# Help Pricing a Street Plowing Job



## Rain Man (Feb 20, 2010)

Can someone help me out on a price for doing this private road. They have always had a guy do it, one price for the whole season. My brother talked to the guy and it was pretty vague about how often the guy plowed and salted. I am going to price the job for the season, to plow and salt at my discretion, they will not be calling me every time a flake falls. I will also give them a price per push and per salting as an alternative to the seasonal price. This Job is in the pittsburgh area and my per push average for the last 5 years was 18 times with the high being 25 times and the low was 12 times. The average salting for the last 5 years was 41 times with the high being 47 times and the low was 32 times.

The road is a dead end and needs plowed all to one side. The total area of the road is 12,037 sq ft, or .30 acres

Thanks to anyone that can help.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

3,000.00 for the season,plus salt.


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## NICHOLS LANDSCA (Sep 15, 2007)

Just figure it as a parking lot, it will go fast you don't have anything to plow around


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## snobama (Nov 19, 2008)

1 Meeeellion Dollars


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## Raymond S. (Jan 8, 2008)

Grandview, I know this is an old thread but while curing boredom this evening I stumbled upon it. Why did you come up with $3,000 for the season on that road? Just curious. I have a private road (duplexes) that is comparable to that and realistically it's going to take me 10 minutes, 15 TOPS, to tuck the entrance, clear in/out, small turnaround, and I'm done. I've never done a private road like this so to speak. I price everything per hour by the size of the lot, obstacles, etc. With that mentality, a job like this should be about $30, ($120/hr). Although realistically I'm probably going to go with $50/push. It's on my route and has a 2" trigger. 
Anyways, just looking for some feedback. We've got a little time between now and the first snowflake...I hope.


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## PGHplowguy (Oct 13, 2009)

Raymond S.;With that mentality said:


> $30???? Do you use gas to drive to that street? Do you have insurance on your truck and business? Even though it only takes 10-15 minutes you still have to make some money on it. When I was 12 I would have charged $30 to hand shovel one of those driveways on that street! In my area it is thinking like that that is driving the rates down and hurting real businesses. I think you are better off grabbing a shovel and going door to door before the high school bus drops off your competition.
> Thumbs Up


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## Rain Man (Feb 20, 2010)

Someone got the job for $3000 for the season including salt.


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## PGHplowguy (Oct 13, 2009)

That isn't a bad deal. I would have bid around $3250 for it. Looks like it is a street that does not allow parked cars on the side. That really helps. That ray guy has no clue what he is talking about.

Here is something you will think is a joke. Recently I wasted my time bidding on Arby's in our area. One of the managers was kind enough to tell me why my bid was refused. He said that every year they get a *new stooge* that plows the lot for $30 and the occasional combo meal. And that Arby's does not allow contractors to use any form of salt. Because Arby's does not want to pay for it. BUT...If a person slips and falls then the contractors insurance is what will be responsible for coverage! Every year there are stooges falling over each other to get that contract. Pathetic!


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## Rain Man (Feb 20, 2010)

And every year there are stooges going out of business. I would like to see the stooges pay for a new transmission with a combo meal


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

grandview;1281364 said:


> 3,000.00 for the season,plus salt.





Raymond S.;1288626 said:


> Grandview, I know this is an old thread but while curing boredom this evening I stumbled upon it. Why did you come up with $3,000 for the season on that road? Just curious. I have a private road (duplexes) that is comparable to that and realistically it's going to take me 10 minutes, 15 TOPS, to tuck the entrance, clear in/out, small turnaround, and I'm done. I've never done a private road like this so to speak. I price everything per hour by the size of the lot, obstacles, etc. With that mentality, a job like this should be about $30, ($120/hr). Although realistically I'm probably going to go with $50/push. It's on my route and has a 2" trigger.
> Anyways, just looking for some feedback. We've got a little time between now and the first snowflake...I hope.





Rain Man;1352874 said:


> Someone got the job for $3000 for the season including salt.


Pretty good guess.Thumbs Up


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## J&J (Nov 8, 2011)

PGHplowguy;1352822 said:


> $30???? Do you use gas to drive to that street? Do you have insurance on your truck and business? Even though it only takes 10-15 minutes you still have to make some money on it. When I was 12 I would have charged $30 to hand shovel one of those driveways on that street! In my area it is thinking like that that is driving the rates down and hurting real businesses. I think you are better off grabbing a shovel and going door to door before the high school bus drops off your competition.
> Thumbs Up


WELL SAID !!!

Bozo's low balling or have no idea what the hell they are pricing or what they are doing to their own business and mine!

Cut the ****, get a gauge on what the hell your looking at,, we are not bidding on how many mins it takes us to get the job done. This isn't McDonalds, how many burgers we can flip in an hour, factor in the conditions, consider all aspects, being out in the middle of a blizzard or such and away from your family. while everyone is cozy and safe in their homes "we" are out risking not only our equipment but ourselves. When you get stuck in a ditch who's gonna dig you out? gonna call a friend? LOL (well you can't do that here, at least not up here in the litchfield hills of Connecticut.. Your lucky if you see a state plow truck....)

Simply put GET paid.. If a customer calls me and says I got a lower price, I say go with them... If i give a price and they say, I got a price and they will make only one pass.. I say that's great and a great price, as I'm looking down at the bricks and grass piled up... I say "this is what you get for your one price one pass deal"... When I'm done, you do not have to re landscape lol
Good luck...

IMO thats alot of snow to push... no matter the amount of time it takes.. your price should cover the wear and tear of that scope of work along with your materials and liability overhead + some Xmas money!!

I donate a portion every season to my local cancer center or to local Hodgkin lymphoma charities. 
ussmileyflag


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## Drakeslayer (Feb 11, 2011)

J&J;1353753 said:


> WELL SAID !!!
> 
> Bozo's low balling or have no idea what the hell they are pricing or what they are doing to their own business and mine!
> 
> ...


He is charging $120 per hour for his truck. The only thing you left out in your entire rant was your price.


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## Rain Man (Feb 20, 2010)

I bid the job at $3000 but did not get the job because the guy that had the job for the last couple year was at $3000 also. The association said they were not going to change contractors unless the new price was lower, I decided that was my lowest price I could do it for. No big deal!


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Loyalty is good and bad in this business.


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## J&J (Nov 8, 2011)

Rain Man;1354345 said:


> I bid the job at $3000 but did not get the job because the guy that had the job for the last couple year was at $3000 also. The association said they were not going to change contractors unless the new price was lower, I decided that was my lowest price I could do it for. No big deal!


Should have went with $2999.98 LOL! :laughing:


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## Rain Man (Feb 20, 2010)

J&J;1354503 said:


> Should have went with $2999.98 LOL! :laughing:


I could have bid it at $100 and a PB & J sandwich


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## J&J (Nov 8, 2011)

Rain Man;1354793 said:


> I could have bid it at $100 and a PB & J sandwich


:laughing: ...

Now thats funny right there... Better yet you should have bid it at $30 per pass and have Bozo the clown (the guy who started the whole $30 per pass) Cook you some warm home style cooking.. LOL


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## Rain Man (Feb 20, 2010)

LOL I love home cooking but I hate clowns


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## mpgall26 (Aug 19, 2011)

Let's use $3000 for the figure. Would anyone think different if there was 1 house at the end? I assume that cost is shared by 12 residents ,based on drives, Which is $250 per resident per season, which is awesome. I bid the same exact thing w/o the luxury of 12 residents and fear my 3k is to much for that 1 person to afford. Should I have adjusted the bid or just consider the property regardless of 1 or 100 residents?


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## PGHplowguy (Oct 13, 2009)

I would bid it the same as 1 or 100 on the street. Just like landscaping, if I do the exact job in the million dollar areas or the shlt hole areas the price for the job is the same. I am not giving breaks or taking advantage of someone. I am charging for the job at hand, no more no less. As the resident(s) I feel they will be pleased is the job is bid fairly and the job is done right.


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