how do you price you skid steer work?

[slicknick]

hello!

i have worked for a large contacter for years running his equipment and i have finally saved enough money to buy my own skid steer and start doing my own side work, and hopefully all my work with it.

The type of work that i will be looking for to get my feet wet on my own show will be grading driveways and prep for asphalt, grading yards for drainage and posiblly light demo and brush removal.

I have some ideas in mind already as to the hourly rates with a minimun for showing up but what other types of fees and charges would i have to consider charging?

thanks for your input in advance

[NCSULandscaper]

really no other fees unless you bring in multiple attachments.....i charge 100 an hour with operator with a 4 hour minimum which covers my delivery costs.

[scaper27]

just basic skidsteer operation, about $75-$90 per hour.

More if you need attachments at a jobsite. Most jobs you can flat rate it with experience

[slicknick]

thanks for the input.

but say i was doing a driveway that has serious grade and drainage problems and i must spend time on the transit and pulling strings before i even start the work, how would i charge that? would it be in a seprate labor charge ?

[NCSULandscaper]

yes, charge your normal labor rate for the other work

[DesignerLand]

Matt has it right. $100/hr. I charge $100/hr+$150 to show up, not minimum hours. Good idea though!

[slicknick]

so i will be starting off at first for the most part doing work through people that i know personally and stricly cash payments, but another concern i have is how do i make the change to doing legit work and by the books?

im not even sure where to start off to legally open a buisness or what i have to do. i have been told that maybee i start off at a CPA and get a federal tax ID number but im sure there is more to it than that.

also i will need to know what type of insurance will i be looking for to protect myself and my customers intrests when this gets rolling?? will i just be looking for a umbrella? or do i need seprate insurance to cover my things and others things that i could ruin( dont plan on that but you know)?

any infromation would help thanks again!

[NCSULandscaper]

if ure not going to be in business legally then there is no need to be in business at all.

[slicknick]

indeed you are correct and i am taking the measures to get this done right, thanks for your advice.