# Walmart plowing contract??



## Plowzer (Feb 12, 2001)

Hi, does anyone plow a Walmart or something similar? I plow about 40-50 properties but nothing the size of a Walmart or with the amount of traffic one of these places has. I am interested in hearing any info about plowing something like this. Thanks


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## GeoffD (Dec 21, 1999)

We plow Wal-Mart sized lots, and lots like Wal-Mart. The thing you have to understand is there is no way to plow that lot clean till all the cars are gone. Todays new traffic patterns make these large lots harder to plow, because they are full of dividers.

Our approach is to keep the lane ways clear during a storm, and clean plow the lot at night. If a big spot opens up we will run the loader through it, however it is rare that it happens. So we run our big trucks through the lots with 10' blades and yes we windrow the snow to the side. We don't like casting the snow to the side, however there is nothing else we can do the runs are to long. We also salt the lane ways, and keep the walkways clear.

When the place closes we go in a clean up. When plowing say storms we have plow routes set up in the order stuff closes. 

Geoff


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## 2401 (Feb 3, 2001)

I'll start off by saying that I don't have any info regarding pricing, dealing with traffic etc, but I have done repair welding for the property management company looking after our Wal-Mart and adjacent subdivision. My input here regards equipment, I see in your post you have Ford & Chev duallies with Boss V's & spreaders, they have an ex-DOT single axle dump with one way plow and wing as well as a loader on hand for the big lot. Another construction company we do work for uses a loader with a DOT type one way plow on a quick-attach bracket as well as a backhoe with a 10' reversible blade, also on a quick attach, plus a DOT sander unit, for one of our malls. Just a quick observation on what I see in my area - hope it can be of some help to you!


1975 GMC C-35


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## 66Construction (Jan 26, 2001)

Two guys I used to work with plow a walmart in Schenectady somewhere. There's a few. It's not a huge lot but it's pretty big. They plow it with two Ford F250 superdutys 8' straight blades on both a small tractor and a fisher V box. I dont plow any lots that size but around here there are only a few lots of this size that are plowed with just trucks. Most have a loader or backhoe parked on the property all season with a pusher. One of the malls has ten pushers mounted on backhoes and loaders and a skid steer with a pusher. Also one maybe two pickups and then there are ten dump trucks. Two tandems and one single axelfor moving snow and the other dumps have salters and plows along with wings. Then they have a setup with a rectangle build out of blocks to keep salt in. There's another loader just to load the salters. This is a big mall there's traffic lights in four or five places. IN case you're wondering I dont have much to do lately but count other guys equipment and wish I had it. Seems to be a shortage of the white stuff lately!!


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## diggerman (May 19, 2001)

I plow a Target,a Lowes,a K mart,and the old Target plaza which now has a Hobby Lobby a Hastings in that building with a new large Groc. store attached.Each is very diffrent as to the flow of traffic.Arrival times are much earlier for the Lowes which is a Home Depot type store, the large groc. store has issues with shopping carts performance on snowy isles,the large department stores place alot of urgence on their loading docks.Each is very diffrent in reguard to the level of service required,either because of the number of customers they handle or how they see snow removal fitting into their budgets.I have also had som real issues with manager turn over.I lost the Sams club that i did because of the constant turn over of their managers. New manager were not happy with the job we were doing but it was all the previous manager was willing to spend and all that had been agreed upon. Despite all of that, we really like the big store because we are usually providing them service when are servicing no one else but the local airport,despite the diffrences in service levels it still is usually higher than other stores.


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## diggerman (May 19, 2001)

Oh and one other thing ,if your going to do a big store you gotta get a pro-tech. We had three at the start of the season now we have one for each lot.


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## Plowzer (Feb 12, 2001)

Thank you for the input! I will check into this pro-tech thing.  I am going to check out this lot tomorrow and see if its something I can handle and how much its going to cost me for additional equipment, if needed. Do these types of places(i.e Walmarts) usually rebid every year to save $20? Again, I have never provided services to 24hr retailers and have no experience for what them to expect of us when it snows. The girlfriend loves these places and I avoid them at all costs, especially Wallyworld, so I don't even know how they are plowed currently. Maybe I'll go and have a look'see.


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## Mike Nelson (May 18, 2001)

We have both Sam's and Walmart in our area.I think they were paying between 20 and 30 thousand for the season for each lot.
Diggerman is right,there is a big turnover in mgt. and no loyalty to anyone.They stictly run on numbers that is why we try to get a multi year contract.
As far as equip needed 
One loader with multi quip bucket to handle a 12' plow and 16'Protech pusher,skidsteer with 8'Protech pusher,and a Mitsubishi FH with 9'Boss V and a 4 yard sander.Also a good supply of Magic salt.
Add that all up and 30 thousand aint worth it!!!
Good Luck


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## DESTEFANO3782 (Aug 8, 2005)

I Know The Walmarts In Our Area Are Going For Well Over 60 Thousand Same Goes For Hd's And Loews. For 20-30 Grand Thats Not Even Enough To Cover Your Headaches At 2 A.m.


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## oarwhat (Nov 29, 2005)

Wal marts and home depots for $60 grand !!!!!!!!i'm moving to mass. I see guys around here plowing lots for less than i charged 25 years ago. I bet they're going for around $20,000 to $25,000 here.


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## Jay brown (Dec 26, 2005)

we subbed at a wal mart 5 years ago. the $$ was 90 days out for the contractor. he got paid in june. not a big deal but some contractors get fussy after 30 days.


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## 06HD BOSS (Nov 28, 2005)

A guy i plowed for in the past had 4 Walmarts within a 25mile range. $250,000 seasonal contract for all 4.


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## DESTEFANO3782 (Aug 8, 2005)

that sounds about right hd boss man. did that include and material or just the plowing and the material and loader push back are extra.


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## JMR (Feb 24, 2003)

Talk about reopening an old thread. Before today the last post on this thread was 2/16/01.


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## mrplowdude (Apr 16, 2005)

DESTEFANO3782 said:


> that sounds about right hd boss man. did that include and material or just the plowing and the material and loader push back are extra.


These contracts include everything. No extra costs. It seems like every year someone new wants to plow these stores and always bids lower and lower. It is a bigger headache than a lot of people think. Customers always complain about the littlest thing and then you get a phone call.


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## Jay brown (Dec 26, 2005)

i'd do one for 12k, stick one pusher out there and pay a guy $20 per hour that would be good money to us poor missouri folk.


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

JMR said:


> Talk about reopening an old thread. Before today the last post on this thread was 2/16/01.


That was before there even was a Plow Site. It was part of Lawn Site. Somebody was doing a serious "Search".


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## DESTEFANO3782 (Aug 8, 2005)

12k wouldnt even cover my seasonal fuel. thats rediculous. 12k wouldnt even cover a truck as a subcontractor at 65 an hour. i wouldnt touch a walmart for under 60 g's


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## pinepointe (Jan 3, 2006)

A local landscaper is geting 65 a year for a 4 season wal mart contract


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## wls (Aug 17, 2003)

I had heard our local walmart was paying 30,000.00 per month, good size lot. Also heard the hospital was paying around 20,000.00 per month, from nov 1 -march 31.


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## DESTEFANO3782 (Aug 8, 2005)

65 a season sounds right but 30 a month seems ludacris


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## 06HD BOSS (Nov 28, 2005)

DESTEFANO3782 said:


> that sounds about right hd boss man. did that include and material or just the plowing and the material and loader push back are extra.


That price included having one truck with a 10'blade and one loader with a 14'box, plus salt. Any removal would've been extra.


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## Jay brown (Dec 26, 2005)

DESTEFANO3782 said:


> 12k wouldnt even cover my seasonal fuel. thats rediculous. 12k wouldnt even cover a truck as a subcontractor at 65 an hour. i wouldnt touch a walmart for under 60 g's


how do you burn 12k in fuel with only two or three pickups in one winter season? that's a lot of fuel!! i'm refering to our geographic region. we only average 20" of snow per year, and the walmart here never wants chemical(their manager is on a tight budget). lets see...here is a run down the guy a couple of years ago did walmart for $55 per hour, he lost the contract, so that means the new guy probably does it for $50 per hour. we have had 9" of snow so far, that probaly converts to 30-40 hours of time. thats $1500-$2000. winter is half over, so the final bill will be in the neighborhood of $5000 tops!!!! i'll take the $12k


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## Mark Witcher (Feb 21, 2004)

You guys are nuts. You say you get or want $60,000 per year to plow a Wal mart. I have been doing a Wal mart super center for 6 years now. $1200 per plowing. It takes me 2.5 hrs with 2 pickups and one box plow on a backhoe. I also maintain their landscape and lot sweeping, and sidewalks.
As for the pay thing. It used to take 2 months to get paid from the corporate office, but they stopped billing that way 4 years ago. Its all handled by the local stores now. Pay in my hand in 30 days or less.


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## wls (Aug 17, 2003)

Mark Witcher said:


> You guys are nuts. You say you get or want $60,000 per year to plow a Wal mart..


Its just what I heard, whether they get it or not, I could'nt say. But it would be maybe 150,000.00 a year @ 30.000.00 per month, makes you want to bid on one of those, if I did bid and got it, thats probably the only one I would do all winter. My sis-in-law is in management at the local walmart, I will ask he and find out for sure, could be 30,000.00 per year.


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## Jay brown (Dec 26, 2005)

06HD BOSS said:


> A guy i plowed for in the past had 4 Walmarts within a 25mile range. $250,000 seasonal contract for all 4.


i'm going to move up there and be a lowballer i'll do it for 240k we've got a 1 million $$ policy


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## amar (Jan 25, 2005)

Quote:
Originally Posted by 06HD BOSS
A guy i plowed for in the past had 4 Walmarts within a 25mile range. $250,000 seasonal contract for all 4. 

i'm going to move up there and be a lowballer i'll do it for 240k we've got a 1 million $$ policy
__________________


Ill be the bigger scrub lowballer my bid could be 230K 

Who dosent have a 1 Million $ policy


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## T-MAN (Jan 9, 2001)

lets not forget were some of these Wallmarts are. Michigan is gonna get way more snow then Missouri. So 30k a month to 12k a season might not be that bad. 12k If you push it twice ? Probably worth it. Whats it cost for one push of 3 inches ? Maybe 2500 ? Without salt you probably could make money at 12k in Missouri
Todd


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## Jay brown (Dec 26, 2005)

T-MAN said:


> lets not forget were some of these Wallmarts are. Michigan is gonna get way more snow then Missouri. So 30k a month to 12k a season might not be that bad. 12k If you push it twice ? Probably worth it. Whats it cost for one push of 3 inches ? Maybe 2500 ? Without salt you probably could make money at 12k in Missouri
> Todd


one push 3 inches thats about $800 i'm telling you we live in lowball city usa


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## 06HD BOSS (Nov 28, 2005)

Mark Witcher- Nothing nuts about the price i shared. $1200 would not cut it. After paying just us 3 guys at this one place, salt, fuel, insurance and taxes he'd take home about 1/3 of that (which is BS). With the 14'box, 10'plow and 1 sidewalk kid, it took a good 6hours (average size storm) from start to finish. This Walmart lot was about 7-8acres. Dont forget plowing around cars and then going back after they leave to do a final on it, is basically like starting from square one. All 4 of these Walmarts were anywhere between 5-12 acre size lots. Obviously these prices are nothing out of the ordinary, or else these places wouldnt be getting plowed for that amount.


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## DESTEFANO3782 (Aug 8, 2005)

First Off Our Seasonal Average Is Between 70 And 80 Inches And Last Year We Had 110 Inches. And Secondly Like Boss Said Make 3 Truck Payments And A Loader Payment And Fuel Them And Insure Them For 12k Maybe In Missouri But Not Here. An Average Walmart Here Can Easily Burn Through 100 Tons Of Salt In A Season. The Other Thing, If You Show Up With A Million Dollar Insurance Policy They Would Laugh At You. Here They Require Atleast A 3 Million General Liability And Another Umbrella On Top Of That. So To Answer Your Questions Its 60 Grand Here Or My Blades Arent Touchin That Lot.


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## 06HD BOSS (Nov 28, 2005)

DESTEFANO3782 said:


> Its 60 Grand Here Or My Blades Arent Touchin That Lot.


HOT DAMN!!payup


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## Jay brown (Dec 26, 2005)

DESTEFANO3782 said:


> First Off Our Seasonal Average Is Between 70 And 80 Inches And Last Year We Had 110 Inches. And Secondly Like Boss Said Make 3 Truck Payments And A Loader Payment And Fuel Them And Insure Them For 12k Maybe In Missouri But Not Here. An Average Walmart Here Can Easily Burn Through 100 Tons Of Salt In A Season. The Other Thing, If You Show Up With A Million Dollar Insurance Policy They Would Laugh At You. Here They Require Atleast A 3 Million General Liability And Another Umbrella On Top Of That. So To Answer Your Questions Its 60 Grand Here Or My Blades Arent Touchin That Lot.


that sounds about right 12k for 20" in missouri and 60k for 100" in mass. you should get in there and snag a couple of these 5-12 acre lots and i'll come up and help you. only have 250k gl policy and 1 mil auto policy though. 3 mil gl policy for roofing/snow clearing is tough to get.


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## ACA Landscaping (Jan 10, 2005)

*.*

hey jay, i'm glad you spoke up i was starting to feel pretty bad about myself here. i'm located in cincinnati ohio here so i'm not seeing much more snow than you do on average prob less and i do several meijer, kmarts, home depots and such and i don't see anywhere near those prices that they're gettin up north and any of my contracts in front of me. i was starting to feel like a scumbag lowballer till you piped up and i came to my senses and realize that we don't get anywhere near there prices down here.


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## Plowzer (Feb 12, 2001)

OKay...I was reading this post and something felt weird...
IT WAS MY POST!!! 

BTW...i didn't persue the Wal-Mart work...and it didn't snow here in all of January

   This thing is officially CLOSED


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## SNHSERV05 (Dec 17, 2005)

*walmarts,hd,lowes etc*

Us guys here on the east coast know what it cost to support,families,equipment,help, and then you got the guys that have a 20 yr old truck with a beat up plow, and bid on jobs they have no idea what they are bidding on nevermind what they are doing.......................you guys saying your moving to mass because of the $$$$$$$ dont take that offensively but thats how places knock down the good $$$$$ for plowing without material or added heavy equipment to remove,stack,or haul snow away


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