[Yard]

What does everyone consider a "plowable" storm?
I'm in central CT and I do mostly residential which I usually will plow at about 1 1/2". As far as billing I charge a base price for up to 5", Than 1 1/2 times for 5" to 10", Than x amount per inch after 10". I'm very curious as what everyone else does.
Happy Holidays!

 

[Eric ELM]

Sounds like you have the same sitution I have. I usually start plowing at 1.5 inches. We have a different price after each 3 inches over 5 inches and plow 60 big driveways, all but 1 is a push off. Seasons Greetings Everyone

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[email protected]
http://pages.prodigy.net/eric.erickson/index.html

 

[ashlandscaping]

Well sounds mostly the same as what we do. We start some lots at 1 inch this being gas stations lawyers and doctors offices. Others start at 2 in. On per push accounts it goes 1 to 4 4 to 6 6 to 8 8 to 10 then anything after 10 goes 10 in price plus hourly charge we have that as Blizard claus. I loved that claus last Jan. Season greeting

 

[nsmilligan]

Inches? what are those? Up here we talk centimeters, & sometimes meters. We had better not get them mixed up! Look what happened to NASA! Seriously... Most of my Government contracts call for plowing at 4 cm (1.57 in) And that's what I base my commercial contracts on. Which I almost always plow by the year, payment 1/6 payment monthy nov to apr. I try for a Min. of a 3 year contract. Residental I do by the plow no siding scale, but based on my average time. I don't plow my residential customers as often as I plow my commercial , and not until about 2-3 inches.
Bill

 

[thelawnguy]

I too am in central CT. Commercial lots get done when there is at least an inch, driveways 2 inches unless the customer indicates otherwise.

Residentials are one price up to a foot, then it depends on what I feel is a fair surcharge(its nice to not have contracts for residentials)

My commercials are priced per season regardless of quantity. Only extras are loader services if needed.

So as you see Im paid even though we have had zero snow so far.

Ask the customer what they expect.

Bill

 

[plowking35]

I am in SE CT and we plow some places at the first flake, so our trigger depth is 0" and we stay out to the end. Those are either seasonal or by the hour depending on the customer. We used to be 2" on our regular commercial customers, but have cut that down to 1" for plowing and 1/4" for application of melters to prevent slip and falls. We also go out before the storm and pretreat to keep the snow or ice from bonding to the pavement. If you are interested in this proceedure and what to use to accomplish this, email me at plowking [email protected]
We can help you bring your snow and ice management into the 22cd century. We also are members of SIMA. www.sima.org
They are our trade orginization and if you do not belong, check them out they are 1st class.
Anti/de icer applications are the future for us in this business, and education is the most important part of that process. We need an edge on the guys who plow and sand, with the beater trucks, and showing the customers that we have the answeres for their snow and ice management puts us ahead of the competition.
Dino

 

[cutntrim]

We're in Southern Ontario and we go out when there's 2" (5cm). That applies to commercial and residential. All the other plow guys up here would laugh me off the road if I plowed at 1". An inch of snow is nothing in Canada.

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Dave in S.Ontario

 

[Lazer]

We go at 1.5" (Michigan) We used to go at 2", but in the winter of 1988-89 it seems like every snow was 1.5" and so pretty much all the contractors changed. Half of them started plowing at 1.5" anyway.

I saw one website where the guy starts plowing at 3". I think he's in the Colorado mountains.

 

[GeoffD]

In Maine it is 3" for residental. Maybe 1" for commercial, depending on the type of snow.

Geoff

 

[m&m owner]

Commercial is 1" and residentials really vary for me.

 

[ZamboniHDB]

1 1/2 inches for all of my commercial accounts with salt application and one which they require it to be plowed at 1 inch with no salt application.

As for my residential customers, they are plowed with 2 inches on the ground. For their safety as well as myself and my equipment.

Just my .02¢
Rick

 

[lawnmedic]

just to let you know, this thread is from 1999, and "Yard" who asked the question has not been on-line since January...