I've got the truck, I've got the plow, and I've got the time. What's the best way to get into plowing for money? Contract work? Pay-by-visit? What's the best way to go about insurance? Best way to quote a driveway/visit?

I'm just an amateur when it comes to this, so I'm not entirely sure what's the best way to get the ball rolling on this.

Thanks guys,
Shawn

 

If independent, you are going to have to get liability insurance. Then find all your customers, do billing and all that fun stuff. Contracting...less money, less headaches, but you work when they tell you. I gave it years back, to many hassles.

 

I'm not trying to get rich necessarily but I've got the truck, and I've got the plow which will be on my truck regardless. The plow I got for free, and the truck I'd own anyways so the initial cost is a moot issue. It's a nice, almost new, western mvp plow too!

Besides, any excuse to drive my truck is a good excuse. About how much does insurance run? Is this in conjunction with my auto insurance?

 

I still plow but just for a few neighbors. Like haulin indicated, it is full of hassles. I stopped taking any jobs that I had not been able to scope the area out prior to snow being on the ground. This was after a home owner had assured me there was nothing at all in the area he wanted his main dump at---yeah, nothing but a well head that bent my frame and other things.
I was small potatoes so never thought about getting any extra insurance but should have. Anyway, I never gave up my day job so when it snowed I didn’t get much sleep. I did usually make enough money to pay for repairs but if you are going to be doing a lot of plowing better use a truck you don’t like, its going to get thrashed.
As far as fees go, I started out by driving around the areas I was willing to plow in, wrote down the addresses along with an approximate job time. I than printed up a flyer with a price quote for each place and dropped them back off at the houses. I did not get a single call until after the first heavy snow fall. After doing a job I would ask the people if they wanted me to automatically come back anytime there was 4 or more inches of snow at a reduced price. The majority did not want it but would call when they were stuck in their driveways. Anyway, wish you luck and hope you enjoy it. I did, at first.

 

I plowed for years. Mostly making just enough to cover expenses/repairs. Then I teamed up with three other DEPENDABLE friends with plows, and off we went. We set up routes, and a regular customer base, both commercial and residential. The secret to steady residential accounts is, make sure there drive is plowed so they can get out to work in the A.M. If a customer stiffs you once-drop them. You dont need the hassle. We would pair off and head for opposite ends of the route. That way if one truck got in trouble- help would be close by. One person did all the billing for which he was compensated. On an average 6-10in. snowfall we would complete the route in 6 hrs. and in 8 yrs of doing this my share was never less than $600. Frank

 

Salt is your friend, you'll make ALOT more if you offer salt. It will get you almost any job too, but your trucks gonna hate you..... Stay away from commercial, if someone slips on ice you'll get sued(i know first hand).

 

I was at it for a while. I will agree there is a ton of money with salt/sand, but we found residential to be too much of a pain. People always trying to price you down, the conflicts, just too much trouble.
I gave all my commercial customers a written agreement prior to the season. I also had them sign off if they elected to pass on salt/sand.
The price of the job was based on the following days local paper of snowfalls total. Ex- 2-4"=X$....4.1"-6"=XX$ and so on. There was no price guessing for either party.
Another tip- I found just going for Insurance based on being a plowing contractor was financially unsound. Be a Landscaping Co - with a ryder or amendmant to plow snow. It was 1/3 the cost of just being a Snow Contractor.
If you are serious, dont take too many jobs prior to the season. Wait till after the first storm- thats when the wannabe's decide it isnt all fun & games & give up. Then you go in & name your price. We alway had more jobs than we wanted after the first strom...and no price negotiating.
Worked every year for me..and if they quibbled or balked-I walked away.
If the customer had been sued before- they most likely had a contractor with no insurance. It was here where we would get our (high) price.
The way I saw it- I was the guy working on my fleet of trucks & loaders through the summer months. I was the guy buying & stockpiling sand-I was the guy paying other drivers, insurance etc. I was risking quite a bit if it didnt snow. I was the one out driving 36+ hours straight.
The supermarket doesnt mind gouging me at grocery time- when the snow fell, it was time for payback.
Profit isnt a bad thing. Good Luck-

 

Heres a decent forum I found for plowing. Enjoy

http://www.letstalksnow.com/forums/

 

Just reading a few of those threads did PLENTY to scare me away from plowing. That, and I don't need that kind of "commercial" abuse done to my truck. I'm still gonna get the plow mounted but I'll use it only for my driveway/aunts/camp. And maybe my neighbors if they're nice.

 

My cousins concrete business runs a big snow removal operation during the winter months. He runs three bobcats with 10' snow pushers. Then they have a truck also. He spends upto 24 hours strait in his bobcat some nights.

Personally I would never mount a plow to my new Ram. As one person said. Use a truck that you can deal with destroying. Its extremely hard on a truck doing commercial plowing.

 

Here's another site;
www.plowsite.com

And you're right, snow plowing these days can be financially un-rewarding by the time you buy enough insurance to cover your butt.

 

Try hooking up with a landscaper. Around my area they pay between $75 - $100 per hr. with truck and plow. My buddy gets $75 hr. for keeping a four lane 1/4 mile long drive way clear at a local airport. He stays there until it stops snowing. The $100 hr. guys are doing condo housing complexes. They have to deal with speed bumps, curbs, parked cars, and other things.

Oh yea, most of them are getting paid cash$$$$$

 

Often times you can pick up a used DOT plow truck for not a whole lot of money. They are typically pretty used up for heavy road use but work great for parking lots and other similar jobs. Plus, they are built like a tank and the plows are built likewise.

 

Some years back we had about six inches of snow in early November. A few days later it warmed up and rained for a few days melting all of the snow. One of the people who had called me (woke me up) to plow their driveway called me again demanding his money back "because the snow would have gone away by itself". Any wonder I dont plow except for friends and neighbors any more?

 

Some good reading since my brother in-law was trying to talk me into picking up a plow truck for a bit of side work when we arent hauling cars.

Here in Wisconsin snow has been hit or miss for years now further north here they get good amounts but down in my area sometimes theres a lot other times there isnt can plan on maybe 2-3 "GOOD" snow storms probably enough to go and plow lightly and salt a bit but doesnt really seem worth the hassle from what I have been reading!

Oh and years ago when I worked for a construction company winter time meant plowing and we had LOTS of accounts I didnt have to worry about the collecting end of it so it was fine but I can say this much I did REALLY enjoy plowing for lots of hours on end something soothing just listening to the radio and plowin snow who knows maybe that was just me! But what someone suggested might not be a bad idea going on with a company and just getting paid to do the work. I know I have seen that as well saying looking for plow trucks and drivers.