what I was thinking with my pricing, it would have to really be a minimum of $.45 per LB. $.50 or more would of course be better but bagged rock salt is generally only $.13-.15 profit per LB so when you are talking about a product that costs $.32 per LB $.45 to $.50 is not a bad application price...comparatively speaking.


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## Jays Green Daze (Aug 23, 2009)

No I was confused on what you were stating. I was unaware that sodium chloride was to be spread at the same rate as rock salt. For some reason I was under the impression that it was spread at a lesser rate per 1000 sq ft.


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

Jays Green Daze;799100 said:


> No I was confused on what you were stating. I was unaware that sodium chloride was to be spread at the same rate as rock salt. For some reason I was under the impression that it was spread at a lesser rate per 1000 sq ft.


Yes absolutely you can use less. I think peladow is recommended something like half the amount of rock salt so you can take that into consideration also in your bids. $90 for 180lbs compared to $130 for 260lbs is a big difference for your customer, that is at $.50 per LB. Don't get stuck with out enough though, make sure you leave 25-50lbs for wiggle room in the bid if you go half. That stuff can spread fast!


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## RLM (Jan 12, 2006)

Sodium Chloride is ROCK SALT, your price for sodium chloride, is most likely calcium chloride price. Check your labels & chemical names. A 13 K ft lot coated at 1000/acre is around 300 lbs.


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

RLM;799272 said:


> Sodium Chloride is ROCK SALT, your price for sodium chloride, is most likely calcium chloride price. Check your labels & chemical names. A 13 K ft lot coated at 1000/acre is around 300 lbs.


 I can't believe I missed that! LOL, I assume he meant calcium chloride.


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## Jays Green Daze (Aug 23, 2009)

haha I totally screwed the pooch on that one...yes I meant calcium chloride


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## Jays Green Daze (Aug 23, 2009)

RLM = What formula do you use to get 300lbs for 13K lot?


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## deicepro (Mar 24, 2009)

Jays Green Daze;799067 said:


> Im bidding on a couple commerical jobs in SE Michigan (Grand Blanc) that the company require sodium chloride to be used (lots are approx 13,000 sq ft each so Im guessing about 8 bags per event per lot). I checked today and sodium chloride is $15.94/50lb bag on pallet with 52 bags/pallet so approx $850/pallet. How do you guys bid sodium chloride jobs by the bag and does anyone know of a better price per bag?[/QUOTE
> 
> You had me worried!


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

Jays Green Daze;799509 said:


> RLM = What formula do you use to get 300lbs for 13K lot?


Here............



RLM;799272 said:


> A 13 K ft lot coated at *1000#/acre *is around 300 lbs.


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## RLM (Jan 12, 2006)

Our average is 1/2 ton (1000 lbs) per acre (45,000 ft roughly). 13,000 ft is about 1/3 acre, close enough for this anyway. We do the entire lot not just laneways.


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## wizardsr (Aug 8, 2006)

I dont spread straight calcium on lots, so maybe I'm missing something... But when we use calcium on sidewalks, we use 1/2 as much as when spreading rock salt, and it still works way better. 13k is pretty small, on a heavy app with rock salt, you'd be around 300lbs. 400lbs on a 13k lot would be a bit much unless you have heavy ice or extreme cold. With Calcium, I would think you'd be down closer to 150lbs maximum per app on each lot, most likely around 100lbs on most events. Calcium is way more effective than straight rock salt, you should be spreading a lot less than you would rock salt...

As for actually spreading, I assume you're going to use a tailgate spreader since you're talking bags... Make sure you get a gate kit for it, calcium pellets will run out the bottom of the spreader just about as fast as you can dump it in the top, and calcium when spread too heavy makes a heck of a slimy goopy mess...


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## Going Commercial (Oct 15, 2008)

Most application rates for calcium chloride by most manufactures are 1800 sq ft per 50 lb bag.
13,000 divided by 1800 = 7.2 bags
My area pricing is about .50 cents per sq ft.


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

Going Commercial;802332 said:


> Most application rates for calcium chloride by most manufactures are 1800 sq ft per 50 lb bag.
> 13,000 divided by 1800 = 7.2 bags
> My area pricing is about .50 cents per sq ft.


1200#/acre????????????


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## wizardsr (Aug 8, 2006)

cretebaby;802341 said:


> 1200#/acre????????????


Yeah, that seems pretty crazy to me... Calcium seems really hot compared to rock salt, and works way faster and better... Seems like you'd wanna use a whole lot less...


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

Going Commercial;802332 said:


> Most application rates for calcium chloride by most manufactures are 1800 sq ft per 50 lb bag.
> 13,000 divided by 1800 = 7.2 bags
> My area pricing is about .50 cents per sq ft.


This is a quote from the peladow site...

"Since calcium chloride is more effective than other ice melters, use only 1/4 to 1/2 cup (2-4 oz) per square yard, (a 50 lb bag should cover 1750 - 3500 square feet)."

http://dow-gco.custhelp.com/cgi-bin...nMuc2VhcmNoX25sJnBfcGFnZT0x&p_li=&p_topview=1


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