# help with pricing i think i may not be chargeing to low



## ultimate snow (Nov 18, 2005)

I have been charging 300 for both including about 300 lb of salt just for the smaller lot but now the biz has split up and currently I only do the smaller building with the lot in front and the two on the sides witch I currently charge 140 including salt and all this was on a per push bases regardless of how much snow .they would just call . my price I believe is really low but it was due to low ballers in the area .what would you guys charge . please post an example for both lots separate pricing . thank you


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## s. donato (Dec 9, 2010)

How long do they take? personally you are charging per push and letting them call the trigger. i know i am haven't been pricing plowing jobs that long but i am a contractor and understand the whole cost/overhead methods.

pushing at their calls will not allow you to push with the storm and will do more damage to the trucks then just pushing every few inches. after this last storm i am really seeing the benefit to billing by the inch or in some sort of intervals.

that sounds to me very low for those lots but i don't know your costs. personally the littler lot looks like more of a paint to push the snow off of the spots b/c there is less green areas. ;-)

I hear what your saying about lowballers. around here its pretty bad. i can't tell you how many beat up pickups with personal plates and no lettering are running around in a storm doing driveways for $10-25 it makes it hard for legitimate people like ourselves with insurance and overhead to make any money.

Good luck


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## ultimate snow (Nov 18, 2005)

s. donato;1222086 said:


> How long do they take? personally you are charging per push and letting them call the trigger. i know i am haven't been pricing plowing jobs that long but i am a contractor and understand the whole cost/overhead methods.
> 
> it take me about 1 hour for the smaller lot and about 1.5 for the bigger with only about 2 in of snow
> 
> ...


so truuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu


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## bristolturf (Dec 20, 2008)

ok well your plow times are not that good my friend. That first lot is around 11k sqft. Thats about 1/4 of an acre. The second lot is about 20k or just under 1/2 an acre. General rule of thumb you should be at about 1 hr per acre for a 1-3.9" snow fall. The time will vary slightly based on truck type, blade type, snow type (light/fluffy or heavy/wet). 

So with that being said, you need to speed it up a little. 

First lot, I would bid it at my minimum of $75/push for 1-3.9" of snow fall. After That i would probably just raise it to like 100-110/push for 4-6.9, and then go from 7-11.9 at like 150/push. After 12" id just charge hourly. Those totals are per push for the amount of snow at the time of the push. Salt should be around 200lbs of salt, so id again just do my minimum of $40/application. So average snowfall id get like 115 for the first lot.

Second lot, Id be at around 75-100/push for the 1-3.9 inches, 125-150/push 4-6.9 inche, 200/push 7-11.9 inches, hourly again after 12" Salt id do it at like $80/application. So average snow 155-180.

Total for the two 270-295 w/o sidewalks/icemelt Probably 325-335 for walks if needed. Youre right in line with the charges, but you just need to speed things up, thats why it probably seems like your loosing money, youre going way to slow.


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## chs1993 (Nov 12, 2006)

bristolturf;1222256 said:


> ok well your plow times are not that good my friend. That first lot is around 11k sqft. Thats about 1/4 of an acre. The second lot is about 20k or just under 1/2 an acre. General rule of thumb you should be at about 1 hr per acre for a 1-3.9" snow fall. The time will vary slightly based on truck type, blade type, snow type (light/fluffy or heavy/wet).
> 
> So with that being said, you need to speed it up a little.
> 
> ...


Very well put!


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## bristolturf (Dec 20, 2008)

also, putting down 300lbs of salt on that first lot, is way to much. That comes out to over 1000lbs per acre. You should be at about 200lbs on it. General rule is also 600-1000/acre so for the first lot abot 150-250lbs and on the second about 300-500lbs. Also after thinking about it more, I think on that first lot, i would be willing to adjust my snow totals a little. Id average out and do a 1-6.9 storm and probably do it at $75/push. That lot will take no more than 1 hour with 1-6.9 inches of snow on it so I would still be making money. Then do 7-11.9 inches at like $140 or so. Second lot I would keep it right where its at for the pricing I listed.

I don know how your doin the little lot, but this is how I would do it. The top stalls along the road will all get pushed to the grass area, up and over the curb until its full, then it can take up that stall. The area with the car is all going to get pushed towards the bottom of the picture, looks like theres a grass area back there, and if not it will go into the furthest parking stall away from the building. The right side of the building will get pushed towards the bottom right of the picture. That might be a site, where you need to haul out every once in a while or bring in a skid to stack it at least. Just always remember to push the snow as far away from the building as possible. For a place like that if I could swing it, meaning already had work in that area, Id probably end up doing it with a skid loader with a bucket or a plow, could cruise in that place, plus keep it more open than if using a truck


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## Dr Who (Dec 16, 2010)

As you know pricing is different from area to area.

I like your price, you did the whole thing for 300, do half for almost half that. I would not include the salt, but charge extra for it myself.
But if I were going to do the lot, I would had bidded it out for about 200-250 or so, Plus the salt for the whole thing. The half you do now, I would say about 125-150 Plus salt. So depending on the salt cost, I am still with in your prices.. I have however priced larger for less and smaller for more...depends on my mood or the attitude of the customer!



Now, I am higher then most in my area, I do not work cheap!

The thing you have to ask yourself is....
Are you making any money at that price? that is after you figure in your expenses


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## Dr Who (Dec 16, 2010)

s. donato;1222086 said:


> I hear what your saying about lowballers. around here its pretty bad. i can't tell you how many beat up pickups with personal plates and no lettering are running around in a storm doing driveways for $10-25 it makes it hard for legitimate people like ourselves with insurance and overhead to make any money.
> 
> Good luck


Personal Plates and 25 bucks a drive is not a low baller in this area..

We are not required to have commercial plates for anything under a certain GVW for any truck, business or not. Actualy I do not think that Ky even has a comercial tag for anything that does not have Air brakes, which may be the requirement except if used for farm or hauling equipment from farm to farm. 
We do not even have to have a DOT number, unless we are working the interstate or goverment contracts... I checked to make sure a month or so ago
My prices start at 25.00 a drive and I am to high for most people!!! 

But then again, the low ballers here are doing drives from 5-10 bucks and driving front wheel drive cars!

I sure wish that 25 bucks was a low baller here, I may have more business


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## s. donato (Dec 9, 2010)

Dr Who;1235424 said:


> Personal Plates and 25 bucks a drive is not a low baller in this area..
> 
> We are not required to have commercial plates for anything under a certain GVW for any truck, business or not. Actualy I do not think that Ky even has a comercial tag for anything that does not have Air brakes, which may be the requirement except if used for farm or hauling equipment from farm to farm.
> We do not even have to have a DOT number, unless we are working the interstate or goverment contracts... I checked to make sure a month or so ago
> ...


LOL

well in NJ you have to have commercial insurance and commercial tags if your using your truck for commercial purposes. plus if you have commercial tags your truck MUST be lettered, so driving around you can tell real quick who has commercial insurance on their vehicle and who doesn't.

not truly sure how snow plowing is looked at with this.  it seems like most of the cops just look the other way. its a shame b/c it would level the playing field really quick if they just enforced the laws set by the state. when you register your vehicle they ask "will this vehicle be used for commercial purposes" so at that moment you are choosing to lie or be legit. listen... i am not trying to start anything so please don't shoot the messenger 

my prices START at $25 also and i am considered low, but thats for a two car driveway and hopefully combat the lowballers and help me build a customer base. payup


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## Dr Who (Dec 16, 2010)

s. donato;1235464 said:


> LOL
> 
> well in NJ you have to have commercial insurance and commercial tags if your using your truck for commercial purposes. plus if you have commercial tags your truck MUST be lettered, so driving around you can tell real quick who has commercial insurance on their vehicle and who doesn't.
> 
> ...


WOW, you HAVE to letter your truck if its commercial? Huh... Here you can Letter your vehicle anyway you want, no matter what. You may get harassed by the cops if you put F U PIG on it, but there are not laws against it or for it, personal or business/commercial..

Here, you do not have to have commercial insurance, unless you are towing/hauling a car or transporting goods that belong to someone else or you will be selling to someone else. But this mainly applies to larger trucks, pickups are excluded. I just went through all this with my insurance company when I got my plow insurance..

You would think that the cops or at least the vehicle enforcement would fine the people that are not playing by the rules, but then again I guess the cops have better things to do with there time.. But I can see how that is an advantage to know who is legal and who is not by having the truck lettered. But then again, you can letter the truck and still be illegal...

See that is funny that you are considered low at 25, and I am high at the same amount, but its 2 different worlds to compare them together....


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## s. donato (Dec 9, 2010)

Dr Who;1235632 said:


> WOW, you HAVE to letter your truck if its commercial? Huh... Here you can Letter your vehicle anyway you want, no matter what. You may get harassed by the cops *if you put F U PIG on it,* but there are not laws against it or for it, personal or business/commercial..


:laughing::laughing:

i hear what your saying and i have gotten ticketed 2 times for having commercial plates with out letters each time when i just bought the vehicle and waited a tad long to get it lettered 

its not a huge deal if your caught by a local cop but if you get caught on a hwy but a statey just bend over... one of my family members did and got up to 1200 in fines for all various things b/c once they get you they "get you" ussmileyflag

every area is so different its hard to keep them straight so i just worry about myself and being legal and then know i can sleep at night.


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## Dr Who (Dec 16, 2010)

s. donato;1235650 said:


> :every area is so different its hard to keep them straight so i just worry about myself and being legal and then know i can sleep at night.


You said it right there...

As long as I can sleep at night, I do not care what anyone else does, unless it wakes me up and then I am not happy :realmad: And like Dr Bruce Banner You would not like me when I am angry:angry:
LOL


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