# just wondering what you guys would charge for this complex



## Guzzo856




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## Guzzo856

http://binged.it/trnAej


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## bristolturf

what are you using? sidewalks, plowing, and salt on everything? Seasonal or per push?


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## bristolturf

plowing wise your looking at roughly 3.5 acres of pavement. If you throw a loader on there with a pusher or plow your talking about 5 hours of plowing time for a 1-3.99" event, plus then I would figure in about an extra hour to come back after majority of the people have left to clean up the parking stalls where cars were parked overnight. So id probably do it at about $600-800/push 1-3.99" depending on your rate. Salting on the light side your looking at about 2400lbs up to about 3500lbs for a heavier app. So figure about 3000lbs of salt per app on average probably about $400-500 depending on price. 

Lots of sidewalks there. Just in all the perimeter walks going around the site and buildings you have 30k sqft of walks, that doesnt even include the walks leading up to each building. To guess safely you probably have like 1 acre of sidewalks there. A guy using a good snow blower can do about 4 or 5k per hour on a 1-3.99 inch storm. So figure right there your probably talking 12 hours to do those sidewalks (figure in fatigue and such) so depending on your rate probably $450-600 for shoveling, and then ice melt would probably be 3000lbs depending on the type and rate you apply it at so probably $600-1000 for ice melt.

So in all for a 1-3.99" storm id be somewhere in the range of 2300-2600 or so. My guess is they are looking for a seasonal contract though right?

Could defenitaly be a good account to have but just make sure your properly equiped for that. Thats a 4 person sidewalk team there easily for the entire storm and a loader itself, plus then a salt rig and probably a plow truck just to do some little cleanup stuff during the storm. I know in your other thread you said you already had something like 20 sidewalk guys and being your first year in snow removel just use caution to not get in too much over your head.


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## Guzzo856

i will have 2 trucks in there plowing. in a avg storm it should take 2.5 hrs. i am doing everything, i will not have a skid steer in there because it will be busy where i need it and people will pay me more. for a 2-4" event im at $750, for that snowfall for sidewalks im at $550 ( i will have a 6 man crew) for salt on the roads im at $480, and calcium about $480 also


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## Guzzo856

i should be able to handle it, my largest account is 26,300 acres of pavement


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## JohnnyRoyale

Guzzo856;1380371 said:


> i should be able to handle it, my largest account is 26,300 acres of pavement


How long does that take to plow?


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## nepatsfan

1,145,628,000 square feet is a pretty big property. What are you running there about 10,000 loaders and a few thousand pickups?


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## Burkartsplow

Guzzo856;1380371 said:


> i should be able to handle it, my largest account is 26,300 acres of pavement


What account is that?


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## Mr.Markus

That customer owns .5% of the state of New Jersey in Pavement? I better rethink the chevy thing and buy fords. I think you made a typo.


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## NICHOLS LANDSCA

2.5hrs with 2 trucks not a chance. How you going to take on anymore work? Even if your big lot is only 6.3 acres you would have a pretty full plate. Just for reference the West Edmonton Mall has the largest parking lot in the WORLD and it's only 300 acres and holds 20,000 cars


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## ProLawn Outdoor

NICHOLS LANDSCA;1381353 said:


> 2.5hrs with 2 trucks not a chance. How you going to take on anymore work? Even if your big lot is only 6.3 acres you would have a pretty full plate. Just for reference the West Edmonton Mall has the largest parking lot in the WORLD and it's only 300 acres and holds 20,000 cars


X2. Take a solid look at that map. Do you have any idea on where you are going to put snow? It looks like you would have to go over the sidewalk half the time. I Would definitely be looking at keeping a large 2 speed skid on site. I just don't think you can do a quality job at that place with trucks. Maybe if you only get 1" storms all year, but anything more and that place would look like a disaster. I do a smaller condo place like that when I sub and all we do is clear lanes. The they go in with skid steers after the storm and have everyone move their cars. Definitely would be re-thinking that if you wanna keep that account for more than this year.


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## NICHOLS LANDSCA

ProLawn Outdoor;1381457 said:


> X2. Take a solid look at that map. Do you have any idea on where you are going to put snow? It looks like you would have to go over the sidewalk half the time. I Would definitely be looking at keeping a large 2 speed skid on site. I just don't think you can do a quality job at that place with trucks. Maybe if you only get 1" storms all year, but anything more and that place would look like a disaster. I do a smaller condo place like that when I sub and all we do is clear lanes. The they go in with skid steers after the storm and have everyone move their cars. Definitely would be re-thinking that if you wanna keep that account for more than this year.


Exactly 99% of the road has parking on both sides, what ya going to do with the snow


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## ProLawn Outdoor

Another thing to add, if you aren't planning on bringing in a skid/loader, make sure they know that they will lose parking very fast. Could be a lot if you get a bad storm. Hope the manager is on the same page as you are. Make sure you know EXACTLY what they want, and they know what you are willing and able to provide.


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## Guzzo856

I mean 26.00 acres


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## Guzzo856

They are not willing to pay me for any loaders so all I can do is the best with 2 trucks


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## NICHOLS LANDSCA

Guzzo856;1384670 said:


> I mean 26.00 acres


What do you plow that with?


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## Antlerart06

Guzzo856;1384673 said:


> They are not willing to pay me for any loaders so all I can do is the best with 2 trucks


If you getting so much money what does it matter If have 2 trucks or 2trucks and skidloader 
Thats lot of work for just 2 trucks you have rear plow on them trucks if not looks like alot back dragging


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## Guzzo856

> What do you plow that with?


 i have a f250 with 8ft blade and a f550 with 9ft blade and a skid steer with a 8ft pusher on it, 4 hrs in have a 3rd f550 come in


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## Guzzo856

i agree with you because i would be paying my subs the same amount of$$ but the problem is is that i can have more productivity out of a sub with a truck because after that job im going to need them at a different small jobs that dont require a skid steer.. plus i can get more money having a skid steer in there after a storm @ $190 an hr


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## PALSLANDSCAPING

Guzzo it doesn't matter if you make more money after a storm for a skid steer. Do the job right the first time and you wont have any problems. You have the rite idea about making money with the skid steer after a storm what are you going to tell the complex when someone else comes in there and tells them that they can save them money due to having a skid steer on site and that they are not going to have to charge the extra cost. Believe me I due it all the time, when you have the rite equipment to due the job you will be on top.


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## Guzzo856

very true, i was debating last night to atleast just have a skid steer with a bucket in there during a storm and the move it to my larger job, i think i will end up doing that


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## higginstruck

only take on the work you can handle with what you have and you will come out on top and keep the customer happy at the same time. Think about your future since this is your first year don't wreck your name.


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## Guzzo856

ill be fine i have the equip and manpower


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## MatthewG

Subscribed


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## bristolturf

What about subbing a skid steer there? Yeah you wont be making a bunch of money off of it, but then you wont be running around hauling a loader around from site to site. Trust me your not going to want to do that in a storm if you dont have too. Especially a bigger one. Im sure you can work out a fair deal with a sub that has a loader free and have him there and then your truck can go through and help out. If you want to save money and not have to pay him for a bunch you can always bring in your loader after the storm to clean things up.


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## KEC Maintaince

guzzo i just googled earth the width of some of those parking spots just over 8 feet wide..
that f250 is a long and wide truck to be backing in and out of empty spaces all day long cutting it close on the width if some one is parked crooked could hit a car. .. how wide is that 8 ft blade when fully turned. that leaves that 550 out for doing single spaces to double wide spaces only. 
might want to reconsider a jeep or small truck to maxamize your coverage area..if we get hit hard with a storm you will be in trouble getting that area cleared if there are people in those buildings....
just a thought


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## Guzzo856

thats true, But i only open up a spot if there is 3 or more spots open. a jeep is not productive enough for me


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## NPMinc

Guzzo856;1397346 said:


> thats true, But i only open up a spot if there is 3 or more spots open. a jeep is not productive enough for me


And your customers are happy with that? Seems to me that you will be wasting time by having to stay on site or go back and open up more spaces as the vehicles are moved. If you are billing by the hour you may like it but when your customers get the bills they surely wont! Also not trying to be rude or start anything but you seem awfully overconfident and bordering on cocky about what a 19 y/o in his first year in the snow removal biz can handle especially since the east coast hasnt even seen any real events yet, so your operations havent even been tested yet!


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## NICHOLS LANDSCA

Guzzo just wondering how you got a loan for $120K worth of trucks, plows, and salters. Seeing as you're only 19, and how you got all these contracts with people still calling you in December and a bunch of subs willing to take the word of a 19yr old?


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## KEC Maintaince

no problem. imo a jeep will be more productive then that big truck your runing in that situation but you are the with the contract.good luck.


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## NPMinc

NICHOLS LANDSCA;1397805 said:


> Guzzo just wondering how you got a loan for $120K worth of trucks, plows, and salters. Seeing as you're only 19, and how you got all these contracts with people still calling you in December and a bunch of subs willing to take the word of a 19yr old?


LOL was thinking the same thing and was gonna call SHENANIGANS on him! in todays credit and economic crunch find it hard to believe that a 19 y/o with 1 year in business would ever find that kind of financing!(or for that matter would want that kinda debt) Would love to know the real story, is it a family business he works for, or is he making it up etc?


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## Guzzo856

i told them that i will be opening up spots only of 3 or more only during the storm, they are fine with that so thats what im going to do...


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## Flawless440

I go though with trucks, then come back next day with loader if needed.


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## AG09

Heres a link to his thread on lawnsite which talks about how he got everything. http://lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=341396&highlight=a+guzzo&page=2

Disclosure: Im not trying to defend him I just remember reading his thread a while back.


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## BPS#1

A couple observations on the property and plow discussion.


I'm surprised that a highly regulated area like NJ that property gets away with only having one entrance.
In my area its a minimum of two for a property of any size. Safety codes......

On the topic of plowing... I've got 3 large complexes for 2011/2012. Similar in size to this one.
All three only expect the traffic lanes to be be plowed. We are plowing with F250s, we would only plow traffic stalls if a lot of them are open in a row. The rest of the time the snow is left in the traffic stalls.
That is what is expected by the management. No mass moving of the vehicles after a storm etc.
I wonder if that is a regional thing or what.


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## diesellandscape

I love threads like this... You get a point for asking for advice and then having an awsner. You also get a point for having the wrong equiptment for that site, Should have at least a skid with a box, or some v plows, an atv or ventrac/walker, and a site foreman to ensure the job gets done correctly and on time... What happens when you get blasted with 6-8 inches and a truck goes down? Do you just plow all of the cars in instead of talking with a property manager about a specific spot for piles? Im sure you have an answer for those questions... I know 6 years ago when i started i thought i did... Now i look back and think "I didnt know my ass from a hole in the ground"


p.s. ignore my spelling, spell check isnt working tonight


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