It’s almost snow plowing season, so hook up your plows and pray to Mother Nature! Remember that odd October snowstorm from a few years ago? If you’re a snow plow contractor in New England, I’m guessing you’re hoping for another large winter snowfall this year.
And if that’s the case, you’re probably asking if you have the appropriate insurance to cover your snow plow operations.
We’ve insured thousands of contractors at Berry Insurance over the years and have answered similar issues many times. Let’s go through what snow plow insurance is, how it influences the cost, and what you should know before plowing the road.
How do you bill for snow plowing?
Some people consider snow removal to be one of the more straightforward services to price, but it isn’t always as straightforward as clearing paths.
Your major purpose is to clear snow from your customer’s property, but you also want to make sure that everything looks excellent, even if it is covered in snow and ice, comparable to gardening.
You can provide a variety of services as a snow removal company to help your customers maintain their property safe and clear.
Although not every task may necessitate all of these services, it is a good idea to offer as many of them to your customers as possible. You’ll be able to accommodate their every need this way!
When it comes to charging for your services, there are a few options available to you, including:
How you set up your snow removal pricing formula will be determined by how you charge for your services.
Per push
Every time you visit, the customer pays a set charge for per push snow removal.
Customers that choose this option normally handle their own snow removal and ask your assistance only when there is a really big snowfall.
Customers who choose this option, on the other hand, may misjudge how frequently heavy snowfalls occur during the winter.
The cost of a push can be calculated by the hour or by the inch. You can alternatively charge a single flat cost, but it’s impossible to predict how much labor will be required in advance, especially if there’s a storm going on.
Per event
This is the most cost-effective solution for places with little or no snowfall. It isn’t recommended for places that have snowy winters.
It may be easier to charge a flat rate within a 24-hour timeframe if you charge by snow occurrence, removing the requirement for a snow removal pricing formula.
However, if the storm is still going on, you may need to return more more once within that time. Clarify this with your customer ahead of time, and confirm whether multiple visits are possible and at what cost.
Per hour
Your customer will almost certainly want an estimate of how long it will take to remove the snow, and this is where your knowledge and experience come in, much like when calculating snow removal per event.
Consider the following scenario: you’ve been hired to clear snow from a large business parking lot. You anticipate that the job will take two hours and will require two of your employees, each of whom will be paid $20 per hour.
Of course, $80 isn’t going to be your final estimate because it doesn’t generate any money for your company, and labor isn’t the only cost to consider when it comes to snow removal (more on this later).
Per inch
Because it is a straightforward concept, charging per inch is one of the most popular alternatives for pricing snow removal. You charge your customer every inch of snow on the ground for the overall cost of snow removal.
You should usually charge a set rate for the first 4-6 inches of snow, then increase the fee for each subsequent inch of snow.
Per season
A seasonal contract is essentially a service subscription. In essence, your customer pays once and then enjoys your services for a set period of time before having to pay again.
In the snow removal business, subscription has become a more common payment option, particularly in places where there is a lot of snow throughout the winter.
When determining the price for a seasonal contract, you should analyze snow trends over the last 10-15 years. This will assist you in determining a fair pricing for your customers and your company.
Make sure your customer understands when the billable cycle for their annual contract concludes. Otherwise, you risk giving your customers a bad experience.
Bonus! Multi-season contracts
If a consumer is pleased with your services, they will most likely want to deal with you in the future. You should offer them a multi-seasonal contract if this is the case.
Instead of an annual snow removal contract, you can give your customers an extended option that spans multiple seasons. This is a win-win situation for everyone involved.
If there is a light snowfall one year, your client’s services can be carried over to the next year. The fact that you have a long-term client is advantageous to your company.
Multi-seasonal contracts are more popular in the commercial sector, but you might have some residential customers who are interested.
Make sure to adopt an annual fee increase of 16% with your multi-seasonal client to account for inflation to continue to expand your revenue.
These pricing alternatives can help you figure out how to set up your snow removal pricing formula, but there are other things to consider when calculating snow removal costs.
What does PL and PD stand for?
Residents of Arvada, CO can speak with Alliance Insurance Services agents to learn more about the various forms of automotive coverage available. If you’re unfamiliar with the terms PL/PD, collision, and comprehensive, they can be bewildering. It is critical that you speak with a professional insurance agent to ensure that you have the appropriate coverage for your vehicle and lifestyle.
Personal liability and property damage are referred to as PL/PD. This sort of insurance protects other people against damages (both property and bodily injuries) caused by an accident in which you are at fault. It does not cover car damage or the cost of any injuries you may have had.
Accident insurance pays for damage to your car as a result of a collision. Collision insurance does not pay for your medical bills or damage to another person’s automobile or truck. Collision insurance does not cover damage caused by accidents that are not related to traffic.
If you have a loan or a lien on your vehicle, comprehensive insurance is required. It covers the cost of damage caused by an accident as well as harm caused by non-traffic related events. It also covers your medical bills. Theft and vandalism will also be covered.
Residents of Arvada, CO can speak with licensed insurance agents at Alliance Insurance Services and obtain the information they need regarding various types of auto insurance packages. If you have any questions or would want an audit to determine your vehicle insurance requirements, make an appointment now to obtain the answers you need.
What does snow plow cover?
- Commercial Auto: Coverage for your work vehicles and permanently attached plow equipment, including liability and physical damage. Seasonal comprehensive coverage, which is offered in several states, protects your car during the off-season.
- The most frequent type of snow removal insurance coverage is general liability. It covers incidents of bodily injury, property damage, and other mishaps for which your company is held responsible. Some clients may insist that you obtain this insurance before they hire you.
How much should I charge for shoveling snow?
On average, snow plowing costs $30 to $70 per visit, or $200 to $600 for a seasonal contract with a limited number of visits. Plowing a driveway under 70 feet costs between $30 and $50 on average.
Snow Blowing Estimates
Snow blowing services charge between $25 and $75 per hour per person, similar to shoveling. Depending on the size of the region and the level of the snow, homeowners can expect to pay between $40 and $75 every session.
Snow Shoveling Charges
Shoveling snow costs between $25 and $75 per hour per worker, depending on the size and type of area to be removed. For snow clearing the average driveway, homeowners should expect to pay $30 to $70 per visit.
Snow Salt Spreading Rates
Depending on the amount of salt utilized, snow salt distribution charges range from $20 to $65 per 1,000 square feet. Some businesses charge anywhere from $5 to $15 per bag of salt spread. Spreading salt causes melting, which prevents snow or rain from freezing.
Cost To Salt A Parking Lot
On minor jobs, salting a parking lot costs $2 to $3 per 1,000 square feet, or $150 to $350 per acre, using 500 to 1000 pounds of salt. Depending on availability, bulk snow salt costs $100 to $200 per ton.
How do you quote a snow plowing job?
The length of the driveway plays a significant role in determining the cost of a snowplow. Why? Because a larger driveway takes longer to clear, and time is money during a snowstorm! Because there are so many different forms and sizes, you must first make a chart. Within the chart, you can inquire about the width of the driveway, the length of the driveway, the broadest portion of the driveway, and the narrowest part of the driveway. After you’ve asked these questions to the consumer, you can start putting together a price range. If a driveway is two cars wide and two cars long, you’ve got the basics of how to price a snowplow.
What does PLPD insurance mean?
Find Low-Cost Auto Insurance in Your Area Personal liability and property damage insurance is abbreviated as PLPD. It is more commonly known as liability insurance and is the most common type of auto insurance. Damage to your own property is not covered by PLPD insurance.
What does PL and PD insurance cover?
Every car insurance policy in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI includes a set of legal minimum coverage and perks. You are guaranteed to have at least that minimum amount of coverage if you carry motor vehicle insurance. All motor vehicles, including automobiles, trucks, and motorbikes, as well as snowmobiles and ATVs, are eligible for these advantages.
Depending on the type of claim, insurance policies are separated into four “sections”:
- “PLPD,” which stands for Public Liability and Property Damage, is Section “A,” which covers damage to other individuals. If you were at fault in an accident, it pays the damage you caused to others.
- Your individual injury benefits are covered under Section “B,” which includes items like medical treatment and lost income.
- Section “C,” often known as “comprehensive” coverage, is the sole optional portion of a car insurance policy. It provides for a replacement vehicle if your automobile is written off or covers damage to your current car if it is damaged.
- Section “D” is similar to section A, only it covers you if you are wounded by an unknown or uninsured driver (for example, in a hit-and-run).
Accident benefits and PLPD coverage are legally necessary to ensure that anyone injured in an accident by someone else receives reasonable recompense for his or her injuries. Section B compensation is obtained by applying to your own insurance company as part of a settlement with the other driver’s insurance company.
If you were in an accident caused by someone else, you may receive a call from that driver’s insurance company shortly after the event. A Section A adjuster will contact you and make you an offer to settle your insurance claim. You won’t be able to get more money if you accept their offer, therefore we strongly advise seeking a free consultation to ensure you’re getting fair compensation.
What is PLPD insurance Alberta?
PLPD stands for Public Liability and Property Damage. The legal minimum amount you can carry is $200,000. This implies that if you’re at fault in a car accident and the other driver is hurt, your insurance carrier will cover the damage to their car and their injuries up to a limit of $200,000. If the individual who caused the accident sues you and the court gives you more than $200,000, you may be liable for the remainder. Increase your limit because the cost of damages in a catastrophic accident might easily approach $200,000.
Are snow plows hard on ATVs?
The type of job you intend to accomplish will have a significant impact on the plow you select. In general, if you’re plowing a lot of narrow sidewalks, you’ll want a smaller plow. You’ll need a plow that can clean the entire area while not running over the sidewalk’s edge. A four-foot ATV plow from BOSS is great for sidewalk use. Wider UTV snow plows are more suited to residential driveways with short driveways. If you need to plow more challenging terrain, such as a long camp drive, a v-plow is a better option because it can break track and cut through ice more readily.
As previously said, the sort of job you have will influence the plow you receive. It’s likely that it’s already determined what kind of machine you have. If you work on a municipal snow removal team, you’re likely to have, or desire, a heated UTV cab for long periods of time on the job. The alternatives for a snowplow on a larger UTV will differ from those on an ATV. The larger the machine, the larger the plow that can be used with it. You’ll undoubtedly have an ATV if you’re doing a lot of sidewalk maintenance, which means you’ll need a smaller, narrower plow.
Both plows are unquestionably tough. Straight blades are particularly popular since they are lighter and less expensive than curved blades. The V-plow, on the other hand, can manage snow in a completely different way than the straight blade. The V-arrowhead plow’s design allows it to slice through frozen snow more easily than a straight blade. Stacking snow is also a little different because you can use the V-scoop plow’s mode to direct the snow exactly where you want it to go.
For ATV or UTV plows, there are three major types of lift systems: manual, winch, and direct lift. If you simply have one or two residences or chores to accomplish, a manual or winch lift system may suffice. Both of these alternatives need you to manually angle the plow left, right, or straight, and the manual lift method requires you to raise and lower the blade by hand, as its name implies. If you’re a medium to large contractor or a municipal team with a sidewalk crew, a direct lift hydraulic plow is a good option. It is no longer necessary to get off the machine to angle or lift the blade thanks to the hydraulic system. This helps a normally time-consuming task go faster and easier. It also lessens the chance of slipping on the ice by reducing the amount of time spent away from the machine.
When it comes to the different plow materials, there are two options: steel and poly. Both materials are durable and capable, but when it comes to picking a plow material, there are normally two schools of thought: the smooth, corrosion-resistant qualities of poly and the rigidity and endurance of steel. A poly blade will easily slide snow and slush off of it, while a steel blade offers outstanding value while delivering a robust, firm blade to slice through snow. Each materials are capable of doing the job, and BOSS offers a variety of commercial grade snowplow applications in both.
When choosing a snowplow, consider how easy it will be to use. You won’t like working with the plow if it’s difficult to attach or control. The type of attachment mechanism used by the plow should be considered. If the plow is hydraulic, you should pay attention to the type of controller it has. For select plows, BOSS offers the RT3 attachment system, which is simple to use. The SmartTouch 2 controller is available for all UTV applications, while BOSS’s ATV controller has a handlebar mounted controller that is conveniently accessible. You should also check to see if the hydraulics are included or if they are an optional package for your plow. Each of BOSS’s ATV and UTV plows comes complete with fully hydraulic lift and angling.
The change of the seasons is an important factor to consider when adding a plow to your ATV or UTV. Come summer, you’ll almost certainly want your ATV or UTV to be trail capable once more. Examine the undercarriage when buying a snowplow to see if you’ll need to remove it during the warmer months of the year. All of BOSS’s applications have outstanding ground clearance, so you won’t have to remove the undercarriage in most cases throughout the spring and summer months and will be able to ride the trails with ease.
ATV and UTV plows have a wide range of applications, from home driveways to municipal sidewalks to personal use for camp or cottage roads. Remember to keep these considerations in mind while shopping for an ATV or UTV snowplow.