What to charge?

[paccorti]

My neighbor wants me to re-grade his driveway. I've yet to look real closely at it but I expect to find:

1. not much gravel but many potholes
2. a high crown
3. relatively hard packed dirt

The driveway is approximately 700'. I have a good rear blade and teeth for the loader. My neighbor does not want to put down new gravel now but just wants me to get the crown of the road and potholes under control. I plan on walking the driveway with him to further judge the situation and set his expectations.

I don't want to charge him a premium for this job as I'm pretty new to it (thought I have graded the community's private road many times). What should I reasonably charge for this? I'd like to give him the option of putting down the gravel and grading it too. Ignoring, for the moment the cost of the gravel, what should I charge to put down and grade the gravel?

Thanks for any advice,

Peter

 

[ecard]

One way to go about this is to estimate the time you think it will take to complete the job and then multiply it times what you would like to get per hour. Most of the research I have read indicates most want $25-$50 per hour. So if it takes 2 hours then you would charge $50-$100. Also my guess is that to rent the same equipment would at least cost $100+ so that should give you some direction. If you think there may be more jobs in the future, then give a little price break now to get more later.

Hope that helps.

Eric

 

[Thomas]

Whew..that s a tough question to answer since its your neighbor.
If it was I..I would charge 50% less than the going rate that other would charge to do the job,or maybe your hourly work wage plus a tank of diesel.
Treating your neighbor right could come in handy one day when you need to call upon him for a hand.

 

[MarkV]

Peter,
Your neighbors drive sounds like some of the roads in our area. If it is very hard packed will your blade be able to cut the stuff? The only time I have luck with pothole is when I can cut them down to the bottom----rather than just fill----and then regrade. If you recut the road you will be disturbing a lot of soil so if no new gravel is put down will the road just turn to mud during the up coming wet season?

Given that it is a neighbor, I would not want to take on a job and then have them feel like all I did was make a mess. If it were me, I would tell my neighbor that the job can’t be done right without putting down gravel. If he still wants it done, I would give him a couple of hours of free work with the understanding that next time it will cost $XX. This way if it doesn’t meet his expectations you are not the bad guy---you told him it needed gravel--- and if it does work out he owes you one and you get all of his work.

This may not be a concern for you, but my insurance will cover me as long as I am not working for money.

Just my thoughts.

MarkV

 

[RobS]

Since it's a neighbor, I would either 1) walk away from it altogether, 2) Do it for free (enjoy the tractor time) or 3) Barter with him for a return favor/service.

If you charge him and the job is less than satisfactory (even if that's because it needs more gravel), it could permanently spoil a neighborly relationship /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>… My neighbor wants me to re-grade his driveway….I'm pretty new to it…relatively hard packed dirt…</font color=blue>

First be neighborly… don’t even mention money…… simply explain you’d love “to help him out”, you’ll give a crack at it… even though this type of “work with hard packed dirt, length of driveway & terrain normally requires a dozer or heavier piece of equipment than what you have…”, “let’s play it by ear and see what happens”… in other words… be non-committal upfront so there is no expectations set…

<font color=blue>My neighbor does not want to put down new gravel now but just wants me to get the crown of the road and potholes under control….</font color=blue>

Explain how gravel and some topping will help bind the surface together… otherwise "you’ll" have this perpetual lifelong pothole thing to deal with…

Get an early start on the job… like a Saturday morning… more than likely you’ll be back Sunday doing some more work {to satisfy your expectations!}… When everything is done and over with… your good neighbor’s reaction will be the finale… you’ll know in an instant if you’ve met or exceeded his expectations…

Now the shoe will drop… your neighbor says with a big /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif on his face,”What do I owe ya…?” …You tell him…”Pay me what you think it’s worth…” {the ball is in his court…don’t even mutter any figure!}

No matter what the outcome… you've remained a good neighbor, gained valuable experience doing the job, assisted a neighbor, obtained great real working tractor time… and probably get future job offers because of the “super job you ended up doing…” /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[gmason]

JM3 is wise beyond his years!!!

That is exactly how I do my snow plowing jobs here.
Let them decide and it's usually a win-win situation.
g

 

[MDNick]

<font color=blue>Since it's a neighbor, I would either 1) walk away from it altogether, 2) Do it for free (enjoy the tractor time) or 3) Barter with him for a return favor/service. </font color=blue>

Number 3 is my choice for a friend of mine. He runs a machine shop. CNC lathe, CNC mill, man lathe (2), man mill. For free machining services, I am grading his driveway sometime this spring. Thing is, without a box blade I seriously doubt I will be able to touch it. I have just the backblade, fine for clearing snow off my PAVED drive. He might wind up paying to rent a box blade to rip it up.

However, if trade/barter is not an option, I agree with JM3, the times I have done assorted jobs for people that are for pay (none tractor related, as mentioned the insurance issue scares me), and I let them decide how much to pay, I have gotten about 100% more than I would have asked for. However, one needs to approach that solution with some idea that you aren't working for a cheap skate!

Nick

 

[Youare]

For neighbors, friends, and family it is hard to determine what to charge for services rendered. It makes a difference if you offer your services or if they are requested. I offered to rake a good friend of mine driveway to help him out. I did the best I could with the material that was left, he agreed a load of gravel would be necessary next time to fill in the low spots. He asked how much he owed me and I said nothing glad to help out and get a little practice. He said he owed the wife and I a trip to the resturant with his wife, which I agreed to.

The neighbor across the road from me is a single woman with a 400' gravel up hill drive in her 50's. Her drive gets washed out if we have a heavy rain. She just keeps driving around the ruts when that happens. I looked at her driveway and then looked at my tractor and asked if she would like me to se if I could put it back together, she said got for it. She thanked me for what I did, it did come out nicely. The next time it washed out I fixed it without asking and never got a remark god bad or otherwise.

Kind of wished I had charged her the first time that way the second and third times I did it she would have known what I saved her.

Randy

 

[paccorti]

Good advice everyone. I have a couple of things that make this job a little easier for me. One my neighbor brought up the money first. Basically, "How much would it cost for you to fix my driveway." In addition I have helped him out several times (couple of post holes, plowed his driveway and rotary cut some nasty stuff for him) with no expectation for money. He helped me out by letting me keep my tractor in his barn while my house was under construction.

Here is my plan. I'll tell him that I'll take the job. My estimate is around $150 to $250, BUT I'll tell him that the most important thing is to remain on good neighborly terms. When I'm done I'll ask where it that $ range it should fall.

I'll wait until the ground is slightly damp (not muddy, maybe the day after a rain) so that the ground is softer. I'm pretty sure my blade and bucket teeth will rip the ground easily enough. A boxblade probably would be my weapon of choice though...

Peter

 

[frank_f15]

i totally agree with MARKV, make sure u check your ins. policy. mine would cover any damage to tractor or property AS long as i was not doing commerical work(getting paid).

 

[TBone]

Peter,

We have an unwritten rule in my neighborhood. We never ask a neighbor for an unreasonable favor and when we do a favor for someone we NEVER charge them for it. I have worked for hours at the time for neighbors and they have done the same for me many times and no money changed hands. We always offer and the offer is always refused.

Most of us have things (tractors, welding machine etc.) that others might not have and we try to share our talents with each other. Some of the older folks don't have much to offer but their heartfelt gratitude. Sometimes that is the best kind of compensation.

I know maintaining a tractor and equipment is expensive but good neighbors are priceless.

TBone

 

[jhburke]

I live on a private lane and for the last 24 years I have kept the lane clear of snow. I have never charged for any of it. I have had a widow at one time who had a very limited income. She always wanted to pay me, but I always refused. I have felt better not charging anything.

 

[PaulinSD]

While we still live in town, I've kept the neighbors drives cleared of snow. I never ask for anything, but there is a steady supply of home baked goods. One neighbor sent a $25 gift certificate to a local eatery at Christmas. Life is too short to bicker with your neighbors over a small job, the equipment pays for it self during the summer mowing.

Paul

 

[rmcess]

I knew there were a lot of good people on TBN.
A neighbor of my parents keep their road and drive cleared at no charge. That has inspired me to do the same for my neighbors. I truly beleive it all comes around.
Rich...

 

[paccorti]

Last weekend I worked on the driveway for my neighbor. When we sat down and really looked at it, there was much less work than I thought. I straightened things out for him and neither of us mentioned money again.

Peter

 

[beenthere]

I help out the neighbors too, not accepting any money. One neighbor who helps me out a lot in many ways, always asks "What do I owe you?" I answer, "Nothing, until I finally catch up with what I owe you." Another neighbor moved in, and I have occasionally plowed out their drive and had dinner (wife and I) paid for when at a local restaurant, which was more than enough. He travels a lot, and was happy to have the drive done for his wife. Another neighbor is older and has a bad heart, but is a hard worker, and always doing things by hand. I see him out there, and buzz over with the FEL and move rocks, fence posts, wire, etc. that he is always digging out - then sit and talk a lot. He's pretty sick now, and I will miss him if anything happens to him. With another neighbor, we have an old blacktop town road that we help each other out with. He buys the loads of gravel, and I dig out the soft spots, and pack in the gravel. We are both happy. Another neighbor (closest one is 1/8 mile away) bought his own JD 4500 after I helped him out a few times with my 4300 - I give him a hard time about getting one bigger than mine! I know if I ever would need help, he would be right over. Its a comforting feeling to have and to nurture good neighbors.

 

[MDNY]

Beenthere, I know what you mean. My neighbor has a commanche pickup truck with a plow and I wasn't sure (still not yet) if I will be getting my NH TC29D this year (money, new house etc.) and the neighbor down the road has a tractor and so does the neighbor up the road. Good thing we all will have the tools and toys to help one another. Once we break ground I plan on meeting each and introducing us to the neighborhood so if anyone needs help they can always count me in.

 

[beenthere]

If at all possible, squeeze that new tractor in on one or two of the house projects.