# What to include in Commercial proposals



## Jguck25 (Oct 30, 2009)

When you guys bid on Medium sized commercial contracts, what do you include? The ones that I am looking at are places like pizza huts,Dunkin donuts, mcdonalds, auto part stores, etc.. Places that do not require loaders or skid steers.. 
I have been asked to write up a proposal and I am not sure what is common practice to put into these proposals.. other than my contract, terms of conditions and quote which i write on the contract. 
Any hints on what you guys do to secure these types of things?

I have done a lot of small mom and pop store type deals and a dentist office, but im not too sure what people like i listed above will be looking for in a professional quote. I have quite a few residentials that have said I can use their name for a reference contact but im not sure if I would actually be getting letters of reccomendation?
Thanks in advance


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## Jguck25 (Oct 30, 2009)

oh yeah I just wanted to clarify that it is possible to get a skid steer or loader when needed.. because I know that it is STRONGLY reccommended by most of you not to take on a commercial lot without either of those.. so I do have connections to get one but i am looking at lots that do not necessarily need them on a regular basis for plowing the snow


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Just give them a per push price or a seasonal price. Nice to have a loader but they are cheap so I wouldn't worry to much about it.


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## elite1msmith (Sep 10, 2007)

if your contract is less than 8 pages you are missing something


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## Jguck25 (Oct 30, 2009)

eight pages??? haha i thought mine was long at two pages.. is that all i really need? a Contract? Yeah i know that it would be nice to have a loader, but none of these places are even big enough to need a loader


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## Rc2505 (Feb 5, 2007)

I always us a blank page sketch the lot out, and show where I am going to place piles of snow, and if they want salt, I use a highlighter and show the areas where they want salt if it's not the entire lot, and then make them sign off on it in case there are issues later.


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## viper881 (Jan 14, 2009)

Just make sure when you give them a contract with details that you have them sign it under terms and conditions


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## maxximus98 (Nov 30, 2009)

Don't forget how many cups of coffee and donuts are included!!!


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## Snow Picasso (Dec 15, 2004)

maxximus98;1021215 said:


> Don't forget how many cups of coffee and donuts are included!!!


Be very careful if you sign one of their contracts! They will try and pay you with DD Dollars! Just like Menards Bucks! lol


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## Jguck25 (Oct 30, 2009)

so basically for commercial like this it is just the contract and terms and conditions? No official looking packet with a cover letter and anything like that? I have been plowing for a while and doing small commercial, but want to do it correctly when i step up to the next level


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## LwnmwrMan22 (Jan 20, 2005)

My form is 1 page.

It has letterhead, dear "xxxxxxx"

I will plow your lot starting at 1".

In the event there is more than 4" during business hours, all attempts will be made to make trips through the lot at every 2-3".

Your price is "$xxx.xx".

Any other services, such as plowing under 1", scraping the parking lot, salt spreading, drift cleanup, any other services other than standard plowing with a 1" start, will be billed at "$xxx.xx" per hour plus the cost of materials.

If you have any questions, would like a list of referrals or copies of insurance, feel free to call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Thank you,

xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

Been this way for 15 years now.


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## kpmsnow (Sep 18, 2009)

My proposals have a nice cover page, a "cover letter" outlining my company and the services we offer, the price proposal page, a satellite image of the property with snow pile locations marked, and terms and conditions.


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## elite1msmith (Sep 10, 2007)

Jguck25;1021075 said:


> eight pages??? haha i thought mine was long at two pages.. is that all i really need? a Contract? Yeah i know that it would be nice to have a loader, but none of these places are even big enough to need a loader


even if they are no big enough for a loader, put th epricing in there hourly just in case, you never know what blizzard will come....and if you need it, at least they know up fron the cost, and not think your taking advantage of them

a site plan or map of the site with where the snow goes takes up a page

how about spelling out your 2 inch trigger? if it snows during business hours do you come every 2 inches? if so how do they pay for it? do they need to call you? how do you handel snows after business hours? still every 2 or do you let it go a little? Insurance requirements, limited liablity, property manager liablity? heres one, what happends if there is ice on the property that occured from a non ice or snow event, like a bust water pipe? or clogged gutters? is that included in the contract or extra? who has the liablity for the ice it self in that case?

a call list... if you need an approval for extra work, whom do you call, who can give authrization? what if you call the manager and he is still aspleep who do you call next on that list?

how about late paymnets, fees, work stoppages? what if you pull up and the work order didnt need to be completed or was completed by another party?

how close do you get to curbs? and cars with your plow? if you dont state that you will remain 2 feet from any car, the customer has fair expectations that you can plow right up to the doors.

snow storage space? tight properties can have piles that start to block traffic lanes as the piles grow...who is resposisble for moving them and at what expense....even if the property owner tells you to leave th epile alone the fire dept can say otherwise.

you dont have to word up 8 plus pages of legal terms, completeley with no white space on the pages. but clearify as much as you can on how you personally operate your business and policys that you might have, this can simplfy alot of problems later on.


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## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

elite1msmith;1021554 said:


> even if they are no big enough for a loader, put th epricing in there hourly just in case, you never know what blizzard will come....and if you need it, at least they know up fron the cost, and not think your taking advantage of them
> 
> a site plan or map of the site with where the snow goes takes up a page
> 
> ...


These are a lot of good points. The one that got me laughing though - "How close do you get to curbs"? Didn't know this was debatable. I always get right up to them.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Seems to me some of you guys have some real crabby people to plow for!


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

wow, alot of good things on here that even I have over looked. Liability is a real b*tch, you can never protect yourself enough


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