# Moving into LARGE Residentials, Help with price



## musclecarboy (Aug 19, 2007)

Hi Guys,
I've been asked for a bid for plowing for a new 12,000sq ft house that my friend's family just built. I told them $125 per push. What do you guys think?

As you can see, its 171' long and the 2 enterances are about 125' apart.

Thanks Guys!


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## Snowpower (Sep 2, 2007)

Too high. Id say more like 75 for 2-5.

Pretty easy push as far as those kinds of drives go.


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

$125 wow i hope you get it, its better than charging $10. i would say more like $80-$60 depending on local market, travel, equipment, etc...

the larger stuff like this you would have to think about it hourly. most people shoot for around $125per hr so would it really take you an hour to do that drive?


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## LoneCowboy (Jan 2, 2007)

$40 to $50 
at most (maybe more if it's a long way away)
it's a 5 to 10 minute push
EASY
no backdragging that I see.


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## poncho62 (Jan 23, 2004)

Yeah...$50-60....Twice around the circle pushing to the inside and 2 or 3 swipes up the end.....Lots of room to pile it at the end of the drive behind the house.


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## ADK (Sep 9, 2006)

A house that big, there going to want good service and a nice clean job. I'd be looking at $80-90 per, plus deicing...........


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## Smitty58 (Dec 23, 2003)

I would say $50 - $60 is fair. It's as easy of a big driveway as you can get ,and probably a lot of potential for more customers (neighbors). Price it right and get the neighbors ,price it too high and get none. Don't get me wrong I would love to do that drive for $125.
Good Luck,


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## Plowfast9957 (Feb 14, 2005)

I have a similar driveway. It is actually alot easier to do than most smaller ones. If I was biding it aroung here it would be about $60-80.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

I'm assuming they want the walks shoveled too, probably around back also. I'd say $125 for the area your in will be fine. The house must be worth between 1.5 and 2.5 million so hopefully your friends dad will share his wealth with his son's friend.


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## mexiking (Dec 14, 2003)

$125 looks good with sidewalks and some salt maybe... Don't lowball.


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## poncho62 (Jan 23, 2004)

JD Dave;464691 said:


> I'd say $125 for the area your in will be fine. The house must be worth between 1.5 and 2.5 million so hopefully your friends dad will share his wealth with his son's friend.


Sorry......Maybe $125 is fine for that, but the reasoning is not..............This is why plow people get a bad name................They have more money, so squeeze them.

Tow truck guys are in the same boat, because some think that it should cost 3x as much to tow a Beemer than a Pontiac


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

poncho62;464733 said:


> Sorry......Maybe $125 is fine for that, but the reasoning is not..............This is why plow people get a bad name................They have more money, so squeeze them.
> 
> Tow truck guys are in the same boat, because some think that it should cost 3x as much to tow a Beemer than a Pontiac


Nicer houses generally have more stuff to worry about, like landscaping. retaining wall, sprinkler heads, etc. Lets face it, your probably going to charge a 12000 sq/ft house a little more then a 1200 ft one. It's the same as me charging more to do prestige industrial over lets say the same size buget industrial. IMO plow guys don't have a bad name, not around here anyway. I charge the $ and I get the job done and sorry if I charge more for a nicer place but that's the way it is. Being stuck in the ditch and needing a tow is totally different then asking for a per price plow before it snows. JMO


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## poncho62 (Jan 23, 2004)

Point taken.................I have also gotten it the other way. I just have an older truck with a small plow. When some people flag me over to do their drive and I tell them a price, I have had people say that since I have an older POS, that they shouldn't pay me as much.....I guess because I don't have the big truck payments. ...............I suppose unless I have all the good I cant do a decent job. ........................I just say, no thanks and they can go back to their shovel.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

poncho62;464833 said:


> Point taken.................I have also gotten it the other way. I just have an older truck with a small plow. When some people flag me over to do their drive and I tell them a price, I have had people say that since I have an older POS, that they shouldn't pay me as much.....I guess because I don't have the big truck payments. ...............I suppose unless I have all the good I cant do a decent job. ........................I just say, no thanks and they can go back to their shovel.


Point taken, after looking at the push again $125 is pretty steep but alot of times friends give you a break when they see someone young working hard. I bet someone would do that drive for $500 for the winter, if he has more nearby. They should just call Tony's snowblowing, he'll do it for $200 for the whole winter.


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

JD Dave;464691 said:


> I'm assuming they want the walks shoveled too, probably around back also. I'd say $125 for the area your in will be fine. The house must be worth between 1.5 and 2.5 million so hopefully your friends dad will share his wealth with his son's friend.


$1.25-2.5mil  maybe up in canadia we have 3-4 subdivisions in my area that are full of houses just like that that are no where near even 1/2 a mil. more like $300-400 thousand


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

terrapro;464839 said:


> $1.25-2.5mil  maybe up in canadia we have 3-4 subdivisions in my area that are full of houses just like that that are no where near even 1/2 a mil. more like $300-400 thousand


Area does make quit a difference, I'm assuming it's in Richmond Hill or surrounding area. You'll have troble finding a nice town house for much less then $300k around here and the closer you get to the city, the more $ they are. Where exactly is the house Musclecar Boy? On edit that house doesn't look anywhere near 12000 sq/ft.


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## poncho62 (Jan 23, 2004)

JD Dave;464843 said:


> Area does make quit a difference, I'm assuming it's in Richmond Hill or surrounding area. You'll have troble finding a nice town house for much less then $300k around here and the closer you get to the city, the more $ they are. Where exactly is the house Musclecar Boy? On edit that house doesn't look anywhere near 12000 sq/ft.


Look at it this way.....I just retired. I had a home near Toronto...2 bedroom, 60x100 lot.....I sold it, bought a property up here....about 80 miles North west.........5 bedroom, 1 1/2 acres....nice place and put 100 Gs in my pocket..............Prices are crazy down there.

Now, I am waiting for them to go up here....but will have to move further north.


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## BSDeality (Dec 5, 2005)

don't be afraid to charge what its worth. I've got a couple driveways that size and larger and they're $80-175/push. Don't count your eggs before they hatch because you will get your cut throat by someone else eventually with the big ones.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

For me the price of the house has nothing to do with the cost of plowing the drive.If that drive was connected to a shack would you charge less?


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## mexiking (Dec 14, 2003)

$125 is good
Trucks are 30-40k 
Plows are 5k
Insurace is a lotofkn$$$

We only plow a few Months of the year.... Don't LowBall.


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## Niteman9 (Jan 6, 2007)

One time I saw an older man shoveling his mini pickup put of a snow bank. I guess he went around corner to fast. There were tow teenagers standing there watching him. I stopped and asked if he needed help and he said "No Thank You I don't have any money" I said "don't worry about that" I plow in front of his truck and then pulled him out. A few minutes later I saw a guy driving a new Cadillac in the same situation. I asked if he needed help and he asked how much. I told him 20 buck. He said "I'll give ya 10". I said keep shoveling.:waving:


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## bribrius (May 5, 2007)

Niteman9;465052 said:


> One time I saw an older man shoveling his mini pickup put of a snow bank. I guess he went around corner to fast. There were tow teenagers standing there watching him. I stopped and asked if he needed help and he said "No Thank You I don't have any money" I said "don't worry about that" I plow in front of his truck and then pulled him out. A few minutes later I saw a guy driving a new Cadillac in the same situation. I asked if he needed help and he asked how much. I told him 20 buck. He said "I'll give ya 10". I said keep shoveling.:waving:


that sounds exactly like something i would do.


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## musclecarboy (Aug 19, 2007)

JD Dave;464843 said:


> Area does make quit a difference, I'm assuming it's in Richmond Hill or surrounding area. You'll have troble finding a nice town house for much less then $300k around here and the closer you get to the city, the more $ they are. Where exactly is the house Musclecar Boy? On edit that house doesn't look anywhere near 12000 sq/ft.


That's a picture of the old house. They tore it down and built a new one over a similar area. The driveway is almost the same except for a larger area outside of the garages. The house is about 5 mins from mine and is at Bayview/Stoufville Rd.

Thinking it over, I've realised it will most likely be too steep. I was thinking $80 since they want the front walks shoveled as well. Hopefully there's another house in the area I can pick up to make the trip a little more profitable. There's new lots being built on and older houses being renovated all the time so I don't think that'll be a challenge.

My goal is also to pick up 5-10 customers for lawn care in this area. Charging $300/month x 5-10 clients totals a healthy amount. Now factor in that I'll only use about 1/2 gallon of diesel in the truck to get to and from all the houses you're at decent hourly rate.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

grandview;465022 said:


> For me the price of the house has nothing to do with the cost of plowing the drive.If that drive was connected to a shack would you charge less?


Your from Buffalo, what do you know.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Hey JD,do you charge more for the strip clubs that have good looking women?


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## poncho62 (Jan 23, 2004)

grandview;465786 said:


> Hey JD,do you charge more for the strip clubs that have good looking women?


The hard part is finding the ones with good looking women..................Maybe, the "House of Lancaster"


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## Scottscape (Nov 27, 2005)

$80.00 a push depending how far you have to travel, what time they want you there (before they go to work or whatever).. if its just within a 12hr period within the accumulation, id say $80 beings that its a friend otherwise no less than 95-100


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## karol (Sep 23, 2004)

*price*

Muscle Car Boy. I do a lot of high end residential in King City,Aurora,etc. Homes like that don't usually bill per push. Generally most guys give a price for the season. I don't know how much shovelling you got to do but I would charge 800-1000 for the season, no matter how many times or amount of snow. Once again depends on the shoveling. $125 per push is too much. 1 price for the season is how it works generally for residential. That house is easy pushing. You will spend more time in a smaller house with a L shaped driveway then you will on this one. Good Luck... tymusic


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## DirtyJerzey (Dec 21, 2007)

area really depends on it, as well as the value of the property. I got a few accounts this year that the home owners said they got charged $300 a push last year and were happy as hell with my $200 qoute. The way I look at it is if youre plowing a 1million dollar home, there is probably belgium block or decorative stone on the side, or very nice lawn that they pay for, plus the cost of the home, if you hit something there or break something it is going to be expensive, therfore you take your time and be careful, not saying you shouldnt take your time on a 2 car driveway in a crappy area, but I mean lets face it. If you were washing cars you would be a lot more careful to not scratch a ferrari then you would be a pontiac.. Dont be afraid to charge. Like I said area and income of the town/area make a huge difference. Its what people are willing to pay. a 500' driveway in the ghetto people arent going to want to pay anything for it, in a mult-million dollar development people would pay an arm and a leg for good service


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