What are you charging

   / What are you charging #1  

OrangeToys

Platinum Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2011
Messages
515
Location
SW Missouri
Tractor
2016 Kubota M7060HDC
So Curious what everyone has or bill be charging for snow removal with the tractors.
 
   / What are you charging #2  
I work with a B3030HSDC.
I'm retired and on pension, so I don't 'work' for the income, I work for the fun of it.
I do want the machine to pay for itself and so far it has.
To the point though, I charge $50/hour.
If a driveway takes 20 minutes...that's $15 (1/3 of an hour).
If it takes 15 minutes (1/4 of an hour rounded up still costs $15).
I don't care what that looks like, simple fact is that I'm cheap and I get the job done well, and I love doing it.
 
   / What are you charging #3  
The quickest way to failure is not understanding how to invoice
so that your working for a profit, and not just wages, or less.

There is a software program called "Numbers Cruncher" . It will
give you a Break Even number and from there you add a %
for profit. Numbers Cruncher is like a 4 year business degree on
a CD. You fill in the blanks and few other items and it gives
you the raw facts that are undisputable. If you go less
than what you need you are taking from your own family.

Go cheap and you will eventually go home, broke.

Differenciate yourself from others, shovel the steps, throw
down some salt, wake up earlier, offer one free get you unstuck
a year deal perhaps, do what you have to
but DON'T fall into the "Well he charges 15, I will do 14
and get all the work..."

FWIW and IMO
 
   / What are you charging #4  
OrangeToys said:
So Curious what everyone has or bill be charging for snow removal with the tractors.

Residential drives

Using b2920 front mount 51" blower

$25/ drive includes walkway and steps

Usually 10-15min/drive
 
   / What are you charging #5  
I have a Kioti DK 35 with a 6 foot blower and a Polaris Ranger with a plow. Without asking, I got a tin of wood-oven baked cookies at Christmas. Mainly, I just do this drive other than my own and the retired folks need the help. I have done others but only after a major storm, (lately, seems less required).
 
   / What are you charging #6  
So Curious what everyone has or bill be charging for snow removal with the tractors.

Charge???????? Temperatures in the high nineties and low triple digits and me charge? If they let me play in the snow and cool off I consider that ample payment.

Sorry could not resist.
 
   / What are you charging #7  
I charge a flat rate of $75.00 for your typical suburban drive. If it snows again within the following 3 days I'm back for free. This includes the side walk. If 2 neighbors throw in together it's$125. I work in 1 affluent community where I have 7 customers. I try to work it out so that things are cleaned up by dawn. There are 2 doctors that need to be able to get out at any time. They go first. I've been offered more work by word-of mouth, but this one neighborhood is enough to keep me occupied. I usually get away with my track drive JD blower, it's got to be over 20 inches before I load up the tractor. There's this one guy that's between 2 homes I do. He's a retired investment banker who's loaded and hand shovels his 150 foot drive and turn around. I started to do his once for free and he waved me off. Guess he likes an aching back.
About 3 years ago we got 22 inches overnight and 20 more inches a day later. I didn't make out so good on that deal.
That kind of snow is unheard of in central MD.
My own road/driveway is 1,200 feet long. I can usually clear it with the tractor and a scraper blade. If not I put on my 6 foot 3 pt. blower and have at it. I can do the whole drive in about 40 minutes.
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   / What are you charging #8  
If I can't make between 75 and 100 dollars a hour I won't do it. I have had a plow business for 23 years and always turned down work so $$ was not a problem. We'll see how the DK50 does with a 8' snowbox. Last years 2' snowfall of heavy wet snow seperated the men from the boys so to speak. All of my customers and my church were cleared out before the plows came through, my phone rang off the hook with past customers and new people but the answer was the same, sorry present customers only. If they are loyal I am loyal to them. CJ
 
   / What are you charging #9  
I charge $85-$105/hr. Depending on residential, commercial, with or without my salt spreader. Standard 30'-40' residential drive start at $25 and go up from there. Rural drives start at $75.
 
   / What are you charging #10  
I would have loved to be able to charge last year, but mother nature forgot the snow in my parts:mad:

In all seriousness, I dont use a tractor and I dont charge.

I use a truck and plow, and hooked up with a buddy of mine that owns a landscaping business and he sub-contracts me. $50/hour. Which I think is fair. It more than covers my costs, and I really enjoy doing it. As much as I'd like to do it on my own, I cannot because of my full-time job. I cannot guarentee that it will only snow on my days off. So he calls me, If I am off, I plow, if I am a work, no dice.

I like the sub-contracting route for my situation. Sure, it is less money than if I held the contracts, but it is FAR less liability too. I dont have to worry about billing, waiting for payment, salting, making sure everything gets done, etc. I usually (except last year) get 5 or 6 good pushes a year. Do drives either, only lots. When done, on my way home, I do about 4 or 5 drives for friends and family and do not charge.
 
 
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