# Need help with commercial snow accounts please



## UniqueTouch (Dec 25, 2013)

Hey guys i need some help. I am meeting with a contractor who does big building jobs but he doesnt want to do the snow and since i can never find out where to go to be able to bid on jobs he is giving me access to about 20 commercial jobs in my county, big ones. If you do seasonal price. Does that mean you get paid if it snows 50 times or not at all? And also if that is the case. Do you do instsallment payments? Please let me know any help is greatly appreciated, i have to get the insurance for 2 million coverage and need these questions answered before i pay 3000 for the insurance. Thanks guys really appreciate it. If anyone from nj and maybe wants to partner with me let me know.


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## Camden (Mar 10, 2007)

Yes, that's essentially how seasonal pricing works. It's a gamble for you as well as your client. Veterans of the business understand how to bid based upon historical weather data collection and from accurate record keeping from previous seasons.


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## UniqueTouch (Dec 25, 2013)

*plow*

thanks for the held i appreciate it. Now i need to figure out how to price them


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Just because it's seasonal,doesn't mean it's a good deal.figure out your pricing then compare it to their contract pricing.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

You better be careful in NJ. There's a reason he doesn't want them. Take a look at some of the threads ramairfreak has posted lately about NJ and liability insurance.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

John_DeereGreen;2020778 said:


> You better be careful in NJ. There's a reason he doesn't want them. Take a look at some of the threads ramairfreak has posted lately about NJ and liability insurance.


When you had 100 claims against,your rates would be high too


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

Try to get a multi year contract also, it helps ease the pain of a hard season...as long as you don't get back to back bad years that is


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## Lacymanagement (Aug 26, 2015)

Hey uniquetouch if you still are looking for some help this season PM me. I am about an hour north of you in NJ


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## UniqueTouch (Dec 25, 2013)

*legacy*

okay sounds good. im meeting with him tomorrow to get the addresses of all the sites. will be in touch


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## ponyboy (Dec 19, 2006)

Seasonal can and should have caps 
All my commercial lots have limits you would be crazy not to have limits 
What company will says its one price usually low and I will cover you for everything possible from November till April 
Id like to see the company and if they are still in business


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

ponyboy;2022274 said:


> Seasonal can and should have caps
> All my commercial lots have limits you would be crazy not to have limits
> What company will says its one price usually low and I will cover you for everything possible from November till April
> Id like to see the company and if they are still in business


:waving::waving::waving:


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## peteo1 (Jul 4, 2011)

ponyboy;2022274 said:


> Seasonal can and should have caps
> All my commercial lots have limits you would be crazy not to have limits
> What company will says its one price usually low and I will cover you for everything possible from November till April
> Id like to see the company and if they are still in business


Its not really that complicated


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## ponyboy (Dec 19, 2006)

Grandvuew 
Commercial is different then residential


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Guess I was a bit late to the party.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

ponyboy;2022340 said:


> Grandvuew
> Commercial is different then residential


Oh really?

Almost triple our average for 13-14, and double for 14-15. Guess what, none of our seasonals even came close to losing money.

You try to sell a capped seasonal here and you'll be laughed out of the offices.


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## ponyboy (Dec 19, 2006)

Yes I agree to an extent your area is way different 
There are so many companies bidding each job they might as well use a national snow mgmt company so odds are you bid just high enough to make a small profit then when you go double or triple times over salt calcium and labor guess what you break even 
Oh then guess what there is a slip and fall even if not your fault your already super high insurance either jumps super high or they drop you but wait there's more salt is In a shortage so now instead of $90 a to. You are at $150 a ton 
Here they want and expect dry blacktop before and immediately after every storm they don't want to lose any parking spots and want it for free 
So in our area if you can do commerical work with no caps and make money not just a salery you are doing very well 
Most places don't even want a machine list to see if you are capable of doing the work because if you sign and can't they will just sue you till you are broke 
My old example is car insurance if you never use it you are fine use it once ok use it twice you wil get an increase use it three times odds are you wil be dropped 
Why they won't loose money but if they were too expensive you wouldn't have chosen them any way 
So normal winter you are fine 
Double winter probably break even 
Triple bad winter like last two year bet most lost money with out caps


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Mark Oomkes;2022357 said:


> Guess I was a bit late to the party.


And a dollar short.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

grandview;2022470 said:


> And a dollar short.


As always......

And way more than a dollar.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

I will never go without caps if possible.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Mark Oomkes;2022480 said:


> I will never go without caps if possible.


I used to have a cap gun,does that count?

This is were your meeting with the person in charge is important both need to lay it out on the table.if it's not good for you then you need to walk.


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

Mark Oomkes;2022480 said:


> I will never go without caps if possible.


Cap Tires Blow when it gets warm..


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

grandview;2020782 said:


> When you had 100 claims against,your rates would be high too


100 ????...I think that's "Lowballing" it


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Mark Oomkes;2022480 said:


> I will never go without caps if possible.


Hiding that bald spot?


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

1olddogtwo;2022580 said:


> Hiding that bald spot?


I wish I was as bald as JD.


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## MSsnowplowing (Nov 1, 2012)

ponyboy;2022274 said:


> Seasonal can and should have caps
> All my commercial lots have limits you would be crazy not to have limits
> What company will says its one price usually low and I will cover you for everything possible from November till April
> Id like to see the company and if they are still in business


Me too along with Grandview.

I base my numbers off the last 5 years of average snowfall and stick by it.

So far so good, paying my guys and making a profit.

Granted I didn't make as much last year at 75 inches -(still made money), but the year before that I made a bit more at 51 inches.

It is a selling point to my clients to have long term contracts because it evens out and they don't lose money and I don't lose money in the end.

The only clause I have in my contracts is for Major storms that drop ungodly amounts of snow. 
Then I charge a bit extra.
My clients know this and understand it and have no problems paying extra during for these types of snow storms.

And I have been in business now for 9 years and going strong.


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