Snow Plowing for profit

[scesnick]

With the winter season coming up I was wondering if anyone makes extra money with their snow removal machines.
I have a 2.5 mile driveway/road that I have to plow all through the winter. We get plenty of snow here in the western Md. Mountains.

Once I complete my tasks I usually go down to the little town below my property and plow out a few friends and of course the elderly who cant do it their self.
I have had others ask if I could plow them out also. They usually always offer to pay and I usually decline the offer. But I have recently had to buy a new plow and blower for the tractor and as you guys know, there aren't cheap.
My question is do you guys plow people out in your neighborhood for free or do you charge them? If you do charge, what is your fee? .

 

[Doofy]

I plow my In-Laws and neighbor for free. Sometimes they slip me some money for fuel. I enjoy plowing and just tell them I have nothing better to do.

 

[LD1]

Many variables.

I don't plow driveways, I stick to commercial lots, but know many that do drives.

It all comes down to time and expense. If you have 15 min in doing a drive, and are already in the town, ithink $20-$25 is reasonable.

But one must factor drive time. Certainly cannot drive 20 min, plow for 20 min, and drive for another 20 min and think you can make money at $20/drive.

You'd be surprised how many calls I get I a winter wanting a drive done... .someone 20-30 min from the lot I'm on......and they blow their top when I tell them $75 or $100. I just explain to them that I am making $70/hr for the lot that I'm on, and the second I leave that pay stops and don't resume til I return to the lot. So that is the cost they have to cover.

Too many people think that $20 is fair for a contractor with tens of thousands invested in equipment, to drop everything their doing and come plow them out.

No thanks.....go buy a shovel

 

[aczlan]

If you charge them in this day and age you should have insurance (in case you hit something of theirs and break it), if you have a loan against it, make sure your insurance will cover it when it is off of the property while making money (so that I'd you have a catastrophic failure while out plowing they dont tell you that you are not covered).

Aaron Z

 

[Thomas]

I just do mine and elderly couple,heard to many bad things in our area people falling calling day/night,pricing plus cost of insurance just not worth it...kinda strange the people who can really pay w/no problem seem to be the worse,again that's our area.

 

[Farmer495]

Be too many headaches, insurance plus the "you ruined my lawn" or hitting a "I forgot to tell you about that well casing" And yes, someone thinking $10 to $20 is lots of money to pay since it only took you 5 minutes after driving 20 mins each way.

 

[Rustyiron]

I would plow them and if you can keep it a neighborly 20-25 bucks and no (time) demands. When/if it becomes a situation you'd rather not be in with a neighbor such as "I need to get out to work by....." or "you dug up a little of my lawn" you can become too busy or charge them accordingly. You deserve a few bucks your way for your dead expenses, and I think you will discriminate between the nice old couple and the guy that just will take advantage of your goodness.

(got a MIL in Friendsville):thumbsup:

 

[Doofy]

All very valid comments. I only do it because I enjoy plowing and I can. Truck is not registered and has no insurance on it so it never goes on the road. My In-Laws and Neighbor will not sue me. Everyone else should cover their butts with the proper insurance and decide if they are in it to make money or not.

 

[Captain Dirty]

With the winter season coming up I was wondering if anyone makes extra money with their snow removal machines.
. . . guys plow people out in your neighborhood for free or do you charge them? If you do charge, what is your fee? .

As a retiree I clear snow for my family and some neighbors as a neighborly favor. No contracts, no demands, and no money changes hands. If they reciprocate with a neighborly favor that's fine.

Once you take money, the whole complexion changes. They will expect timely, professional competence (As in you will pay for putting that hidden brick through their window but will eat the cost and trouble if the brick broke your shear pin). In today's society, they may sue for any reason. I cannot rationalize the expense and trouble of insurance, structuring a business to limit liability, complying with the federal, state, and local tax and other requirements.
If you already have a business the calculus changes, and you should be in a position to figure your costs. As a former business owner, one of the more difficult lessons was learning when to decline work.

Captain Dirty

 

[Sprinklerman]

With the winter season coming up I was wondering if anyone makes extra money with their snow removal machines.
I have a 2.5 mile driveway/road that I have to plow all through the winter. We get plenty of snow here in the western Md. Mountains.

Once I complete my tasks I usually go down to the little town below my property and plow out a few friends and of course the elderly who cant do it their self.
I have had others ask if I could plow them out also. They usually always offer to pay and I usually decline the offer. But I have recently had to buy a new plow and blower for the tractor and as you guys know, there aren't cheap.
My question is do you guys plow people out in your neighborhood for free or do you charge them? If you do charge, what is your fee? .

I do it commercially in Anne Arundel county , I carry commercial insurance on by business . I do parking lots and roads . When we get heavy snows around here in the Balto / DC area there are guys from Garrett county that bring their plows and equipment here to plow . Because the money is so much greater . In this area pick ups with plows are getting $ 95 hour . Loaders $ 125 hour . ( for subs )

 

[Rustyiron]

In this area pick ups with plows are getting $ 95 hour . Loaders $ 125 hour . ( for subs )

I used to get $75 an hour (in Columbia) as a sub in 1985 when a decked out (new) p/u was $12k and a plow was $1800:laughing:
I guess that's about right except for the plow/truck costs:confused3:

 

[2458n]

used to plow snow where I worked. Had to have a million dollar insurance to do work on company property. Painter worked for the company and his men did the roof on a windy day. Covered parking lot and a lot of cars. If it does not snow you have a great big bunch of overhead. Friends are ready to work until it snows - then you have two plow trucks and a tractor just sitting around. If you were getting rich managers would be doing it. Older guy next door always had driveway cleaned and salted first. Bob Evans gift card once a year kept his place in line. His idea not mine.

 

[PILOON]

Folks forget that when you have $25, 35 or 40K invested that that needs to make a reasonable return.
The ultimate tractor setup probably is 100HP, 7 ft blower with an extendable front plow that also 'flips' to pull snow away from the garage doors.
They don't realize that they are talking about $125,000 worth of equipment that will work about 4-5 months, and that not including the operator nor finance fees.
OK, perhaps in a suburb where houses are 60-100 ft side by side and you can get 150 contracts per season it might work but not elsewhere.
\
Sucks if U have that kind of cash U are better to collect the even poor bank interest rates than plow drives.

Then to add insult to injury, along comes a newby that takes away your client by undercutting U by $5 or $10.

 

[Paystar]

Contractors around here plow driveways with pickup truck plows or backhoes for $20 to $25.00 and people cry about paying that.

That's why I don't do snow removal, LOL.

 

[Garandman]

Our NH neighbor plows our 675 driveway with a turnaround at top for $40-75: higher price if he puts down sand. Prices are higher in the suburbs, I think.

In Boston we clear the driveways of two elderly neighbors for free, and clear a lot of sidewalk. It痴 done as a courtesy to neighbors, without obligation.

My son shovels a neighbor痴 place all winter while they are away. He takes a picture when he痴 done and they pay him $20 on average.

 

[MossRoad]

If you charge them in this day and age you should have insurance (in case you hit something of theirs and break it), if you have a loan against it, make sure your insurance will cover it when it is off of the property while making money (so that I'd you have a catastrophic failure while out plowing they dont tell you that you are not covered).

Aaron Z

That's really good advice. I read a news story recently about an Uber driver that got hit by a hit and run driver. His insurance wouldn't cover his damaged car because he was using it for a business and he had regularly old car insurance. Sad thing is, business insurance was cheap. Something like $25 more per year. He got nothing. Same thing would probably apply to a snow plowing business. Let's say you're hit by someone else. Even if you're not on your way to or from a job, could they ask if you use the snowplow to make money? Would you lie and tell them no? Or tell the truth and say sometimes? Would they deny you? Too many questions and scenarios.

Talk to your insurance agent and find out how much insurance would be. Add a million $ umbrella policy to it as well. Then see if you can generate enough revenue to turn a profit after expenses.

 

[Old Red]

We had a back to back huge (to us) snows the year before last. I think maybe 2 feet fell or something like that. Stayed kind of cold and people were trapped in their houses. I went and grabbed my Kubota M6800 with just he front end loader. I just drove to a neighborhood and worked all day for 2 days in different neighborhoods and couldn't close my wallet I had so much money in it. Everyone around here got all fired up after that and bought plows and all sorts of stuff and it didn't snow a single time last year. Funny.

In a place like where we live, you can make some decent money for a day or 2.

 

[Doofy]

We had a back to back huge (to us) snows the year before last. I think maybe 2 feet fell or something like that. Stayed kind of cold and people were trapped in their houses. I went and grabbed my Kubota M6800 with just he front end loader. I just drove to a neighborhood and worked all day for 2 days in different neighborhoods and couldn't close my wallet I had so much money in it. Everyone around here got all fired up after that and bought plows and all sorts of stuff and it didn't snow a single time last year. Funny.

In a place like where we live, you can make some decent money for a day or 2.

Hahahaha. That sounds like "Emergency Generators" sold before a big storm. Pawn shops are full of them after the storm passes.

 

[RjCorazza]

I plowed neighborhood driveways for years gratis, but it got expensive and out of hand. 3 years ago I put everyone on notice that I would need to charge a nominal seasonal amount, or a more expensive "will call" rate. I do 10-20 driveways and didn't loose any friends over charging for snow plowing.
It's a balancing act when dealing with neighbors, but if they are willing to commit to a seasonal agreement then they get a very good deal.

 

[Will_C]

I plow myself. I used to plow an elderly neighbor out. He was a retired farmer and highway dept. worker-he knew that some lawn will get damaged and some gravel pushed when you plow a rough gravel driveway. Always got a cup of coffee and some cookies when I was done, along with lots of stories about his adventures with snowstorms. God do I miss him!

The neighbors with a nightmare driveway, and snowmobiles and ATVs galore, but nothing to plow with-they're on their own!

Will