# Plower needs help



## powerjoke

hi i need help on how much to charge one of my plow customers the lot is about 1 acre i charge about $1100 each plow, but i didn't sweep the whole lot only about 50% it took one of my guys about 10hrs, I DO NOT sweep normaly, i just have a pick-up broom for my own lot, so what do i charge,


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## Duracutter

powerjoke;411673 said:


> hi i need help on how much to charge one of my plow customers the lot is about 1 acre i charge about $1100 each plow, but i didn't sweep the whole lot only about 50% it took one of my guys about 10hrs, I DO NOT sweep normaly, i just have a pick-up broom for my own lot, so what do i charge,


Hey, wish I could help you but I don't use sweepers in parking lots in winter.

Good luck getting a response here, seems the guys who could answer have swallowed too much dust and probably can't see the keyboard...

I've pretty well given up on most of the sweeper sites... don't know why? The lawnsite and the plowsite are very active but the sweeping...don't know, maybe they're all too busy counting their money...payup


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## powerjoke

Duracutter 

man this is a lively thread LOL i guess it takes a differ cat to sweep, 

the reason i had to sweep this lot is because my plowing predicesor done a horible job and only applied sand and the ice was still slick so the first storm there were 3 slip&falls and one car wreck so he had 5lawsuits and then suddenly i wasnt so high but midway in the season with 5" ice he found out what high wasLOL


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## cleansweep

10 Hrs for 1/2 acre is generally far too long. Of course we don't know condition of lot and how many curbs etc you were dealing with. If you used basically your snow equipment and people then perhaps charge along the same lines as plowing ( 1/2 of $1200) .


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## SnoFarmer

powerjoke;411673 said:


> hi i need help on how much to charge one of my plow customers the lot is about 1 acre i charge about $1100 each plow, but i didn't sweep the whole lot only about 50% it took one of my guys about 10hrs, I DO NOT sweep normaly, i just have a pick-up broom for my own lot, so what do i charge,


? Are you useing push brooms or a street sweeper?
When I think of sweeping I think of a vac truck or an elgen street sweeper.
I could not imagen using a push broom and 10hrs 
no disresepct.

Is there a rental center where you could rent a blower. or a Bobcat with a broom.
yea, it will raise the dust, we use to speep lots at night so no one would see the dust cloud.

I have a friend that uses an Elgen street sweeper.
makes quick work of a dirty lot.


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## powerjoke

PUSHBROOM? LOL no i've got a 72" bobcat pick-up broom on a toolcat but i did'nt have a spare machine so i have a sub (dirtworker) that i use once in a while, He used his loader CaT 246 (his machine) and he turned in 10 hrs on the job i thought it was a little too much as it should have been too but there was a lot of sand and other junk around the curbs so he had to hand broom alot of it?. i don't want to turn in a bill that will scare the owner to death but i don't want to start doing it for a living either (no disrespect i just have too many irons in the fire), i apriceate the in-put but i am going to have to turn a bill in to him in about 2 weeks i figured i would bill the $65hr loader and $????$hr for the broom 

how much per hour for broom only do you think 

THANKS RICK


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## SnoFarmer

lol
I read it and thought 10hr in a lot is his crew using push brooms?:crying: 

Not sure what he charged for sweeping.

no help.. :waving: latter.


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## northernsweeper

I can't imagine it taking 10 hours to sweep anything,unless your doing a municipality. I think no matter what you are running for equipment,the cost to sweep a certain size lot will still be the same.It may take 10 hours for your equipment or 2 hours for mine,but the amount of lot swept is the same. I do walmart size lots for around 200.00...that doesn't include sidewalks...thats just sweeping the lot...I should also say that I don't do many lots. In my area they just don't want to pay anything for lot sweeping. I run an elgin pelican and maintanence and parts are HIGH as is everything else. It spends much time sitting in the garage...


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## powerjoke

thanks, i have been wondering about geting into sweeping i could have the wal-mart down here that i plow , they pay $100 perday and i have NEVER neen a sweeper


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## northernsweeper

We have a guy here who sweeps the local wal mart with 2 tenant wharehouse sweepers. They seem to do a good job and he seems happy with the account.For 100.00 a day,if you can get 5 days a week sweeping and can do the lot in a couple hours or less,I would say do it.Good luck!!


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## Duracutter

northernsweeper;421090 said:


> We have a guy here who sweeps the local wal mart with 2 tenant wharehouse sweepers. They seem to do a good job and he seems happy with the account.For 100.00 a day,if you can get 5 days a week sweeping and can do the lot in a couple hours or less,I would say do it.Good luck!!


A couple of hours for $100? 

It's not even worth reaching for the keys let alone do it. Where we are, "any" parking lot sweeper gets at least $200 to $300/hr. And even at that, I get laughed at. And that's for about 4 solid months. We'll get even more to do parkades and washing with scrubbers, that's where the real money is.

I don't know about the conditions or market in your area, but here we also have the cheapo customers that'll have wear out your brushes for a loaf of bread, but hell, I need real money...payup

What I'm saying is every city has it's cheap customers, and walmart is a famous one for that, and I don't want to just eat bread for supper, I want jam with it at least...


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## hotshot4819

i have 2 walmarts in surronding towns, both are 140 bucks a night each, 7 days a weeks. each lot takes me 25 minutes. and are about 8 minutes apart. and inbetween those i have 2 fast food restraunts and also a mini strip mall.

my tymco 435 makes this easy. however i will admit, im not getting rich, but im also not becoming poor. i have a couple good accounts coming up and that is when my jam becomes my $$$$$

also, my real money is with some of the construction guys, pavers,excavation.. good money and pretty consistant


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## Duracutter

hotshot4819;421808 said:


> i have 2 walmarts in surronding towns, both are 140 bucks a night each, 7 days a weeks. each lot takes me 25 minutes. and are about 8 minutes apart. and inbetween those i have 2 fast food restraunts and also a mini strip mall.
> 
> my tymco 435 makes this easy. however i will admit, im not getting rich, but im also not becoming poor. i have a couple good accounts coming up and that is when my jam becomes my $$$$$
> 
> also, my real money is with some of the construction guys, pavers,excavation.. good money and pretty consistant


Now that sounds more like it. After all sweeping isn't like lawncare...sweeping is usually good coin and sounds like you're well on your way. Pavers and construction is steady and a good source. One day poke your nose into parkades, it may be worth it in your area.

Good luck in your biz


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## hotshot4819

thanks, i forgot to mention my towns that i sweep for in the spring, they usaully bring me close to 40k a year, which is a nice jump start to the season..

i feel ******** asking, parkades??? im lost on that?


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## hotshot4819

duracutter also do you have a way of communicating other then this forum, you seem knowledable and there isnt many other people on here that talk very often?


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## Duracutter

hotshot4819;422027 said:


> duracutter also do you have a way of communicating other then this forum, you seem knowledable and there isnt many other people on here that talk very often?


I come on here 4 or 5 times a week and it's the only thing I do that I have time for.

I know, not many people actually reply in these sweeper forums. I think it may have something to do with age or experience. The older sweeper guys don't communicate very much unlike the lawncare where it's all young people and they talk like crazy... so do the snow plow guys.

Sweeping, well it's different I guess. I've asked questions on here and never get an answer. I asked once about an old Advance sweeper. I might get an answer in the next millenium...


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## Duracutter

hotshot4819;422026 said:


> thanks, i forgot to mention my towns that i sweep for in the spring, they usaully bring me close to 40k a year, which is a nice jump start to the season..
> 
> i feel ******** asking, parkades??? im lost on that?


Parkades are carparks underground and usually are found in condo highrises.
It depends if you live in a large city. Small towns won't have that many parkades.

Where I live there's hundreds and hundreds of them cause here in Canada it's damn cold seven months of the year(not kidding), it's like -5 C here now and not likely to get much wamer till april of 08 so cars and people like to hide underground. That's where all the dirt follows the cars and this way we smile and start cleaning.


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## hotshot4819

ok, i never thought to ask parking garages and stuff to that nature, i will have to get in touch with the few in the area.. thanks, anythings else you can point in my direction would be cool also.


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## powerjoke

parkades.....i was way offLOL

thank yoi guys for returning an answer to my post, what i meant for 100$ per night is that is what they told me they were paying and i told them i didn't think i could do it for that but i don't actualy think it's getting done 'cause i have never seen a sweeper there but for a hundred bucks they could'nt spend alot of time there i think it's b/s and an exec is pocketing the money i dunno 
again thanks


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## Duracutter

powerjoke;423236 said:


> parkades.....i was way offLOL
> 
> thank yoi guys for returning an answer to my post, what i meant for 100$ per night is that is what they told me they were paying and i told them i didn't think i could do it for that but i don't actualy think it's getting done 'cause i have never seen a sweeper there but for a hundred bucks they could'nt spend alot of time there i think it's b/s and an exec is pocketing the money i dunno
> again thanks


Sorry about using your thread to talk to another sweeper but around here it's like a mortuary and when conversation presents itself I pipe in.

I'm glad you got some answers to your questions.

:waving:


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## Dwan

Sweeping equipment cost more then a plow. (New vs New) 
Sweepers take more maintenance then plows. 
Sweepers take more fuel then plows. 
Sweepers are dedicated machines, which mean they can not be used for anything else like a plow truck. 
Insurance is about the same for sweeping as plowing, 
It takes about the same amount of time to sweep a lot as it does to plow it (give or take a little). 

My experience is with plowing w/ 1 ton trucks for 25 plus years and sweeping with Mobil, pelican, bobcat w/8" open face broom, Maxi road sweeper, and Air Cub vacuum units.

I charge 25% to 50% more for sweeping then plowing.


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