Per push or seasonal? Run both.
Price one push from the time it takes and what your truck and operator cost per hour. Then put in the seasonal price you're thinking of and see how many pushes it pays for before you're working for free.
Redline keeps your plow route as contacts and jobs, and on Solo you invoice each storm or the season from the chat.
Try Redline freeHow the math works
A push is the minutes on site divided by 60, times your truck and operator rate. If that's under your minimum, the minimum is the price. Small residential drives often land on the minimum, because the drive between them and the blade-up time cost you either way.
The seasonal line multiplies the per-push price by the pushes you expect. That number is your guess from past winters, not a forecast. The last line flips it around: your seasonal price divided by the per-push price is how many pushes the contract covers. Past that, every storm is on you.
A seasonal contract is a bet on the weather. In a light winter you keep money you didn't plow for. In a heavy one you plow more than you're paid for. Some customers like a fixed bill, so some operators sell both and let the customer pick.
Worked example
An example truck and operator rate of $120 an hour, a $50 minimum, and 12 expected pushes:
| Property | Minutes per push | Per push | 12 pushes billed per push | Pushes a $750 season covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single driveway | 15 | $50.00 (minimum) | $600.00 | 15.0 |
| Double driveway with turnaround | 20 | $50.00 (minimum) | $600.00 | 15.0 |
| Small church lot | 45 | $90.00 | $1,080.00 | 8.3 |
Rate, minimum, push count and seasonal price are examples. Your winters and your equipment set the real numbers.
What to watch for
- Write down what triggers a push (a set number of inches) in the contract, so per-push customers know when they'll be billed and seasonal ones know what's covered.
- Salt and ice melt are usually their own line, per application or per bag. Keep them out of the push price unless you mean to include them.
- A storm that runs overnight can mean two or three pushes on the same property. Decide up front whether that's one event or several.
- Commercial lots need timestamps and photos on arrival and departure. Slip-and-fall claims come down to what you can show.
- Loader and skid steer time for stacking or hauling snow is hourly work. Price it separately.
Questions contractors ask
How many pushes should I expect in a season?
Only your own records can tell you. Count pushes per property from the last few winters and use a number you'd be comfortable living with in a heavy year. This page doesn't give a number because any average would be wrong for your town.
Should I take a seasonal deposit?
Some operators take seasonal contracts prepaid or in installments, signed in the fall. The deposit calculator splits a contract into a deposit and even payments. Check your state's rules on deposits and contracts.
How does Redline help with plowing?
Each property is a contact with notes on where the piles go, and photos go on the job. Memory saves each property's per-push or seasonal price when you mention it. After a storm, "invoice the Wheelers for 2 pushes and a salt" drafts the invoice on Solo ($29 a month) with a card pay link, and Redline flags unpaid ones to you at day 3, 7 and 14. Redline doesn't track the truck or timestamp visits by GPS, so keep your own arrival photos.
Related
Keep reading
- Snow removal softwareBill a whole storm in one message, sell seasonal contracts and chase who still owes.
- Invoicing and card paymentsInvoice from the job in two taps or one message. Customers pay by card.
- Deposit calculatorSplit a job into a deposit, progress payments and a final payment.
- Break-even calculatorHow many jobs a month cover your fixed costs, and what that is in revenue.