[excorcist2k5]

Hello everyone...My partner and I just recently started up a lawncare buisness and we have people asking what we charge per push. We never heard of that can anyone explain? And what's a reasonable price around the NEW ENGLAND AREA (Bristol County) This is a walgreens parking lot about 13000 sq ft. Thanks for any help.

[Stonehenge]

I can't help you with price, but 'per push' means that you charge only after you've had a plowing event. This works great for the client if there aren't many events during the year, or it works great for you if there are a lot of events.

But not knowing which is going to happen means you don't know how much you can count on from winter work. I've heard some here compare this kind of contract to being a fireman - they don't know when a fire is going to happen, so they always have people ready to respond if one breaks out. But to have them always at the ready means they have to be paid for always being at the ready.

So if you're plowing with an seasonal contract (and not per-push), I'd try to keep it that way, with added incentives if you go over X number of events in a season.

[Mark Oomkes]

Jeff pretty well explained it. There are a multitude of different ways of pricing things for winter work. Contract, per push, per inch, and\or a combination of 2 or 3 options.

Per push is exactly that, you charge X amount when you plow the lot. Make sure you specify that it is for more than 1X per storm, or you could plow 3X and only get paid once, so beware of how you word your contract.

Your pricing should be based on the fact that you have to be ready at anytime, all winter along and that it is an emergency service, so make sure you are compensated for it or stay in your nice warm bed. To give you a hint, our plowing hourly rate is over 2X what our landscaping rate is. Salt is higher than that yet.

Other than that, pricing is extremely regional, within a 30 mile radius of me, prices range from $25\hour per truck to $150\hour per truck. The guys that are getting the $25 are stupid morons, to put it mildly.

[site]

How much time will it take? Do you need to shovel? is there a drive thru? are they open 24 hours? is there granite curbing? Do you have to pull snow out of corners? Do you need to salt too? Do you need to haul any snow away?Is it a shdy or sunny lot?... Answer those questions then figure out your hourly rate and charge accordingly.

[GLAN]

I can tell you that a pretty good rate would be $150 per hour

[RHayden]

Before global warming we were at $85 per hour and that has been close to 10 years ago. Charge accordingly. Snow removal can be extremely hard on equipment.

[excorcist2k5]

Thanks alot guys...you were a great help on the per push and charging price I had an idead but you pretty much nailed it for me!

[peteg]

is that per hour and any fraction of hour?