7 acre lot

[dan 616]

i have a change to bid on a 7 acre parking lot what is the minimum amount of equipment you would need

[digger242j]

Read some of the other threads here and you'll probably see a ballpark figure of about one acre/hour for a typical pickup truck with a plow. Of course there are a whole lot of other factors to be considered, and production rates are a whole lot higher for other kinds of equipment (like a loader with a 14' pusher).

If you can give some more details somebody might be able to give a more useful answer.

[Mick]

Is there a Request for Proposal? That will probably be more helpful than anything in determining equipment needs. For instance, is there a time frame for plowing? Does it need to be kept free of ice as well as snow? It may need pre-treatment with an anti-icer. Is the area open without obstacles - you may want to get that loader and 14' pusher. If there are obstacles or islands, you would be better hiring some help with 9' plows. Does snow need to be hauled off-site. You'll need to arrange for a loader and dump trucks.

Just a few quick thoughts off the top of my head.

[wyldman]

Mick summed it up pretty well.It all depends on the level of service your providing.

If your only expected to open lanes and entrances to start,and clean up the rest later,then 2 trucks could do it in 4 hours or so.If it has to be complete for 7 am every morning,then you need quite a few trucks,or will need to get some heavier equipment.

A few more details on the type of property,obstacles,type\amount of snow you get will help people better estimate what it will take.

[dan 616]

the lot is mostly wide open , cleaned by 8am and ice free they want the bid to be a seasonal contract is that a good idea

[wyldman]

Nothing wrong with seasonal,as long as your accurate with your average snowfall amounts,have a blizzard clause in effect,and are willing to ride it out for a few years.Don't sell seasonal and expect to get rich in the first year or two.It's all about the law of averages.You will have good years and bad years,so you need to sign at least a 3 year contract to make it beneficial for both you and the property owner\management co.Even then it may take a few more years to see some good profit from a light year.

You will need to find out how many truck hours it will take to clear the lot,then multiply that by your hourly rate, to get your cost per storm.Then multiply that by your areas average number of snowfalls (rounded up) to get a contract price.I would probably bid a 7 acre open lot at 8-9 truck hours or so,for the average storm,if your market will tolerate it.Some lowballers will bid it much less,so be prepared.

You should add a blizzard,or extreme snowfall clause to protect yourself in case of a huge storm.Adding a yearly snowfall cap will protect you as well,and you can reduce the cost a hair,as you will now be protected (and make more money),if you get a real heavy year.

Now for the equipment,I would use 1 loader,or tractor,with a 14-16 ft blade\box,and one dedicated plow truck.Having a spare truck or sub available to come help out would be nice,in case it snows real late in the morning,and your tight for time.It should take the loader and truck no more than 2-4 hours depending on production rates,obstacles,and the snowfall amount.