# sanding price advise



## remtech1

i've been plowing driveways for about 20 yrs. and just in the last 4 or 5 started doing some small parking lots (gas station daycare resteaunt etc.) i think i've done alright on plowing prices ( allways per push) . this year i got a good deal on a 2? yrd. sander, but have never offered this service before.salt/sand mix is about 38 a ton or about 100 to fill the hopper.is there any advise how to formulate a price? 50% add on price unfair? or maybe a cost plus formula? bany advise appreciated.


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## clark lawn

i double the price it cost me for what i put down. $38/ton spread 1 ton it will cost them $76.


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## remtech1

*sanding pricing*

i'm glad i got the sander for cheap.  100. profit on a full hopper doesn't sound alot , but then i am near the shoreline. do you use that same formula if it's an ice storm and are sanding only or is it only if your'e there plowing anyway?


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## remtech1

*new thought*

just thinkin maybe thats why i got a good deal on the sander,andwhy the guy i got it from isn't doing that anymore. hmmm. thanks for your'e input:waving:


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## Mick

I have the same setup, basically. I use two systems. If they want a place plowed and sanded, I charge the same to sand as to plow. So, if I charged an area $50 for a basic plowing, then I charge $50 for sanding (I have one place I charge $5 extra, but that's another aspect). Now, if they call for sanding only, I have a minimum charge equal to half of what I would charge per yard. That, of course, covers anything up to 1/2 yard of material. If someone "cold calls" and asks "What will it cost to sand my driveway?", I tell them "_At least_, $xxx (equal to 1/2 yard), but it may be more depending on how much sand/salt it takes." That gives them the option of saying "I only want (1/2 yard; 1 yard etc). Make sure you take note that the customer controlled how much was used. You may want to modify this based on your own situation, it's just how I do it. For determining a charge per ton or yard, I charge double my cost.

Sanding or salting can be very profitable, but you need to set up a good system to start with.


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## qualitylawncare

$0.22 per pound applied.. That is a blended salt/sand mixture and is our most commonly requested and applied product. It's a white rock salt treated with Liquid Magnesium Chloride and has a 2:1 ratio of salt/sand.

We pay $0.02075 per pound.. Net after product is about $399 per ton, which is before fuel, labor time, etc etc etc.


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## remtech1

$399. a ton ? i'm pretty much just doing local small busineses.that sounds like some pretty high tech s*** .payup where do you use something like that?


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## clark lawn

remtech1 said:


> i'm glad i got the sander for cheap.  100. profit on a full hopper doesn't sound alot , but then i am near the shoreline. do you use that same formula if it's an ice storm and are sanding only or is it only if your'e there plowing anyway?


 the thing with salting/sanding is you do it alot more often then plowing.how long will it take you to do your lots the ones i salt im done in about 45 min - 1hr and i make about $200 gross about $125 net not to bad for an hour of work.plus if you are out plowing already what another 5-10 mins for another 40-50 bucks


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## remtech1

i guess like mick said ,the trick is tobe set up for it.without a machine and place for storage i need to travel to the quarry to fill up every time and they don't stay open at night.guess thats reason enough to get a backhoe.(think the wife will by that excuse?)


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## Mick

remtech1 said:


> i guess like mick said ,the trick is tobe set up for it.without a machine and place for storage i need to travel to the quarry to fill up every time and they don't stay open at night.guess thats reason enough to get a backhoe.(think the wife will by that excuse?)


Maybe. I bought a tractor and loader partly to fill my sander from my own pile rather than getting it from a quarry like you're talking about. Saves a lot, available when I want and I save on material used. If I buy from the quarry, I'd get at least a yard. Then I'd use maybe 1/4 - 1/2 yard on the account that had called. So now I'm left with half a yard or so. What do I do with it? I'd usually just spread it thicker than needed or spread it on my own driveway. Now, not only does the material cost far less per yard, but the number of yards I have generates more money. Plus, in my situation, I can use the tractor in the summer and save by doing a lot of stuff around here myself instead of paying someone or I can hire it out and generate more income. Plus, if it's for business, it and the attachments are be a business expense. At least, you can deduct the portion that's used for loading the sander.


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## KCAPXIS

qualitylawncare said:


> $0.22 per pound applied.. That is a blended salt/sand mixture and is our most commonly requested and applied product. It's a white rock salt treated with Liquid Magnesium Chloride and has a 2:1 ratio of salt/sand.
> 
> We pay $0.02075 per pound.. Net after product is about $399 per ton, which is before fuel, labor time, etc etc etc.


what supplier are you getting the Liquid Mag Chl from?? Thanks Karl


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## Big Dog D

You could start out by pricing things as time and material.

Take your material costs and mark them up some where between 50-100% above your cost and come up with a cost per yard. Then determine your costs per hour for labor and equipment, don't forget to factor in high maintenance costs. Your L&E costs should be between 55-85$ an hour. 

Now when you go to look at a job you can figure travel & on site time, material quantity etc.. and come up with a reasonable price. Don't be afraid to make sure that you factor in a little extra time for washing down the truck and sander when complete. If it will take you an hour divide that up between an approximate number of accounts that you have. You may have to eat the clean up at first when you are trying to get going because you can't expect 1 or 2 small accounts to shoulder the entire burden.

Start off this way and once you determine your costs you can then experiment with pricing by the yard etc....

As far as product purchase don't be afraid to approach somebody else that is local and has their own supply about buying from them. I am always welcome to the idea of selling a little product for a little extra payup


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## Jay brown

qualitylawncare said:


> $0.22 per pound applied.. That is a blended salt/sand mixture and is our most commonly requested and applied product. It's a white rock salt treated with Liquid Magnesium Chloride and has a 2:1 ratio of salt/sand.
> 
> We pay $0.02075 per pound.. Net after product is about $399 per ton, which is before fuel, labor time, etc etc etc.


is this a company you work for? do you own it? I noticed you were 19. dude you are making damm good money! keep up the good work. you are making over $800 per 8' load. same load for me, I'm making apx. $280. i'd charge $800 but i would be fired the next year.


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## qualitylawncare

KCAPXIS said:


> what supplier are you getting the Liquid Mag Chl from?? Thanks Karl


SWP Environmental
11399 Route 21
Wayland, NY 14572
585-728-3770

My sales rep- Jim Hange


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## qualitylawncare

Jay brown said:


> is this a company you work for? do you own it? I noticed you were 19. dude you are making damm good money! keep up the good work. you are making over $800 per 8' load. same load for me, I'm making apx. $280. i'd charge $800 but i would be fired the next year.


I own the company...

We have the Rochester Corporate account for Kodak.. They require service 24/7/365.. We have only skipped salting their lots 3 days since Thanksgiving this year.. Talk about excessive! Most days the lot has a pile of salt on it But they keep saying "go ahead and salt tonight".. Doesn't bother me one bit, as long as they are happy.


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## Jay brown

you must be pulling a net of 50-100k a year salting this company lot? seriously? keep up the good work.


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## Jay brown

qualitylawncare said:


> I own the company...
> 
> We have the Rochester Corporate account for Kodak.. They require service 24/7/365.. We have only skipped salting their lots 3 days since Thanksgiving this year.. Talk about excessive! Most days the lot has a pile of salt on it But they keep saying "go ahead and salt tonight".. Doesn't bother me one bit, as long as they are happy.


dude i'm not trying to call you out but i'm from the show me state..... your 19 years old, you own a big business, have 14 trucks, 500 snow plow accounts, three or four offices and your business has been around since 1998? that would make you 12 when you started it? the only trucks i've seen on this site are the three fords. sorry if i'm sinical but i've been burned too many times.


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