I use a commercial grade

[turfman]

JD snowblower for my snow removal accounts. Of course most people want to be cleaned out by the time they leave for work which is about 7-8am.
My question is as follows: If you have the drive and walks cleaned by "work time" but it keeps snowing afterward and a second cleaning is required, do you charge a sencond time. Example: If I get $50.00 to clean out a driveway before they leave for work and go back due to continous snowfall, should they get billed for $100.00?
Any ideas?

[Woody]

The answer is "YES".

If you aren't going to charge to show up a second time, how are you going to justify charging for the first time? Anyone who "gives away" work will soon find out that the customer percieves the value of their work as exactly ZERO.

Of course, this all has to be hashed out with the customer BEFORE it starts snowing. But, NO ONE expects you to show up and work for free. If they do, get rid of them, because they live somewhere outside of reality!

Charge the same as do people who plow. Have a "trigger", such as the very common 2 inches of snow. Anything less than this, and you don't show up (your trigger may vary, and it may be different for different customers as well).

You need to really spell things out. An example is this... Say it snows 2.5 inches during the night. You go out, clear a drive by 7:00 AM. Now, the snow continues through the morning, and leaves a total of 3.5 inches (an additional inch since you cleared the drive). Some people want you to come back and clear out that inch of snow. Others DO NOT want you to come back unless it is an additional 2 inches.

Another thing... Say you can't get out there until 4 inches have fallen. Now, how do you bill? You need to have a billing schedule that spells this out as well. Most guys who plow give a range of 2-4 inches or 2-6 inches at one price, 4-8 (or 6-8 inches) inches at another price, etc. You will need to determine the price, and the pricing points, on your own.

Woody

[JonW]

I can't agree more. I clear a half dozen residential driveways and walks and I use a graduated scale. I start at less than 3 inches, then go up from there. For example 3 to less than 6, 6 to less than 9 etc. Because I'm doing this with a snowblower, I usually wait for it to stop if it's going to be a storm of less than 10 inches. But this is subject to my discretion of course. My customers know that I will be there, in a timely manor. The graduated scale also takes into account going back to clear a second or third time of the storm is bad enough. I'd rather clear three 6 inch storms than one 18, but they'll be paying for the 18 inch storm wich is no way triple a 6 inch storm. You need to think about this, be firm, and talk to you people, otherwise you'll be working for free.

[turfman]

You said it as good as anyone. If I went to Wendys and ordered a burger then decided I wanted another, I would have to pay! Makes $ense.


Thanks Guys.

[rembrandt100]

I usually go to work depending on the forecasted snowfall. If it is forecasted to be 6", then I go to work at 4" in my driveway. I do the entire route and if I get home and there is more the 1.5 " in my drive I continue til the drives have less than 1 ". If the home is on a fixed payment per month, I charge the fixed amount per month. If it is a per snoefall agreement they are charged for 2 clean-ups.

Dave

[rembrandt100]

I usually go to work depending on the forecasted snowfall. If it is forecasted to be 6", then I go to work at 4" in my driveway. I do the entire route and if I get home and there is more the 1.5 " in my drive I continue til the drives have less than 1 ". If the home is on a fixed payment per month, I charge the fixed amount per month. If it is a per snowfall agreement they are charged for 2 clean-ups.

Dave