Snow removal

this subject has been haunting me for awhile now. Not only is snow removal a good income earner but, as far resedential snow removal goes is it worth it? for a one person operation you have 20 accounts. Thats, 20 hours by yourself as well as drive time in the snow. Plus fuel and we all know you use more fuel in the winter months. Everybody who has been laid off, unemployed does snow removal. Whats the rates for resedential? I live in a cold state. North Dakota and it snows almost daily. Blizzards and drifts and below zero atmospheres that make you say WTF am I doing here. -40 to -60 . This link that I am going to provide is a company representing snow removal. I live here in these apartments and this company is in front of the building I live in and he never did the snow removal here. I know the guy who did. He is offering $100 a month snow removal. So lets go back to what I said you have 20 accounts at 100 a month. Thats what 2 grand a month. If it snows more then 3 times a week your sucking air... and you are losing $$$. If it doesnt snow and you have 20 people and they are paying you $100 a month there going to want to be compensated and it does happen. A contract is merley a written statement. Are you really going to take someone to small claims court because they didnt want to pay $100?. I don't know. What to think thats where I am at with it, is this lowballer making money? If you want the link pm me I dont want this guy getting mass hits to his website and raising his link higher. not off of me LMAO

[Clapper&company]

How to get lawn care customers - Vol 2

Every one alway forgets to look at the over all photo sometimes... not saying its the case this time. But Snow Magazine a few years ago had a company up here in my neck of the wood that they only did drive ways. Well on another site, guy were calling his lowballera cause when you did all the math they were only charging like $11 ish a push... But thay were charging a seasonl push and there service area was only 10 miles from there shop.... So they had a real tight route. Thay made around 400K a year on plowing drive ways and when you broke that down by the hours thay were doing around $100 per hour per turck which is going rate for this area... So by the Hour he was doing good... but if you look at him by the push $11 a drive is pretty damn low. So what am i saying? Most jump that they lowball cause the $11.... but in my book you have to look at your hourly more then anything. -Clap

and i agree with the hourly part absolutley. But, can this guy run a little bit less then the guy who doesnt have 5 pickup's and 5 people. so he can do 11 bucks a driveway all day long. but, you have 1 guy who's doing it alone cant push that out that cheap. So, who will get more work you at 50 a driveway or the guy that can get 11 bucks a driveway? LMAO. The guy who can do it for 11 bucks because nobody will pay you the 50 if they know he can do it. Or am i missing something? Because i have been banging my head over this since last spring and i have about 3 weeks left to make a decision...And i am dumbfounded all the way here. I never have done it but i am eager, i have 7 lined up saying go ahead but, WTF...damn coors light im telling you...

[Clapper&company]

I know the guy by we wasn't telling them $ 11.00 a plow.

He was billing XXX for the year

[Elite Maintenance]

I don't charge by push either I charge a seasonal rate. Some people look at it per push and figure your losing money but that's not always the case. If you have 20-30 residential clients and they pay a seasonal rate you will make money. Plus you also have to consider if you apply salt or ice melter your making a profit off that too.

So, if you charge a seasonal rate of lets say 150.00 mnth. Your telling me at 2" of snow to come out shovel it or use your plow plus sidewalks, patio's steps. And you do that 5 times that month you made money?. Next month a blizzard comes in and throughout this month your there 8 times your making money???

Please explain to me how you just paid for your gas, helpers, equipment failures, etc... paid your mortgage, insurance, light and phone bill...because I dont see it. Not saying your not I just dont see how your making money unless you count in the factor of the next few months there wasnt any snow. Somewhere in the middle of that your sucking air and takeing a loss. 30 accounts is great at 150 a month. but when its 10" of snow 4x out of the month I dont see how your making a profit here. Can you help me understand?

[turfmaster]

You charge by the push. I don't know any contractor in my area charging by the season. Plowing snow is not like cutting grass. You don't know how much or how often it's going to snow. 2-5" lowest price, 6-10" price increases $6.00, over 11" or more price goes up $12.00 per push.

[Elite Maintenance]

--> Well.. In Toronto from what i can remember i went out aprox 20 times all season. I charge an amount per season + salt. Alot of my money is made off the salt also, I'll use last season for example.. from mid February until the end of the contracts which is April 15 i only went out once or twice from what i can remember off the top of my head. So i'm sitting at home making $$...