Winter Storm Nemo: Nor'easter Looms

[PMLsmom]

I'll do it for 100.00 lol Snow shovel in hand....

 

[Show Me]

I have a flat driveway. Not long at all.. maybe 40-50 length feet by 7-8 foot wide. Does anyone know what a fair price is to plow a driveway that size? Daughters boyfriend called someone in the next town and he quoted 200 dollars. Not going for that price. Think that person is taking advantage of the situations. Really, It would only take him about 15 minutes and hubby would do around the cars. Don't want him to do it especially since I read a 49 year old man died this morning from a heart attach and they could not get an ambulance to him. Needed emergency vehicle and a sled. I guess they got there to late. Very Sad. Hubby is 61. Plows still have not come through here as of yet. Not expecting them soon

What do you all think. I think it is highway robbery.

Ridiculous price IMO, a few years ago we paid 75 dollars but we did have less snow. Business will be booming for people who have a snow plow and at this point they can name their price. If you don't have to go anywhere for a few days I'd wait as your roads aren't even plowed yet so you can't go anywhere anyway. The snowplows will more the likely throw a ton of snow back on your driveway.

Then I'd take turns doing 10- 15 minutes at a time, rest the same amount of time and stop if you feel sore. Maybe you can dig just one car out and wait for the rest to melt.

If your snow is light and fluffy at this point you might try a piece of plywood and slid it across the driveway....actually saw someone doing this trick and it worked. But I'd not try it if you have a lot of heavy snow.

 

[Gardenlady]

200 is HIGH for that sized driveway. Any neighbor kids around? Even if they do a half-arsed job, it still means much less work for your husband

 

[Ricki]

I'll do it for 100.00 lol Snow shovel in hand....

Hubby is so worth it and I would gladly give it you. But seriously do you have any idea what a fair price is? Is 100 the going price. 200 is rape. I thought maybe 75 and whoever would still make out. Geez I would like to get paid 75 for 15-20 minutes of work.

 

[PMLsmom]

I'd think 50.00 is somewhat reasonable. Gas costs and 20 min. of work...Even 50.00 is kinda high...actually, with a plow I could do it in about 10 minutes max...

 

[nosysw]

It really depends where you live and how much of an emergency it is. They will definitely take advantage of you but I could see them charging that much around here in an emergency. I remember when they had the holiday blizzard 2 years ago- I heard they were charging (and getting) $1000 for a driveway on New Year's Eve. It seems to me the only thing that really motivates people around here are situations where they can basically extort people for huge amounts of money. We were away that time and called home so the neighbors kid could dig a path for someone so they could get in to our house to feed and take out our dogs. I think we gave him $50 when we got back. And that was for a sidewalk (about 70 feet) and a path (about 50 feet) and he was pretty happy with it. But he's a good kid. I'm sure someone who does it for a business would have charged us way more than that.

 

[my2sense]

Power back on...yay!!! I'm in RI. We lost power just before 9 last night, and it came back on about 25 minutes ago. I'm very grateful, because some people won't get it back until next week. Thank you National Grid!! Got some downed trees, crushed bushes, and our power box ripped off the house. It was a tad windy

 

[nosysw]

Ricki, if you can wait a bit, I'm sure the price will go down exponentially. We usually have kids (older) who go door to door and you can usually bargain them to a reasonable price. For a driveway that size I think they would do it for $50-75. But even with them, they will try to take advantage if they think you are desperate.

 

[Dewey2Me1MoThyme]

Hubby is so worth it and I would gladly give it you. But seriously do you have any idea what a fair price is? Is 100 the going price. 200 is rape. I thought maybe 75 and whoever would still make out. Geez I would like to get paid 75 for 15-20 minutes of work.

It's been some time now since I worked for a company that also did plowing, but there is a lot more expense to plowing someone else's property than your time and the price of fuel. To properly equip a truck with a plow costs big bucks if you do it properly, the extra weight of the plow and the snow it is pushing increases wear on tires, suspension, axels, CV joints, universal joints, maintenance of the equipment, wear and tear on the engine, liability insurance, and vehicle insurance rates for a service vehicle to name but a few.

One has to take into account, you never know what is under that snow, and if you break a hydraulic line the operator is responsible for cleaning up any potential hazards at their expense. Add in there somewhere the person doing it needs to make a profit or they are not going to go out in the cold and wind to do what you can't or won't do for yourself. :waitasec:

 

[nosysw]

Very valid points, Dewey. My dh owns a tree service business and everyone thinks it's just about saws and labor! It costs him hundreds of dollars just to get his trucks to your house, if you count all the expenses (diesel, insurance, worker's comp, etc.). Has to be one of the most expensive businesses there are and people are always like "For that price, I'll do it myself". Well, okay, but you are definitely taking your life in your hands! One of the most dangerous business, too.

 

[justanother]

$200 is insane! We are taking turns on it, it's up to and on the hood of the car, all underneath. My turn to go out. Good luck finding a better price, i can't believe they can charge that!

 

[Ricki]

It's not an emergency. I just would like to get it done by Monday morn (tomorrow would be ideal) and I really do not have 200 to spare. Monday they are forecasting rain which will make the snow so heavy. I am unemployed and hubby works as a subcontractor and has no work at this time. Hubby says he can do it with the blower and I saw the lady across got hers done but she is big women and younger. Not many people in our neighborhood have shoveled or snow blowed their driveways. Non of us can get outof the neighborhood on to main roads. Our roads still have not been plowed. Ugh. Seriously, I really do hate snow.
Do I sound like I am starting to go stir crazy. Ya, I think I do. Ugh

 

[Dewey2Me1MoThyme]

Very valid points, Dewey. My dh owns a tree service business and everyone thinks it's just about saws and labor! It costs him hundreds of dollars just to get his trucks to your house, if you count all the expenses (diesel, insurance, worker's comp, etc.). Has to be one of the most expensive businesses there are and people are always like "For that price, I'll do it myself". Well, okay, but you are definitely taking your life in your hands! One of the most dangerous business, too.

I bet when the tree falls on their house they wish they had hired your dh. It's the overall cost of doing business that many people don't see. I have a small shop where I build a bit of furniture and do wood turnings, and so many people ask for a quote and then somehow come to the conclusion I should do it for the price of the materials or less. It never fails to amaze me.

Back to the storm, I just saw a video this morning from Digby, N.S., the government had just put over a $mil into wharf repairs that the stormy seas wiped out over night. This one is going to be very costly to so many regions.

 

[Ricki]

Power back on...yay!!! I'm in RI. We lost power just before 9 last night, and it came back on about 25 minutes ago. I'm very grateful, because some people won't get it back until next week. Thank you National Grid!! Got some downed trees, crushed bushes, and our power box ripped off the house. It was a tad windy

I am so happy you got your power. We went without it for 5 days last year. The winds seem to have died down a bit (at least for now) but it is still frigid.

 

[Ricki]

Oh, Well hubby is outside now. The stubborn one is trying to shovel to the deck. Under the deck is where the snow blower is. I told him to take a lot of breaks and not to over do it. I will be checking on him like a momma bear.

 

[Show Me]

Very valid points, Dewey. My dh owns a tree service business and everyone thinks it's just about saws and labor! It costs him hundreds of dollars just to get his trucks to your house, if you count all the expenses (diesel, insurance, worker's comp, etc.). Has to be one of the most expensive businesses there are and people are always like "For that price, I'll do it myself". Well, okay, but you are definitely taking your life in your hands! One of the most dangerous business, too.

We spent hundreds of dollars taking down dead trees and have several times used a local tree service. Was worth every penny! No damage to yard or property and done very quickly with a small crew. The service mulched the small branches and hauled away the rest of the tree. We were very glad we did this before we had a 2 inch ice storm or could have ended up with a tree crashing on our home. The tree service spent the morning at our house and then moved on to another job. I can see why it's an expensive business.

 

[Show Me]

Weather Channel just mentioned a hidden danger we tend to forget in a big snow storm....carbon monoxide. This goes beyond the normal don't use charcoal inside your house for cooking warning.

Remember to make sure your car's exhaust pipe is cleared of snow when warming up your car.

Remember to clear all snow from the outside vents of your home's heating system.

Granted it make take some of you a while to locate your car buried in the snow drifts.

 

[nosysw]

Weather Channel just mentioned a hidden danger we tend to forget in a big snow storm....carbon monoxide. This goes beyond the normal don't use charcoal inside your house for cooking warning.

Remember to make sure your car's exhaust pipe is cleared of snow when warming up your car.

Remember to clear all snow from the outside vents of your home's heating system.

Granted it make take some of you a while to locate your car buried in the snow drifts.

Sorry I'm such a "girl". But dh is away and I have no idea. Where are the outside vents of heating systems? :doh:

 

[Show Me]

Sorry I'm such a "girl". But dh is away and I have no idea. Where are the outside vents of heating systems? :doh:

Well it actually depends on what type of heating you have. Our vents go through the roof (I think, I'm a girl to.) I do know where the car exhaust is located. lol Some info I found might be useful. Or maybe another poster has some good info

http://homebuying.about.com/cs/appliances/a/homeheat.htm

Gas and oil furnaces have a pilot light that warms a heat exchange unit, which in turn warms the air before it is circulated back through the house. These furnaces have a flue where exhaust gases vent to the outside.

 

[Show Me]

More info nosysw....maybe you can call hubby or utility company?


http://www.unionleader.com/article/20130209/NEWS1101/130209042

nitil, (www.unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, urges the public to keep natural gas meters, heating and appliance exhaust vents clear of snow and ice to prevent carbon monoxide buildup within their homes.
The nor'easter still impacting the region has left significant amounts of snow around people's homes. Heavy, wet or blowing snow can block heating and appliance exhaust vents which can cause equipment to malfunction resulting in a loss of heat or the possibility of a deadly buildup of carbon monoxide in the building. As snow accumulates, Unitil advises the public to take the following steps:

> People with heating or other appliances with direct vents should check and keep vents clear of ice and snow.
> Remove snow and ice carefully from a meter or outdoor appliance vent carefully with a broom. Do not use a shovel as it can damage the meter.
> Avoid shoveling or plowing snow up against or covering the meter or pipe.
> Remove icicles from overhead eaves and gutters to assure dripping water does not freeze the meter or vent pipe. Contact a qualified roofing vendor if you cannot reach the icicles yourself.
> Do not kick your gas meter in an attempt to break ice off, as this too can cause damage.

Keeping vents and meters clear will allow for proper ventilation and can prevent carbon monoxide buildup within your home.