Weirdest Job Ever

I was asked to bid on plowing 16 miles of road, and some parking areas on a 16 mile estate. The estate as a full fledge gounds crew, whole takes care of the grounds, and private 9 hole golf course on the estate. However come November 15 they all go packing on vacation. They have a dump truck and pick up, that could plow only sit idel all winter. <p>The people have money and lots of it. They want the roads plowed every two inches, the plows must stay on the pavement at all times, and only a load can push snow on the lawns. All snow must be removed to bare tar, and to the edge every storm. They said that they may provide an upfront bonus for a 5 year contract, their bonus is a long the lines of equipment. My F650 would be too big, so i guess i would need a 550 and a v-box on site at all times.<p>The job seams like a pain in the but. Only i am going to work on a bid for useing pure salt pre wet with mag cloride. One truck sits on site at all times, and a cat 914 loader their at all times for all the detial work.<p><br>16 Miles of roads and probably 10 acres of lots is a lot of area to cover. I also would want on site storage for salt, and the loader.<p>If i could get a 10 year contract on the place, i might jump on it. Only it is going to require 2 peices of equipment their at all times. <p>Geoff<br><p><font size="1">Edited by: GeoffDiamond

 

Geoff- all i can say is wow. this would seem like a walk in the park compared to john's gap contract. the only thing that i know that's close to what you're bidding is a job that my dad did a few years back. his friend owns a big tent business, and my dad was helping him out. this was for the vice president of snapples daughters wedding. they had a small golf course,etc. they had 1 truck to plow like 3 miles of road. when i first start out in 2 seasons i'm going to bid on 2 private roads next to me. good luck with the contract.<p>bryan<p>----------<br>&lt;a href=&quot;http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=993086&quot;&gt;Bryan's Snow Removal Equipment Picts.&lt;/a&gt;<br>&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.snowplow.web.com&quot;&gt;The Snowplow Homepage&lt;/a&gt;

 

Geoff,sounds to me like there is a great opportunity to make money.That type of customer is a rare breed.If it were me i would jump on that in a heart beat.I would look at the site come up with a number to do it and then add another 30% on top of that,what have you got to lose.If they want good reliable service in an area of Maine where people are use to driving on 4 inches of snow ,well then they should have no problem paying more (quite a bit more) than the usual contract because they are asking for above and beyond the normal service.If you dont get it you never had it to begin with so you didnt lose anything,therefore as i said before what ever you think its worth add another 30% scratch that 50% ontop of that.Remember as long as a customer feels he got a good deal well then he got a good deal,he doesnt have to know you raped him if he feels fine with the price.

 

Geoff I would be there also in a heartbeat.<br>Add an urethane edge to plows and pushers, and no need to worry if the truck runs on the lawn a little. Also pretreat the salt with magic, and no need for a prewet system on yet another spreader.<br>Yeah it will be a high maint account, but if they are willing to pay, great.<br>Dino<p>----------<br> Professional Ice and Snow Management <br>Products:Services:Equipment www.sima.org

 

I agree with the &quot;what have you got to lose&quot; thinking. Sounds like they've got a proverbial &quot;money tree&quot; growing in their backyard. Change the specs to fit the way you want you think the job should be done, or go with their's and add to your fee to compensate for the potential pain-in-the-a** headaches.<p>----------<br>Dave in S.Ontario<br>www.cutntrim.com

 

I have just finished writing the bid. They had some addition terms that had to be submitted. One term was all snow was to be pushed back with a loader, so the weight of the truck is not on the lawn. I plan on adding an Cat 914 down there, and useing my 97 F 350 dump with the pre wet system if i get the job. <p>They must provide the following.:<p>5 to 10 Year Contract<br>Use of Storage for the 914, shouldn't be a preoblem.<p>Use of their mulch storage building for salt. They store their mulch on a tar floor in a poll barn, so it is always dry when the grounds crew applies it.<p>They said they would provide 10K ( at least )upfront in adition to the regular yearly price, for providing a long term contract because the want a long term solution. That F 350 is going to run steady down their running in circles. I may invest in another prewet system because they work so well, if i send a new F 550 down.<p><br>The cat will be stored close to a lot of other accounts, so if i need it its only 8 miles away. <p>Geoff