# Help Pricing Please!! pics



## bdlawncare (Oct 1, 2011)

Hey guys, im new to this site and semi new to the snow removal business... I have been going around getting accounts for this winter after a decent winter last winter. I got this house, it is in Northern NJ.. Don't know if it makes a difference but it is in a very wealthy area. I know its not the greatest picture and its a little hard to see the driveway due to the trees but im sure you guys can figure it out. Anyways just looking for a rough estimate.. Take a look please, Thanks for the help in advance! BTW i am just looking for the price to clear it.... no salts and stuff included. Thanks


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## thelettuceman (Nov 23, 2010)

You need to post another picture. Cannot see the length of the driveway from the house to the street. I had a similar house that I bid on last year. Not as much to clear at the house but the driveway was long. I bid $200.00 and could have had the job. I did not get the bid because I could not promise the customer that she would be the first one to get plowed. $200.00 was not the issue. Good Luck


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## bdlawncare (Oct 1, 2011)

Heres another pic, i know its not the best but it shows the driveway better than the other. This is the best pic i can get as of now so just imagine the bottom of the driveway does a little J hook at the bottom to the street. Hope this helps, thanks for the reply lettuceman.


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## Wayne Volz (Mar 1, 2002)

*This will take the guess work out of your bidding*

Snow & Ice Management Bidding Package Includes:

#1 Snow & Ice Management Manual - this is a comprehensive manual covering all aspects of snow & ice management for both residential and commercial accounts. Also includes application rates for many different deicing materials.

#2 Snow & Ice Management CD full of templates for contracts, route sheets, hours of operation sheets, Who's first, proposal formats, don't take the risk template for clients, sample invoices, sample marketing forms and much more. All these templates are in Microsoft Word format and are completely customizable to your business.

#3 Snow & Ice Management Quick Estimator CD - calculates per push, per event, hourly or season contracts. Also calculates material application rates for both granular and liquid applications for any deicing material that you may be using. This CD also calculates time and material for application of material, and hand labor as well. This CD runs in Microsoft Excel and is not software. You simply fill in the blanks and you have your estimate.

Go to www.profitsareus.com or call us at 800-845-0499 to order. Feel free to call us with any questions you might have as well. Being a full-service lawn & landscaping business myself since 1979, I know what a contractor is looking for; something simple, accurate and professional. This package is it.


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## bdlawncare (Oct 1, 2011)

I know its not the greatest pics but nothing else?? Im kinda clueless here.... Thanks


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## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

Wayne Volz;1317318 said:


> Snow & Ice Management Bidding Package Includes:
> 
> #1 Snow & Ice Management Manual - this is a comprehensive manual covering all aspects of snow & ice management for both residential and commercial accounts. Also includes application rates for many different deicing materials.
> 
> ...


Really? you're going to post this everytime someone has a bidding question?? Bunch of BS, shouldn't be allowed to happen.


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## Longae29 (Feb 15, 2008)

Pretty obnoxious to scroll through the same ad on every thread....makes a guy want to never buy the product being PUSHED. I know sponsors are what keeps a website going.....


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## Luther (Oct 31, 2007)

bdlawncare;1317370 said:


> I know its not the greatest pics but nothing else?? Im kinda clueless here.... Thanks


Clueless??? It's just a driveway.

Do a little thinking on your own and put a price on it. it's not that hard to do.


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## NickT (Feb 1, 2011)

As dr evil would say 5 miiiiillllloon dollars


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## Wayne Volz (Mar 1, 2002)

*Just wanting to help a contractor understand how to calculate cost per hour*

It amazes me that you guys would get upset when I am simply trying to help commercial contractors understand the bidding side of their business so they don't have to ask anyone what to charge. I cannot imagine any of the major equipment manufacturers getting on a forum and asking the other what to charge. Can you? Why don't they? Because they know and understand their cost to produce their equipment and price it accordingly. I simply want to give a contractor the same opportunity to feel confident about their bidding and estimating process.

Why not give a contractor the opportunity to understand how to calculate their cost per hour of operation so they don't have to ask what to charge. Too many times before a person gets through the learning curve on their own its too late and they have lost thousands of dollars or simply failed. Check out the Small Business Administration web site if you think this is made up information.

No two company's have the same cost per hour of operation. Yes there is an industry standard, but based on the number of contractors asking for bidding help, I am confident after 31 years of experience myself, the industry standard is off.

It would be nice not to post the bidding information so much, but I cannot use a "Sticky" post to keep it running.

I find it equally questionable when I read a post telling someone what to charge when the person responding to the post has no idea what the other contractors cost are to do the job. Knowing what the market will bear is important and certainly a consideration when pricing the job. However, if a contractor does not know their break-even point and price their jobs up from that, then what the market will bear doesn't matter because they will not survive.

I will try to watch the number of times I post the "bidding help" information for you guys that do have a handle on cost per hour of operation. Hope everyone has a great season and a profitable year.


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## Luther (Oct 31, 2007)

Wayne Volz;1317523 said:


> I cannot imagine any of the major equipment manufacturers getting on a forum and asking the other what to charge. Can you? Why don't they? Because they know and understand their cost to produce their equipment and price it accordingly.
> 
> Hope everyone has a great season and a profitable year.


You're a classy guy Wayne. You paid good money to sponsor and you have every right to promote yourself. You do have a very good and helpful product.

I find the pop-up adds more annoying than the self promoting members here.

I suppose the low entry of getting involved in this industry, the path it's on right now and the questions these guys continue to bring gets us jackals a little restless with them.


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## bdlawncare (Oct 1, 2011)

Yeah I am clueless, I only started doing this last year and all of my accounts were WAY smaller than this, I have never priced a driveway this big.... but thanks.


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## NickT (Feb 1, 2011)

Wayne Volz;1317523 said:


> It amazes me that you guys would get upset when I am simply trying to help commercial contractors understand the bidding side of their business so they don't have to ask anyone what to charge. I cannot imagine any of the major equipment manufacturers getting on a forum and asking the other what to charge. Can you? Why don't they? Because they know and understand their cost to produce their equipment and price it accordingly. I simply want to give a contractor the same opportunity to feel confident about their bidding and estimating process.
> 
> Why not give a contractor the opportunity to understand how to calculate their cost per hour of operation so they don't have to ask what to charge. Too many times before a person gets through the learning curve on their own its too late and they have lost thousands of dollars or simply failed. Check out the Small Business Administration web site if you think this is made up information.
> 
> ...


But wait there's more if you act right now....


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## sectlandscaping (Sep 7, 2009)

NickT;1317807 said:


> But wait there's more if you act right now....


lol... Do I just pay a extra handling charge?


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## buckwheat_la (Oct 11, 2009)

Wayne Volz, I also find the long software ad, annoying, but I totally respect you being a sponsor too. Couldn't/Shouldn't you get your own thread in the sponsor area? Then you could just suggest that people could check out your thread?


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## buckwheat_la (Oct 11, 2009)

And to the OP, if you are struggling this much to price such a place, maybe you should seriously consider the software. The fact is as a buisness, you should already have a handle on how much hourly expenses, fixed expenses, profit margin, etc are for your buisness model. I can help you with how long that place will take for you to do, but as to a cost, if you don't already know your hourly rate, then you are in the wrong buisness.


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## chesterlawn (Nov 9, 2005)

If I'm seeing the whole drive, I'd bid $250 per push. I don't do any shoveling.


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## wilsonsground (Jun 29, 2012)

$250 a push a lot for that driveway in NH, $250 up to 8"-12" and double if more than that is roughly how that place would be priced in my area. or a know some guys that would do it for roughly 75 a push with 3" trigger. it shouldnt take you more than a half hour each push with ONLY plowing and it doesnt look like theres anything to back drag either


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## PhilFromErie (Jun 29, 2009)

Seriously? $250 for a half hour driveway, seems a bit out of line but if you can get it great


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## ford6.9 (Aug 17, 2006)

Not when you are dealing with people with that kind of money. They get very picky, and expect you to replace damages you haven't even created.


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