Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 15:31     Subject: Going rate for teen snow shovelers?
Anonymous wrote:A neighbor asked our teen to shovel their walk/driveway and he did, and she wants to know how much he charges so she can compensate him. What’s a reasonable rate? Not looking to rip off a neighbor of course.


$80-$100 - in our inexpensive MoCo neighborhood.



Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 15:23     Subject: Going rate for teen snow shovelers?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My teen is getting 20$/hr (and some tips.) But he said some of his other friends are charging 50$/house (which is bizarre to me because houses are all different sizes) which ends up being 50$/hr.



Many people's houses take more than an hour.

My kids have discovered that if they let the person paying pick the price, it's almost always more than they would have felt comfortable asking for. This year, in particular, people are very generous.


And many people’s houses take far less than an hour-particularly if you don’t live in Exurblandia with McMansions. I do agree that letting people decide what to pay is typically more generous that what a teenager should expect.

But there are exceptions. My poor kid ended up getting 10$ after shoveling a house for an hour for an elderly neighbor last year. It’s not always that people are generous and elderly people in particular sometimes have a frame of reference from 30 years ago.


Elderly people are also often on fixed incomes. Honestly, I shovel my elderly's neighbor for free because I'm neighborly.


Of course. And that’s why my kid politely accepted the 10$ and went away even though it was sub minimum wage for freezing exhausting work.

But an adult who sets their rate professionally isn’t going to accept 10$/hr for shoveling through the ice on a day like today.


I'm the PP who said my kids let customers set prices. Someone who is shoveling because their hourly job is cancelled due to snow, and they still need to pay rent and eat, shouldn't be expected to take $10/hour. My kids are not in that situation, and shovel for elderly neighbors for free unless the neighbors insist on paying.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 15:16     Subject: Going rate for teen snow shovelers?
Anonymous wrote:My son and friend were getting between $50 & $100 per house in 22201. Less during the snow phase yesterday, and more for houses today that had not done anything. They each earned about $300 for 6 or 7 houses. Could have made more, but got tired.


Wow that’s a lot. Were they really big houses? Agree that the work is tiring. My teen turned down several offers to shovel and stuck with 3-4 houses this year to shovel solo. It’s exhausting.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 15:14     Subject: Going rate for teen snow shovelers?
My son and friend were getting between $50 & $100 per house in 22201. Less during the snow phase yesterday, and more for houses today that had not done anything. They each earned about $300 for 6 or 7 houses. Could have made more, but got tired.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 15:13     Subject: Going rate for teen snow shovelers?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My teen is getting 20$/hr (and some tips.) But he said some of his other friends are charging 50$/house (which is bizarre to me because houses are all different sizes) which ends up being 50$/hr.



Many people's houses take more than an hour.

My kids have discovered that if they let the person paying pick the price, it's almost always more than they would have felt comfortable asking for. This year, in particular, people are very generous.


And many people’s houses take far less than an hour-particularly if you don’t live in Exurblandia with McMansions. I do agree that letting people decide what to pay is typically more generous that what a teenager should expect.

But there are exceptions. My poor kid ended up getting 10$ after shoveling a house for an hour for an elderly neighbor last year. It’s not always that people are generous and elderly people in particular sometimes have a frame of reference from 30 years ago.


Elderly people are also often on fixed incomes. Honestly, I shovel my elderly's neighbor for free because I'm neighborly.


When I had an elderly neighbor I did too (over her objection). No money, but inevitably some free cookies and hot chocolate
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 15:07     Subject: Going rate for teen snow shovelers?
$45/hr
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 14:58     Subject: Going rate for teen snow shovelers?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My teen is getting 20$/hr (and some tips.) But he said some of his other friends are charging 50$/house (which is bizarre to me because houses are all different sizes) which ends up being 50$/hr.



Many people's houses take more than an hour.

My kids have discovered that if they let the person paying pick the price, it's almost always more than they would have felt comfortable asking for. This year, in particular, people are very generous.


And many people’s houses take far less than an hour-particularly if you don’t live in Exurblandia with McMansions. I do agree that letting people decide what to pay is typically more generous that what a teenager should expect.

But there are exceptions. My poor kid ended up getting 10$ after shoveling a house for an hour for an elderly neighbor last year. It’s not always that people are generous and elderly people in particular sometimes have a frame of reference from 30 years ago.


Elderly people are also often on fixed incomes. Honestly, I shovel my elderly's neighbor for free because I'm neighborly.


And also adults who are neighbors don’t generally charge the elderly to help them shovel.


Maybe in a neighborhood where there aren’t a lot of dual income couples? In my neighborhood where all the non-retired age people work, we have so many elderly neighbors asking to hire teens or adults to shovel. People are busy and this snow today in particular is rough.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 14:56     Subject: Going rate for teen snow shovelers?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My teen is getting 20$/hr (and some tips.) But he said some of his other friends are charging 50$/house (which is bizarre to me because houses are all different sizes) which ends up being 50$/hr.



Many people's houses take more than an hour.

My kids have discovered that if they let the person paying pick the price, it's almost always more than they would have felt comfortable asking for. This year, in particular, people are very generous.


And many people’s houses take far less than an hour-particularly if you don’t live in Exurblandia with McMansions. I do agree that letting people decide what to pay is typically more generous that what a teenager should expect.

But there are exceptions. My poor kid ended up getting 10$ after shoveling a house for an hour for an elderly neighbor last year. It’s not always that people are generous and elderly people in particular sometimes have a frame of reference from 30 years ago.


Elderly people are also often on fixed incomes. Honestly, I shovel my elderly's neighbor for free because I'm neighborly.


And also adults who are neighbors don’t generally charge the elderly to help them shovel.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 14:55     Subject: Going rate for teen snow shovelers?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My teen is getting 20$/hr (and some tips.) But he said some of his other friends are charging 50$/house (which is bizarre to me because houses are all different sizes) which ends up being 50$/hr.



Many people's houses take more than an hour.

My kids have discovered that if they let the person paying pick the price, it's almost always more than they would have felt comfortable asking for. This year, in particular, people are very generous.


And many people’s houses take far less than an hour-particularly if you don’t live in Exurblandia with McMansions. I do agree that letting people decide what to pay is typically more generous that what a teenager should expect.

But there are exceptions. My poor kid ended up getting 10$ after shoveling a house for an hour for an elderly neighbor last year. It’s not always that people are generous and elderly people in particular sometimes have a frame of reference from 30 years ago.


Elderly people are also often on fixed incomes. Honestly, I shovel my elderly's neighbor for free because I'm neighborly.


Of course. And that’s why my kid politely accepted the 10$ and went away even though it was sub minimum wage for freezing exhausting work.

But an adult who sets their rate professionally isn’t going to accept 10$/hr for shoveling through the ice on a day like today.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 14:55     Subject: Re:Going rate for teen snow shovelers?
This snow is not easy so I gave the 2 teens - $40.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 14:53     Subject: Going rate for teen snow shovelers?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My teen is getting 20$/hr (and some tips.) But he said some of his other friends are charging 50$/house (which is bizarre to me because houses are all different sizes) which ends up being 50$/hr.



Many people's houses take more than an hour.

My kids have discovered that if they let the person paying pick the price, it's almost always more than they would have felt comfortable asking for. This year, in particular, people are very generous.


And many people’s houses take far less than an hour-particularly if you don’t live in Exurblandia with McMansions. I do agree that letting people decide what to pay is typically more generous that what a teenager should expect.

But there are exceptions. My poor kid ended up getting 10$ after shoveling a house for an hour for an elderly neighbor last year. It’s not always that people are generous and elderly people in particular sometimes have a frame of reference from 30 years ago.


Elderly people are also often on fixed incomes. Honestly, I shovel my elderly's neighbor for free because I'm neighborly.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 14:52     Subject: Going rate for teen snow shovelers?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My teen is getting 20$/hr (and some tips.) But he said some of his other friends are charging 50$/house (which is bizarre to me because houses are all different sizes) which ends up being 50$/hr.



Many people's houses take more than an hour.

My kids have discovered that if they let the person paying pick the price, it's almost always more than they would have felt comfortable asking for. This year, in particular, people are very generous.


And many people’s houses take far less than an hour-particularly if you don’t live in Exurblandia with McMansions. I do agree that letting people decide what to pay is typically more generous that what a teenager should expect.

But there are exceptions. My poor kid ended up getting 10$ after shoveling a house for an hour for an elderly neighbor last year. It’s not always that people are generous and elderly people in particular sometimes have a frame of reference from 30 years ago.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 14:48     Subject: Going rate for teen snow shovelers?
Anonymous wrote:My teen is getting 20$/hr (and some tips.) But he said some of his other friends are charging 50$/house (which is bizarre to me because houses are all different sizes) which ends up being 50$/hr.



Many people's houses take more than an hour.

My kids have discovered that if they let the person paying pick the price, it's almost always more than they would have felt comfortable asking for. This year, in particular, people are very generous.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 14:45     Subject: Going rate for teen snow shovelers?
My teen is getting 20$/hr (and some tips.) But he said some of his other friends are charging 50$/house (which is bizarre to me because houses are all different sizes) which ends up being 50$/hr.

Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 14:44     Subject: Going rate for teen snow shovelers?
A neighbor asked our teen to shovel their walk/driveway and he did, and she wants to know how much he charges so she can compensate him. What’s a reasonable rate? Not looking to rip off a neighbor of course.