Subs and pay rate

[thelawnguy]

John Allin brought up a good subject that I thought deserved a thread of its own.

What do you make as, or what do you pay subcontractors? Type of equipment? I recieved a cold call yesterday from a local construction co. offering me $50 per hour to plow small parking lots with my 3/4 ton pickup and 8 foot plow. I must provide my own insurance and fuel. 6pm to 6 am, no days-the co does not plow during the day except for one truck to keep lanes open. I passed, I already have commitments of my own but wonder how this deal rates with other areas?

 

[PINEISLAND1]

$38-$45 / HR. here, for a truck with straight blade only. V's and trucks with back blades will get a little more. Subs carry insurance and pay their own fuel costs.

 

[JD PLOWER]

Here in Boston the rate for 8'plow is 45-55$ (usually).

 

[Lazer]

The point Mr. Allin implied was the more plowing you do, the less the pay per HOUR, but obviously the more hours you get in.

If you got paid $50/hour as a sub and could get in 500 hours/winter, that'd be a great job. Most places that have the 500 hour winters probably pay less.

On the flip side of the same token, if you only get 50-80 hours or so per winter and they're some real heavy snows, then $50/hour is real cheap.

 

[Toddppm]

I got a letter addressed to my bus. from a snow removal co. back in sept that i've been holding onto just in case: We pay:$65/hr for trucks w/plows
70/flat beds w/our sander
95/trucks w/10 or 12' sanders
60/skidsteer loaders
75/back hoes and front end loaders
22/ for sidewalk labor per man
Paid within 1 week max.
Not bad except i wouldn't think anyone would take a skid/backhoe or loader out for that cheap, you never know though lot of plumbers etc. around w/ nice equip. just sitting around

 

[plowking35]

Bill, what the offered is typical and on target for CT. Its about what I pay subs, but not what I would sub for, if that makes any sense. I know what JA pays his subs, and no one would plow for that here, but we dont push alomost everyday as they do.He has said some of his subs will pay off a new truck in one season of sub work for him. Also ask him some of their tactics for waking up sleepy subs at 2 am.
You will be happy you dont live next to that sub.
Dino

 

[still god of all plowers]

Subs should never be payed by the hour. When we had subs working for us, they were payed per account.
Pay by the hour the encourages the operator to slack off, and I dont pay for slacking. We had the route supervisor pushing the drivers big time. We demanded production.
On a 150.00 per push account we would pay the sub 35% of that, and we took the 65% for ourselves. So the faster they went the more money they made.

 

[Lazer]

That works fine for small accounts, not larger ones.

On heavy snows you really sap their incentive.

 

[CCSwanson]

All I do is sub contract work (just got my route today)I get payed 55.00 per hour in the Cincinnati area. 55.00 seems to be the max in this area. Contractor supplys ins but I now have my own as well just in case.

 

[bdemir]

Lazer,

What do you think winter is going to bring us this year in michigan. I feel that it is going to be a bad one.