Snow Blowers


Snow Plowing Service

March 7th, 2014 ernie Posted in Snow Removal No Comments »

Snow Plowing ServiceThe season is almost over for snow plowing services. Most contracts end at the end of March. Any snow that arrives in April will need to be looked after by the homeowner. Or they can make special arrangements with the snowplowing company. In many communities snow plowing service contracts last from the 1 December until the end of March. Another issue is that many operators have a maximum snowfall amount in their contracts. If it goes beyond a specified amount they get to charge more.

This is also an opportunity for consumers to lock in their contracts for the coming year. It may seem early to think about this however it may also be an opportunity to negotiate a better rate by locking in your contract in advance compared to waiting until next fall.

What should you expect for Snow Plowing Service?

The date your contract will start and end, how often they will clear the snow, how much snow needs to fall before they will clear your driveway, will they clear the snow from your steps, and will they come and clear the snow from the end of your driveway after the snowplow has cleared the street. These are all things that should be considered as part of your contract.

The details do matter. For example, if the snowplow cleared your street at 4 o’clock in the afternoon but the contractor had already cleared your driveway in the morning, will they come back to clear the snow left by the snowplow operator from the end of your driveway.

Avoid snow being blown against your house. The contractor should already know this, but you should make sure that snow is not blown against the side of your house or your neighbor’s house. Occasionally there can be rocks and chunks of hard ice that could damage the siding on your home or break a window.

Snow Clearing Frequency

How often should you expect the snow to be cleared? Most contracts specify how much snow must fall before they will clear your driveway. It is also important to understand who makes that decision. Is it based on the weather report at the local airport which could be miles away or is it based on the actual snow on the driveway?

Will they clear snow from your steps? You may not want the service. However it is pretty nice to be able to walk out in the morning knowing that your steps are clear of snow. Your driveway is cleaned as well. There will be an extra fee for the service and consumers must decide if they wish to pay for the service.

How many months will they clear snow? Depending on where you live, snow clearing contracts will start approximately December 1. They will continue until March 31 of the following year. If you are concerned that this is not broad enough. You may wish to have the snow contract start on November 15 and finish by April 15. However expect to pay more for the service

Get it in writing! Always get all of the details and specifics in writing on your contract and initialed by the contract provider. Otherwise, you have nothing to fall back on if the services you thought you were getting is not being provided.

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Landscaping Snow Removal

December 7th, 2013 ernie Posted in Snow Removal No Comments »

Landscaping Snow RemovalLandscape in the summer, snow removal in the winter has many advantages for both the company as well as the consumer. There are numerous marketing opportunities, equipment efficiency advantages and you get to keep your employees employed most of the year, which means you get to keep your experienced people and do not need to worry about training as many new employees. There will always be some, but at least you can keep it to a minimum. This should also transfer into less breakage and equipment break downs as well. We will examine a few of these in more detail.

Landscaping Snow Removal – Keep your employees

If you have landscape projects to work on right up until the frost comes, then a few weeks off for vacation and then into snow removal, you have a good chance of keeping the same employees year round because they know they have a job to go to. The same applies in the spring as well.  The transition between seasons is the most difficult so if you have landscape construction projects to work on you can work much longer into the fall season for example as compared to landscape maintenance projects. Yard clean up in the spring, outdoor repairs and design work are all part of the job in the spring time, just before you get started with actual landscaping projects.

Multi use some equipment

Some equipment can be reused such as tractors and trucks. Obviously equipment such as lawn mowers and snow blowers cannot be reused across all seasons. During the in between season i.e. in the fall before it snows, your employees can also be completing repairs and maintenance activities on all equipment. In the fall for example, get your snow removal equipment ready for the coming season and update and repair your landscaping equipment from the previous season.

Cash flow

Cash flow is one of the most critical elements of any business regardless of what type of business you’re in. With a landscaping business in the spring, summer and fall and then snow removal in the wintertime, you can ensure a continuous cash flow from both business operations. Your customers will also like the idea of using the same company especially if you provide excellent service.

Market snow removal in the fall
Market landscaping, lawn care etc in the late winter

Selling your services at the appropriate times. Obtaining repeat customers and signing up customers for both services is one of the key success areas. Small business owners in this area must have at least one person dedicated to selling and marketing. They should market your landscape and snow removal service all year long. Someone should man the phones and be able to quote standard prices, set contracts and set up appointments for quotes. It is critical that your customers can reach a live person at all times, whether it is a request for a quote, make an appointment, or deal with a complaint.

Encourage word of mouth

This is one of the marketing items that is difficult to manage. However by providing excellent service to your clients they will let other people know. Also by providing a 5% referral bonus to customers who bring customers to your business helps grow clientele. Business owners who provide multiple services such as landscaping maintenance and snow removal may also reward their customers with discounts for taking both services from them.

Customer service is your best advertising element that must be managed carefully. It is your best advertising medium. It can bring many new customers especially if it is good comments. Installing markers at the end of the driveway to mark the edge of the driveway for snow clearing purposes. As well as advertise your company’s name and phone number is almost as good as the word of mouth advertising. All the neighbors see your signs and may talk to your customer to find out if they are satisfied.

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Snow Removal Technology

November 21st, 2013 ernie Posted in Snow Removal No Comments »

Snow Removal Technology

Every homeowner requires some sort of snow clearing equipment. The basic requirement is to have a shovel and snow scoop to clear snow from your driveway and sidewalks. The problem with shoveling snow is that it is actually hard work. Every year we hear of men in their mid-fifties or sixties overtaxing themselves. They have a heart attack right on the driveway. This is typical of the person who is a couch potato most of the year. Someone who suddenly decides to shovel snow and does not know when to stop. Either higher someone or upgrade the Snow Removal Technology you are using.

Snow Removal Technology

There are several solutions that are easy and not too expensive. They will help to ensure that you avoid having a heart attack. If you get a lot of snow you may want to either purchase a snowblower. Or hire someone to clear snow off your driveway in the wintertime and clear your sidewalk. Both solutions are going to cost you money. However the snowblower solution is usually less for many people over the long term. Provided that they maintain the snowblower properly. If you are not comfortable with changing oil, renewing spark plugs etc, then hiring a contractor might be the right approach to clearing snow.

The following are the various solutions and some of the issues for each.

Electric Snowblower, Gas Snowblower

Many consumers in the northern part of the USA and Canada will purchase either an electric snow blower or a gasoline snowblower to clear the snow from their driveway for the winter. These units come in various sizes with various power levels. The one that I am running is an 10 hp and 28 inch wide machine. The size of snowblower that you need will depend on the amount of snow that you will have to clear in the wintertime. Avoid trying to manhandle the snowblower and let the machine do all the work for you.

In general the larger the machine the better the job will be. Heavier machines will have more traction to push through the snow and they will have more power to also throw the snow further away from your driveway. Storage may be an issue for some people, particularly if you have a one-car garage. Most people will not be able to store a snowblower in their garage and also get their car in the garage with it.

Truck with a blade

Contractors will sometimes use a truck with a blade mounted on the front to clear snow from your driveway. the danger with blades on the front of the truck is that sometimes they scrape the sod off the ground at the edges of the driveway. Also, these scrapers or blades can sometimes scratch the asphalt or brick in situations where consumers have an interlocking brick driveway. Make sure that you include this issue in your contract and that the snowplow contractor uses a Teflon tipped blade to avoid scratching a brick driveway.

Tractor Mounted Snowblowers

This is the preferred equipment used by many contractors giving them much better traction and control of where the snow is thrown. Just like a small snowblower the snow can be directed in almost any direction to the left or right. Contractors can blow snow over hedges so they do not get ruined by the weight of the snow on them.

The other advantage of tractor mounted snow blowers is that you do not end up with a large pile of snow on your lawn or alongside the road from your driveway. This is typical of blade mounted snow clearing equipment. Snowblowers spread the snow over larger areas and it also melts much faster in the spring since it is not all concentrated in one area. This is a definite advantage if you are concerned about gardening and getting rid of the snow in the spring as quickly as possible.

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How to Start a Snow Removal Business

November 7th, 2013 ernie Posted in Snow Removal No Comments »

Snow Removal BusinessThe very first thing that you should do when you’re trying to figure out how to start-up a snow removal business is to develop a business plan. The business plan will lay out all of the things that you need to do, the cash flow, revenue, your expenses, and your capital expenditures. This is probably one of the most important areas to focus on particularly if you plan to request a loan from a bank or other lender. They will want to see your projections and understand how you will manage your costs and how sure you are regarding your income. Once you have a plan, it will become pretty obvious very quickly whether you can afford the equipment that you are going to purchase and whether you will make a profit or not.

Snow Removal Business – Budget

A basic budget is required for your business plan. This should include all of the expenses and operating costs that will be included in your business. It will also include the forecast revenue that you expect in the first year of your business. They should reflect on the number of customers that you expect to have. The number of customers will then drive the equipment your business would require, the number of operators that you require, and the associated expenses with regards to fuel, repair, maintenance, employee costs, etc.

Snow Removal Business – Equipment

The equipment that you need for your snow clearing business will depend on how aggressive you expect to be. For example, some people will use a truck with a blade on the front to clear snow off driveways. Other business people will tow a trailer behind a truck with a number of snow blowers and shovels on the trailer and at each location, they will have to use the snowblower to clear the snow from the driveway.

In other cases, larger businesses will use tractors with snowblowers mounted on the back or on the front of the tractor. The type of business that you’re going to run will be based on the volume that you will have and will dictate the type of equipment that you will need. This will be part of your business plan assumptions and will it affect the capital that you will need to run your business.

Staff

You will also need people to run your business. These people will consist of someone to answer the phone and do your billing. There will be people who are needed to operate your trucks, run your tractors, and run your snowblowers. They must be available whenever there is a snowfall. Regardless of whether that is during the week on the weekend or at night over the evening period. They must be reliable people who will take care of your equipment and not abuse it. People who run equipment roughly will cause a lot of maintenance costs that could be avoided.

Advertise

There will be advertising costs which will have to be included in the budget. This will be money that will be used to get your first customer and many customers after that. Advertising by word-of-mouth and advertising on the radio will be needed. Also advertising by putting flyers up in the neighborhoods that you are available to clear snow. Start slowly and build your business over time. This will be the easiest way to make sure that your cash flow is managed. Also that you have enough equipment to do the job. You must have people on staff to also run the equipment.

Manage the details

Staying in business is all about managing the details. You must also keep track of the big picture to avoid any major issues. Such as mechanical breakdown and lack of equipment. However, managing each customer and making sure that they are satisfied at all times is one of the most critical things that you must do. Do checks on the operators from time to time. Look for the quality of work that they are doing. Assess how well they are treating the equipment. These can make big savings for you if you are sure that you were treating the customer properly. Also that your equipment is being used well.

Most significantly, owners must also watch the cash flow to ensure that revenues match expenses. If your expenses get out of hand you can find that there is not enough money in the bank. At the end of the month there may not be enough to pay all of the bills and then you are in trouble.

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Snow Removal Techniques

October 21st, 2013 ernie Posted in Snow Removal No Comments »

Snow Removal TechniquesThe title of this post may seem a little odd, however we wanted to take a look at snow removal techniques from the perspective of the type of driveway surface that you are dealing with and what precautions should be taken before various snow removal techniques are used.

Snow Removal Techniques – Types of Driveway Surfaces

The driveway surface will make a big difference in terms of the safety and precautions that you might take when clearing snow. The common types of driveway surface include – gravel driveways, asphalt driveways, cement driveways and patio stone or interlock driveways. For the purposes of this discussion we will lump asphalt and cement together. We also lump patio and interlock together. We will also assume that all of these driveways have been installed properly.

Shoveling snow – from any of these driveways should not cause any problems what so ever, unless you are using an axe or some other sharp device to break up the ice on or around your driveway. Care must be taken that you do not accidentally scrape or chip any of the surfaces that we have included in this review. Obviously a gravel driveway will withstand almost anything from a shoveling perspective. Shoveling is also the most strenuous and should be completed carefully to avoid not overdoing it and causing a heart attack.

Snow scoop

A snow scoop is much the same as shoveling. Care should be taken not to remove the gravel from the roadway when you are shoveling of using a hand snow scoop. They are great for moving a lot of snow by hand.

Snow blowing – with a snow blower either a consumer model or a commercial model is usually no problem. However care should be given to the interlock style of driveways to ensure that the machine used does not scrape and mark the driveway. Many commercial companies will use Teflon coated blades and scrapers. They will avoid or lessen the chance of leaving marks on expensive patio stone driveways.

Snow removal company – is one of the easiest and although the most expensive way to remove snow. It is effective for many people. When you are negotiating your contract make sure that the type of driveway is specified. Specify if any precautions are to be taken, that they are noted in the contract. Snow removal companies that use blades to remove snow scrape the surface. They can sometimes leave marks much to the annoyance of the owners of the homes they are working for.

Depend on neighbors – to clear your snow for you. This is a great way to have your snow cleared. You may pay them something or give them a gift depending on how often they clear the snow for you.

Hire neighbors 

Make the arrangement more formal. There should be a written agreement or even a contract which stipulates when they will clear the snow. Whether they will do the steps or not and how much you will pay them to clear the snow for you. An agreement of some kind makes sure or reduces the chance of their being any misunderstanding. This is in regard to snow removal or the techniques they will use to remove the snow.

Regardless of which approach you take to clear snow from your driveway, consumers should always have a contract of sorts. It should spell out how often the snow will be cleared. Whether the steps are included or not and what tools will be used to clear snow. Even if you hire a neighbor to clear the snow, writing down what your expectations are and what they agree to is important. It will ensure that you both have the same understanding about snow removal.

Even if you are not paying for the service and they are doing it as a favor, you may want to understand when the snow will be removed. If it does not meet your needs then you may have to make other arrangements.

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Snow Removal Companies

October 7th, 2013 ernie Posted in Snow Removal No Comments »

Snow Removal CompaniesMy snow blower broke down recently and I decided that I only had a couple of options: repair it myself, have someone else fix it,  buy a new snowblower, buy a used snowblower or arrange for snow removal companies to clear my driveway when it snows.

Snow removal companies cost more, over the long run. They can cost as much as $350 a year for my size of driveway. After five years of this service, this would add up to over $1700 plus tax. A ten horsepower snowblower with a 28 inch clearing width costs around $1500 plus tax not on sale. The break-even is less than 5 years the way I look at it and sure I have to get out there and clear the snow myself, but I really do a better job and would prefer to do it myself. On top of that, I also get a little exercise.

Time to replace or buy a new used machine.

I opted to purchase a snowblower that was used. The guy selling it told me that it worked fine. He was looking for one that was even more powerful. He delivered the snowblower for free and I paid him $280. Now it would not work without some adjustments which he apparently did not know how to make. The belt needed to be tightened so that the blower will actually blow snow much further than it does.

I also had to reconnect the power leads for the light and change the oil in the engine which was no problem at all for me. The housing is showing a bit of age, but then they all do after a few years of use and exposure to salt and ice.

The belts were fine so I think that I got a really good deal for less than what it would cost to hire a snow removal company for one year. If it only works for one year, I am ahead of the game in terms of pure financial terms.

Hiring a snow removal company is not in the cards for me, however, for many people who are not prepared to clear their own snow from their driveways, a snow removal company is really the way to proceed.

What is the cost

Like I said the cost for my driveway is around $350 a year. They will only clear my driveway if there is more than one inch of snow. I am stuck clearing snow in any case these days. Single car driveways will be less and longer double-wide driveways will cost even more.

I also still need to get out outside and clear the snow away from my steps and front door. While I could also have this completed by the snow removal company, there would be an additional fee for this work as well. I would much rather do the entire job myself and know that it is done right at a lower cost.

My neighbor and I take turns blowing out each other’s driveway. This is another big advantage of having a snowblower to clear your own snow.

Maneuvering a Large Snow Blower

The trick is to allow the snow blower to do the work for you. Do not try to manhandle the snowblower. Another neighbor of mine bought one and then returned it because he found it too much work to move the machine around. He was trying to steer and direct the machine by pushing it instead of allowing the machine to do the work for him. He found it just too much effort to use it and returned it after a few weeks.

I never did hear whether he got all of his money back or not. It was a craftsman snowblower which is a popular snow blowing machine and should have just worked fine if he had known how to use it.

He was much better off hiring a snow removal company to clear the snow for him!

 

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Snow Plow Contractors

September 21st, 2013 ernie Posted in Snow Removal No Comments »

Snow Plow ContractorsHiring snow plow contractors is pretty easy, the hard part is making sure they deliver the services you need and are looking for. The price will vary based on the size and length of your driveway. Also whether you need the sidewalk cleaned or the steps up to your home cleared of snow. The basic price will only include removing the snow from the driveway. The snow-clearing work will be completed based on their schedule.

Your time to negotiate and set the price for the services they will deliver is before you sign the contract. Definitely, before you pay your fee. After you sign the contract, the price goes up for any additional services. As a result, make sure that you have everything clearly understood before you sign. Also that it is included in the contract you are signing.

For most people, this is making sure the snow is cleared from their driveway so they can get their car out of the driveway in the morning after a heavy snowfall. However, snow plow contractors are in the business to make money. The timing of when your driveway is actually cleared of snow will depend on a number of factors.

For example how much equipment do they have and what is the customer/equipment ratio? Do they have a typical route that they follow and where are you on that route? If you are at the end of the route, you may not have your driveway cleared when you need it to be cleared. Do they follow the snow plow route? In other words, if the snow plow does not go down your street until late in the day, does that mean your driveway is not cleared of snow until after the street has been cleared?

Review the Snow Plow Contractors Contract

Consumers really need to understand the service that is offered. Some will only clear the driveway after the snowplow goes down your street! Many companies will only do the driveway and not clear your steps. Some will only clear snow from your driveway when there is more than an inch of snow. If you are unsure about what services you are going to pay for, prepare a list of questions ahead of time and review each of them with the operator before you sign the contract. Once the contract is signed, you get whatever the fine print says in the contract.

Standard Service Offering for Snow Plow Contractors

The standard service may include clearing your driveway after the snowplow has passed and only the driveway. If you want more than this level of service some snow plow contractors will offer premium services at higher prices. It is up to the consumer to decide how much they want to pay. Also the level of service they want. They also need to make sure that it is covered in the contract.

In addition, you want to understand if the snow will be cleared off the sidewalk or the steps to your home. Make sure you understand where this snow will be placed. If it is thrown on the driveway and later cleared by the snow plow, this is probably fine. If the snow is thrown on top of your shrubs, they may get crushed from the snow on them. Make sure that these concerns are specified in the contract so that there is no confusion.

While some of these things may seem too detailed to be in a contract, unless they are written down, it will be virtually impossible for the operator to recall all of the special instructions regarding each property they are clearing snow for. Also if it is in the contract and you are dissatisfied with the service, you have the contract details to fall back on for discussion and enforcement.

When consumers do their homework and the contract is clear, there will be far less issues and disagreements because everyone will fully understand all of the expectations for the coming season of snow clearing.

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How to Start a Snow Removal Business

September 7th, 2013 ernie Posted in Snow Removal No Comments »

Snow Removal BusinessThere is a lot to learn about how to start a Snow Removal Business. Most people would consider the obvious things such as buying equipment, hiring operators, and getting customers. These are important but there is a lot more to it than that! Take your time and set up your business properly. The following could make the difference between a successful business and losing your shirt.

Set up and Register Company

Forming a company, obtaining tax numbers, hiring a lawyer and an accountant, finding mechanics, storage for your equipment, fuel contracts, billing software, bank accounts, insurance, setting budgets, managing cash flow, are just a few of the things that new business owners must think about.

A lot of people start with small beginnings. They might have a snowblower and offer to clear snow for a few neighbors and charge a reasonable price for doing the work. As long as the number of driveways are kept small and close by, it is very manageable.  Once you go beyond this and decide to advertise or purchase additional equipment and take on more customers it is starting to get serious.

All of a sudden it is important to consider the tax consequences of your business. You will need a formal business name and you will need to register the business as well, this means getting a business number and a tax number so that your accountant can file a tax report at the end of the year to claim refunds or pay taxes on the profits.

Keep Track of All Receipts

You will be spending money on equipment as well as fuel for your equipment. There may also be parts and repairs to be done and you may even hire part-time contractors to help you out. If they become employees, this triggers an entire new set of issues. You will need to pay them of course and also manage withholding taxes etc that then must be paid to the government on their behalf. At the end of the year, you will need to issue tax receipts for them so they can do their taxes and you have to file a tax report on behalf of your company showing all of the expenses, the revenue, and depreciation of your equipment. Time to hire an accountant!

Day to Day Operations

Then there is the day to day operations. Someone to take phone calls, manage contracts, schedule work and pay salaries and taxes, etc. This person will form the nucleus of your small operations center which will grow over time. There are two things that really irritate customers. The first and main one of course is that they want to have their driveways cleared of snow. Most people want this completed on time for them to get out and get to work.

The second thing that can irritate customers is poor customer relations management. This is the person who takes the phone calls and relays the information to the operators. This same person may prepare contracts and bill customers. If it does not get done right, then you have another irritated customer. This can include just answering the phone and listening to the customer.

All equipment breaks down from time to time. As an owner-operator most people will take very good care of their equipment. Which in turn will ensure that breakdowns are kept to a minimum? On the other hand, employees are just not that kind to equipment. Especially equipment that they do not own or have a stake in. Repairs will be needed and back up plans, back up equipment and backup parts will need to be considered. Operators will take these steps to ensure that your customers remain satisfied.

Snow Removal Business Plan

All of the above issues and more should be laid out in a business plan. The plan includes your budget, your cash flow, and loans if needed to buy equipment. Developing a business plan forces people to think through the many business issues and prepare for the startup, the growth and the sustainment of the business. The business plan should be set up and then updated at least once a year and more often if there are major changes in the business.

Any lender that you approach will want to see a solid business plan that you are committed to before they will lend any money for equipment loans or operating loans. It is your best tool as well to help you achieve profitability quickly and avoid losses.

These are just a few of the items that every small business owner has to consider when they start a snow removal business!

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Snow Removal Policy

July 21st, 2013 ernie Posted in Snow Removal No Comments »

Snow Removal PolicyAre you unhappy with the snow clearing policy of your local city? In our city they only clear the snow on our street after they’ve cleared all of the snow off the major arteries and all of the bus routes where the buses go on their bus routes. This usually means that our quiet residential street is not cleared of snow well into the day.

In some cases it might mean that even though it has been snowing all day long, our street will not be cleared of snow still much later in the evening. Some people who are reading this post, might conclude so what. Get used to it since it is much more important to clear the main streets first and then get to the side streets to enable traffic to flow etc. But there is another issue that we wanted to make everyone aware of when you decide to hire a snow removal contractor to clear your driveway.

Snow Clearing Policies

Our snow removal contractor has a snow clearing policy. It basically says that they will not clear our driveway until the city snowplows have cleared our street. They want to only have to make a pass once. They prefer to follow the snow plow routes to ensure that they clear the driveway of snow and also the snow that the snow plow leaves at the end of the driveway. Otherwise, they would need to come back twice. They may get emergency calls because homeowners cannot get out of their driveways due to the large amount of snow that was left in the driveway. This saves them money and allows the contractor to charge less for their services. However it is a bit irritating to not have your driveway cleared until very late in the day. Don’t forget to ask this question before you hire a contractor.

Snow Removal Policy – Frustrating

This snow removal policy may be frustrating to some people who need to get their cars out in the morning to get to work. However it does make sense. Since if the main streets are not plowed there will be significant traffic jams for everyone. As long as you do not get more than six inches of snow in your driveway, most people can get their cars through that. If it is more, you may get stuck in your own driveway, unless it is plowed.  But consider that if your driveway is clear, but the street is not, you may just get stuck in the street if it has not been cleared.

Seniors are Good Customers

Many seniors are just as happy to hunker down and stay inside. They do not want to go out and brave the snow or take a chance of getting stuck somewhere either. People who are still working will not be so complacent. They may want to hire a contractor who provides better service. They may end up paying for the service they get.

This snow removal policy for snow removal contractors appears to make sense. I just wish the city would be quicker at removing snow on our street in the wintertime. Large cities have a problem since they do not get snow very often. With narrow streets and lots of cars parked on the street, it must be a nightmare to park. Even just to navigate on the streets and to be able to get around. I am happy to live in the suburbs. I do not mind the wait for both snow clearing of the street as well as my driveway.  Otherwise, I can just go and purchase a snow blower and do it myself which is another option.

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Snow Plowing Contractors

July 7th, 2013 ernie Posted in Snow Removal No Comments »

Snow Plowing ContractorsWe do not think about Snow Plowing Contractors in the summer time. It is too warm and life is good in the summer time, with barbeques, swimming, hiking or whatever it is you and your family like to do. But with winter just around the corner, it may be time to consider whether you want to clear the snow yourself this winter or hire a Snow Plowing Contractor. While it is the last thing you want to think about, you might just find a good deal on a snowblower at this time or sign up early for a snow clearing contract. Both situations have opportunities to negotiate and get the best deals.

Consider the cost of each, and then make your decision based on the cost comparison and your own personal requirements. First of all, let us just say it is cheaper to clear your own driveway with your own snowblower as long as you do not mind being out there in the cold weather. Keep your snowblower for longer than 3 years and you have paid for it in savings by not hiring a Snow Plowing Contractor.

Should you Purchase a Snow Blower or Not

Making a decision to hire a snow plow contractor is often about the quality of life and a preference to wake up in the morning knowing that your driveway is already clear and you do not need to go out and shovel snow or start-up the snowblower. If you can afford it this may be a small luxury that many people would like to give themselves instead of getting up in the morning to blow snow out of their driveway before they go to work.

Some consumers do not have a place to store a snowblower. Some are uncomfortable with handling a powerful machine like a snowblower. Other people cannot stand being out in the cold clearing snow. Many people just cannot be bothered with clearing snow and just would prefer to have a Snow Plowing Contractor clear their driveway for them.

Some Issues with Hiring a Snow Plowing Contractor

The contractor in our area has a policy that basically says that he follows the snow plow and only clears driveways after the snow plow has cleared the street. This means that on heavy snow days if the snow plow does not get to your street until 3 in the afternoon, your driveway is not going to be cleared until after that time. He takes this approach to avoid multiple trips to clear your driveway. The first trip would be to clear the fallen snow and the second trip later in the day would be to clear the snow that the snow plow pushed into your driveway as he went down the street.

Most people are ok with this approach, however, if you need to get your car out and there is a lot of snow, it can be a problem getting out of the driveway first of all and then later on down the street.

When Will They Clear Snow

Another factor is that they do not clear snow until at least half an inch has fallen. You may still need to or want to shovel a bit to keep your driveway nice and clean of snow. In addition, you will have to pay extra if you want them to clear snow off of your steps. This is an extra service not included in the cost of just clearing your driveway.

Buying a snow blower vs. having someone clear your driveway is a decision many people make based on avoiding shoveling snow. Or dealing with blowing snow vs. getting someone doing it for them and avoiding that extra work. If you decide to shovel, always be careful. If you are feeling any discomfort, stop and catch your breath before continuing to shovel. Far too many people have heart attacks every year from shoveling snow. This might be another reason to hire a snow clearing contractor to clear your driveway of snow in the wintertime.

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