CalcStack — free, instant, no signup. The interactive calculator loads automatically.
Price the push, then price the season.
Snow bids fail when they ignore depth: six inches of wet snow is not two three-inch pushes. This calculator models time on site from area and depth trigger, prices a single push at your hourly rate, then converts it into a seasonal contract with the standard discount — so you can quote both on the spot.
Plow operators use it when a property manager calls mid-storm: area and depth become a per-push price in seconds, and the seasonal contract figure is already discounted correctly. Landscapers use it to keep winter revenue from being whatever the caller sounds willing to pay.
Seasonal contracts win in light winters and lose in heavy ones — they are insurance for the client and a bet for you. Per-push pricing carries no risk but no guarantee. Most contractors blend: seasonal contracts for predictable base revenue, per-push for overflow. Price per-push about 15–20% above the seasonal rate to reflect the risk.
Residential driveways commonly run $30–$70 per push depending on size, depth, and region; seasonal contracts for a standard driveway often run $300–$800. Commercial lots price by the acre or by the hour. Your rate must carry truck, plow wear, insurance, and the fact that you work at 4am in a storm.
Directly: deep snow is slower per pass, may need two passes, and wet snow is heavier on the equipment. That is why this model adds time per inch of depth — and why contracts specify a trigger (service starts at 2 or 3 inches) and often a surcharge past 12 inches.