Start a Pet Waste Removal Business
Companion to "Commercial Yards: HOAs and Apartments."
| Property / manager | Bid date | ||
| Units on property | Dog park on site? | ||
| Waste stations: how many, who maintains | Dumpster access for disposal? | ||
| Budget range stated | Current vendor / complaint driving the bid |
Walk the property yourself, in a grid, on foot, with the property map if offered, and time the walk. Never quote on the spot; close with "I'll have the bid to you by end of day."
| Grid section (e.g. north lot, dog park, mailbox row) | Walk time (min) | Estimate = walk x 2 (min) |
|---|---|---|
| Total estimated on-site time | hrs |
Rule from the operator guide: double the walk time when estimating, because early visits always run long.
| Row | Formula | Worked example | Your bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hours on site per service | from section 2 | 3 | |
| Hourly rate | $60-100 by market; you replace staff time or liability | $60 | $ |
| Weekly price | hours x rate | $180 | $ |
| Monthly price | weekly x 52 ÷ 12 | $780 | $ |
| Per-unit framing | monthly ÷ units | $2.23 (350 units) | $ |
Overcharging loses the account to "we'll just make the groundskeeper do it." One contract at the worked example equals eight to ten residential clients in one stop, one invoice, one gate code.
| Row | Worked example | Your bid |
|---|---|---|
| Stations on property | 7 | |
| Rate per station per service (bags included) | ~$15 | $ |
| Stations weekly | $105 | $ |
| Stations monthly (x 52 ÷ 12) | $455 | $ |
| W-9 | ☐ |
| Certificate of liability insurance naming the property | ☐ |
| Business license | ☐ |
| One-page service agreement: exact scope (which areas, what day), payment terms and late fees, termination with written notice (typically 30 days), what counts as default, and the scope-change clause (any scope change is reflected on the next invoice) | ☐ |
| Workers' comp documentation if requested (even solo) | ☐ |
| Deposit to lock the start date (standard ask, not an insult) | ☐ requested |
Expect net-15 to net-30 payment terms: commercial properties are very slow to pay, so price a month of float into your planning. The operator with the packet ready wins the tie against the one who promises to email it next week.