# Blizzard rates



## blade111 (Jan 31, 2005)

Hi,

We recently had a snow event with between 11-12" accumulation plus major blowing & drifting. The conditions were considered blizzard and our area seldom sees conditions like that. Anyway, my normal charge for a double driveway is $25 (we rarely have to deal with any accumulation > 6"). However, I need to charge all of my regular customers double for "the blizzard" based on the time, energy, etc. I don't have contracts with the majority of the customers. I think I am going to just put a general message on the bottom of the invoices explaining the additional charge (i.e. blizzard rates apply...). I know most will be understanding but just wondered if anyone else has dealt with this before. Please share your experience.


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## lawnMaster5000 (Jul 28, 2000)

After hearing other people on here comment on this topic I added just such a clause to my contracts.

so much per inch increment then after 12" turns to a generous hourly rate. 

I think next year I may do hourly for straight ice events too, havent decided how to handle that yet tho.


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## Dailylc (Feb 12, 2006)

blade111;380137 said:


> Hi,
> 
> We recently had a snow event with between 11-12" accumulation plus major blowing & drifting. The conditions were considered blizzard and our area seldom sees conditions like that. Anyway, my normal charge for a double driveway is $25 (we rarely have to deal with any accumulation > 6"). However, I need to charge all of my regular customers double for "the blizzard" based on the time, energy, etc. I don't have contracts with the majority of the customers. I think I am going to just put a general message on the bottom of the invoices explaining the additional charge (i.e. blizzard rates apply...). I know most will be understanding but just wondered if anyone else has dealt with this before. Please share your experience.


First off, I would have to say, you need a contract for everyone. If I get a call during a snow event from someone that is not already a customer they have to sign a service agreement before we drop the plow. Second thing is, the more snow the more time on the job which means more money to do the work. We have price increases at 4",6"and8". Anything over that they are charged the 8" rate PLUS $0000 per hour. We have been doing this for several years now and have never had anyone question our rates. Had we not had this in our service agreement when we got that 22" snow in Dec a couple years back we could have lost a lot of money. Always get it in writing!


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## Ole Tower (Jan 29, 2007)

*Blizzard Rates?*

I Dono? I have been Plowing for a life time & I Dono? on the Mentioned Plowing Contracts? Customers Signing Contracts? where I have never Done that! I Go by Word of Mouth! a Customer usually Calls ME & gives Me their Address thats It--No Signing any thing!--even small Businesses its a Phone Call & agreement on Price! No Signing any Contract? but I assume? Guys plowing Big Lots would have a Signed Contract! w/ Business People You Don*t Know? & in referance to Lots of SNOW!-BLIZZARDS!-- that Last for several Days & Drop a Large Quanity of SNOW! Especialy where You have to Plow several Times! Most Customers will understand? a Slighly Higher Cost! Again Here Locally Plowing lots of SNOW the Large majority will PAY more w/ out You Asking! here any Way! Eliminating any Embarrasment to YOU or your Customer! I have never had all that Many that Paid the Same for 3 inches or Two feet & would Argue about It? I Don*t Argue I drop them & inform Them to Get Sone One Else! as ther Usually a PAIN in the Butt anyway! WE all know the TYPE! I Don*t take ON New Customers After its Snowed! as I assume? I Do Plowing Differant than Most? I Take Photos of All my Plowing Customers Property before theres any SNOW! & Place the Photos in a Book which Shows ME Exactally where every thing IS! w/ NO Snow! So Plowing Them even in a BLIZZARD is NO Problem! yrs Ago I Plowed UP a very Expensive Colledge Kids BIKE in a Deep Snow Fall My Customer was One of those Pains in the Butt I just Memtioned! as He Threatened? Me for Destroying His Sons BIKE! I Showed HIM the Photo of His Property w/ NO SNOW! That Ended His Rantng & Raving! & YES! I infomed Him to Get Some One Else! as I was NOT going to PLOW Him Any More! I Dono? but I figure? a 22 yr old Man attending Colledge should? be a Bit Smarter than to Leave His Exspensive BIKE in a Snow Drift in a Driveway! Don*t YOU? the Bottom Line in Plowing Deep especially Heavy Snow most Customers will Understand Your Plowing Is Harder! & Will PAY MORE! but YOU have to Use Common Scense! as You Can*t Charge them All overly High Prices or You will Simply Loose them as Customers! enough SAID Ole Tower


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## 03SuperCrew330 (Nov 7, 2006)

Ole Tower;382384 said:


> I Dono? I have been Plowing for a life time & I Dono? on the Mentioned Plowing Contracts? Customers Signing Contracts? where I have never Done that! I Go by Word of Mouth! a Customer usually Calls ME & gives Me their Address thats It--No Signing any thing!--even small Businesses its a Phone Call & agreement on Price! No Signing any Contract? but I assume? Guys plowing Big Lots would have a Signed Contract! w/ Business People You Don*t Know? & in referance to Lots of SNOW!-BLIZZARDS!-- that Last for several Days & Drop a Large Quanity of SNOW! Especialy where You have to Plow several Times! Most Customers will understand? a Slighly Higher Cost! Again Here Locally Plowing lots of SNOW the Large majority will PAY more w/ out You Asking! here any Way! Eliminating any Embarrasment to YOU or your Customer! I have never had all that Many that Paid the Same for 3 inches or Two feet & would Argue about It? I Don*t Argue I drop them & inform Them to Get Sone One Else! as ther Usually a PAIN in the Butt anyway! WE all know the TYPE! I Don*t take ON New Customers After its Snowed! as I assume? I Do Plowing Differant than Most? I Take Photos of All my Plowing Customers Property before theres any SNOW! & Place the Photos in a Book which Shows ME Exactally where every thing IS! w/ NO Snow! So Plowing Them even in a BLIZZARD is NO Problem! yrs Ago I Plowed UP a very Expensive Colledge Kids BIKE in a Deep Snow Fall My Customer was One of those Pains in the Butt I just Memtioned! as He Threatened? Me for Destroying His Sons BIKE! I Showed HIM the Photo of His Property w/ NO SNOW! That Ended His Rantng & Raving! & YES! I infomed Him to Get Some One Else! as I was NOT going to PLOW Him Any More! I Dono? but I figure? a 22 yr old Man attending Colledge should? be a Bit Smarter than to Leave His Exspensive BIKE in a Snow Drift in a Driveway! Don*t YOU? the Bottom Line in Plowing Deep especially Heavy Snow most Customers will Understand Your Plowing Is Harder! & Will PAY MORE! but YOU have to Use Common Scense! as You Can*t Charge them All overly High Prices or You will Simply Loose them as Customers! enough SAID Ole Tower


I think I just went blind trying to read that!!! WOW DUDE!!


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## BOSS550 (Jan 19, 2007)

03SuperCrew330;382529 said:


> I think I just went blind trying to read that!!! WOW DUDE!!


Amen to that!!! I gave up after the first line.


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## fordzilla1155 (Jan 10, 2004)

when plowing becomes excavating, that is when the rates change...


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## diehrd (Dec 11, 2006)

Ole Tower;382384 said:


> I Dono? I have been Plowing for a life time & I Dono? on the Mentioned Plowing Contracts? Customers Signing Contracts? where I have never Done that! I Go by Word of Mouth! a Customer usually Calls ME & gives Me their Address thats It--No Signing any thing!--even small Businesses its a Phone Call & agreement on Price! No Signing any Contract? but I assume? Guys plowing Big Lots would have a Signed Contract! w/ Business People You Don*t Know? & in referance to Lots of SNOW!-BLIZZARDS!-- that Last for several Days & Drop a Large Quanity of SNOW! Especialy where You have to Plow several Times! Most Customers will understand? a Slighly Higher Cost! Again Here Locally Plowing lots of SNOW the Large majority will PAY more w/ out You Asking! here any Way! Eliminating any Embarrasment to YOU or your Customer! I have never had all that Many that Paid the Same for 3 inches or Two feet & would Argue about It? I Don*t Argue I drop them & inform Them to Get Sone One Else! as ther Usually a PAIN in the Butt anyway! WE all know the TYPE! I Don*t take ON New Customers After its Snowed! as I assume? I Do Plowing Differant than Most? I Take Photos of All my Plowing Customers Property before theres any SNOW! & Place the Photos in a Book which Shows ME Exactally where every thing IS! w/ NO Snow! So Plowing Them even in a BLIZZARD is NO Problem! yrs Ago I Plowed UP a very Expensive Colledge Kids BIKE in a Deep Snow Fall My Customer was One of those Pains in the Butt I just Memtioned! as He Threatened? Me for Destroying His Sons BIKE! I Showed HIM the Photo of His Property w/ NO SNOW! That Ended His Rantng & Raving! & YES! I infomed Him to Get Some One Else! as I was NOT going to PLOW Him Any More! I Dono? but I figure? a 22 yr old Man attending Colledge should? be a Bit Smarter than to Leave His Exspensive BIKE in a Snow Drift in a Driveway! Don*t YOU? the Bottom Line in Plowing Deep especially Heavy Snow most Customers will Understand Your Plowing Is Harder! & Will PAY MORE! but YOU have to Use Common Scense! as You Can*t Charge them All overly High Prices or You will Simply Loose them as Customers! enough SAID Ole Tower


I think I just got dumber looking at that ,, Where is waldo any way ???


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## customers_snow (Sep 15, 2002)

Ole Tower,

Good thing you don't use contracts - nobody could, would, should, read them!


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## Bobby Blaze (Dec 21, 2006)

what I usually do in a case of not having a contract is all on call work is c.o.d with the customer signing a waiver from damage done to any surface or lawn areas especially if its residential.as far as pricing goes I have 1 rate per visit and multiply it by the amount of snow,lets say 2-4'' 25.00,4-8" 50.00,8-12" 75.00 and so on.


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## prizeprop (Jan 16, 2004)

BOSS550;382563 said:


> Amen to that!!! I gave up after the first line.


Me too.......


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## JPMAKO (Dec 10, 2003)

I think he is using Web-TV and that would explain the way that his posts look.
His posts although difficult to read have a lot of good information. 

Jason


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