FREE WINTER CONTRACT PRICING GUIDE · TAILORSCAN FORGE
When the snow keeps falling, what happens to your fixed-price contract?
Snow and ice operators take on a different risk when they accept a fixed seasonal fee instead of charging for each push. A light winter and a heavy winter can produce very different economics even if the customer pays the same agreed seasonal base fee.
Three contract options to compare
- Per push: Revenue changes with the number of plowing services, with separately billed salting when applicable.
- Fixed season: The base seasonal price stays constant regardless of plowing visits. Service scope, exclusions and extra charges depend on the actual agreement.
- Hybrid: A seasonal base fee covers a specified number of pushes; further pushes have an agreed additional rate. No automatic customer approval or contract language is provided.
A fictional snow-removal example
Assume a modeled $187 cost per push, $57 cost per de-icing application, $240 total seasonal standby/admin costs, a $290 plowing charge, a $95 de-icing charge and a $3,000 base seasonal fee. The hypothetical hybrid fee includes up to 12 pushes; additional pushes cost $290 each. De-icing is billed separately in this example.
| Scenario | Pushes | Salt applications | Fixed-season modeled contribution | Hybrid modeled contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 6 | 3 | $1,752 | $1,752 |
| Typical | 12 | 8 | $820 | $820 |
| Heavy | 23 | 16 | −$933 | $2,257 |
Modeled contribution is revenue less only the listed costs and season reserve, not accounting net income. These example counts and amounts are fictional, not local historical rates or predictions. This comparison does not establish whether a hybrid contract would be accepted by customers.
Five checks before pricing a winter account
- Count actual paid person-hours and truck operating hours, not only time at the property.
- Record equipment, fuel, materials, travel, insurance and overhead without double-counting.
- Separate plowing pushes from de-icing applications and decide how each is billed.
- Test at least three plausible winter workloads using your own service records and seasonal exposure.
- Review route capacity, response obligations and contract terms with the appropriate humans before commitments.
Where to go next
Explore the Property & Grounds Operations Desk for broader groundskeeping operations. Read the markup versus margin primer for a separate pricing example. A dedicated one-time Snow & Ice Contract Risk Desk is being prepared for buyers after downloadable-file delivery checks are complete.
Educational scenario planning only. Not a weather forecast, plowing or chemical-application instruction, contract template, insurance/legal/accounting advice, dispatch tool or guaranteed earnings. Actual winter events, cost structures, contractual duties and collections may differ materially. Human review remains required.