# Snowfall total vs Visits



## ssetter (Sep 2, 2017)

I am working on my first commercial bid and before submitting, I would like the opinions of the professionals. The bid is per push and has a 2" trigger. I have compiled snowfall data from the last 5 years. Below is the average snowfall events per inch.

Annual Average - 41.02"
<1" - 27.6
1" - 10.6
2" - 3.8
3" - 2.4
4" - 0.6
6" - 0.2
8" - 0.2
13" - 0.2
14" - 0.2

In your experience, what is a good estimate on the number of visits?


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

Where are you located?


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## ponyboy (Dec 19, 2006)

2 inch trigger on commercial is also asking for trouble


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

ponyboy said:


> 2 inch trigger on commercial is also asking for trouble


Depends on the location.

Some places, 2 inches shuts the place down for days. Others, 2 inches isn't even noticed.


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## ssetter (Sep 2, 2017)

I am located in Minot North Dakota.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Pretty sure 2" isn't an issue in North Dakota. Until it turns into 10' drifts.


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## LapeerLandscape (Dec 29, 2012)

What happens when your 27 @ <1" and 10 @ >1" add up to inches of hard pack.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

LapeerLandscape said:


> What happens when your 27 @ <1" and 10 @ >1" add up to inches of hard pack.


You buy an Arctic and plow at no more than 6 MPH...


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## ssetter (Sep 2, 2017)

So what is your guys recommendation? This is a Hotel with 53,056 Sq ft of plow-able area. I've called other contractors within ND and none were willing to provide insight.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

I base my seasonals on yearly average divided by trigger amount. But I would assume there is a fairly substantial difference in expectations between my location and yours.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Check with Image, he's in Fargo, he should be willing to help.

We average 75" and 20 plows at 1.5" trigger.


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## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

ssetter said:


> I am working on my first commercial bid and before submitting, I would like the opinions of the professionals. The bid is per push and has a 2" trigger. I have compiled snowfall data from the last 5 years. Below is the average snowfall events per inch.
> 
> Annual Average - 41.02"
> <1" - 27.6
> ...


Do you have any other data compiled? The way I track my seasons is total snowfall per event, date of event, how many times through the route for the event, and how long the event lasted. It's much easier to figure out over the way you have compiled your data in my opinion. According to your averages with a 2 inch trigger, you will have 8 plowable events a year. Factor in a 20% safety and round up to ten events.

Your parking lot is just a little over an acre. If wide open you can plow that in way under an hour. But its a hotel. Typically with a hotel, at least with mine, you will open up all the drive lanes and entrances with the storm, and push back parking spaces that are open. Then you will come back after 11am, check out time, and get the rest of the lot after everyone leaves. So for a 2 inch event you need to plan on 2 trips. Then charge a service call if they call you back a third time to clean up more spots etc.

I like the hotels with 1-2.5 acre lots. They are easy to keep open during the event because you just blow and go and then come back once its settled down. And they always end up needing extra service calls. They are a money maker if you remember the split timing and plan your route accordingly.

P.S. We get 103" average where I am. Sometimes we have 20 plowable events. Sometimes like last year, we got over our average and plowed 5 events. Every year is different. And dont worry about a 2 inch trigger. That is standard here for retail and hotels. My HOA roads have 3 and 4 inch triggers.


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## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

ktfbgb said:


> And dont worry about a 2 inch trigger. That is standard here for retail and hotels. My HOA roads have 3 and 4 inch triggers.


Retail and motels are a royal PITA, Churches and industrial property's is where it's at.

I've had HOA's say 6" triggers and I say nice dice, 4" is the cut oof for me.


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## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

BUFF said:


> Retail and motels are a royal PITA, Churches and industrial property's is where it's at.
> 
> I've had HOA's say 6" triggers and I say nice dice, 4" is the cut oof for me.


Yes I wouldn't want anything over 4". Even though it seems like by the time I get to the end of the route I'm usually a 6" anyway lol.


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## JustJeff (Sep 9, 2009)

BUFF said:


> Retail and motels are a royal PITA, Churches and industrial property's is where it's at.
> 
> I've had HOA's say 6" triggers and I say nice dice, 4" is the cut oof for me.


I like hotels because they're "opposite" my other customers. As ktfbgb said, their hours are opposite of most businesses. You don't have to have them cleared by 8:00 or 9:00 AM. You just clear isles for the majority of the storm, so you can service the rest of your accounts, and then go back after their checkout time (which mine are noon), and do a full cleanup. Yes, they are a huge pain in the ass, but they pay well enough to make it worthwhile for me. I haven't done any churches, but I think I'd like to try them.


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## leolkfrm (Mar 11, 2010)

what about salt...a lot dont want it and it becomes a pia to clean


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

leolkfrm said:


> what about salt...a lot dont want it and it becomes a pia to clean


Salt in North Dakota at -20°?


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

LapeerLandscape said:


> What happens when your 27 @ <1" and 10 @ >1" add up to inches of hard pack.


Wouldn't one start plowing when 2" has accumulated? If it takes 2 snowfalls, that's what you do?

Bare pavement isn't a requirement around the country, some people know how to deal with it and some areas it's too cold to require bare pavement economically.


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## LapeerLandscape (Dec 29, 2012)

Mark Oomkes said:


> Wouldn't one start plowing when 2" has accumulated? If it takes 2 snowfalls, that's what you do?
> 
> Bare pavement isn't a requirement around the country, some people know how to deal with it and some areas it's too cold to require bare pavement economically.


So if I get 3/4" on Nov 30, then 1/2" on Dec 8, then another 1/2" on Dec 18 and 1/4" on Jan 4 I can plow. In math thats how it works but not in reality.


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## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

LapeerLandscape said:


> So if I get 3/4" on Nov 30, then 1/2" on Dec 8, then another 1/2" on Dec 18 and 1/4" on Jan 4 I can plow. In math thats how it works but not in reality.


:hammerhead::hammerhead:


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