# Help with estimate.



## SunshineDaydream (Sep 14, 2017)

Just getting into the snow plowing business side of things. I've been running my lawn/landscape business for a couple years now and it's going great. Read a lot of great info on lawnsite and watching videos from Keith Kalfas and Brian's Lawn Maintenance that really helped me get going.

I'm looking at a gravel driveway that is 90' long and 11' wide. Near the garage the driveway it fans out to about 24' wide. I'll be running an 8' straight blade and Toro 721 this year. 

How long will it take you to plow this? In your opinion what is the best way to set this up? Per push with a 3" trigger price, 3-6", 6-9", 9-12", and 12" plus?


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## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

Seasonal contract


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## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

SunshineDaydream said:


> Just getting into the snow plowing business side of things. I've been running my lawn/landscape business for a couple years now and it's going great. Read a lot of great info on lawnsite and watching videos from Keith Kalfas and Brian's Lawn Maintenance that really helped me get going.
> 
> I'm looking at a gravel driveway that is 90' long and 11' wide. Near the garage the driveway it fans out to about 24' wide. I'll be running an 8' straight blade and Toro 721 this year.
> 
> How long will it take you to plow this? In your opinion what is the best way to set this up? Per push with a 3" trigger price, 3-6", 6-9", 9-12", and 12" plus?


3-8" 10min, 8-12" 15min, 12" and up 20-25min. These are very conservation numbers.
If you don't go with a seasonal and go pre push think about adding 60% to the 3-6" rate for every tier.


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## SunshineDaydream (Sep 14, 2017)

BUFF said:


> 3-8" 10min, 8-12" 15min, 12" and up 20-25min. These are very conservation numbers.
> If you don't go with a seasonal and go pre push think about adding 60% to the 3-6" rate for every tier.


Thanks Buff for your reply. I'm very new to figuring out how to price for a seasonal. Our average is about 100 inches of snow over the season. I do feel more comfortable pricing per push.

What would you start your prices out as using an 8' straight blade solo operator? Just trying to get a ballpark figure.


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## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

SunshineDaydream said:


> Thanks Buff for your reply. I'm very new to figuring out how to price for a seasonal. Our average is about 100 inches of snow over the season. I do feel more comfortable pricing per push.
> 
> What would you start your prices out as using an 8' straight blade solo operator? Just trying to get a ballpark figure.


Rates vary form area to area, what that driveway would go for where I'm at would be different elsewhere. 
100" a year is a pretty good amount and would think there's a lot of guys plowing which typically drives down the price. 
I would charge $40-50 depending on the layout of the drive, on the easy coast it would probably be close to double but it's a lower snow fall area.


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## Mudly (Feb 6, 2019)

Very well versed in big residential drive ways here. The amount of snow isn’t a big of factor as in parking lots because the snow is pushed to the berm and done. I do recommend back dragging gravel driveways until they are frozen solid but if you arnt comfortable with following your tracks turn your radio off and listen for the sound of gravel, lift till it’s gone, don’t use shoes they make it worse. If you do decide to push forward talk with the home owner about losing a parking space saves some cleanup, regardless there is no reason to have a big pile of gravel on the lawn come April . Don’t angle your plow till is dead heads a little goes a long way. Think to yourself no wasted motion, work away from the garage and don’t make full width pushes. if you need to turn around plow during the process to set yourself up. Honestly I don’t see anyone spending more then 10 minutes here. This driveway is not that big. Got pics?


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## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

lol
a 90" drive plowed in 10min or less.
we don't even know the lay out or the scope of work.
the drives surface, hilly, is it down hill both ways or flat?
Does the op need to back drag from the home and or 2 door garage?
where will the snow go? this takes time to clean up....and more time latter in the season when the snow has piled up.

op think about this, you bid $40 a push, the next guys comes along and leaves a bid of $35, you might loose a customer.

if you had a seasonal contract you would have the $ and a customer for the whole season.
why are you going per push?
seasonal for residential is the way to go,
rather than trying to get paid for the last 4 trips as you are servicing them for the 5th time that month or risking loosing the customer to a lowballer.


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## Mudly (Feb 6, 2019)

Hydromaster said:


> lol
> a 90" drive plowed in 10min or less.
> we don't even know the lay out or the scope of work.
> the drives surface, hilly, is it down hill both ways or flat?
> ...


Hell I could plow 90" in less then 10 seconds with a 6 footer. It's gravel. Pay attention sorry my green lights are blinding


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## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

i paid my "attention bill" at the office,,,lol
its not 7.5 feet long(ie your 90 inch drive), its 90' long and 11' wide and 24' by the house.
or maybe he should sub it out to you as green lights seem to be a time saver.

in a higher snow area just giving the drive a pass in and a pass out will
leave you no place to put the snow in no time.
It will need to be pushed farther back to the side or carried down/up the drive to a place to stack it.


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## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

Mudly said:


> Hell I could plow 90" in less then 10 seconds with a 6 footer. It's gravel. Pay attention sorry my green lights are blinding


Based on what I read the OP is new to plowing which equals more time spent which drove the time I posted. With a straight blade he'll have to figure oot how to deal with snow trailing oof in the wide section by the garage.


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## Mudly (Feb 6, 2019)

BUFF said:


> Based on what I read the OP is new to plowing which equals more time spent which drove the time I posted. With a straight blade he'll have to figure oot how to deal with snow trailing oof in the wide section by the garage.


Duly noted. Not knocking anybody here. Just giving real world advice like half blading


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