Snow Blowers

The snow plowing business really depends on the weather and how much snow falls. Some years it feels like you are busy every day pushing snow around, clearing snow from parking lots and driveways. Other years, it seems that there is not much snow. There is a lot of down time for your equipment and your drivers. In these years, you may still have to pay employees. However operating expenses for fuel and maintenance of equipment is much lower.

When it does snow, operators are working around the clock for hours. Sometimes days just to keep up with the snow clearing. The snow storms that come through their area. Managing your cash flow is extremely important with such changes in the weather.

Snow plowing business operators get around the cash flow issue that weather creates for them by charging customers a fixed amount that covers a fixed number of months.  This way they share the risk with the customer in terms of managing cash flow and the number of times that a driveway or parking lot will need to be cleared. In light snow years, customers may feel that they paid too much for snow plowing, while in heave snow years they may feel like the really got a deal. This is the risk that operators take and that clients also take. It all depends on the weather and how it turns out. All you can do is plan for those variations  in the weather and make sure that your cash flow is in order.

Snow Plowing Business – Planning

Operators have the advantage in knowing how busy they will be, how many people to hire and how many pieces of equipment they should have ready to go when the snow comes. When it does now most of these operators will be going 24 hours a day for several days if the snow keeps coming. They may also go for a week at a time with nothing to do. You have to keep good employees around because otherwise they will go somewhere else to find work. This means you must pay them even if they are just sitting around waiting for the snow to come.

There are jobs that operators can take on to keep their employees busy during slow periods when it is not snowing. First of all maintenance and upkeep of all of the equipment is the top priority. You do not want anything to break down while clearing snow. If the operator also does work in the summer time, whether it is landscaping or construction, this down time can be used to complete repairs and clean up of all of this equipment as well. Some operators will have parking lot snow clearing operations that require the snow to be trucked away.

Clearing Stored Snow

While it is not snowing and the parking lot may be clear, there is still that large snow pile sitting there taking up space. Most contracts will call for this pile of snow to be cleared away as soon as possible. Front end loaders and trucks are required to move this snow. They will take it to a snow dump where it can melt later in the spring. There are also usually haulage fees to account for as well as dumping fees to account for. This is in addition to paying your operators to scrape the parking lot. When bidding on these kind of contracts, operators must account for all of this time and equipment.

The snowplow business changes from snow plowing to landscaping at the end of the winter season. As we are writing this post, companies in the snowplow business are wrapping up the season. They are doing a lot of maintenance on their equipment. They are also preparing for a season of lawn maintenance and landscaping projects. Many of these business owners will run snow plow businesses in the wintertime. Then run lawn care businesses in the summertime along with a variety of landscaping projects. They are able to keep all of their people working all year round running these two businesses. They save money maintaining the equipment and even using some of the equipment in both seasons.

What Does a Snow Plow Business Do in the Summer Time?

The snowplow business is obviously a very weather-related business. If it is not snowing they are not working. Most snow plow businesses have their customers sign seasonal contracts for fixed amounts. This guarantees that their driveways, sidewalks or parking areas will be cleared whenever it snows. If it is a light year for snowfalls, they tend to make more money. Since their expenses for fuel and wear and tear on equipment is a lot less. In the years that there is a lot of snow, everyone is busy and expenses are higher.

Snowplow businesses that have been in business for a number of years keep a pretty good eye on the competition. They also know that the work averages out. One year might be light on snow. While the next will be heavy. As long as they have budgeted accordingly, they will be fine from a profit and cash flow perspective. Pay careful attention to the rates charges and hire good drivers who take care of their machines and handle them as if they owned them. You will find that repairs will be much less as a result. Snowplow business owners will also find that excellent drivers cause much less damage to their customers’ property. This can reduce your overall cost as a result.

Can You Strike a Deal with a Discount for Snow Removal and Landscaping

If you are a property owner, hiring a company that provides both snow clearing in the wintertime and landscaping or lawn maintenance in the summer is a good way of ensuring that the company will be around for some time. There is less chance that they go bankrupt in the middle of the season and suddenly you find that your driveway or parking lot is not cleared of snow one morning.

Always have a contract, always make sure that details are spelled out on the contract, and always check with other customers to confirm satisfaction levels with the snow clearing that has been provided to them in past years. Bad things can still happen, but at least you have confirmed as much as you can be done your due diligence.

Check the Details

The same applies of course to your landscaping and lawn maintenance contracts. Make sure that everything you are expecting is laid out in detail in the contract. It should include the timing, the price, and the quality you are expecting is covered. This may seem like too much detail, However, the more conversation you have helps to ensure that expectations are met. Also that there are no misunderstandings. Many people fail to write these things down on the contract and as a result, there will be the misunderstanding of what is to be provided. If you want the lawn cut to one inch once per week regardless, spell it out on the contract so that there is no misunderstanding or disagreement.

It is pretty easy to resolve these things when you are discussing a contract and have not yet signed on the dotted line or paid your money. Once the contract is in place, there is usually little you can do to make changes or enforce services that you discussed, but did not write down in the contract.

Who wants to discuss landscaping when snow removal is at the top of your mind or vice versa? As you can see from this picture there is lots of snow to get rid of from this persons driveway. The last thing on the owner’s mind is lawn care or perhaps even springtime. He is so unhappy about the snow that has to be moved that he hired a snow removal company to clear his driveway for him. Saving a lot of time and frankly back-breaking work.

Never the less there is an opportunity for both the homeowner. Also for the business owner who provides both landscaping and snow removal services. Business owners who provide both services can lock up contracts with customers year-round. They can combine contracts and provide discounts for combined services and repeat customers. This is a business opportunity that should be explored. The business owner already has a customer for the winter and has a mailing list as well. They also know that the customer may be open to considering contracting out some services. This is an opportunity for added business.

Landscaping and Snow Removal

While this site focuses on snow removal and snow blowers of all kinds we have come to the conclusion from reader comments and from reading online that there is a business opportunity that small business owners who are providing these services are missing. Take a look at your customers and assess which ones might be candidates for both services and then develop a package of services that are profitable for your business which potentially locks up your customers for the entire year.

Investors and lenders like to see lots of sales revenue and they like to see pre-sold services. This is a great marketing tool as well as a financial marketing tool when it comes to seeking financing to help with the purchase of additional equipment. Although much of the equipment is only used in one season or another, items such as vehicles are used year-round, and tractors like the one shown in this picture are also used year-round and they are expensive to purchase as well as maintain.

Business Opportunities

All of the baby boomers are getting older and less able to clear their own snow or do their own lawn mowing. This has to be a real opportunity for anyone in the business. Older boomers are less inclined to shovel snow or to run their own snowblower and clear snow in the wintertime. In addition, they are increasingly unable to push a lawnmower or dig up a garden. They want to remain in their homes and not move to an apartment. Anyone providing the services they are looking for will not only be able to make money as a business, but they will also be doing service as well by helping seniors remain in their homes and keep those homes looking great.

Don’t miss out on this great business opportunity! Take the time to figure out what services you want to offer and then market them to your existing customers. This is a known customer base, which should be satisfied with your service. If they are not satisfied, then you have more serious problems than just building more business.

Consumers like great service and they will be loyal to those businesses that provide great service at reasonable prices. Keep the customer happy and ensure that all of their needs are met. If you do you will have a good chance of having an all year round customer.

Can you get a discount from companies that provide both lawn care services in the summertime and snow removal services in the wintertime? Can you also get a discount from companies that provide snow removal services in the wintertime and snow removal from your rooftop when the snow gets really deep and threatens to bring down your roof or cause ice dams? You never know until you ask. Most companies will provide some form of discount if it means more business and especially if it carries clients from one season to another. Long term customers should also enjoy at least fixed rates to reward their loyalty and business.

These are the kinds of questions that many consumers want to know about when they are considering hiring snow removal companies. Most people are just too willing to accept the price quoted and are unwilling to negotiate or even ask for a discount. I have learned that the worse thing that will happen is that the person you are dealing with will say no. They may even apologize for saying no and you know they feel bad at this point. They really want to offer a discount but probably cannot since they do not have the authority, It just means you have asked the wrong person for your loyalty discount. Another favorite is to ask for a senior discount. That seems to work well also for many seniors.

Snow Removal As Well as Lawn Care

In this blog, we talked mainly about snow blowers, snow removal, and removal of snow from your roof when the storm gets really deep. But we also wonder whether the same companies will provide decent lawn care services in the summertime. It turns out that most of these companies do offer some form of summer lawn care or landscaping services. They provide seasonal services to ensure that they can stay in business and also keep good people with them throughout the year.

It never hurts to ask for a combination contract of lawn care and snow removal. You may start out with one contract for snow removal and then when summer comes along, negotiate a lawn care contract with a discount because you are a repeat customer. You might also resign a snow removal contract early while you sign up for a lawn care contract with suitable discounts for both. This is a great way for any company to secure business and lock it up year-round. All they have to do is a really good job and they have a satisfied customer with repeat business.

Steady Work

When companies lock up work like this it means they can keep their employees working all year long and their income stream is much more stable. If they happen to be applying for a loan to buy equipment, they can demonstrate to the bank that they have ongoing contracts that will sustain their business. There are advantages for both the consumer and the company in these situations and both parties should derive some benefit from this situation.

Lawn care and snow removal also utilize different equipment for their business which they must maintain and keep up. Many will also use some of their employees to conduct maintenance and repairs on this equipment during the offseason.

In addition, payment terms should be negotiated. Many companies are satisfied with multiple payments. If it is a snow removal contract, many will ask for 50% of the charge at the beginning of the season and 50% of the cost halfway through the season. The same should apply to the landscaping or lawn care services that are being provided. Never pay for everything upfront. If the company goes out of business, you have lost all of your deposit instead of just 50%!

All home owners need to monitor the snow load on their roof tops during the wintertime. As you can see from this picture this particular roof is in urgent need of rooftop snow removal. It is needed to prevent the roof from caving in and causing huge damage to the home and the contents. Snow can be very heavy as it builds upon someone’s roof. However, the snowmelt or even rain that falls on a roof loaded with snow can dramatically increase the weight on the roof.  In addition, ice jams can form and then cause water leaks. Which can also do a lot of damage to the walls and interior contents of the home.

Heavy Snow Loads on a Roof Nee Rooftop Snow Removal

Heavy snows that are not accompanied by a lot of wind usually allow the snow to build upon the roof quite quickly. When heavy snowfalls, it is not uncommon for several feet of snow to be added to the snow load on a roof. This type of snow is not that heavy and the roof can usually support this lighter snow that accumulates on the roof. As the sun melts the snow, the water has nowhere to go but down deeper into the snow, and then it re-freezes. The new snow that falls adds to the increasing snow load and if another heavy snowfalls, the roof can begin to show signs of stress.

Often there will also be a spring thaw in the middle of winter with rain sometimes falling during a short period. All of the water from the rain is absorbed by the snow and adds quickly to the overall snow load. Accumulations of snow and rain can dramatically add to the snow load on a roof contributing to the increase in weight on the roof.

Signs of Roof Stress from Rooftop Snow Load

Sometimes the signs of stress on a roof are difficult to see. Most homes are finished inside and the homeowner cannot see signs of stress until something drastic occurs. If you suddenly see cracks in the walls or the walls are beginning to bulge out, then there is definitely something wrong. Another sign is the roof beams. If you can see these beams or get access to the attic, take a look at their status. If they are bending in any direction and you have a heavy snow load on the roof, chances are that they are getting near the point where you should really arrange for rooftop snow removal.

Rooftop Snow Removal

If you have a relatively flat roof and feel safe getting onto the roof, homeowners can get up on the roof to shovel off the snow. Take care not to damage the shingles. Since they are quite stiff and brittle in the cold. Sometimes just walking on them can crack the shingles leading to future leaks. Remove as much snow as you can. Shoveling it on to the ground as far away from the house foundation as you can.

Alternatively, you can use what is called a snow rake. Which is a scraper on the end of a long pole. This allows the homeowner to stand on the ground. They use the long pole to reach up onto the roof to pull the snow off of the roof. This is an excellent way to remove the snow in a safe manner. Since no one needs to go up on the roof. It may take longer to remove the snow this way. Your arms are going to get tired. However compared to going up on a roof with a steep slope, it is much safer for all concerned.

Hire Someone to Remove the Snow

If in doubt about the snow load on your roof, just have someone remove the snow for you and avoid any problems. Many consumers are not comfortable removing snow from a roof. They are afraid of falling and should always hire someone for rooftop snow removal. It may cost a few dollars, however, compared to the potential damage that could be caused by a cave-in of your roof or worse falling off a roof and damaging yourself seriously in some manner, there really is no decision to be made. Hire someone to remove that snow from your rooftop before it is too late.

For more posts about snow removal options, click here.

Save

Whether you have a sloped roof or a flat roof, removing snow from your roof can be a big job if the snow gets too deep. The snow is almost four feet deep on this man’s roof shown in the picture which puts a pretty heavy load on the roof of his home. Flat Roof Snow Removal is something that should be considered seriously.

New snow that has fallen is generally not too heavy and can be supported by most roofs. The trouble comes when you have a weak roof to begin with or there is a thaw and/ or rain in the winter time and now the snow is soaked with water which, can more than double the weight. This is when roofs cave in causing thousands in dollars of damage. If your roof has a lot of snow on it, get out there and shovel off the snow or arrange for a contractor to remove the snow.

Flat Roof Snow Removal – Which Roofs are Prone to a Lot of Snow

Roofs with a slope that would be considered gentle or flat roofs will routinely capture a lot of snow on them especially when there is little or no wind. A high wind is going to blow the snow off of the roof and avoid it building up. Snow falls that are heavy with little or no wind will see a lot of snow building up on a roof. If your roof has a gentle slope or is a flat roof, you can count on having to shovel snow off the roof at least once or twice during the winter.

Shoveling snow off of a roof, especially one that is sloped can be very dangerous. The snow makes the roof slippery and with all of the snow, you can also sometimes lose sight of where the edge of the roof is. This can even happen with a flat roof when there is a lot of snow to move off of the roof.

Some consumers will use what is called a snow rake. This is a shovel that is turned on its end and attached to a long pole. It allows the user to stand on the ground. They can use the snow rake to pull the snow off of the roof while standing on the ground. This is a much safer solution for many people to use. you avoid getting up on the roof and risking a slide off onto the ground.

Snow and Rain Combine to Weigh Heavily on a Roof

This is the most dangerous time for a roof with a heavy snow load. Sometimes it rains during a winter thaw onto a roof that is already thick with snow. The water just builds up in the snow and then freezes. This excess weight can sometimes be the cause of many failed roofs because they are just not built to support this kind of weight.

If you suspect that your roof could be exposed to a heavy snow load, hire someone to remove the snow. Why wait and take the chance that you will have too much snow and a roof that caves in?

Can Removing Snow Damage my Flat Roof

If you are not careful, a roof can be damaged while removing snow. The shingles are brittle due to the cold. The tar on the flat roof is also brittle. Your shovel could break through the shingles or the tarred roof. Which may be unnoticed until such time that everything begins to melt. At this point you have a leak and major damage from water entering through the damaged roof.

Shingles can be broken and flat roofs seams weakened simply from walking across the roof during a cold stretch. This is a difficult situation, since if you do nothing you risk a cave in. If you shovel the roof off, your risk creating damage to the roof. If at all possible avoid going on the roof. Use a snow rake to remove as much snow as you can. Even if you can only remove 30%, that is 30% less weight that is no longer on the roof. In addition as the weather warms and the snow begins to melt the water it has somewhere to go. R off of the roof in the area were you have used the snow rake to remove snow.

If in doubt have an expert look at your roof and arrange to have the snow removed from your roof. For more topics about snow removal, click here.

Save

We were wondering if Snow Plowing Services makes more sense for consumers than purchasing their own snowblower. Aside from the convenience of having someone clear the snow for you, we wondered if this made sense for many people and if it makes sense from a financial perspective. Our driveway is two car widths wide and about 2 car lengths long and sometimes during the winter, the city snowplow does not push the snow all the way back to the curb so it actually even becomes longer than that. It is a lot of areas to clear and you really do not want to think about shoveling this area by hand so a snowblower or a snowplow service is the only way to go.

How does Snow Plowing Services Work

Snowplow services use trucks with blades on the front to clear the snow. This is different than snow blowing services. Snow blowing services usually have a snowblower mounted on the front or the rear of a tractor and can blow the snow well away from the driveway. Snowplow services or trucks with blades on the front like the one shown in the picture usually drive into your driveway drop the blade and backup with the blade dragging the snow out of the driveway. They then have to push the snow removed from your driveway onto your lawn or at least away from the driveway area.

Concerns with Snow Plowing Services

There are several problems with this approach. First, the action of driving the truck onto the packed snow tends to pack the snow down. Particularly wet snow which the scraper does not remove and gradually builds up on the driveway. Secondly, the snow must be pushed somewhere. This creates a huge mound of snow at the front of your house usually. Thirdly if there is a lot of snow to deal with it is very hard for the trucks using a snowplow blade to actually remove all of the snow. There is also the danger of the blade scraping your driveway and actually digging into your driveway or your lawn on the side and removing some of the lawn. This leaves quite a mess in the spring and lawn that needs to be repaired.

Whether you hire snow plow services or a snowblower service, you still will need to think about whether you want someone to shovel the step and any sidewalks that lead into your yard or up your front steps. This is extra work in either case and they may charge more for this service.

Comparing the Cost of Snow Plowing Services and Snow Blowers

Depending on the size of the snow blower you can pick one up for around a thousand dollars, give or take. You get to clear your own driveway whenever it needs it. It will be cleared properly and done right. There are no mountains of snow on your front lawn to deal with.

The cost of snow plow services for us where we live with the size of the driveway we have is around $350 per year. This amount does not include the clearing of the steps and front area outside our front door. There is an additional cost to clear this area of snow. It is obvious that the breakeven cost is around 3 years. It gets less because the cost of snow plow services increases in price every year. At this time I have no problem clearing snow with a snowblower. I also do not mind being out in the cold. Based on these simple economics and preferences I have no problem clearing my own driveway of any snow that we get.

On the other hand, not everyone feels the way I do about clearing snow. There are many people who would prefer to just hire someone to clear the snow for them. They do not have to be concerned about this work. For them, either snow plow services or a snow blowing service can work for them. They just need to decide if they need the extra service of the sidewalk and step clearing snow service. Sometimes it is just a lot easier to have someone do this work for you!

At this time of year there are many snow removal contractors trying to sign up home owners to snow removal contracts for the winter. Let’s face it who wants to go out and blow snow from their driveway in the middle of a blizzard.  Most of us would rather hire Snow Removal Contractors to clear our driveways. There are a number of criteria that we all should consider when hiring a contractor. We will cover these in the following paragraphs.

Snow Removal Contractors – Contracts

Some items may be more important to you than others, so pay attention to these for your particular situation.

Price – is obviously the main criterion for most consumers, however, the services that come with the price can vary a great deal. Compare to neighbors and friends who have similar driveways and walkways along with how often they will clear the driveway

Snow Fall – when will they come to clear your driveway? After one inch, after 2 inches of snowfall or after the snowplow has cleared your street. Will they clear your driveway before you go to work?

Timing – some people must have the driveway cleared every morning before they go to work regardless of whether the snow plow has cleared your street or not.

Markers – will they place markers at the sides of your driveway to indicate where the grass starts to avoid damaging your grass.

Contract – does your contract cover all of these details so that it is well understood by both parties.

Payment – do you need to pay everything upfront or can you pay in installments? Paying in installments decreases the risk associated with giving a contract to someone who shows up at your door offering snow clearing services

Start & End

Dates should be outlined showing the date they will begin to clear your driveway. Also the date they will no longer clear the driveway in the spring.

Talk to neighbors and friends – references are one of the best ways to find a snow removal contractor that you can count on. Are your friends and neighbors are satisfied with the service. Do they have the same or similar requirements that you have? If so there is a pretty good chance that you will also be satisfied.

Call Backs – not all snow removal contractors will offer this service. Some will take calls from their customers for requests to return after they have cleared your driveway. If lots of snow has fallen, if you have a special need such as a party going on, or the snowplow has been a long after they have already cleared the driveway. They may charge extra for this service.

Will they do Walkways – not all contractors will clear walkways as part of their standard contract. They may offer this service. However, it may cost extra for this service. If you have a small or short walkway, you may be able to handle this small bit of snow clearing yourself.

Snow Removal Contractors – Complicated?

It is amazing that such a simple thing as snow clearing can have so many different factors to keep in mind. Paying attention to all of these issues will not guarantee that you will not have problems. However, it will increase the odds a great deal of your contract being successful. For consumers that have not dealt with snow removal contractors previously, most of the agreement details can be handled over the phone, and then a copied dropped off to you, or mailed to you for signature. Once you make the payment, the contract is considered binding between both parties.

If you can do the snow clearing yourself, with a shovel or with a snowblower, you will be better off financially. Anytime you do your own work, you can save money. However, as we get older, we are more prone to heart attacks and other ailments. Shoveling snow is hard work and we want to warn readers that they should take their time shoveling snow and to not overdo it. A heart attack is not worth the few dollars you are going to save.

We just had our first snow fall as I am writing this post about snow removal services. Actually the thought of going outside to shovel snow prompted this particular post about snow removal services. I really do not want to even think about shoveling my driveway or my walk up to the house this year. Our driveway gets lots of show dumped on it by both the wind blowing snow and also the snowplow going down the road. Somehow it all seems to end up at the end of our driveway and I have a huge amount of snow to remove.

Snow Removal Services

Fortunately, there are a lot of snow removal service companies in the area and they all provide pretty good service. There are a number of criteria to take into account when hiring a company to remove your snow from the driveway and the walkways leading up to your home.

What About the Snow Plow Filling My Driveway

For example, they will come and clear the snow from your driveway after a specific amount of snow has fallen, perhaps an inch or two inches depending on the contractor. Some will be more specific than just saying after how much has fallen. They may indicate that they will not do your driveway until the snow plow has cleared your street. These contractors will basically follow the snowplow and clear driveways after the snowplow has cleared your street. The advantage of this approach is that the end of your driveway is cleared of snow after the snowplow has passed. This approach can be quite good, however, we suggest customers also confirm when they will clear snow if there is a heavy snowfall and you really need to get out of your driveway.

Will They Damage my Lawn

After the snow has fallen, companies providing snow removal services have to guess where the edges of your driveway are to avoid digging up the lawn, etc with their large snow removal equipment. Many companies now place markers at the edge of both sides of the driveway to show the operator where the sides of the driveway are so that they do not accidentally ruin the customer’s lawn. Their name and phone numbers are usually on these markers as well so this is another type of free advertising for them. In the spring they remove the markers and save them for the next year.

Will they clear my Steps

Not all companies will provide snow removal services for steps. If you need this service, discuss it with your contractor before you sign the contract. Confirm how much extra it will be to shovel the steps if you need this service. Some clients will do this small amount of work themselves. While others do not feel up to clearing the snow off the steps.

What Time Frames of the Year do they Cover

Snow removal services are offered in the wintertime of course. However, the start and end dates vary depending on the location. Also how much snow your area receives every year. Many companies will begin snow clearing operations on Dec 1^st and finish as of Mar 31^st. If for some reason there is a large snowfall outside of this time period, consumers may decide to call their snow removal company. They can make a special trip to clear the snow for them. There will usually be an additional fee for this service.

Talk to Friends and Neighbors

If this is the first time you are hiring a company to remove the snow from your driveway, you can either make a blind call to hire a company or talk to friends and neighbors who may be already using a company to clear their snow in previous years. This is often the best way to find a company that you and your neighbors will be satisfied with. In addition the more customers these companies have in one area the better. Their travel time between jobs is reduced and customers benefit as well by keeping costs down.

As the picture shows above who really wants to go out and shovel snow. Especially when it is several feet deep, blowing wind and bitterly cold. Hire a snow removal company and negotiate all of the snow removal services prior to signing the contract.

This poor guy in the picture would really prefer to be sitting inside with a hot cup of coffee watching his snow removal contractor clear his driveway of all of the snow. He is probably doing this before he goes to work so he can get his car out because the depth of snow is too much to try to run his car through it. However he has made an investment in a snow blower and feels that he now must do the work instead of hiring a snow removal contractor.

This is true for many consumers and frankly if you are willing to do a little maintenance every year such as oil changes, your snow blower will last for many years which makes it a much superior economic choice compared to hiring a snow removal contractor. Inside of 3 or 4 years the money you would pay a contractor will more than pay for most snow blower that would be suitable for consumers to use in residential areas.

Why Hire a Snow Removal Contractor?

The fundamental answer is pretty simple. It comes down to convenience and not needing to be concerned about storing and maintaining a mechanical device such as a snow blower. Let’s face it, all you need to do is make a phone call, get a quotation and write a check and you are done.

If you have a snow blower, you first have to have it delivered, then you have to learn how to use it and you have to store gasoline in your shed or garage. It is a big noisy dangerous machine which can turn many people off. You also really should change the oil once a year and you probably should also clean or replace the spark plug and grease the bearings and augers. At this stage, most people are turned off and either will not do it or go back to writing the check.

What Happens if You do not Maintain the Snow Blower

Well the oil goes bad within the first year which in turn begins to impact the engine and next thing you know you have this black sludge inside your engine and it does not run smoothly or perhaps not at all. Inside of 3 to 5 years, it might be so bad that you have to take it in for a tune up and the mechanic tells you it is beyond repair and you are looking at a new one.

Admittedly this is the worst case situation, but you can quickly get the point that unless you are going to maintain these machines, you are just throwing money away and you might as well hire a snow removal contractor and sit back and enjoy your life.

We have written a couple of posts previously about hiring a contractor. Also how to find a reliable snow removal contractor. We have also listed the snow removal specifications or requirements that consumers should consider when they hire a snow removal contractor. We urge readers to take a look at this post to review the list and avoid disappointment or a misunderstanding between you and the contractor. After all you are spending some money to get a service, so you really should receive what you expect and what you are paying for.  Take a look at these previous posts before you make up your mind regarding which contractor to hire for snow removal service.

Last Year We Did Not Get Much Snow, Should I Still Hire a Contractor

Obviously this is a personal decision and is a function of some of the factors we have already discussed. Every winter is different and winters seem to go in cycles with some years cold and snowy, while others are warmer with more rain or light snow. Both parties take the risk when they sign a contract of this sort.

Both parties want to win. Some years there will not be much snow, while others will have a lot of snow. If your price stays the same, then you are sharing the risk with the contractor regarding how much work he actually does for you. Remember he must keep his drivers on staff throughout the entire winter and have them available whenever there is a snow fall in the winter time.