# city sidewalk subcontracting pricing?



## tread lightly services (Jan 8, 2012)

for a preface i have searched multiple times and read every thread in it's entirity if it had sidewalk in the title.

ok i have been asked to bid on a large route in southern wi that is all city walk 95% is 4 ft wide 5% is 5 foot wide. 

there is a total of 12 different sites some with as much as 7400 lenear feet some with little as 150 lenear ft. 

18682 lenear ft. 

i say lenear ft because i am 48" wide so one pass and im done so the with is of little consequence to me, distance is my concern.

some are a block apart, some are 3 miles apart. 

i have approx 2 hours of drive time/loading/unloading time figured into this 

no salt 

i specalize in resedential and city walks but nothing of this magnatude! 

equipment: wheeled mini skid steer with 48" blower, 48" steel plow, 48" rubber edge plow, 48" bucket if needed. 

speed is 4.5 mph but do have a rabbit speed that is 6-7 mph.

one machine and operator, i have backup machines available if needed. 

i measured it out today, 
basically he is leaning twords a per push/increnmental pricing not hourly

primary is paying his subcontractor $40 hr now to use his truck and pull around the company 
4 wheeler with plow and trailer. he is overwhelemed with it and all the other routes.

i have my own rig, i will be supplying everything. truck trailer, machine, operator, fuel, etc....

my question is what is a good place to start for pricing the walks i have heard 0.10 cents a foot but that would be 1868 dollars!! that seems high to me! :yow!:

as a subcontractor i would expect less than a primary contractor, but i want to make money/get the job.


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## nixray (Jan 31, 2008)

I'd suggest a different machine. To increase productivity. And maybe even eliminate the need to load/unload ten times a night. Maybe something like a trackless M/T, a stout kubota or John Deere F-series with cab. Something that can be driven on the shoulder. It might effect your bottom line. IMO


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## tread lightly services (Jan 8, 2012)

the 3 miles between the larger jobs is a killer for all those machines listed, a few are close but some are apart. i might be looking at a bobcat 463/s70 with a blower. still able to fit on my trailer. 

the 4 wheeler has a hell of a time on the corners where the plow truck left 1-2 feet, i can motor right through with the snowblower attachment.


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## G.Landscape (Oct 20, 2011)

If you had to drive the entire route from shop round trip back to shop how far would it be? I agree tractor may be your best bet. 3 miles isn't that far by the time you factor in the loading and unloading time. 

Small tractors can usually road around 12mph. So even your longest distance of 3 miles means its only going to take you 15mins to drive the total distance. That's 7 mins to load and 7 to unload, that's pretty fast, especially when its -20 blowing snow and you have been out for 12 hours.


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## tread lightly services (Jan 8, 2012)

basically im using what i have no matter what, toro dingo with toro blower if i get this account i might consider a bobcat 463/s70 

a skid loader is usefull to me in the summer a tractor is useless to me for anything but winter

basically i am competing with a atv, but in reality i am only competing with myself as far as price.


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

I say skid steer all the way. What if you need to load the snow out?, with a skid you now have a way. The only reason I say loading/hauling snow away is, would the city let you blow or push the snow back out to the street if thats your only place to put it. Our city uses ToolCats and pile it on the corners then relocate it later. They frown on putting it back out on the roadways.


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## beanz27 (Dec 22, 2012)

Another option, kinda spendy, would be a Toolcat. They are about the right size, have the speed for road travel, and it's almost like having a skid loader. I've demo'd a few of them for farm use, gotta say I'd buy one if I had the money for one.


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## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

I price some 60'' walks and I didnt win it at $20 for every 100ft One cleaning after storm was over
Light snows was going use my ATV that has a front plow and arear plow
6'' + was going use my little gehl skidloader will fit on a 60'' walk

The guy won it Is using a 4wd mower with a cab using a plow So far its doing the job 
He has a blower for it when snow gets deep He doesnt haul it He drives it


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## Spool it up (Oct 30, 2012)

tread lightly services;1565919 said:


> for a preface i have searched multiple times and read every thread in it's entirity if it had sidewalk in the title.
> 
> ok i have been asked to bid on a large route in southern wi that is all city walk 95% is 4 ft wide 5% is 5 foot wide.
> 
> ...


Any work dealing with a city would be based on be a prevailing wage rate . Start from there , add your profit percentile to it .


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## tread lightly services (Jan 8, 2012)

Spool it up;1566245 said:


> Any work dealing with a city would be based on be a prevailing wage rate . Start from there , add your profit percentile to it .


let me clairify none of it is owned by the city, it is each buisnesses 4 foot wide sidewalk at the street, so prevailing wage doesent apply.


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## tread lightly services (Jan 8, 2012)

Antlerart06;1566240 said:


> I price some 60'' walks and I didnt win it at $20 for every 100ft One cleaning after storm was over
> Light snows was going use my ATV that has a front plow and arear plow
> 6'' + was going use my little gehl skidloader will fit on a 60'' walk
> 
> ...


this is what i am loking for other peoples take on pricing a large 4 foot sidewalk route.



beanz27;1566216 said:


> Another option, kinda spendy, would be a Toolcat. They are about the right size, have the speed for road travel, and it's almost like having a skid loader. I've demo'd a few of them for farm use, gotta say I'd buy one if I had the money for one.


was at the bobcat dealer yesterday, and i love the toolcats, but sadly they are 5 foot wide, a no go for 4 foot sidewalks.

a s70 looks to be in my future with a 48" blower.



Brian Young;1566075 said:


> I say skid steer all the way. What if you need to load the snow out?, with a skid you now have a way. The only reason I say loading/hauling snow away is, would the city let you blow or push the snow back out to the street if thats your only place to put it. Our city uses ToolCats and pile it on the corners then relocate it later. They frown on putting it back out on the roadways.


i couldnt agree more!! skid steer is very usefull to me all year, toolcat??? not so much.

i specialize in limited access jobs so a toolcat or a large tractor isnt in my future.

ok back on topic....pricing thoughts please.payup


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## fortywinks (Sep 17, 2007)

18,600+ linear ft is approx. 3.5 miles. At 4+mph that you state you can work, that is about an hour actual time doing the route plus your two hour travel and loading time etc. Using your price of $1868 that comes to about $600 per hour before expenses. Does my math make sense? Expenses like insurance, fuel, maintenance,etc. You'll have to calculate what your expenses cost you, perhaps someone else can chime in on that and then add in your expected profit. The person handling the bid may appreciate a simple formula like 10 cents per. Are previous bids public record, that you can check on those? If it's not city owned I suppose not. I have proposed something similar to our municipality as they currently handle that in house with some old equipment. So far no luck, so I have an interest in how your project goes. Good luck, I say if you can make do with $600/hr go for it.

KB


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## tread lightly services (Jan 8, 2012)

ok got the job, after 5 events 3 1-3" 2 3-6" my toro dingo is overwhelmed!!!:realmad:

just not fast enough or heavy enough, plus standing on the back of a machine for 6-9 hours in a snowmobile suit is for the birds!!!:crying:

so i demoed a bobcat s70 with a 48" bucket, and a 60" plow blade....i must say i am in love! Thumbs Up
40% -50% savings on time right away, way more comfortable with cab and heat. 

this is the way to go all the way!


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## sven1277 (Jan 15, 2008)

So how did you end up pricing it?


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## stiffs_00 (Oct 15, 2009)

so how did you price it ?


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## tread lightly services (Jan 8, 2012)

to answer the burning question i believe it was .02 cents a foot (linear)
and goes up a penny a foot every time it jumps a pricing tier..

sounds low right?? it adds up quick!

also account has grown since then it is over 25000 linear ft now.


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