Need help with snow removal rates.

[Steve]

For those of you who clear an average sized driveway of snow, either manually or with a snow blower, can you throw out some of your average pricing range to help this original poster get a range of what is going on out there?

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[boats47]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by MrPlow2011 Hello, I'm a 27 yr student who is looking to make some extra cash during the winter and though I would start with residential snow removal. Would should i charge for my self plow a residential sidewalk and drive way? My tools are Snow plow 24' Shovels And the widow makers hr rate? piece work? Thanks ahead of time What part of the country are you from? Every area whether it be NE or Southeast is going be a different price structure. Think about the a typical house that cost you say $200,000 in Florida is going to cost you $500,000 here in Rhode Island. What does your typical drive length? Here our average length is 100' or longer, some we do are at least an 1/8th on mile. Just becareful when you are asking questions that you going to base an income on, thats all I am saying. For us we try to get $100 hour and at least $120 for sand salt, we also do more commercial than residential.

[Steve]

For us we try to get $100 hour and at least $120 for sand salt, we also do more commercial than residential.

Do you have a minimum fee you charge for smaller residential accounts?

[boats47]

Originally Posted by Steve

Do you have a minimum fee you charge for smaller residential accounts?

That part of the bidding process comes down to literally eyeballing the small properties and knowing that it will take "X" amount of time in a 12" storm and then converting that an hourly cost. for a 50' driveway in a 12" storm you are looking at 10-15 min and if you get 100/hr thats $25, as an example. The big properties are the ones that will break you if you bid wrong, that's for sure!

[Steve]

How important do you feel is taking into consideration travel time to the different accounts when coming up with a bid? Especially when they are smaller accounts and you might spend as much time getting to them as you spend actually working on site?

[boats47]

Originally Posted by Steve

How important do you feel is taking into consideration travel time to the different accounts when coming up with a bid? Especially when they are smaller accounts and you might spend as much time getting to them as you spend actually working on site?

Thats the downfall to this business! The way I see it, is that it is a form of advertising for us when we have some out of the way property where it cost as much in travel time as is to do the work. You really can't charge a customer travel time, when they could hire another guy that is closer and won't charge travel.
This is where having a good crew comes into play, as they are the ones that you charge to get the word out in that nieghborhood. I will have them throw a couple doorhangers out to potencial customers or stop and talk to the wife out getting the kids off to school at the bus stop. It all about being clean, neat, and the highest level of Courtesy. Keep these elements in the fore front and that one secluded property turns into a cash cow.
And that is how you deal/think of those properties, not as a hinderance but as an opertunity.

[Steve]

I will have them throw a couple doorhangers out to potencial customers or stop and talk to the wife out getting the kids off to school at the bus stop.

That is brilliant. Now when its winter and your crews do this, do you promote only snow plowing or do you promote lawn care or both?

What about in the spring? Do you also promote that you offer snow plowing services?

[RSE]

Pass those long haul customers up.....positively no sense in having to drive 30 mins to do one small driveway in 10 mins, unless you are helping out a friend who is really stuck. I had 1 small driveway 20 mins out of my route and plowing, shoveling and roof raking took my worker and I 20 mins to finish properly. I made the mistake of charging only $40.00. Thats 20 min to get there....20 mins job.....20 mins to get back on the route. 1hr??$40.00??? didn't seem at all worth it but, this was a good paying SPRING/LAWN/FALL customer and I felt obligated to provide this service knowing well enough some plow chump would try and steal the account . What to do?? I know the homeowner and had a sit down with him and explained my position. He cheerfully understood and agreed to have my brother (he doesn't plow snow but will work in it)and his snowblower take care of it with no threat to my three season job there.
You see, don't be afraid of telling like it is. People understand. If you can't do it in a profitable fashion....just say no.

[RSE]

I really can't think of my own lawn during the winter season, let alone think some homeowner is thinking of theirs....

[Steve]

Thats 20 min to get there....20 mins job.....20 mins to get back on the route. 1hr??$40.00??? didn't seem at all worth it

To make such a job worthwhile and profitable, what would you suggest such a job be bid at even if there was a slight chance of winning the bid due to it's higher price?