# Charging for staking



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

https://plow-right.com/blog/-how-to...4YGEHLpcntt2LxfnPYveLXvrBDi2VsglirIbJCKh8JyBg
Thoughts?

Comments?

Opinions?


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## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

:laugh:


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## Ajlawn1 (Aug 20, 2009)

Following...


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## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

Mark Oomkes said:


> https://plow-right.com/blog/-how-to...4YGEHLpcntt2LxfnPYveLXvrBDi2VsglirIbJCKh8JyBg
> Thoughts?
> 
> Comments?
> ...


I'm sure some snowflake moron wouldn't think twice aboot paying to have their property staked by the contractor.


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## m_ice (Aug 12, 2012)

We "rent" snow stakes to a few HOAs. $10/ driveway per season and have 1 large commercial site were the maintenance superintendent tells us to charge for staking.


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## Landgreen (Sep 8, 2007)

Mark Oomkes said:


> https://plow-right.com/blog/-how-to...4YGEHLpcntt2LxfnPYveLXvrBDi2VsglirIbJCKh8JyBg
> Thoughts?
> 
> Comments?
> ...


 If plow stakes would be added as a line item when charging the customer I would think any other expense should be added as well. Fuel, insurance, labor, accounting, truck payment, coffee?


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

Ajlawn1 said:


> Following...


Rare…


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## Ajlawn1 (Aug 20, 2009)

BossPlow2010 said:


> Rare…


Well done...


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## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

Why not charge a fee for them? 

Wasn't there a guy on here that accused a church of "robbing" him because they didn't return the stakes that he forgot to go back and remove the year before? Clearly we are talking about MP money here.


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## DeVries (Nov 27, 2007)

The way I look at it, stakes save me money in the long run. I put them in to keep operator's from damaging our equipment, so we do not charge for them.


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## scaypa (Jan 12, 2016)

I like the homeowners who take the stakes down the minute you leave and then complain about plow damage in the spring.


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## LapeerLandscape (Dec 29, 2012)

DeVries said:


> The way I look at it, stakes save me money in the long run. I put them in to keep operator's from damaging our equipment, so we do not charge for them.


I agree. They are there for my benefit not the customers.


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## Kvston (Nov 30, 2019)

No charge-its a savings for me


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

I do it cause I loves it....


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## GMC Driver (Sep 9, 2005)

DeVries said:


> The way I look at it, stakes save me money in the long run. I put them in to keep operator's from damaging our equipment, so we do not charge for them.


I agree. We see it as "value added".


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

So the fellas that are selling the stakes are mistaken?


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## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

Mark Oomkes said:


> So the fellas that are selling the stakes are *mistaken*?


Andy doesn't appreciate all the competition for puns.


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## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

As a plowing end consumer, I dont have a seasonal account, im per push so I have my own stakes in the yard. But I don't think I'd find it out of line for there to be a nominal line item for staking. After all, I could easily here the counter argument in my head "you want us to skip the staking and deduct the $20 annual fee? No worries. Ill just need you to sign right here waiving all liability if our guys destroy your grass, retaining wall, mailbox..."


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## RichardBongIII (Dec 8, 2021)

Shouldn't stakes be factored into your cost modeling per job anyway especially for new clients? It might not be line itemed exactly on the bill but you charge for them. They go under the heading of driveway preperations costs or some other such thing. Yes, they are resuable , but won't they wear out or be broken at times?


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## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

Landgreen said:


> If plow stakes would be added as a line item when charging the customer I would think any other expense should be added as well. Fuel, insurance, labor, accounting, truck payment, coffee?


Yes
it's just a cost of doing business isn't it.


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

RichardBongIII said:


> Shouldn't stakes be factored into your cost modeling per job anyway especially for new clients? It might not be line itemed exactly on the bill but you charge for them. They go under the heading of driveway preperations costs or some other such thing. Yes, they are resuable , but won't they wear out or be broken at times?


Depends, how nimble you are with this snowblower you're getting


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## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

BossPlow2010 said:


> Depends, how nimble you are with this snowblower you're getting


Maybe has some of those GPS discs mounted on it so they can tell him his exact position in the driveway


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## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

RichardBongIII said:


> Shouldn't stakes be factored into your cost modeling per job anyway especially for new clients? It might not be line itemed exactly on the bill but you charge for them. They go under the heading of driveway preperations costs or some other such thing. Yes, they are resuable , but won't they wear out or be broken at times?





Hydromaster said:


> Yes
> it's just a cost of doing business isn't it.


Hey, I'm willing to wager that this is the first thread_ ever_ where these two are in agreement on something...


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## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

My bad.


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## Ice-sage (Nov 9, 2017)

Mark Oomkes said:


> https://plow-right.com/blog/-how-to...4YGEHLpcntt2LxfnPYveLXvrBDi2VsglirIbJCKh8JyBg
> Thoughts?
> 
> Comments?
> ...


From their page: 
Please contact us to learn more about how to use snow stakes to generate additional revenue for your snow removal business.

@Mark Oomkes , did ya contact them? Spill the beans. We are all ears here.


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

Ha when I did residential plowing clients where responsible to stake at there expense. No stakes no plowing


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

Many of my stakes have a sticker with our info on them. I did buy the flags with our logo to clip on the plain ones .
I came up about 10 flags short this fall. But can only order flags in 100 quantity. 
Did not want to spend the $$$ for 100.
I put them in the advertisement budget.
The stakes by the street get flags so they can generate new customers.


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

There used to be a guy on here that used delinators at each property, different that staking but those things are expensive.
I think it was @Neige or someone up there.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

What do you mean by delineators?


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

Mark Oomkes said:


> What do you mean by delineators?


These things









Second edit:
https://www.plowsite.com/threads/driveway-markers.58857/


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

We use them on most of our drives.


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

Mark Oomkes said:


> We use them on most of our drives.


You like them?
Also where did you get them?
Just one per property like in @Neige thread?

Does it help offset your snow removal costs…?


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

DeNeigement had so many drives that I think it helped operators figure out which ones to do...at some point staking the drives you don't do makes better economic sense.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

BossPlow2010 said:


> You like them?
> Also where did you get them?
> Just one per property like in @Neige thread?
> 
> Does it help offset your snow removal costs…?


What is this? 20 questions?

Yes

2 different places, I don't recall the last one.

If you have a dedicated resi route and have employees...absolutely. Unless you can program a GPS to steer the tractor/truck to the next account.

If you're doing 30 or 60 driveways a night, looking at the route sheet, then trying to find the address on the house or mailbox which may be covered in snow...yes, it saves an immense amount of time.


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