# Help me Bid - I'm a Rook!



## The Turf Tender (Mar 7, 2008)

OK, I want to preface this with the aknowedgement I know little about commercial plowing outside of removing the snow. I wasn't even going to get heavy into it untill I was licensed and bonded, and posted on craigslist, and BAM. I have 8 residential accounts, and a church, a minimall (which I gave away!) and now my father-in-laws place of business.

Now the Specs:

16650 in Plowable Spaces

50 foot ramp

Less than 100 sq feet of sidewalk

2" and 1" pricing

Minneapolis, MN

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He (Owner, not may FIL) wants a seasonal bid. I have included pics. Let me know what other questions I sholud have.

Yes, the ramp pic is bad, thanks.

Hope someone, can be of some help.


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## mulcahy mowing (Jan 16, 2006)

no one can help you price this out really. only you know what your costs are and how long you think it will take you. settle down figure this all out and figure in your profit and you'll have what you should charge.


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## The Turf Tender (Mar 7, 2008)

My cost are about the same as any other sole P. Gas, hourly, ins, overhead, etc. $1 is a little low, and a million seems a bit high.

I know what I would do it for, I just don't want to give a bid thats completly insane. If you want me to open the books and ask everyone what they think, I guess I could do that, but I was just looking for a few thoughts 

But thank you anyway!

B


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## Plowfast9957 (Feb 14, 2005)

It depends on many things. What are you plowing it with? What does the company that does it now use. Maybe its just how the picture looks but it seems awful big to do with a pickup.


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## The Turf Tender (Mar 7, 2008)

I was thinking the same thing. I don't think it's too big, but if 8" plus falls, I could get into some trouble.


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## The Turf Tender (Mar 7, 2008)

Salting and sanding too!!!


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## The Turf Tender (Mar 7, 2008)

I am thinking about $2000 seasonal pricing w/o salt. Seem fair?


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

The Turf Tender;540053 said:


> I am thinking about $2000 seasonal pricing w/o salt. Seem fair?


No. Think of it this way. I do a parking area aprox 50'x75' with a 3" trigger for $440 seasonal. That's with no travel outside of the route. No shoveling. Plenty of open space to push to. Nothing unusual about it.

I really can't tell much by the picture, this is what I'd suggest. Divide the whole thing into sections with sidewalks being a seperate section. Figure what you'd charge for each section. Add them all together. Consider (just consider at this point if you want to give up a certain percentage of that for doing the whole thing. Now figure out how many times you expect to service the property and multiple the total figure by that. Now figure in unusual circumstances; such as travel off your route, additional insurance for this site, potential for drifting, extraordinary site monitoring etc, etc.

Do not include sanding/salting with seasonal pricing.

Or just pull a figure out of your ...


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## The Turf Tender (Mar 7, 2008)

Mick, the 50 X 73 is 3725 in plowable space. I am looking at 16650.

The sections consist of this:

60 X 20

150 X 15

120 X 100

and 80 X 15 which includes the ramp!


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

Ok. Take it from there and figure up a price for plowing each section. Add in the shoveling part.


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

Using your dimensions, I came up with 22,650 sq ft.

With my example being 3725 sq ft; yours is six times that in area. But it's also shaped much differently and not really comparable. Mine is a plain, flat rectangle and easily pushed over the edge on one side.


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## plowman4life (Jan 16, 2008)

from what i see in the pictures. and your measurements. i would say $3000-$3500 a year. to plow and shovel. no salt no sand included.

also i dont recomend just throwing my price at him. b/c thats my price. thats what i would have to charge to make a profit. also for the lot that size i would use 2 vehicals. a topkick 6500 or so with a 10' plow and sander and maybe a 1500 to get tighter spots. take them 30-45 min to bang out.

keep in mind that big ramp you WILL have to salt and sand regularly.
to make it fast i would probobly back a small truck up it with a sander scrape the whole thing and sand it.if its as big as you say it is.


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## The Turf Tender (Mar 7, 2008)

Dang. So my little 7' might not do the trick? 

Thank you for the heads up on the ramp. As you can see from the pic, the space is a little irregular. I think I am now in the $2500 range if I can commit to doing it. Sans sands and salt of course. Maybe I just try to sub it and just take the grass cutting. 

Damn, you guys are no BS. I appreciate that. I don't want to be out there in 15 degree weather, overwhelmed and stuck in a rut with 50 angry workers mobbing my truck when business opens!!!


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## GL&M (Sep 26, 2005)

How many times are you expecting to plow this in a season? 16,000 SF isn't all that big.


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## The Turf Tender (Mar 7, 2008)

I didn't think it was all that big either. Nothing I would call in a 6500 for. I am thinking 10-12 times


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## GL&M (Sep 26, 2005)

The Turf Tender;540430 said:


> I didn't think it was all that big either. Nothing I would call in a 6500 for. I am thinking 10-12 times


I plow lots that range from 3,900 SF to 39,000 SF with a 3/4 ton and a 7 1/2 ft blade. Doesn't take that long. 39,000 SF is still less than an acre, and I figure on doing an acre at $125.00 an hour if the layout is not to difficult. My lowest priced lot is $60.00 (Smallest) and my highest goes for $250.00. The $250.00 lot isn't the most difficult or largest(26,000 SF) but due to hours of operation and 24 hr ice free terms I price it accordingly. The smaller lots should be charged less based on the SF, but due to back dragging and stacking the snow in only one area I charge them more for the extra time it takes to do them. The largest lot at 39,000 SF is fairly straight pushing with a few clean up pushes when done. I get that done in 45 minutes and charge them $80.00. It should be billed a little higher but it's a church so I give then a little break. All prices are based per push on 2-6 inches of snow. If I were dong these seasonal they would be multiplied by your 12 events per season. Every body has different factors to consider when bidding and estimating. You can't go wrong if you figure your time, times your hourly rate, times the number of times you expect to plow per season. Just make sure that your estimated time is accurate. You will probably loose out on some of your early estimates, we all did. Time and experience will lessen these losses. Good luck.


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