# salt pricing



## readysnowplow

I am losing on my all inclusive price for plowing and salt. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to charge for salt? (per bag, or pound etc?) I want to give a price that would allow me to cover my price for having to apply more salt at a location to break up lots where the ice has not melted after my 1st application. how do you guys usually do it?


----------



## wiccantoy

well the cheaper price around me is 9 dollars per 50 lb bag. i can get it a fwe bucks cheaper through the firecompany i run with, but depends alot on need to reaply


----------



## fci

If you have a bulk salt spreader you can cut your product cost way down. If you have alot of sites it will pay for it self in no time. Bulk salt is about half the price of bagged salt. I would rather salt then plow.


----------



## CJSLAWNSERVICE

wiccantoy;899069 said:


> well the cheaper price around me is 9 dollars per 50 lb bag. i can get it a fwe bucks cheaper through the firecompany i run with, but depends alot on need to reaply


first of all greetings from a Michigan firefighter, second of all.... are you speaking of rock salt or an ice melter? I pay 5.50 per 80 lb bag of rock salt.... home depot and lowes charge around $7 per 50 bag....


----------



## rdbpower

I charge 50.00 a bag, I buy it and spread it. That is for sidewalks and we salt or salt/sand in bulk. Everyone *****es about straight salt price and ***** about salt/sand mess.


----------



## NICHOLS LANDSCA

rdbpower;919112 said:


> I charge 50.00 a bag, I buy it and spread it. That is for sidewalks and we salt or salt/sand in bulk. Everyone *****es about straight salt price and ***** about salt/sand mess.


Are you kiding me? That better be one big bag.


----------



## ScnicExcellence

I charge about $50-60 a month to include salt on my residential driveways and sidewalks.


----------



## Bestbuy143

I'm looking to start plowing for next year commercial and don't know price on salting. what do i need to know first. one bag of rock salt covers what and what do i charge for spreading the salt per hour or bag in ohio


----------



## Burkartsplow

rdbpower;919112 said:


> I charge 50.00 a bag, I buy it and spread it. That is for sidewalks and we salt or salt/sand in bulk. Everyone *****es about straight salt price and ***** about salt/sand mess.


I dont believe you charge $50 for a 50lb bag of rock salt applied. I want to see the contract that states your application price. I call BULL 5h1t on that post.:laughing:


----------



## bristolturf

I would prefer to charge by the pound. And then generally I will explain to them during my conversation with them regarding the bid that usually it will be in the range of xlbs and xlbs giving them a standard application and a heavy application rate. Now I use bulk so price is considerably lower but thats my method


----------



## Deco

$25. per bag spread. get it done


----------



## Hysert

Hey I charge a minimum for drive ways $25-30 Half a bag 40lbs or $4 and my half hour labour (travelling) $20-25..... My large commercial lots gets me cost of salt plus 30% and 1-1.5 hours at $75 /hr..... I also always due salting completely separtate from plowing, and is never included....


----------



## rdbpower

You call bulls h i t on my salt pricing? Like I give a crap what you call. That isnt for bulk. We have a bucket with a lid at all our residential properties, we use it for walks and steps/stoops. Everytime we empty the bucket I charge 50.00. A bucket will last 8-10 times, so if you break it down and figure buying it, bucketing, spreading, reloading, 50 bucks isnt crap, I have to pay payroll insurance and make a profit. So keep doing it for free if you want, must not understand buisiness or you are a one man band?


----------



## bristolturf

Alright well now i can somewhat agree with your pricing on that, I still feel its a tad high for me, but you know your costs. Is it a 50 or 80# bag at these sites and is it rock or ice melter? I know around here were at like 8-12$ a bag for ice melter so thats not to bad.


----------



## KAG

Only a couple of us salting around here, one of the guys is getting $0.60lb spread. For me thats way too high given my cost as I pick it up from the salt mine that is near me so I charge $15.00 per 50lb spread. I know not crap compared to some but it helps pay the bills. I up sell the the hell out of the salt and on a given night I put down 800lbs.


----------



## NorthernSvc's

it's a little late now no???? contracts are already signed... shoulda done more research and not low balled before u signed....


----------



## drivewaydoctor

We charge by the ton for our parking lot accounts. Residential is $35 per application, commercial is $200 per ton...


----------



## readysnowplow

.60/lb would never go in the areas I plow but not to say they don't everywhere else. i guess it depends on where you are. I charge .20-.30/lb and it works out okay for me.


----------



## Burkartsplow

rdbpower;928499 said:


> You call bulls h i t on my salt pricing? Like I give a crap what you call. That isnt for bulk. We have a bucket with a lid at all our residential properties, we use it for walks and steps/stoops. Everytime we empty the bucket I charge 50.00. A bucket will last 8-10 times, so if you break it down and figure buying it, bucketing, spreading, reloading, 50 bucks isnt crap, I have to pay payroll insurance and make a profit. So keep doing it for free if you want, must not understand buisiness or you are a one man band?[/QU
> 
> The original poster for this was asking about the pricing for large commercial lots.


----------



## StormRanger

Some places I can get away charging .25/lb, some places, the only way I can get the bid, is if I bid the salt at .8/lb.
More the merrier


----------



## crazyman

I charge on residentials a flat $25.00 fee and .70 cents a pound have no problem getting it. Commercial lots i usually just charge .70 cents a pound since i use so much.


----------



## ferdinand711

readysnowplow;898759 said:


> I am losing on my all inclusive price for plowing and salt. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to charge for salt? (per bag, or pound etc?) I want to give a price that would allow me to cover my price for having to apply more salt at a location to break up lots where the ice has not melted after my 1st application. how do you guys usually do it?


I'm from NW Indiana, not far from you. I charge $55.00/100lbs of Calcium Chloride for sidewalks applied and $30.00/100lbs of Rock Salt or Sodium Chloride applied. It's cheaper for Bulk.
I am not saying this should be your price since prices differ from as close as 50 miles, but this should give you a ballpark for figuring out your prices, and that would be most likely for next season.


----------



## crazyman

We are not to far off on price. But I know it is so different across the country on prices. I dont allways use the $25.00 fee. I have a residential i use roughly 30 lbs of calcium and charge her a $60.00 flat fee no matter how bad it is


----------



## Rossland&seal

Driveway Doctor what are you using for sealer? and what do you get a sq. ft. for residental driveways, 1 coat. we charge anywhere from 16-20 cents a sq. ft.here and a lot of people think that is too high.


----------



## snowman55

$150 a ton for salt and $2 a pound for ice melt on walks. no bs buying storing and spreading i/m is a pain and cust must pay for it.


----------



## KCsnowman

When you guys charge for salt by the ton, Is that just salt charge, or do you charge for salt material and labor to spread?


----------



## KCsnowman

Im in Kansas, and I am having trouble locating any bulk salt sales companies. Does anyone have any input, and how much I could expect to pay per ton, for up to 5 tons at a time.


----------



## Mark Oomkes

KCsnowman;949950 said:


> When you guys charge for salt by the ton, Is that just salt charge, or do you charge for salt material and labor to spread?





KCsnowman;949954 said:


> Im in Kansas, and I am having trouble locating any bulk salt sales companies. Does anyone have any input, and how much I could expect to pay per ton, for up to 5 tons at a time.





KCsnowman;951856 said:


> My days are already completely booked with retail box store lots. NOBODY is stealing any lots. I was simply seeing what other were doing and how they were doing it. "If your good at what you do, you shouldn't worry about others taking it"




Scott, I think we need the cart.


----------



## Bajak

Bajak;892551 said:


> Generally those guys that have the gonads to give their price are exceptionally good at what they do and don't fear anyone taking that work from them.


The comment in quotations seems to ring a bell....... 
I think I should make better use of smilies when posting tongue in cheek comments............My bad.........


----------



## cretebaby

Mark Oomkes;955240 said:


> Scott, I think we need the cart.


Can't, MJD took it.:realmad:


----------



## GARRETTWOOD

*Salt price*

$15.00 per 80lbs spread


----------



## forestfireguy

2 bucks a pound for ice melt? thats steep. I thought we were expensive at 55 bag for peladow.


----------



## ajslands

12.00 pr 50# bag of rock salt


----------



## dlcs

cretebaby;956073 said:


> Can't, MJD took it.:realmad:


here we go, we'll use mine.


----------



## firemt036

in rhode island taxes and everything else is expensive people here dont like to pay! but heres some numbers to think about...
average driveway $35-40...average 6 minutes... 40 lb bag of road runner cost $7.97 1-2 minutes charge $20 per bag that makes and $3 for your walk 1 minute That makes $58-63 avg. pre residential driveway. minus my unemployed friend or cousin $10 per hr. 6-8 per hour average depending on my location some right next to each other so $40-45 profit and then there is gas and all that. so about $200 to $240 an hour. My opinion less responsability in residential but harder on the transmission looking to go full commercial next year i splurge for the bigger insurance policy but little backblading!


----------

