# Need help with a bid please!



## jjvvdd (Dec 10, 2011)

This is my first rodeo. I have a best Western to bid at 117,000 sqft or 2.69 acres. Any ideas? Just pushing snow. No salt, no sidewalks. Typical parking lot. Per trip. I'm using an 11' four way plow on an International 466 turbo. Thanks.


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## RoystonLawn (Nov 6, 2011)

1-2.99" $300
3-5.99 " $375
6-8.99" $425
9-11.99" $500
12+" $650


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## jjvvdd (Dec 10, 2011)

*Thanks*

I wonder if MI charges less due to more competition and frequent snowfalls? Those numbers seem light.


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## RoystonLawn (Nov 6, 2011)

jjvvdd;1374294 said:


> I wonder if MI charges less due to more competition and frequent snowfalls? Those numbers seem light.


We receive about 50 in a season dec-march


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## RoystonLawn (Nov 6, 2011)

jjvvdd;1374294 said:


> I wonder if MI charges less due to more competition and frequent snowfalls? Those numbers seem light.


Prices are pretty damn cheap here due to many low ballers having no insurance so prices are taking a beating. What were you thinking for price?


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## 95HDRam (Sep 12, 2011)

With no salt or sidewalks and just snow those prices aren't bad for my area either. We have a lot similar in size and ours look like this.

1-3.9" $350
4-6.9" $425
7-9.9" $550
10+" $675

1in trigger with two trucks for us. It takes us close to 45min to do the lot on an average snowfall of 3-6".

Main thing is time on lot and how many times you will come back to clear the lot on larger snows.


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## mpgall26 (Aug 19, 2011)

How do you protect yourself with no salt/sidewalks on a commercial property like this? My contracts say not liable,indemnify,at own risk, limited liabilty, and probably 5 other catch phrases but no salt/sidealks still make me pretty nervous on open businesses, even when explicit about customers refusal. Just curious what some of the more experienced think. Thanks


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## jjvvdd (Dec 10, 2011)

I think it will take 5 hours and I'm guessing around $110 an hour. I really don't know what I'm doing.


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## RoystonLawn (Nov 6, 2011)

jjvvdd;1374492 said:


> I think it will take 5 hours and I'm guessing around $110 an hour. I really don't know what I'm doing.


$110 an hr seems pretty steep. We can only get about $75u an hr here in mi


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## jjvvdd (Dec 10, 2011)

Thanks Royston( and 95ram) you've been very helpful.


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## bristolturf (Dec 20, 2008)

using an 11ft blade on a 3 acre lot you should be in and out of there in probably about 1.5 hrs max. Have you plowed before or no? even with curbs and such that will be nothing. And with that big of a truck and blade snow depth really isnt going to factor much into the equation. You will be sitting at about 1.5-2hrs max probably up to about 6" or so. With a pickup truck and an 8ft blade your talking about 3-4 hours for a 2-4" snow fall.

Around here a international and 10ft blade is getting about $75.00/hr. Id venture to say you could do something like $250-300/push up to 6" probably about $400-450/push up to 10" and anything over 10" is billed hourly, but $550 for a 3 acre lot is a bit high.


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## 95HDRam (Sep 12, 2011)

Our lot includes sidewalks but no salt. Our salt is billed separately.


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## jjvvdd (Dec 10, 2011)

@ bristo, I haven't plowed anything. I imagine it will take me longer but I'm not charging them due to that. Thanks for info!


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## jjvvdd (Dec 10, 2011)

I decided to go $450 2-4", $675 4-6", $900 6-12" , since it wont matter how deep the snow is ( we rarely get over 6") I may resubmit a $450 per trip flat rate. This location is over an hour from my home and $350 is just not worth it to me.


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## firelwn82 (Feb 14, 2006)

jjvvdd;1375729 said:


> I decided to go $450 2-4", $675 4-6", $900 6-12" , and $350 is just not worth it to me.


You just hit the nail on the head and sunk it deep into the wood. You have to figure out what the price would be worth to you. Your time, fuel costs, repair costs. Everything is a factor. Those bigger trucks are expensive to repair and or replace. I personally charge $10/ blade foot. I have a blizzard 810. My driveways I dont due for less than $35/ push. My commercials I charge $100/ hour because I would have the plow at 10 feet. If I'm there for say 35 min or less its $75. I'm here to make money not loose my ass so you don't have to deal with the snow on your property. O and don't forget about your insurance costs which are going through thang dang roof.... Good luck to you. ussmileyflag


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## jjvvdd (Dec 10, 2011)

Thank you fire82!


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## bristolturf (Dec 20, 2008)

ok well thats a big factor in the price, an account being over an hour away. just be careful with that. its tough enough to monitor all your sites in one 10 mile radius, especially when some are near the lake and others arent, let alone trying to monitor a site over an hour away. It would almost be maybe worth it, if you dont have other accoutns to worry about, rto look into bidding another account of two up there.

i would possibly resubmit your bid to them and just do a flat rate per push, somethng like $500-550 up to 8" or something, and then over 8" your billing them hourly.


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## jjvvdd (Dec 10, 2011)

Makes sense Bristol, it is about 15 min away from the metro where I will pick up more but yes I do have potential to land others near there. I guess my next problem is figuring how much to take on? I am not interested in residential at all.


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## 95HDRam (Sep 12, 2011)

The key for you will be how soon all your other potential customers will want their lots cleared by and how much snow they want to accumulate before you come push. If you can time it out to where you can leave one lot and go to the next would be ideal. For larger snowfalls a back-up would be helpful to get started on lots you couldn't make it to till later. Sounds like time will be your greatest enemy depending on how many more accounts you pick up. Luckily for you the larger blade and truck will help for getting lots cleared.


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## bristolturf (Dec 20, 2008)

well yeah i agree i wouldnt be interested in residential especially with a truck that size. i mean like ram said. It really all depends on the timing of the accounts you need to get done. For one truck, doing commercial i would recommend 3-5 at max (keeping in mind that they fall in the 1-2 hour range like the hotel does.) Then if you have one that doesnt open until later like 10 or 11 pick that up, but most will be about 7-830 at the latest id say. are you salting?


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## jjvvdd (Dec 10, 2011)

So far no salting. Not sure what I'm going to need if they want the lots salted? I can handle the walks with a push Salter.


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## bristolturf (Dec 20, 2008)

well since you have a dump you could just get an under tailgate salter, load it up before you head out and then salt that way. or you have to get a Vbox. The thing i caution you about is the fact that your going to be an hour away from you shop so if your doing bulk either a you need to be able to load up your truck enough so you can handle everything in one shot, b find a dealer or another contractor in the area that you can possibly buy salt from, or c sub the salting out to a local contractor.


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## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

jjvvdd;1374492 said:


> I think it will take 5 hours and I'm guessing around $110 an hour. I really don't know what I'm doing.


 5 hours what are you pushing with ATV


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## 95HDRam (Sep 12, 2011)

I agree with Bristol. Until we had our own way to Salt our lots we subbed all of our salting to another contractor.


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## bristolturf (Dec 20, 2008)

you just need to look at it as it comes more or less. If you can manage your salting by yourself, if your already capable (which from the sounds of it you may be, you already have a dump truck, so Id imagine you may have some sort of loader as well.) like i posted in another forum i would take salt runs over plowing anytime. During a given snow storm our plowing money probably adds up to about $2000 or so id guess, and thats 7 pieces of equipment, then when we salt lots that truck probably does about 2500-3000 on 1 run (the initial salt, and then returning to spot salt any little troubled areas) so i recommend to anyone as soon as you can start doing your own salt. especially in your area, your right in that region where you probably get a lot of mixed precipitation so salting would be something i defenitally suggest doing in house ASAP.


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## jjvvdd (Dec 10, 2011)

I won't be salting this year. It's too much to take on my first time out. Unless its walks but not main lots. You all have been very helpful and im impressed with the kindness to a new guy here. Hope I can help someone on here like you've helped me.


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## chesterlawn (Nov 9, 2005)

I guess prices really vary in different areas. Because after fuel, plow cost, maintenance at $100 per hour that's not much profit for plowing. Cutting grass yes, but not plowing.


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## ALC-GregH (Nov 26, 2008)

chesterlawn;1399292 said:


> I guess prices really vary in different areas. Because after fuel, plow cost, maintenance at $100 per hour that's not much profit for plowing. Cutting grass yes, but not plowing.


I get that for plowing with my atv doing residential.


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