# wal-mart



## powerjoke (Nov 13, 2004)

hi i was just wondering what one of you all charged for a wal-mart supercenter avg size do you do it by the hour or per each time, we don't have a very long season here so i don't do contracts i am south of K.C. MO
i would apreciate the help [email protected]


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## Boast Enterpris (Oct 26, 2003)

The guy here gets $85.00 per hour per unit. He is always running 3 units untill it is clean. Hope this helps. :waving:


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## Dwan (Mar 24, 2004)

store like Wally World
Plow $100 /hr.
Cat 416 /14 push box $150 /hr.
Sand $125 /ton


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## powerjoke (Nov 13, 2004)

thanks guys, i knew you would know 
well it's no wonder i got the job i quoted them 50perton salt, and 40perhour, with 2 trucks and 2 skidsteers well i might be able to make up for it on the sidewalks, what do you charge and hour shoveling, maybe next year i will make a little money


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## Dwan (Mar 24, 2004)

We charge the same for shouvling as plowing because it still takes the same man and truck also add the material.

For that price you will not make enough money to pay your overhead and replace your equipment when it brakes down or needs replaced.
Your hired helps wages, SSI, workmans comp, unemployment ins. should almost be that amount. Then there is business lic., Business Lib. insurance, and general business overhead would also add up to maybe a little less then that amount.
Then there is the equipment. you may already own it but you will still have to replace it when it wares out. then there is maintance, tires, oil changes, lub, normal brakedowns, etc.
I would sugest youstep back and look at your costs before you go forward with these prices.
It looks like you are paying to plow there lot. 
ofcorse they accepted your bid, they would be foolish not to.
I hate to see a new guy get stung but you have stered up the hole hornets nest.


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## Boast Enterpris (Oct 26, 2003)

Turn on your private messages. Where in central Missouri are you??


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## Hawkc01 (Oct 23, 2004)

I know that this is not answering the question, but thought it to be interesting. We have 2 Wal-Mart stores and the guy who does it makes around 300K per year! I also know it requires a lot of work (p-lot is to be black at all times and so on), but good for him right?


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## The Boss (Oct 22, 2003)

powerjoke said:


> thanks guys, i knew you would know
> well it's no wonder i got the job i quoted them 50perton salt, and 40perhour, with 2 trucks and 2 skidsteers well i might be able to make up for it on the sidewalks, what do you charge and hour shoveling, maybe next year i will make a little money


I'd say you WAY underbid that job. You're getting $50.00 per ton of salt? I get $25.00 per 50lbs.! And, are you charging $40.00 per hour for both trucks and skid-steers? I hope not.


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## powerjoke (Nov 13, 2004)

mercy 
well i guess i'll know better next year. but as wet as it has been this year buisness has been rediculosly slow this year and any income is better than none i just hope i don't have any breakdowns this year or it'll realy come bask to bite me in the [email protected]#,. Butt however i am a man of my word and i'll stick to it this year butt i'll amake up for it next year payup, and yes that is 40perhour per machine weather it be a truck or heavyequip.  . thanks for the input 
BOAST CALL ME (660)885-1521
Thanks Rick


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## plowed (Nov 30, 2001)

What are you paying for the salt? Around here it's about $70 a ton, picked up and loaded. Then you have to spend the time to apply it.


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## powerjoke (Nov 13, 2004)

i pay 47 a ton with a 20 ton minimum and i get 40/hour spread


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## Dwan (Mar 24, 2004)

powerjoke said:


> mercy
> well i guess i'll know better next year. but as wet as it has been this year buisness has been rediculosly slow this year and any income is better than none i just hope i don't have any breakdowns this year or it'll realy come bask to bite me in the [email protected]#,. Butt however i am a man of my word and i'll stick to it this year butt i'll amake up for it next year payup, and yes that is 40perhour per machine weather it be a truck or heavyequip.  . thanks for the input
> BOAST CALL ME (660)885-1521
> Thanks Rick


Just for you I hope the hell it don't snow. 
If it were me, word or no word I would aproch the manager and tell him I made a mistake and would be unable to do the work for that price. You could really loose your A$$ if it were to snow much.


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## Metro Lawn (Nov 20, 2003)

We don't charge by the hour, but we base our prices on these figures.

plow trucks $125 - $175 per hour

loader $250 ph

salt from $125 - $240 per ton applied ( but I'd rather get the $1000 a ton at $25 per 50lbs.)


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

powerjoke said:


> i pay 47 a ton with a 20 ton minimum and i get 40/hour spread


You get paid "by the hour" for spreading salt???


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

powerjoke said:


> i pay 47 a ton with a 20 ton minimum and i get 40/hour spread


Besides, that doesn't make sense. How many tons would you spread in an hour? More than one and your losing money.


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## grotecguy (Feb 8, 2004)

We try to get $40.00 per hour commercial here. Usually it is $30.00 to $35.00. Every farmer with a 4x4 truck here has a plow in the winter. They don't care what they make, Cash is Cash.

I try to bid by the job and do it as efficiently as possible. It has to be worth my time. I won't bid on just everything, either.

Goes to show how pricing differs around the country,
Mark K


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

Mick I am going to guess and hope he is getting $40/hour for the salt truck and $50/ton of salt. But you should never spread salt by the hour. You could dump 10 tons in that parking lot in 30 min.


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## The Boss (Oct 22, 2003)

grotecguy said:


> We try to get $40.00 per hour commercial here. Usually it is $30.00 to $35.00. Every farmer with a 4x4 truck here has a plow in the winter. They don't care what they make, Cash is Cash.
> 
> I try to bid by the job and do it as efficiently as possible. It has to be worth my time. I won't bid on just everything, either.
> 
> ...


I've bid jobs real high before because I didn't want them and I STILL got them!


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

How can you put a truck on the road for $30-35/hr. Gas has to be $7-10. A transmission is a couple of grand, insurance and everything else that isn't even possible. The stock boy inside Wal-Mart has to be making more then your net. I know everyone needs to make money but there is no money left at the end of the day.


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## ultimate plow (Jul 2, 2002)

Come on man...are you really doing 50$ per ton...Id be outta buisness. Im getting 27$ per 50lb bag. Is this a joke or wut?


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## Dwan (Mar 24, 2004)

The Boss said:


> I've bid jobs real high before because I didn't want them and I STILL got them!


Same here! I try to let the price control the admount of work I have. to much work price goes up. Never had to little work. LOL


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

Are you guys getting $27 per bag of rock salt that costs you $5? I only spread bulk salt and that is about half the price of bag and can mark that up about 4 times cost. I pay $60 per 2200lbs if I buy 40 tons at a time and I get about $225/ton. I price per lot per application not per ton.


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## The Boss (Oct 22, 2003)

Dwan said:


> Same here! I try to let the price control the admount of work I have. to much work price goes up. Never had to little work. LOL


Well, atleast we both can say that we're not losing money or lowballing, right?


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## Dwan (Mar 24, 2004)

only time I am loosing money is when I give free advice, like on this fourm. 
Sure would like to put together a program that everybody could use to find out what there overhead was and include a profit margen so they knew what to start charging at. I hate to see a poor guy like this one loose his ass the first year but some have to learn the hard way.


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## The Boss (Oct 22, 2003)

I couldn't agree more my friend.


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## powerjoke (Nov 13, 2004)

ah what the heck might as well go down in a ball of flames huh :crying: , but i am glad to see that someone is charging less an hour than me, butt realy it is just to keep me and my men busy for the winter when we can't play in the dirt, and when you spend as much in insurance as i do you might as well be giving them something to possibly pay off, and we don't have that much snowfall per year like you guys up north we may have 4-6snowfalls at an average of 4" or less each. and besides i kinda like doing it, i have pushed in years past but on a much smaller scale i guess i shoulda asked you guys first, before feeling like a f-ing idiot. but if you guys ever need assistance in moving large amounts of dirt hopefully i can help, that is something i might be able to bid correctly, i guess i'll just wait for the first snowfall to see how long it takes
thanks RICK


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## intlco (Nov 15, 2004)

*Cheap Wal-Mart Mgr.*

Our Wal-Mart here in Wyoming has got a cheap mgr that don't want to pay anything for plowing. You'll be shocked to hear that guys here are plowing Super Wal-Mart for $50.00 per plow and their doing Kmart for the same.
These good-ole boys are under charging everything out here. They are charging $5 hr. for their truck and driver.
I won't even start mine. They've ruined the plow market out west cause nobody wants to pay now since they can just get one of these ranch guys to do it for nothin'http://www.plowsite.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=163771#
Drink Up


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## The Boss (Oct 22, 2003)

What is this business coming to? :crying:


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## powerjoke (Nov 13, 2004)

SORRY guys but i did'nt mean to undercut any body and make anybody go hungry, but i see it all the time, every moron with a bobcat thinks he is an excavator and come in and run his machine for 45$/hr and then when he f's it up the call me or somebody else to come in and fix it, i have several new pieces of cat equip. and cannot afford to bid with them but i get the job in the end so i understand what you are talking 'bout, but with that being said i do not want to molest anybodys checkbook niether, if the economy here would support 125-175 per/hr it would be different i get 85$/hr on a 953trackloader that cost 145,000 and i don't think that it is proper to get that or more on a truck that you can buy for 10,000 :salute:


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

powerjoke

There is only 1 person here that has to be happy and that is you. You know the situation and how well you can do. We all know you can add an extra ton or 2 if you know what I mean. Plowing by the hour means you go real slow, easy on the equipment and don't hit anything. Salt the parking lot until it looks like July, you are getting paid by the hour and per ton of salt. Good Luck


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## powerjoke (Nov 13, 2004)

THANK YOU CET 
you are a good person,
BEST OF LUCK TO YOU


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## intlco (Nov 15, 2004)

*Loader vs Plow*

I can sure agree with you! We also got these fools who go down to the rent a center and get a bob cat and charge $45.oo hr. And half of them don't even know how to use it and then they tear up everything.
Then they want to call us and expect us to run a Case 821 for the same hr rate. I refuse to run a loader for these rates. But we've got guys with John deer loaders who work from $35.oo - $45.oo hr.
Most of these guys are just under bidding everything so they can get all the lots in theses small towns because they think quanity makes money.


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## Hawkc01 (Oct 23, 2004)

intlco said:


> Most of these guys are just under bidding everything so they can get all the lots in theses small towns because they think quanity makes money.


Brilliantly stated. This is true will ALL service related industries. The mentality that quantity = profits.


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## Metro Lawn (Nov 20, 2003)

grotecguy said:


> We try to get $40.00 per hour commercial here. Usually it is $30.00 to $35.00. Every farmer with a 4x4 truck here has a plow in the winter. They don't care what they make, Cash is Cash.
> 
> I try to bid by the job and do it as efficiently as possible. It has to be worth my time. I won't bid on just everything, either.
> 
> ...


Geez, this area is way over saturated with plowers and the subs here get as much as $75.00 an hour....the average for a newbie sub is 50.00 an hour... people are just plain crazy


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## powerjoke (Nov 13, 2004)

10-4 buddie


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## ChipsEarthWorks (Nov 25, 2003)

powerjoke said:


> mercy
> well i guess i'll know better next year. but as wet as it has been this year buisness has been rediculosly slow this year and any income is better than none i just hope i don't have any breakdowns this year or it'll realy come bask to bite me in the [email protected]#,. Butt however i am a man of my word and i'll stick to it this year butt i'll amake up for it next year payup, and yes that is 40perhour per machine weather it be a truck or heavyequip.  . thanks for the input
> BOAST CALL ME (660)885-1521
> Thanks Rick


The only problem is that because you bid it so low this year they (walmart) is going to expect the same average bid next year and you may not get the bid next year so you could be out more next year. But WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES WE ARE HUMAN NOBODY'S PERFECT. But I wish you well in you endeavor's and hope you make out okay. Just do not become a  low-baller i got out bid by a low-baller this year but good luck :salute:


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## powerjoke (Nov 13, 2004)

yeah it's 50aton i know i cut it close but i ihope i wont have any breakdowns


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## ProSeasons (Nov 30, 2000)

I told 'em the big Michigan loader stays on site and I was gonna dump a mountain of salt next to it(Just kiddin' em) and it would be a $144,000 deposit for the army of subs I would have to hire and I ALMOST GOT IT!!!  Thank God I didn't!


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## baddboygeorge (Oct 20, 2002)

*walmart??*

walmart has plenty of money an stupid management . last year they hired a contractor that had four (4) skid steers . all were enclosed cad new holland models it took them 16 hours to move 4 inches of snow . at 60 bucks per machine an hour thats 240 x 16. do the math . i moved the same amount right next door at lowes with one truck in 8 hours. thats plowing an salting i charged 1200 an the provided all the salt. go figure walmart doesnt care they go by unit price one machine at 60 but x 4 x 16 there nuts !!


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## Mark Witcher (Feb 21, 2004)

I do a Wal Mart super here in my area. We get $900 per plowing, whether its 1 inch or 6 inches. We use 2 pickup plows and a backhoe with a 10ft pusher blade. Takes us 3 hrs maximum.


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## HLS Wholesale (Dec 10, 2002)

Let's see....

You pay $47 and charge $50 for salt. That's $3/yd. margin (let's pretend your gas is free and all your moving parts are greased with space age lubricant that allows them to never wear out). A cheap salter for spreading bulk salt will run about $2000. So be prepared to spread the first 700 tons of salt for free. Bet your salter won't be worth crap after that either.

Congratulations...you just took this industry to a new low.


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## spacolee (Oct 26, 2004)

Where I live we charge by month no matter what. It is hard to bid because of low ballers but most everyone bids this way we get only 7 snow falls a year on average and go in on 2" or more.Most of the time it only snows 6" per snow fall. Last year my truck's made 600 per hr. No snow Last year so the truck's went out 4 times. It is easy money but sometimes it can burn you. If I go per snow removal I would loose my a$#. Does anyone on here go per Month.


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## The Boss (Oct 22, 2003)

I wish we could get 6inches per snow fall!! Most of the time it's 2-4 and then a couple of 10-12 inchers.


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

Almost all of my work is contracted for the year. We have one school board that is per time. Even the salting is done on a price for the year.


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## J HIsch (Nov 13, 2003)

These are my opinions. First off Walmart is no dummy. If they saw your prices I feel they would have laughed at them. Second, if you have all the equipment that is on your list how are you biding the way you are. Then to come on here and ask what would you bid? Taking on a walmart you better know what to bid and not need to ask anyone else. Second how are you going to stack the snow with 2 trucks with plows? and two skid steers? Is this a fish story? Oh the salt thing really gets me also. 

Bidding properties such as that My policy

Get a retainer- bill against that retainer untill it is used up.

Second, Use backhoes and charge at a mimimum of 150 per piece with operator.

Use truck with 10 ft plows for clean up- I contract that out.

Salt is billed additional.

If this is all legit then I would say you will probably not have the job next year becasue when the huge price increase comes from you they wont understand it.


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## powerjoke (Nov 13, 2004)

*How 'bout The Original Question*

Anyway i may have bid it a little low but i do not have to explain myself to anyone, butt lets pretend i do LOL, you think you are something on a stick, bubba i am a SUCCESSFUL business owner and i am also a man of my word so i'll stick to my bid and i CAN make money and am big enough of a man to swallow it if i don't regardless of what you or anybody else thinks, 
I DON'T have junk equipment and everything IS PAID FOR
so IF anybody else has CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM i would love to hear it. 
by the way this is not my only means of survival. If you had guys that was on the clock and you had to pay anyway, and bought fuel in large quantities when prices are down, and PAY INSURANCE YEAR ROUND, i think i can take care of myself but i do appreciate the nice guys who actually answered my orig question 
Sorry if i pisd any body off,


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## spacolee (Oct 26, 2004)

I never pushed a 10" snow storm If we had them my bids will go up.


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## BreyerConstruct (Aug 17, 2004)

I realize this has been a quiet thread for a bit. Just wondering if the Walmart's been plowed yet, & how it went.

I think it's low, but do-able.
I understand the concept of some income is better than no income. 

BTW, paid off equipment? wow. I have no idea how the rest of your financials sit, but equipment is expensive. & you've got nice equipment.

Hope it works out well for ya. Maybe it'll thaw for a week or two & let you push some dirt. 

God Bless.

~Matt


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## parrothead (Nov 19, 2003)

i just rented a skid steer for 3 months and it cost me 37 dollars per hour just for rent, no fuel, ins or labor. just for future info, and im sure you know, salt is hard on vehicles and equipment, if it is a 10 acre walmart and you are putting down 1000#'s per acre, you are making 15 dollars for salt and you should be able to do that in 30 minutes top so you've got yourself another 20 bucks, so you've made 35 dollars to salt. if i were doing it, i would charge 200 dollars per ton and bill 1000 dollars to salt the lot, which buys the salt, pays for the insurance, washes the truck, replaces the wiring harness when it goes bad from corrosion and helps pay the general liability, which you will need when the pregnant lady slips and falls in the parking lot and wants to sue walmart and then walmarts attys want to get you involved because you were the one that salted the lot, but im sure you can cover that because your a man of your word and a good business man and made 35 dollars. i dont mean to get down on you but your not even covering your expenses. i've seen the same thing happen in the trucking industry, guys may not be making money but we sure are busy.


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## Big Nate's Plowing (Nov 26, 2000)

powerjoke said:


> JUST WHEN YOU THINK SOMEONE IS A COMPLETE IDIOT, THEY OPEN THERE MOUTH AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT


your pretty good at doing that, eh?


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## BIG M (Nov 8, 2002)

Salting by the hour???
You have to set that price per application or drive around the lot real sloooooow. You said you don't have a contract so you should refigure it and change the pricing or you may lose your A$$. at those prices.
I'd rather lose the "contract" than do it at a loss.
And I don't care how long the season is I'd want a signed contract.


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

powerjoke please tell me you werent the guys struggling to clear the walmart parking lot in st robert missouri. if not, they too used a pair of skid steers and a pair of plow trucks...worked for HOOOOUUUURS doing a job that was done in less than half the time by another contractor a couple years prior. the job eventually got done every time it snowed but sheesh it took forever.


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## procut1 (Jan 21, 2004)

That sander in the back of your pickup holds 6ton right?


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## Allagash (Mar 5, 2005)

grotecguy said:


> We try to get $40.00 per hour commercial here. Usually it is $30.00 to $35.00.


I couldn't imagine plowing for $30 / hour when I fugure the cost of my truck with a (purchasing soon) new plow plus insurance plus diesel is riduclously expensive.


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## jwwieberg (Feb 1, 2004)

I've heard the same thing parrothead talking about walmart turning the lawsuit against them to the contractor. Walmart is a very very shrewd business. You might want to take that extra $ 35 and buy at least a 2 - 3 million dollar insurance policy.


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## Allagash (Mar 5, 2005)

Allagash said:


> I couldn't imagine plowing for $30 / hour when I fugure the cost of my truck with a (purchasing soon) new plow plus insurance plus diesel is riduclously expensive.


Man, I wish we could edit posts after they've been up for more than an hour. I just re-read this post and can't believe my spelling.....


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## Dwan (Mar 24, 2004)

Don't feel bad. all the information was understandable (sp) Read this then you can look back at an laugh.

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg! The phanmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch taem at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny imprmoatnt tigng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you cansitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Such a cdonition is arppoiately cllad Typoglycemia.
Amzanig huh? Yaeh and yuo awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt!!

Dwan


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## snoking (Jul 4, 2002)

good one Dwan on your last post. 

But, I do not agree with your past post on this subject. I plow all day for 40 and hour and make money hand over fist...prices, and even service vary from area to area...

Right now i charge 135.00/year to plow an average residentail drive. Most people here charge 250/year or around 20/per trip depending on shoveling and what not.

I m going to start a thread and ask everyone what they think and see if anyone does what i do...


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## DESTEFANO3782 (Aug 8, 2005)

Not To Bust Any [email protected]//s.. But If We Were To Plow At That Price In Mass We Minus Well Plow For Free Because We Make That Probly Per Storm. We Get On Average 30-40 A Drive Each Time We Touch It And Its Not Uncommon To Do The Drive 2 To 3 Times Per Storm. Once To Get Them Out In The Morning And 2 To Get Them Home From Work And If Its Not Over By That Time Then When We Go Back To Clean Up. An Average Customer Pays About 1500-2000 A Season Here.


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## EXCESSIVE FORCE (Dec 24, 2004)

*Lmao*



Dwan said:


> Don't feel bad. all the information was understandable (sp) Read this then you can look back at an laugh.
> 
> I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg! The phanmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch taem at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny imprmoatnt tigng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you cansitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Such a cdonition is arppoiately cllad Typoglycemia.
> Amzanig huh? Yaeh and yuo awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt!!
> ...


That's funny i don't care who you are.....


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## DESTEFANO3782 (Aug 8, 2005)

-------------


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## JElmWin (Jan 10, 2004)

> I plow all day for 40 and hour and make money hand over fist


What are you a midget? Cause that's an awfully short stack of $$$.

I used to make that when I was 12 in Muskegon shoveling walks by hand ALL DAY.

That was in 1980!!!!!!!!!!!


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## little pat (Feb 14, 2004)

I charge $40 or more an hour for a man with a shovel, I wouldn't even start my truck up for that kind of money. Charging that little, it's pretty obvious there is no insurance involved and what about reliability. Hand over fist? What about expenses or don't they count. Sounds like someones fooling themself.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Look what his competition has to say about him in this thread:

http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=28322


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