# How much do you charge for a average residental



## chs1993 (Nov 12, 2006)

I've have been a sub for the last 3 years and next year i am looking at trying to get some of my own jobs. I was wondering how much an average residential goes for & what you take into consideration for determining price? any help would appreciate! thanks


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## Burkartsplow (Nov 1, 2007)

$25 for a sinlge drive up to 150 ft long. should take 5 mins to do a real good job. $30 for a double drive 150 long. If the drive has a hill i charge more. I have one client that has a hill and the drive is 75 long. it take 2 and half passes down the hill to the road to clear it completely. I charge her 30 for the double and another 10 because of the hill.$40 all together. takes me 4 mins or so.


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

nothing can tell but time. the harder the job the longer it takes the more i charge. some of the smaller drives are harder than the bigger ones. i have an elderly couple with a small drive, maybe 30-40' but the drive is L shaped and goes up to the attached garage. also it has pine trees everywhere and not alot of room to deposit snow = lots of backdragging. im probabaly there for a good 15min but i only charge them $35. husband is a ww2 vet who just had a stroke and the wife always gives me homemade cookies or fudge or a sandwich lol. ill take their garbage out for them and get their mail/newspaper. nice folks


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## Brant'sLawnCare (Jun 29, 2007)

I charge a minimum of $35 per drive, most go for 40-45 or so with some blowing or shoveling. I go down a bit for friends and neighbors, $25-$30 for most of those. You should'nt have too much trouble getting $35 for a drive. I don't and my area really sucks for landscaping and stuff like that.


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## chs1993 (Nov 12, 2006)

thanks guys! how do you guess determine salting/ graveling prices? flat charge for the equipment/price per bag x number used?


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

Not sure what you mean by "graveling", but if you mean sanding - when I was sanding; I'd generally charge equal to plowing for any given area. If only sanding, then I'd have a minimum charge equal to 1/2 yard. I'd base my rates on two times my cost ( I was using bulk sand/salt mix using a two-yard sander) for anything over 1/2 yard. Salting is pretty much the same, although some charge 3x their cost.


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## NoFearDeere (Nov 7, 2005)

$25-$30 per drive....damn lowballers!


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## Scottscape (Nov 27, 2005)

$40 MIN. Regardless of size. If the kid down the street does it for $20 and I have to send my drivers or I drive there and do it, its going to be double that and thats without sidewalks. I won't get out of my truck under $20


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## FteNelson (Dec 31, 2007)

i plow for the town i live in 
mostly side roads and one main

then after they send me home i drive around with my plow find a few people who still need to be plowed out they ask me how much i tell them to give me a price then i tell them to double it payup



im not a fan driveways after plowing roads for 11 years lol


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## chs1993 (Nov 12, 2006)

thanks everyone! I kind of figured that was the ball park. I agree with FteNelson i would be a big fan of them either, im used to plowing malls and bigger commercials so im sure, it will be a big change but i want to start small and grow strong.


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## DUMZ (Dec 3, 2007)

$25 minimum... usually charge $30-40. I do a few drives in a trailer park. Those I charge $25. 2 cars wide and 15' long. Takes more time filling out invoice then pushing the snow out. Any thing more then that = more cash.


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## Gicon (Oct 1, 2005)

I dont know where you are, but where I come from, my fuel is $3.50 a gallon, my plows are more than $5000, and my trucks cost $40,000 from the dealership. $30 is the [email protected]$$ minimum, and even at that, its still peanuts. $40 on a driveway that can fit 4 cars, $50 on a driveway that can fit 6 cars, etc. I go by the car, and if it is up or down hill, I wont take it, or there is another surcharge. I get paid every 3" of snowfall too. None of this "yes ma'am, its $30 for the day, no matter how much snow we get"


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## chs1993 (Nov 12, 2006)

Gicon I have to agree with you, Your running a business, your out to make as much money as you can and profit as much as you can.


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## wls (Aug 17, 2003)

13.00 to 40.00


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## tom_mccauley (Dec 10, 2007)

$30.00 Minimum or I won't drop the blade. The only exceptions are Active duty Military or the spouse/parents of active duty, they are FREE!!!!


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

Mick;476667 said:


> Not sure what you mean by "graveling", but if you mean sanding - when I was sanding; I'd generally charge equal to plowing for any given area. If only sanding, then I'd have a minimum charge equal to 1/2 yard. I'd base my rates on two times my cost ( I was using bulk sand/salt mix using a two-yard sander) for anything over 1/2 yard. Salting is pretty much the same, although some charge 3x their cost.


Graveling, that's what alot of farms do around here when it's icy. They spread limestone screening on the ice, works really well and doesn't track like sand.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

$35 and up...


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## Jay brown (Dec 26, 2005)

we do three for $25 and one for $10 and i think one for $30,also do a couple for free. LOL we make a whooping $90 on drives!!!!


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## ADK (Sep 9, 2006)

I have most of mine set up for season contracts. 3 car drives run $175, flat and level. 4 car run $200. I do have an active duty Army that was just sent to Iraq for two years. Gave her a two year contract for $200. I try to keep 3-4 per push drives that cover my gas cost for the storm.........Good luck.


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## Gicon (Oct 1, 2005)

ADK;484915 said:


> I have most of mine set up for season contracts. 3 car drives run $175, flat and level. 4 car run $200. I do have an active duty Army that was just sent to Iraq for two years. Gave her a two year contract for $200. I try to keep 3-4 per push drives that cover my gas cost for the storm.........Good luck.


How many plowable events do you get per snow season.....5-6??????


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## ADK (Sep 9, 2006)

Gicon;484922 said:


> How many plowable events do you get per snow season.....5-6??????


Depends on the year....Last year was a win-win, this one is starting off a little tough. You hate to talk price on here because theres so many variables. The reason I can do what I do, is the 21 driveways I do are all with in 1.5 miles of my house, and most are townhouses with two units sharing a 4 car drive. Very fast and easy push. If I had to drive 30 or 40 miles to do a route, that would change the price significantly......Just my 2cents


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## plowman4life (Jan 16, 2008)

tom_mccauley;484662 said:


> $30.00 Minimum or I won't drop the blade. The only exceptions are Active duty Military or the spouse/parents of active duty, they are FREE!!!!


we do that same thing anyone that shows a military ID gets plowed free. or anyone overseas family anything like that is free. its the least u can do.


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## Chris-R (Jul 9, 2005)

Every area of the country is different as to prices. You may want to check prices in your area. Over the years, I've learned about areas where plowing is cheap and areas where consumers pay a lot more for the same thing. Here in my part of MA, we get between $40 to $60 per driveway depending upon how much snow is on the ground. The price can be higher under special circumstances such as a giant snowfall, a complicated driveway with obstructions, etc.


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## yamaguy (Aug 26, 2007)

ADK;485089 said:


> Depends on the year....Last year was a win-win, this one is starting off a little tough. You hate to talk price on here because theres so many variables. The reason I can do what I do, is the 21 driveways I do are all with in 1.5 miles of my house, and most are townhouses with two units sharing a 4 car drive. Very fast and easy push. If I had to drive 30 or 40 miles to do a route, that would change the price significantly......Just my 2cents


I'm glad you don't live near me, I would slash your tires and burn your house down for being such a lowballer!!!


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## EGLC (Nov 8, 2007)

My minimum is $30 and that includes the walkway shoveled. For salt it starts at $5 and goes on up depending on the driveway size...........


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## procut (Dec 1, 2004)

I hate plowing drives so I only have few. I start at $25 and go up from there. I've found people in my area will gladly pay $25-$30 especially if it includes a little blowing or shoveling of walks. I never salt residential drivways.


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## SnowFlakeChaser (Nov 4, 2006)

I have about 30 driveways. Cheapest is 30 bucks. single car wide and about 30 ft long. Less than 5 minutes there. A few from last year are 35 bucks but anything I took on this year started at $40. Several are $75-$80 per plow. I might be cheap for my shoveling but for $5 more I'll do in front of your garage door and $5-$10 on top of that I'll do your walk ways. One of the $80 plows pays $25 more for there walk way to be shoveld. $105 any time there is 2 inches or more of snow. I'll do those all day long.


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## ADK (Sep 9, 2006)

yamaguy;491917 said:


> I'm glad you don't live near me/QUOTE]
> 
> Me to!! I'll leave it at that................


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## mnormington (Dec 18, 2007)

$5 per day. & $7.50 with sidewalks cleaned off. some days I make as much as $35! It's OK cuz gas & equipment are cheap as hell. what a country!


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## YardMedic (Nov 29, 2006)

Not to jack a thread here, but have a quick scenario for everyone. New customer (very last minute prior to first storm), $30 driveway. Called about 7am saying her daughter had to get out. Now, there's 3-4" in the drive, and the city was by once (not too much to drive through). "Ok, I'll be there in about 1/2 hour, but she should be able to get out as it is now." I get there, and the driveway is about half shoveled. I tell her I'll finish it up. She sends my December check with a note saying that the FULL charge for the 12/31 storm was not right because she'd done some shoveling. My response (hasn't gone out yet) is that (1) I went over and did the job I was supposed to do, and (2) shoveling was voluntary since they could get out prior to me getting there, so it's full price. I went on further to explain that some contractors might even charge for a trip over there even if the WHOLE driveway was shoveled, but that I wouldn't have done that. My feeling is that if I touch a single flake on the driveway, the flake in the house is being charged for a full push. I will be a little more tolerant if it's a multiple push and someone has shoveled one of the times I swung by. Any thoughts?? 1/2 charge, full charge? Oh, and to top it off, at the time of that push, she said she wouldn't need service any longer because her daughter's boyfriend wanted to do it. So not only was I losing a customer I committed to for the winter, part way through the season, but then she P'd & moaned about the last charge.


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## StoneDevil (Dec 13, 2007)

walk away from that one, but still get the Full Push pay


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## YardMedic (Nov 29, 2006)

StoneDevil;495668 said:


> walk away from that one, but still get the Full Push pay


Done, and working on it!


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## theguynextdoor (Sep 18, 2007)

In regards to driveway prices...I charge $245 - $275 for the season for an average 2 car driveway.


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## LTL (Jan 13, 2008)

Anywhere from $30-$100.


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## Jbowe (Mar 22, 2006)

*Cost*

Here in Alaska I have a min charge of 60.00 for a drive. Most of them here are dirt and usually by the time someone calls its after two or three falls so you end up having to work it pretty hard. Mind you I still get the oh god your to high. I have been getting it done for 20 dollars. Got one of those during this past snow of 15". I got kind of peeved because I was to busy for that nonsence so I told her to just put her coat on and walk through the snow to the road and wave down the fist rust bucket with a plow on it. I am sure they will do it for 20.00 unless its close to 6 pm when the darts start at the local pub. Also lost two apt complexes this last storm. Had two about 12 miles apart. Same owner. I would send one truck to do them at the same time so I would have an accurate time to charge. Averaged 190.00 for the two buildings. Large lots both. I pulled into the first one during the last storm and heres one of the local low ballers plowing the lot. I pulled up and asked him what was going on and he said the owners had hired him. I asked what he was chargeing and he said 150.00 for both. But he was also including shoveling and salting the side walks. There were two guys in the truck. I just laughed and left. Got to figureing when I got home what they were makeing and when you entered in the time to plow, shoveling and salt I figured they were both makeing about 17.00 each for two and a half hrs work. Oh yeah when I went by to do one of my other commercials that afternoon I was talking to Sammy and those same two had been in that morning looking for a battery operated strob. No cig lighter in the truck. lol On another note. I was not going to do this particular client again after this year anyway so it wasn't a big loss for me.


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## plowman4life (Jan 16, 2008)

YardMedic;495665 said:


> Not to jack a thread here, but have a quick scenario for everyone. New customer (very last minute prior to first storm), $30 driveway. Called about 7am saying her daughter had to get out. Now, there's 3-4" in the drive, and the city was by once (not too much to drive through). "Ok, I'll be there in about 1/2 hour, but she should be able to get out as it is now." I get there, and the driveway is about half shoveled. I tell her I'll finish it up. She sends my December check with a note saying that the FULL charge for the 12/31 storm was not right because she'd done some shoveling. My response (hasn't gone out yet) is that (1) I went over and did the job I was supposed to do, and (2) shoveling was voluntary since they could get out prior to me getting there, so it's full price. I went on further to explain that some contractors might even charge for a trip over there even if the WHOLE driveway was shoveled, but that I wouldn't have done that. My feeling is that if I touch a single flake on the driveway, the flake in the house is being charged for a full push. I will be a little more tolerant if it's a multiple push and someone has shoveled one of the times I swung by. Any thoughts?? 1/2 charge, full charge? Oh, and to top it off, at the time of that push, she said she wouldn't need service any longer because her daughter's boyfriend wanted to do it. So not only was I losing a customer I committed to for the winter, part way through the season, but then she P'd & moaned about the last charge.


i would charge full price. just becasue they did half of it so i wasted time going there. if people call us and say that and then clear it themselves before we get there. we bill them a gas surcharge of $10-50 depending on the distance.
and if its a sub they pay the sub for 1 hr even if it was a 30min drive 15 each way.

i mean we dont do it to be jerks but if u call us and we waste gas and its done when we get there your paying us back for gas. and thats stated in every one of our contracts.


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## yamaguy (Aug 26, 2007)

ADK;495520 said:


> I'm glad you don't live near me/QUOTE]
> 
> Me to!! I'll leave it at that................


Bring it lowballer!!!wesport I'll leave you:crying:


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