# Private road price help



## boxerplowing (Jan 2, 2011)

Hey Everyone,

This was my first year plowing and one of my customers had a 1500ft driveway (down hill and bendy) for $100 a plow. He was so happy with my work this year that he referred me to the home owners association who called me today. They said the last guy charged $325 per plow and $200 per sand. It is 1km.. so 0.6mi and is a dead end with an empty cul-de-sac at the end. 

He wants to know what it would be for me to do it for the entire season… Basically, unlimited plows. What should I charge him? Usually what I do for my residential is take the price per plow, multiply it by 10 and then give them 15 plows! Ie. $40 per push or $400 for season for up to 15 plows paid up front.

Consider: I will get at least 4 or 5 driveways (they suck but they’re money) at 100 a pop.. This road is also literally just 2 minutes from my house and I already have a contract for the driveway again next year.

Thanks for any advice.


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## Rc2505 (Feb 5, 2007)

Is the 325 per plow including the extra drives your speaking of? That is increadable money for 1.8 miles of plowing if you figure 3 passes, or even 2.4 miles if you have to do 4 passes. That should take maybe 15 to 20 minutes depending on the speed your plowing at. Around here that might gross 75 a plow.


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## djagusch (Oct 15, 2007)

Well what's the trigger? Average number of plows per season? Add two or three just in case. Do so math, don't discount, present it in a monthly price over the season.


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## boxerplowing (Jan 2, 2011)

The 325 is just for the road. Plus I already have one driveway at 100 per push.. And I can probably get 4 or 5 more just by being "the roads plow guy". I think 325 is fair.. Think gas, repairs, insurance, time.. I would never ever do a 1km private road for 70. The trigger will probably be an inch or so..at night its not a big deal.. I'm thinking 4000, unilimited plows for season.. Does that soind fair?


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## boxerplowing (Jan 2, 2011)

Sound not soind  damn blackberry.. Or fat fingers I should say


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## dayexco (Oct 30, 2003)

how big is this driveway you're pushing for $100 per pop?


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## boxerplowing (Jan 2, 2011)

dayexco;1262833 said:


> how big is this driveway you're pushing for $100 per pop?


aprx 1500 feet.. so half the length of road but twice as narrow






thats the driveway i do.. worse than it seems


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## dayexco (Oct 30, 2003)

if you can get that EVERY snow..all winter, i'd jump on it...you're banging them like a screen door in a hurricane. milk that cow NOW dude...won't last.


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## boxerplowing (Jan 2, 2011)

the 100 dollar driveway i did all year for 1200 total.. and hes already offered me 1200 for next season too up to 15 plows... plus that guy is on the road i got offered anyway..


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## Rc2505 (Feb 5, 2007)

If you can get it run with it. I like how Dayexco put it. If you can make 11,000 dollars in one location that is only 2 minutes from your house for like 12 hours of total work, you'd be a fool not to. Just remember you can't get upset when another plower comes in and take the work from you for 1/2 your price. You also can't come on here and complain about lowballers. That job should go for less then 1/2 of what your going to get for it. Make sure you get a contract signed for as long as possible tomorrow, or you might lose out if you wait till next fall.


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## rich414 (Jan 4, 2010)

boxerplowing;1262875 said:


> aprx 1500 feet.. so half the length of road but twice as narrow
> 
> 
> 
> ...


what equipment are you using to polw with?


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## boxerplowing (Jan 2, 2011)

rich414;1263512 said:


> what equipment are you using to polw with?


Well this year i was using my 2000 Chevy 1500 with a small plow.. I have a 2008 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT All Terrain coming in tuesday!  I am going to get a new 7.5 straight blade and a tailgate salter.. any recommendations? I need to use the spreader for salt as well as sand..


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## rich414 (Jan 4, 2010)

boxerplowing;1263517 said:


> Well this year i was using my 2000 Chevy 1500 with a small plow.. I have a 2008 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT All Terrain coming in tuesday!  I am going to get a new 7.5 straight blade and a tailgate salter.. any recommendations? I need to use the spreader for salt as well as sand..


The video didnt look like from the cab of a truck
Here is a video of an $800 dig, I took the video from the Rhino before my son cleared the road off...we used a bobcat 300 with bulldozer blade....


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## boxerplowing (Jan 2, 2011)

yepp.. that was the ol 2000 k1500.. Thats a fairly nasty driveway too!! I would trade you LOL the one i do sucks because it is soo steep and turney at the worst times..


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## Eronningen (Dec 20, 2008)

I do a couple private roads. One is about 2 miles long, standard road width. I don't quite make $325 you speak of but I make big money on it. Plow at my discretion, salt/sand at my discretion and I take damn good care of them. The road serves 26 homes. 
Typically it takes me 20-25 minutes to do it including the three cul-de-sacs. If its 6"+ it can double that time. We had one storm in Dec. and I plowed it 5 times. They love it. Its my best account, make over $500 an hour on it average 
Don't sell yourself short, roads have a value, big time. I'd go $300 and they'd think your saving them all kinds of money. You better get a bigger truck though if it has the possibility to drift. I would never attempt the road I do with a half ton and that little plow you speak of


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## boxerplowing (Jan 2, 2011)

Hey.. appreciate that feedback! I do wish i told them left.. to clarify it was 3500 plus tax (15% here which comes to 4025) So really its only 3500.. but i know i wish i told them 3000 for year.. 1" trigger during day 2 at night Im only charging them 150 per sand


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## boxerplowing (Jan 2, 2011)

and as for the using a 1500 and 7.5.. i think that will be more than fine.. i used an older 1500 and a 6.5 this year and cleared 8 grand... my first year and i didnt start until december.. im going to add air bad lift to the new truck


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## woodchuck2 (Dec 4, 2010)

I would drop the price to $300 to sweeten the deal but raise the price of sanding to be the same. I would also add in that the road will be sanded at the end of every storm just to get a little more money in the end. You do not have to drop a lot of sand either, do it just enough to pull the money in and this will help make up for the extra plows for the bigger storms. This way lets say you charge 10 storms "$3k" and you give them 5 free pushes, with the sanding included you will pull in $6k for the 10 storms and actually will pay for the 5 free pushes and have $1500 left for whatever sanding that really needs to be done.

All other roads and driveways should be kept separate and have separate contracts.


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## Lux Lawn (Jan 5, 2004)

How many snow events do you get per year?
Hopefully you can get some more of the driveways, sounds like a sweat deal to me.


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## boxerplowing (Jan 2, 2011)

yea.. i did a 1500ft driveway on that road 13 times this year


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## Lux Lawn (Jan 5, 2004)

boxerplowing;1263966 said:


> yea.. i did a 1500ft driveway on that road 13 times this year


Sounds like good money to me, plus extra for sanding.


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## BillyRgn (Jan 28, 2004)

Make sure you find out why they are willing to switch over to you, do they just want someone they know or was it a problem with the service. When they said that's what they paid, were they ok with that or are they looking for a better price. I won't take a new account if I don't no what the previous problem was. Sometimes they bad mouth a guy then you find out the hard way that they don't pay, or they are crazy and nothing is good enough. With that said I would pursue this one hard as it appears from the outside to be a lucrative one, good luck. Do you have a rider/shoveler with you? Have you considered throwing sand by hand until you are ready for a V-box?


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## boxerplowing (Jan 2, 2011)

i have the money for a sander now.. i think i want a tailgate spreader though.. last guy they had for 2 years and said he was very unreliable..


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