# Help Calculating Salt Quantities and Plow Times



## G.Landscape (Oct 20, 2011)

OK, just lost this lot by a significant amount, and wanted to check my plow times and salt calculations.

Guelph Ontario Canada

- 1" Trigger. 
- Small building is a restaurant (Open Late) and there is a Sub shop in the bigger side
- The Sidewalk along the big building is half covered by the over hangs so mostly drifting snow to be dealt with there. 
- Must be cleared by 6:30am 
- Salt entire lot and sidewalks
- I have highlighted the snow pile areas
- Ice melter on Sidewalks and Treated salt for parking areas

If you could please
1. Plow Times
2. Sidewalk Shovel Time
3. Sidewalk Salt Quantities
4. Parking lot salt quantities

Thanks


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

About an 1-1.5 hrs to plow it.Less then an hr for shoveling and about 5-600 lbs of salt.2 bags of calcium for the sidewalks.


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## leigh (Jan 2, 2009)

grandview;1507067 said:


> About an 1-1.5 hrs to plow it.Less then an hr for shoveling and about 5-600 lbs of salt.2 bags of calcium for the sidewalks.


Sounds about right ,a little less time if your using a more productive non Boss xls,8100 or wideout!


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## G.Landscape (Oct 20, 2011)

OK, i am feeling a little better now, i had 400lbs of salt and 3 bags of calcium. with 2.5 hours to plow and hand shovel. I added about 20mins travel time because its not close to my other accounts but that shouldn't have put me so far off..... 

I have as much in salt calculated as the other contractor has for the entire season....


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

400lbs of salt for the winter is a joke.
Were you bidding per push or seasonal? Who wants your #'s, the client, sounds like he is suspect if the other guy can do it for their price.


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## G.Landscape (Oct 20, 2011)

Sorry 400lbs was per time.... obviously not enough for the entire season..... neither is 3 bags of calcium...

Bid was Seasonal..... the owner thinks I am out to lunch.... we have lost a few this year and thought I would see what other thought on time. I am getting the feeling the other guys price didn't include salt for some reason.


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

I thought you meant 400/time and he was 400/season.
It's an easy plow but having to put the snow in dedicated areas takes time, regardless of what plow you have. Some customers really don't understand that.

Around here someone would bid that place for $5,000

I was asked to bid a place that was 2 acres. Building in the middle of a rectangular lot. All the snow had to go to the back. So you had to do the front both sides and the back. Hand shoveling all around the building and salt included. They were paying $10k and wanted me to beat that. I didn't even bother pricing it. Why did they ask me to bid, because they were unhappy with the service but the owner won't pay more. You get what you pay for.


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## Grassman09 (Mar 18, 2009)

G.Landscape;1507357 said:


> Sorry 400lbs was per time.... obviously not enough for the entire season..... neither is 3 bags of calcium...
> 
> Bid was Seasonal..... the owner thinks I am out to lunch.... we have lost a few this year and thought I would see what other thought on time. I am getting the feeling the other guys price didn't include salt for some reason.


Did Nu Image get it? They come into down town Milton to plow from Guelph. Not a drive I'd want.


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

Alot of the Guelph guys reach for work... the market there is saturated due to the ag university I think.

Did you just bid this site or is it a loss from last season? If you lost it then you would think you would know what time and material is on it.


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## G.Landscape (Oct 20, 2011)

No We were just bidding on it, but if was for a client we had done a bunch of install work for this summer and he was quite pleased with our work. He said if it was close he would have gien it to us but with the other guys 1/3 of our price he said it was just "Not a good business decision"

Not sure who got the contract....

Also looked up who won the tenders for some City/Region stuff around the area, apparently the new GO station in town was awarded to a company from Hamilton Area.....


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

I can't really talk about reaching. In my early twenties I worked for a company out of Erin in downtown Toronto, Richmond Hill, Brampton/Missi. Wouldn't touch anything out this way...including Guelph.


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## Grassman09 (Mar 18, 2009)

G.Landscape;1507696 said:


> No We were just bidding on it, but if was for a client we had done a bunch of install work for this summer and he was quite pleased with our work. He said if it was close he would have gien it to us but with the other guys 1/3 of our price he said it was just "Not a good business decision"
> 
> Not sure who got the contract....
> 
> Also looked up who won the tenders for some City/Region stuff around the area, apparently the new GO station in town was awarded to a company from Hamilton Area.....


The Citys and Towns don't care. Its all B.S. They write in the tenders how they want someone local.

Was it ALC who got it?

Downtown sounds like that's where the $$ is at. Shoveling and clearing with ATVS entrances to office buildings. Constant service. I know a Milton co that goes into T.O. 
I towed my skid steer in the snow once. Scary stuff even with snow tires on the tuck.


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