New to Snow Removal

[thegroundscrew]

I have been in the landscaping business since 2009 but have never got into the snow plow business until this year. This year I decided to buy myself some snow shovels and a snow plow. Yesterday was my first day as we got 4-8 inches in the Seattle area. I had 24 clients lined up for that day all living within five minutes of each other. It was very profitable, however, I only know the basics to snow plowing and removal and am asking for some advice and help. And to get this clients I walked door to door. Are there any better methods out there than walking door to door? Is a snow plow to a ford f250 necessary? What are its uses other than commercial? What is the best way to get clients? etc Any help will be awesome. I have 22 clients for tomorrow so hoping for some quick tips and tricks to the trade to improve. Please help and thank you. When is the best time to remove snow? I am also guessing that you don't come back for free if it snows again? I had a customer complain about this and had to go back to do it all again for free? Thanks

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

Lawn care business tips

You should charge per push. So every time you show up you get paid. If you wanted to be a nice guy, you could come back to clean what the town trucks left behind and do a single pass for half that price. Getting clients would be no different then what you did with landscaping. The only difference is they all call at once. I call this emergency service and charge double. Dont worry if the price is high. The local newspaper interviewed a 1/2 dozen companies that charge triple for this. I dont understand the plow question. I start when theres 2" on the ground. I try to remove snow before the clients go to work. You should ask them this when quoting. If they go to work at 3pm and you plow them at 5 am. There more likely to call and complain then if you put them at the end of the route.

__________________
South Eastern Connecticut Landscaping /Lawn Care /Pressure Washing /Snow Removal /Gutter Cleaning
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Case 1816 Skid

[thegroundscrew]

It seems as if most people generally go to work at the same time roughly. How are you able to get everyone in at the time they want? How do you get commercial customers and price out both commercial and residential jobs? For me I have been just estimating how long a job would take and use my hourly price. Is that a good way for estimating? Also, what are some tips and tricks of snow plowing?

[CHEESE2009]

5cm = go out (my area)

I have to disagree with charging per push, charge per season. This way you are guaranteed income.


Also, doing snow removal 99% of the calls are b.s. There is never any good input from a client, so don't take it too personally. You cannot get everyone done when they want it done, impossible. They will have to wait, as you are following a route that is created to get everyone done within a reasonable time frame as is, and it cannot be changed.

The average tractor with a snow blower attachment has a route of approximately 150 driveways which can be done within a reasonable amount of time if the route is fair. Try to pace yourself and not get too ahead.

[Upscale2]

I'm guessing that Seattle doesn't get much snow.

If you are doing residentials most won't do a seasonal price by the month.
Most likely they will sign up per storm and by the push.

With that said. Start plowing at 2" or so. I live in NH, so we don't really
get are panties in a wad, when the snow flies. Unlike say NY or Connecticut. They can't handle snow.

Depending on timing, start plowing before daybreak so people can get out of their driveways. Do your route. If the snow continues heavily, do it again. And so on. Charge for every push the same as you did when you started.

Do your homework, find out how many storms you get per season, and then find out how many are plowable. From their set up your client base, contract them, and be on time and do a good job. They will call you back.

[Ducke]

Originally Posted by Upscale2

I'm guessing that Seattle doesn't get much snow.

If you are doing residentials most won't do a seasonal price by the month.
Most likely they will sign up per storm and by the push.

With that said. Start plowing at 2" or so. I live in NH, so we don't really
get are panties in a wad, when the snow flies. Unlike say NY or Connecticut. They can't handle snow.

Depending on timing, start plowing before daybreak so people can get out of their driveways. Do your route. If the snow continues heavily, do it again. And so on. Charge for every push the same as you did when you started.

Do your homework, find out how many storms you get per season, and then find out how many are plowable. From their set up your client base, contract them, and be on time and do a good job. They will call you back.

Most likely won't hear from you toady I hear you got hit good today.
Good luck

[TiedemanLLC]

Snow removal is one of those things you love, but also hate at the same time. For example, I am just finishing up a 42hr 3 day snow routine. And I am going to have to wake up again tomorrow morning at 3am. And we are supposed to get another storm Friday night, and Sunday night.

With snow you are on call 24/7, you will miss holidays, and you will cancel appointments and family get togethers. I have worked 30hrs straight one time. Get used to it. There is no way around it (unless of course you have your crew do the work).

Now some may disagree with me, but I feel snow plowing is also one of our most profitable services.

We do a combination of billing; pre-payment, per push, and flat monthly rates. We have learned in the post that a combo approach works the best. Case in point, the month of December was almost no snow events, thank God we had our flat monthly rates.

You are going to get clients that want the snow removed before they go to work, before they get home from work, cleaned out so they can get to their doctors appointment, etc. There is not going to be one set of ways to do. For example, we have our commercial accounts as number one priority, then comes people that have to leave in the morning for work, and then after that everyone else falls in based on their geographic area.

Sometimes you have to do multiple plowings per storm, while other times you will just wait until the storm is done. It's basically up to you and your clients. However, I strongly suggest if a major storm is falling through out the day, that you plow it more than once. Also you will run into the situation of where the city or county will come by and plow in the end of the driveway or sidewalk that you just cleared. Do you charge the client to clean up the end again? Well thats up to you. With us we normally don't, unless it's large amounts of snow.

We have found out that yes you have to be firm with snow removal to a point, but you also have to understand that unlike lawn mowing that is fine if you wait a day or two, snow plowing, can not wait.

[Steve]

We do a combination of billing; pre-payment, per push, and flat monthly rates. We have learned in the post that a combo approach works the best.

What's your view on the best way to figure out which customer should be billed in which manner?

Do you try to have a certain % of each or how should this be figured out?

[TiedemanLLC]

Originally Posted by Steve

What's your view on the best way to figure out which customer should be billed in which manner?

Do you try to have a certain % of each or how should this be figured out?

Well, we always try to push for flat monthly rate clients. We like the guarantee pay better than just hoping for some snow. With offer them a slight discount, same with pre-payment.

[picframer]

Our billing is pretty much the same as Tiedman, we charge per push however I have it in a spreadsheet what the customer wants, for example we have one private subdivision which is 6 homes, 3 are doctors, their driveway and the road leading in has to be kept clear every 5cm +/-, that is per push no cap, I have a couple of nurses that we do, we plow at the end or upon two hours notice unless the storm was overnight at which time they have to be clear for 5 a.m., I charge what I call a standby charge.

The only billing I do not do is per season, we are all over the map, either I or the client will get burnt, some winters it seems you are out twice a week yet other winters I have never dropped the plow.

Then we have a few coffee shops that call us to bring in the tractors with buckets to clean out the drive trough's, that is per hour. I am on call for the city for loader service, usually get called twice a year.

We do sidewalks in private subdivisions, here we can use the ATV's as they are faster than tractors and the blade a perfect width, I charge per hour.

I sub out all salting and sanding, simply too hard on the equipment, the salt air here is bad enough.