# How long should this take



## CAMP Lawncare (Aug 21, 2006)

How long should this take to plow i think its about 30000 sf i run a 7'5 front and a 6'5 rear on a dodge 1/2 ton any help would be greatly appreciated


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

2-4" light snow with no crubs under 1 hr.


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## firelwn82 (Feb 14, 2006)

hr 45. did you see the loading dock? What about salting?


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## CAMP Lawncare (Aug 21, 2006)

I took a quick drive by at night i will stop by again to get a better look at it. I will offer salt what should i figure on a price for that


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## firelwn82 (Feb 14, 2006)

what ever you pay for salt x it by 2 or 2 n a half


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

Charging for salt. Are you spreading bag or bulk? If bulk do you store your own or pick up each time? These are factors you need to consider before you get to a price or we do to help you.I just got my bulk salt pricing on Friday. I am paying $50.30/ton in US Dollars. So I might tell you a cheaper price to charge then you are actually paying if you are buying 50 lb. bags at Home Depot.


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## pcs (May 23, 2001)

cet,

Where are you getting your salt from?


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## CAMP Lawncare (Aug 21, 2006)

how much salt should it take?


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## 06HD BOSS (Nov 28, 2005)

Tough to tell without being on the property, but personally i would estimate a little high and say it would take 2hrs. I do that just to allowing for any problems that could happen. Seeing as it probably wont take 2hrs, it would still cover your time driving to and from. Thats just my opinion..


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## Keith_480231 (Jul 13, 2004)

If I charged 2.5 times the cost of salt here I would spread nothing . No body will pay that.


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## SnowGuy73 (Apr 7, 2003)

CAMP Lawncare said:


> How long should this take to plow i think its about 30000 sf i run a 7'5 front and a 6'5 rear on a dodge 1/2 ton any help would be greatly appreciated


It should take about an hour under normal (2-3' of snow) conditions.


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## CAMP Lawncare (Aug 21, 2006)

Epic thanks 5 gallons of coffee i like that


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## Five Star Lawn Care LLC (Dec 13, 2002)

Keith_480231 said:


> If I charged 2.5 times the cost of salt here I would spread nothing . No body will pay that.


wow...i am on the high side of things in our market

my largest account is at $105 per ton amd i do a couple of little 1 ton drops for sites for $130 a ton

Im Paying $37.50 a ton

i would say under an hour to plow also
and about 1/2 ton on an average salt night


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Industry average is 1 hour per acre with a pickup and 8 ft plow. He's got a 7 1/2' and a back blade so the loading docks aren't much of an issue unless they get blown in. This is his second year of plowing, so I would go with an hour for a 'normal' 2-3" snowfall like Epic said. 1 1/2 hours max.

The only thing bad about estimating too high to cover your costs is you can price yourself right out of the job. 

With one of our 550's, 8611 and back blade I would have to guess I could blow that one off in a half hour or less.


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## CAMP Lawncare (Aug 21, 2006)

i bid 65/ per push i really want the work i see what happens


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## firelwn82 (Feb 14, 2006)

WOW! Is that going to pay for what you spend. Fuel,time, maint?


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

CAMP Lawncare said:


> i bid 65/ per push i really want the work i see what happens


Seriously, rethink this strategy. Once you start as a lowballer, you get that image in other's minds and it's hard to break out. How will you convince someone you're worth more when they've heard you're cheap?


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## CAMP Lawncare (Aug 21, 2006)

Mick i dont think i will have a problem convincing people that i have upgraded my equipment to provide even better and more timely service and because of that prices have gone up


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## scottL (Dec 7, 2002)

Re-look the picture. Were do they want the piles stacked? You've got a number of parking spots, do they want those cleaned after there empted of cars - then you have to come back. $65 buck's for an hour is loooow. Salt == dollars, <4" plow == $105, return for car stalls == $45. Or somthing like this. Sounds like you do not have a salter so, are you walking behind a puch dropped?


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

CAMP Lawncare said:


> Mick i dont think i will have a problem convincing people that i have upgraded my equipment to provide even better and more timely service and because of that prices have gone up


You have to be joking. The customer who hires the cheapest guy around and who now wants to raise rates, will move on to the next one. Customers generally don't care about equipment which they very rarely see anyway. The customer who cares about timely service, wouldn't have hired the cheapest guy to begin with.

There was a guy on here a few years ago who said there are three components to the service industry - Cheap, Good and Fast - pick two, you can't have all three. He was right about that, at least.


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## CAMP Lawncare (Aug 21, 2006)

if i lose a$$ on this i will gladly swollow my pride and admit to all i eft up


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

CAMP, Mick is correct, if they hire a lowballer this year and you raise it next year because you screwed up on the estimating, good chance they will find the next lowballer. 

Having said this, I have a customer that I raised the price 75% in one year because I screwed up on the location of their property lines. Sent them a nice letter explaining my mistake, and how I did not charge them more that year because that was the price we agreed to, they got other bids and I still maintain them today. But we provided top notch service depsite my screwup. 

Now, theoretically, this lot could be done in a half hour with a bigger truck and a more efficient plow and experienced operator. My guess is he is a bit low, depending on what he determined his hourly rate to be. If he figured it at $65\hour, then he'll be fine, if he figured $130 hour, he's going to 'lose' money. 

Scottl, things are quite a bit different here in GR than in Chicago. We are much more tolerant of snow than you are. Chances are with a commercial, they will not want a return trip unless it is a late snowfall and he has to come back that night. Placement doesn't look to be too much of a problem, but it is hard to tell from the pic. I will agree that $65 is low, but it isn't bottom of the barrel around here. Check his other thread about hourly rates.

Having said all that, you state you don't want to be a lowballer, yet you priced it at that because you want it real bad. This is OK as long as you know your costs, your production rate and are willing to accept a lower or no profit on a job. If you don't know the above or did just throw that price out because you want the work, that is the characteristics of a lowballer.

It's not a mistake if you learn from it.

PS Mick, I think it was price, quality and service, but close enough.


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

Mark Oomkes said:


> It's not a mistake if you learn from it.
> 
> PS Mick, I think it was price, quality and service, but close enough.


True - and I've had a "few" learning experiences.

Could have very well been, it was quite a while ago.


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

http://www.sixside.com/fast_good_cheap.asp

I am going to go with Mick.


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## CrunchyPlowWife (Dec 18, 2006)

CAMP Lawncare;300872 said:


> Epic thanks 5 gallons of coffee i like that


I Heart Coffee!!!!


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