# Pricing Residential



## fordplowdude (Feb 1, 2005)

Does this seem right for a residential driveway in central New Jersey using a one ton truck? I respect all your coments. Im not trying to be a low baller. If there low please let me now. Im open to suggestions.

15 for 2-3.99 inches
30 for 4-5.99 inches
45 for 6-7.99 inches
60 for 8-9.99 inches
75 for 10-11.99 inches
1 dollar for every inch over 12

Also, How much extra to do sidewalks and walkways?


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## hickslawns (Dec 18, 2004)

We run a $35 minimum. Maybe your local area doesn't match my pricing, but $15 is what I got from the neighbor lady when I was 12 using her snowblower. Not trying to be a jerk, maybe your local market won't tolerate these prices. I have too much in equipment and time to plow for $15.


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## NEHawaiian (Apr 14, 2005)

I really think that your pirces are on the low side. Personally I my lowest rate is $30. However I have a senior citizen route after my regular runs and I charge $15 for a small drive(basically back drag). The senior run for me is icing on the cake. I guess you can say it is a community service.


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## Kentuckydiesel (Dec 12, 2005)

Last year a buddy of mine was doing small driveways with his 4 wheeler and had another friend shoveling the pieces he couldn't get to. (I'm suprized he couldn't get to somewhere with a 4 wheeler too) They got $50 a driveway and had all the business they could handle. -phillip


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## MJM Landscaping (Mar 19, 2005)

This is how I charge residentals: Basically $35 minimum 

small driveway:
2"-8" $35 8"+ $45

$40>$52
$45>$55
I take the first price and add 30% to find the 8"+ price.

It works good, no compliants yet.


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## fordplowdude (Feb 1, 2005)

Guys thanks....Thats what I wanted. I would get into plowing till next year trying to figure everything out now though.


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## Superdudee (Dec 20, 2005)

our residental subdivison 
prices are $40 a drive + $5. for side walks . a corner lot side walk goes for $10 and $10. to salt .


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

Just a couple things to think about:

I'd make the ranges wider - with a 2" trigger, say 2" to 6", over 6" to 10" and over 10". Having 4 or 5 two-inch ranges leads to confusion and disagreements. Helps you in billing, too.

I can tell you, as a customer, I wouldn't like having the prices you're showing. A basic plow is $15 and 12" would be $75. Actually, following the structure you've set up, it's $15 for every 2" so why not just say that? And then you're saying a dollar an inch over 12" (from $5 - $7.50 an inch)? No, to start at $15 is way too low, but $75 for 10" on the same place is too high.

I think I'd start with a $25 or $30 minimum, depending on your area. Fifteen is hardly worth getting up for and the gas, etc. Although you have a route set up, you may have to vary the route in some circumstances. That's when you're really going to wonder if it's worth it. Since you've got some time before you're going to start, you've got time to figure out if a price is too high or too low. Basically, if you get everything you bid on, you're too low. If you don't get at least some of them, you're too high. If the potential customer hems and haws but keeps talking to you, you know you're in the ballpark. Don't congratulate yourself on getting a high number of customers; congratulate yourself on getting a few customers that are making you money without running all over the place. I constantly just shake my head cause around here, they talk about the number of customers they have like it's a badge of honor, then turn around and complain "There's no money in plowing snow". That's when I say to myself - "No sh--". I heard of one guy who had 60 customers and got them all done in one day. Figuring that an average driveway around here takes around ten to fifteen minutes, that's foolish.


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## james1115 (Dec 19, 2005)

my smallest customer is a $45 and it takes about 7 min, for the most part my average house is $65 for 4-6in with shoveling their walkway and salt+sand the ice as needed. anything over 8 I charge +50% so a $60 would be a $90 house. I have yet to have a complaint yet. I think I am underpricing I went on a estimate today, the job is about a 15 min job and I said $65 the lady looked at me like I nwas nuts and said your hired. I thank the people that overcharge because I am happier then a pig in you know what making $65 for 15 min of work.


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## NJBuickRacer (Jan 20, 2005)

Minimum is $30 on a small driveway, average is around $35-$45. I wouldn't even turn on the key in the truck for $15. I drive the truck for the shop I work at, my personal truck only sees my driveway and my neighbors' driveways.


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## iakentdoz (Dec 20, 2005)

I now charge a $35 min. (was $25) and when I do my estimating I figure $60HR for Shoveling/blowing and $80 for plowing billed at 1/4 Hrs. So if I think a plowing job would take me less then 15 minutes I charge the $35 min, 20 minutes $40, 35 minutes $60, etc. I all so tell costumers "large snows over 8" will be plowed 2 times and charged 2 times with a 15% discount applied to the total. 

One thing I NEVER do is tell the costumer my HR rate or that I bill by the 1/4 Hr. That way, if I tell Mrs Jones that it's $60 Hr to plow her driveway and tell he I think it will take me a 1/2 Hr ($20 estimate) and them I do plow her drive and it only takes me 10 minutes, then she wants to pay me $10.


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## G.M.Landscaping (Nov 24, 2005)

I usually charge $50 for the average driveway. That includes doing the sidewalk and salting or calcium all. I guess I'm too cheap also. 

Most of you are just giving a price for plowing, but how much for salting also?


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

question .If you have different prices for for so many inches . Let say you have 30 driveways and its starts to snow. Total snow fall is 5ins. So you plow the first drive its your min. you get to the last drive and its 5ins. so thats puts them next level up. Wouldn't the last drive be pi$$ed and want to be first? Or do you go and plow fist drives again and bill them twice?


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

grandview said:


> question .If you have different prices for for so many inches . Let say you have 30 driveways and its starts to snow. Total snow fall is 5ins. So you plow the first drive its your min. you get to the last drive and its 5ins. so thats puts them next level up. Wouldn't the last drive be pi$$ed and want to be first? Or do you go and plow fist drives again and bill them twice?


You plow all the snow on all the accounts and bill all the accounts for the total snowfall. Having all residential - I generally wait till it stops snowing to begin plowing. So what you're asking isn't an issue. If I can tell there's a need to plow "with the storm" (I'll plow 10" of snow easily), I can plow all the accounts twice (or as many as needed) and still bill them for the total snowfall. This exact method obviously won't work for everybody, but the principle still applies.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

As you read, i do only commercial and for seasonal price so i just plow when it's snows and don't worry about how much is on the ground.If its more than 2ins i'am gone.


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## me1223 (Dec 4, 2005)

I don't want to hijack the thread or anything, but how many standard driveways (about 18'X35') can you plow in an hour.


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

me1223 said:


> I don't want to hijack the thread or anything, but how many standard driveways (about 18'X35') can you plow in an hour.


How much time to get from one to the next? How big is your plow (7.5' or 9' or bigger)? Straight blade, Vplow or boxed-in ends? Back plow for garages? How much backdragging? Can you push straight in and pile at the end? Do you have to wait for traffic to clear if you have to back into the street?


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## me1223 (Dec 4, 2005)

sorry, blizzard 720 is what I'll probably get, the drives will have a garage at the end so yes they will mostly be backdragged. They would all be on reasonably quiet streets so traffic wouldn't be a problem. Most would be in one or two subdivisions about 6miles apart, individual clients no more than 1minute apart.


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

It's wide enough to require three full trips from one end to the other. With backdragging from a two car garage, I'd allow 6-7 minutes per drive for a 4" snowfall. Then drive time to the next one. 

Now, if my case, I'd allow 20 minutes bs time with the resident, fixing another cup of coffee from the thermos and 1/2 hour side trip to the restuarant every other hour. Anybody want to give me a job?


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## Daner (Jan 8, 2006)

Keep it simple for you and the customer
2"TRIGER-------8" 50 can. (min) (charge)
8" and up ------ 65 CAN.
Thats all there is to it
This if for country driveways say aprox 75 ' to 100'
Salting 3 times the price that you paid for the salt or sand mix
LETER Snooooooooow:redbounce payup


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