Opinions on price for church lot

[Mike Hughes]

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1471628&a=11073115&p=38560600

Just curious what you folks feel a lot like this is worth, on a per push basis, for plowing only.

It is a church (no cars in lot). Double wide entry, and the lot itself is 197' by 165'. The picture makes it look a bit bigger then it really is. It has a wide, shared driveway coming in from the road (on left) and the lot is just a big rectangle.....wide open.

The guy that did the lot previously was doing it for $70 per push, which I feel is too low.


Mike Hughes
Everclear
Souderton, PA


By the way, the picture is actually 5 pictures stiched together to make a panoramic. I took all 5 pics from standing in one place with a digital camera, then used MGI PhotoSuite 4 software to stitch them together. It's cool because you can see the whole lot in one shot.

 

[Leroy]

Mike,

I was doing my church lot for $80.00 per push plus $15.00 for salt for about 4 50# bags. Sounds ridiculous but when it's your church what do you do? I have since gotten out of that commitment and recommended other plowers to the church. In reality it was about a $150.00 per push job (2-4"_) plus another $50.00 for salting. It's hard if you belong to the church so my advice is stay away if you're a member and if you're not, charge them likke a commercial job. Hope this helps.

 

[FIREMAN]

70.00 per push.....lol....way way too low..church or not...a lot of those dimensions here would fetch at least 150.00 per push (2-4) and up from there..no salting or walkway clean up included in that number...picture this...one of my accounts is a large office building/warehouse...on either side of building there is a driveway that is 25ft wide that runs the length of the building(about 75 ft) and behind it is a lot that is 100x 200..plowing lot 450.00 per push salting is 150.00 per event...I'm done plowing in 1 hr and can salt it in about 15 minutes...these prices were given to me when I was asked to take the account...I think they are fair for my market if not a bit generous to me last decent storm dumped about 18 inches here and I was pleased when I recieved payment in 3 days after billing for plowing 1350.00 and salting 2 x 300.00....I just wish they all paid so fast..lol...

I JUST READ THIS POST AND REALIZED IT IS FOREVER LONG..MY APOLOGIES FOR THOSE I HAVE BORED...

 

[HandyHaver]

Hey Mike,

Nice shot. I fool around with a digital also. They are very cool!! A parent who helps clear the lot at my kids school (& our church) came over our house new years eve to drop off his kid and saw the plow on my truck. Well to make a long story short, I told him that I have prior commitments but would help out after I get all my stuff done. If this is your church, it's a tuff call. If not I would say that's real cheap for our area. I got res. drives I get almost double that. We don't get alot of snow around here so make it worth your while. Good luck

Mark

 

[Leroy]

Your post was not to long. Better to here the whole deal or none at all. I agree with your pricing. Like I said, It's a tough proposition if it's your own church. I know it's hard to understand, but, how do you bill your church commercial prices? That's why I say if you can ,stay away from it. Good luck to all and I hope we all have a prosperous season!

 

[4 Saisons]

the other guy probably droppped the church because the price were too cheap...like LEROY first post.

 

[Mike Nelson]

We do a lot of work during the summer for churches(sealcoating,line striping,And sweeping).
Please remember you are in business to make money(I hope)and you are giving them a proffesional job.
We give them a top dollar price and then maybe 10 or 15 percent off that.Seems to work everytime.
Good Luck

 

[john r]

Mike, I'm a God fearing man. I think I do all the right things. A church is a business. Remember the church does not pay taxes, they get their electric, gas, water, sewer, and a..... what else, FOR FREE. (guess who pays for all of these freebeee's?). Thats right! What I think you should really do my friend is to plow for FREE! BTW any money the churh receives legally does not have to be reported to the IRS. Not a bad deal. Get the point?

 

[Mike Nelson]

John R
You are so right!Silly me.Monday morning I will have my secretary call my church to schedule their Free sealcoating this summer.....

 

[Chip]

Mike
I plow a church that also has a double wide entrance and lot size I guess almost similar in dimension. I charge $70 for an average storm and $125 for over 8 inches. Salting is extra. I know my price is low, I'm not a memberof the church, but I do get referals from them for lawn accounts. I can usually be in and out in 30 min. and go next door to my next account.