How to Price a Bid for Snow Removal

Set bid prices for snow removal according to the job size.

When snow piles up, people and businesses want their driveways, sidewalks and parking lots cleared as soon as possible. Bidding on snow removal involves consideration of specifics to each individual job. You want to earn money from the job without over-bidding and losing out to a competitor, but under-bidding may mean the risk of lost revenue or only breaking even. Consider the factors within each job before pricing your bid.

Instructions

1. Determine the size of the job. Plowing snow from a short driveway takes up less time and gas than a large parking lot. Ask the homeowner how long a driveway he has and figure the price according to the number of feet. For a commercial parking lot, ask the business owner for the footage of the lot to figure the bid.

2. Ask business owners if they need sidewalks cleaned. Some stores have their employees clean the sidewalks, but others may need you to accomplish this task also. Factor in the use of shovels or snow blowers for sidewalk jobs.

3. Factor in the time involved in each job. Hours spent on the job, gasoline to get to the work site and the use of your equipment all determine the amount to bid on each job.

4. Consider the depth of the snow. A snowfall of 6 to 8 inches takes longer to clean off than a depth of 2 inches. Increase or lower your bid according to snowfall depth.

5. Contract your work to businesses for a discount. A contract assures you of snow removal work while offering the business a discount for contracting with you instead of your competitor.

References

• Cost Helper; Snow Removal Cost; January 2009

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish