# Any idea on a price



## rcrev (Oct 26, 2008)

This is a school (my husband is a board member) which I think is paying WAY too much for removal. They pay a per-occurance price, must plow when it gets to one inch. The lots are blue, the sidewalks (shoveled) are yellow. It's in Chicago. THANKS for any ideas! I saw the bid for "four inches", that's what I wonder about...realize it can be more, or less.


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## dfdsuperduty (Dec 12, 2006)

:realmad:With no sq footage I am going to take a shot in the dark here and say $9000 1-3" just to plow another $250.00 per hr per side walk crew (3 man crew) 1hr minimum $4750for salt applied at MY choosing and I always pre salt and post salt $80per bag of calcium for side walks..... do you honestly think that we are going to give a valid estimate on here if your current contractor is doing a good job then he is worth the money if not open it up to bids and find someone who will do a good job. You get what you pay for.... please remember that salt has gone thru the roof for us and just 1 tool for our PROFESSION to perform a emergency service cost a min. $30-35,000 now we start take into consideration our insurance, gas, wear and tear on the vehicle, time away from our family at christmas, valentines days, birthdays, new years eve and day, hanakauha and lets not forget that this is usually at 2am while you are nice and warm in your bed etc.....


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## rcrev (Oct 26, 2008)

*Sorry!*

I thought you could see the size from the cars in the parking lot. I'm a housewife/mom...I LOVE that you guys do this while I'm in bed! I know it's not a guy and a truck, it's a business with insurance and overhead, etc... The current guy charges $2,000 for four inches, EVERY time it snows. He could be there twenty times this year...$40,000??? That just sounds like a frigging lot of money to me! Thank you, though...


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## JohnnyRoyale (Jun 18, 2006)

Was he lowest bid? If so, the other bids including that one should give you a good indication of what its worth in your area.


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## LIBERTYLANDSCAP (Dec 2, 2005)

rcrev;616333 said:


> The current guy charges $2,000 for four inches, EVERY time it snows. .


Wow, that guy sounds like a lowballer!


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## 06HD BOSS (Nov 28, 2005)

rcrev;616333 said:


> I thought you could see the size from the cars in the parking lot. I'm a housewife/mom...I LOVE that you guys do this while I'm in bed! I know it's not a guy and a truck, it's a business with insurance and overhead, etc... The current guy charges $2,000 for four inches, EVERY time it snows. He could be there twenty times this year...$40,000??? That just sounds like a frigging lot of money to me! Thank you, though...


without walking the property its tough to call, but my bid would be about 2/3rds less than the price you mentioned. not including salt


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## EPPSLLC (Oct 9, 2008)

$99  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## T-MAN (Jan 9, 2001)

That price seems way to high to me. All plowing contractors are fleecing this country just like the lawyers. I would find an illegal alien with a shovel way cheaper IMO.


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## 06HD BOSS (Nov 28, 2005)

T-MAN;616393 said:


> That price seems way to high to me. All plowing contractors are fleecing this country just like the lawyers. I would find an illegal alien with a shovel way cheaper IMO.


you just proved why many of us have a hard time getting accounts :waving:


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## Camden (Mar 10, 2007)

06HD BOSS;616369 said:


> without walking the property its tough to call, but my bid would be about 2/3rds *less* than the price you mentioned. not including salt


You would plow that for $660? Maybe I'm missing the fact you're being sarcastic but at that price I don't know how you could come out ahead.

The only part of the property that offers you a straight run is the area between the inlets. Check out all of the curbing that you'd have you go around 

If they're not happy with what they pay just find another contractor. They might find out at $2k they're getting a deal...


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## 06HD BOSS (Nov 28, 2005)

Camden;616405 said:


> You would plow that for $660? Maybe I'm missing the fact you're being sarcastic but at that price I don't know how you could come out ahead.
> 
> The only part of the property that offers you a straight run is the area between the inlets. Check out all of the curbing that you'd have you go around
> 
> If they're not happy with what they pay just find another contractor. They might find out at $2k they're getting a deal...


sort of sarcastic. just for the sake of arguemnt lets see.... thinking about it seriously, $660 would be a little on the low side, but still decent. that lot has a lot of turns, but actually very straightforward and shouldnt take more than 1.5-2 hours to plow, and for the sidewalks if you have someone on an atv with a blade and a guy with a blower for the tighter areas, the walks cant take more than 1.5-2 hours. 2 guys doing the walks while 1 guys plowing, should be done around the same time. with those numbers, your payroll for that property would be no more than $200. so at $660 youd be making $460 before fuel which isnt great, but not terrible. 
personally, i would bid it somewhere between $900-$1200


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Around here all schools are done with the maintenance staff. No outside bids.


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## EPPSLLC (Oct 9, 2008)

grandview;616475 said:


> Around here all schools are done with the maintenance staff. No outside bids.


same here ......


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## T-MAN (Jan 9, 2001)

06HD BOSS;616396 said:


> you just proved why many of us have a hard time getting accounts :waving:


Getting accounts is easy. Getting profitable accounts were customers appreciate quality work with "fair pricing for all party's" is hard.

2K is a number period, it is really irrelevant. What is relevant is what makes up that number. Suzy Homeowner hears 2K and freaks, but actually has no clue what is involved. This SnowPlow Man might actually make 40K that is horrible right ?
Does any one know what is involved in this site ?
How about salt storage. What does it cost just to keep a pile in Chicago ?
How about all the emergency exits that were not in yellow ? 
Way to many variables to even consider condoning this Contractors price.
My comment about hiring an "illegal shovel guy", should take care of that ungodly number of 2K right ? 
Problem solved, we slashed and burned that horrible number


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## albhb3 (Dec 18, 2007)

Ha!!! 98.50


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## Superior L & L (Oct 6, 2006)

WOW after all the "comments" people have made I figure Ive got to look at this a little closer. 

1.I believe im a middle of the road plower (speed wise) and there is no way that lot would take me more than 3-3.5 hours. So at a good price for the plowing thats $420.00 

2. Sidewalks seam like a pain in the @ss but no more than 1.5-2 hours with 2 men and a four wheeler. Now Ive never priced a four wheel by the hour but $115.00 per hour ($75 four wheel & operator and $40 for shovel guy) so that s $230.0

3. Now salting is even tougher to get close on since price differs by town never mind by state. But if it takes 3-4 hours to plow you are looking at probably 1.5 tons of salt per app. So that s ABOUT $375.00 per app. (in my state)

4. Sidewalk salt..................I don't even want to touch that

I would guesstimate it at $650.00 per push 1"-3" and $870.00 3.1-6" 



Not that i know a whole lot about anything but i would probably bid this out !


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

I wasn't going to answer this but with so many stupid answers I will help out. I plow 36 schools every time it snows(10 trucks). I have 5 schools that are that size or close to that. I am pretty sure most of my guys could do that school in 3 hours. 1 ton of salt and it should be running water. The sidewalks with 2 guys and 2 blowers and a walk behind salter can't take 2 hours. Maybe 500 lbs. of salt for the walks. You just cleared them to bare how much salt can you use. $125/hour for the truck (in US dollars, all my guys would show up for that). 1 ton of salt spread, $200 and $150 for the sidewalk guys and $75 for sidewalk salt. $900 per 4" and I will take all the work you can find.


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## Superior L & L (Oct 6, 2006)

rcrev;616333 said:


> I thought you could see the size from the cars in the parking lot. I'm a housewife/mom...I LOVE that you guys do this while I'm in bed! I know it's not a guy and a truck, it's a business with insurance and overhead, etc... The current guy charges $2,000 for four inches, EVERY time it snows. He could be there twenty times this year...$40,000??? That just sounds like a frigging lot of money to me! Thank you, though...


For what its worth I love that mams are mams there GREAT!
I would like to put a bid in for this school. I could probably manage/plow this site from michigan for a better price than the guy around the corner is doing it for.

$1600 per push. I will save the school $400.00 per push or possibly $8,000.00 per year and give the BEST service ever. Think how many books 8 grand can buy !!!

Either way if you dont like how close i am to you then rebid that job TODAY!

Realy want to pi$$ the local plow guys off, ask for a hourly rate.

Im off to bid a 10 building district tomorrow that wants hourly pricing :crying:


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## JDiepstra (Sep 15, 2008)

I think some of you guys are underestimating the time it would take to plow this lot. Where are you going to be putting all the snow?


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## JohnnyRoyale (Jun 18, 2006)

Some of you amaze me. How can you guys throw magic numbers out without knowing contract specifics? 

Now, provided he's charging $2000 per 4" push-God Bless Him. Theres a guy whos getting paid what he wants under those circumstances and has probably taken him years to get to that agreed upon price or had the school board by the short and curly's and capitalized on the opportunity. Instead of commending this mysterious plower on his score and assuring this lady she's paying what she should(who IMO has nothing better to do and should find a P/T job of her own to occupy her time) -you propose lower rates, or suggest you can do it for so much less. Sometimes you just have to leave well enough alone.

Superior-I agree $8000 buys alot of books, but is it really your problem? There are better ways to save some money than to take it from the guys that work in the most miserable of conditions to put food on their tables. JMO.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

None of this means BS. If you think it's too high get competitive bids. 

The pictures don't tell anything. They are redoing the road I live on. They planned for two years, spent a year doing final design, then found none of it was right. Why; no one walked the road, they did it all from satellite pics and surveys. When they walked the road things were real different. Same here, with-out being physically on the site you cann't price it correctly.

Then there are the contract stipulations, what are they? Does snow need to be moved to a common collection area? What are the time requirements? What is required of your employees, does the school require you vet your work force for criminal records, sex offenders, etc? Must you and your employees be bonded? What ice mount material is allowed, do they require urea or other high dollar ice melt to protect the grass and landscaping? What are the triggers, and the limits? If he's working a 0-4, 4-8, 8-12 pricing that 4k could be for moving as much as 8 inches.

So many unanswered questions, so many unsupported opinions.


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## LoneCowboy (Jan 2, 2007)

I think it's a pretty straightforward lot to plow and doing the walks should be also easy (ATV for most of them)

$750 to plow/shovel 1-4" plus salt (we don't do salt here, I have ZERO idea on that)

You winrow it to the dividers, won't be hard, you don't have to stack much at all except on the islands at the end, if you were really tricky you could go round and round on that bigger side and rarely back up.
Most of the walks are long straight sections, perfect for an ATV or something similar, minimal shovel work. (and the ATV could do clean up)

2 grand is outrageous, put it out for bid, that will tell you.


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## Farm Boss (Jan 20, 2007)

Everyone complains about low ballers, then everyone complains about some guy making TOO much money?!?! Without seeing/knowing the specifics how can anyone make a positive assumption that this is too much?? Everyone hates low ballers but everyone here wants to do it for much less...odd.


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## hydro_37 (Sep 10, 2006)

Everyone needs to read Basher's post again. He is right on the money. Untill you see the lot in person all you are doing is making a vague guess and what to charge and how long to plow it.


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## scitown (Dec 9, 2007)

Ok now everyone go back and edit your posts. Everyone add a 2 to the beginning of thier bid numbers. Lets help this guy out. If "she" thinks its low she will just let him make back his tax dollars that he is already paying for the school.

ussmileyflag


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## EPPSLLC (Oct 9, 2008)

Obama is gonna give her the extra money any ways  LOL


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## 042500hd (Oct 10, 2004)

grandview;616475 said:


> Around here all schools are done with the maintenance staff. No outside bids.


Don't want to get off topic but..If you were interested GV almost all the charter schools in the city are open bid.


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