Snow Blowers

The details of your contract will layout the Snow Removal Procedures that you can expect and will be followed by the contractor when they are clearing snow from your driveway. If the contractor is indicating that there is no contract, you should probably be suspicious. Unless you really trust this person. The contract spells out the amount that will be paid. When it will be paid if there are progress payments. Also the timing of snow clearing. How much snow must fall before they will clear your driveway? How they will handle returns if the city snow plow clears the street after your driveway has been cleared? You may also have special requirements as well such as Teflon coated blades that will not scratch your driveway or damage your interlocking stones.

If you have stone edges along your driveway as a border, you definitely do not want these damaged as well. Make sure that these special instructions are included in your contract. These details are important for you to understand. Also managing your expectations with respect to clearing the snow by the contractor. This is not rocket science. However, it is amazing how contractors can do something different than what you were expecting. Unless it is spelled out in a contract and discussed with them.

Snow Removal Procedures – How Much Snow Must Fall

This can be a key concern for many home owners. Your contract will specify how much snow must fall before the snow plow contractor will come to clear your driveway. It must also specify who provides the information. Most will rely on local weather. This might mean you could get more than the minimum in your immediate area while the rest of the city does not get any snow. We suggest you pay attention to how much snow must fall and how it will be determined or measured. If an inch must fall based on the local weather report and you get drifting that fills your driveway, what are you going to do? Call them and pay extra? Shovel it yourself or just leave it and hope it snows enough so that they will come to clear your driveway of snow.

Snow Removal Procedures – What About the City Plows

We have all been very frustrated when we have just had our driveway cleared. Only to have the city snow plow clear the street an hour later leaving a large amount of snow at the end of the driveway. Will your contractor return and how soon will he be back. This could be important if you still need to get your car out of the driveway in order to get to work or an appointment. With heavy snows, the city plows can leave a large amount of snow at the end of your driveway. Which can be a lot of work to clear unless your contractor is coming back to clear it for you.

Focus on the details of your contractor contract and ask all of the what-if questions to determine your understanding and to determine if the contract requires adjustment.

We have been writing a lot of posts about Snow Clearance Contractors, hiring contractors and making sure that the contract is clear about what services will be provided and when they will be provided. In this post we are going to change our approach a bit. We are going to go back to asking the question about the economics of clearing snow yourself vs. having someone do it for you. Both situations cost money. When you decide to clear snow yourself, it can be an inconvenience. But then in the end you get some exercise and some fresh air. Before we start, we also wanted to mention that if you are a couch potato and suddenly decide to shovel snow, you need to pay attention to your body.

Avoid the proverbial heart attack caused by over exertion. This winter is off to an early start. There has already been several reports of people passing away due to a heart attack from shoveling snow. If you feel any pressure in your chest, stop and rest. Ask for help at the same time. The money you save is simply not worth it vs. a heart attack.

Snow Clearance Contractors – The Economics

If you have an average-sized driveway, you can expect to pay somewhere between $300 and $600 for the season to have someone come and clear the snow off your driveway after a snowfall of at least one inch. Less than that they will not clean your driveway unless you want to pay more for this service. In addition many will only clear the driveway after the city plows have cleared your street, so you may be waiting part or even most of the day for your driveway to be cleared.

A snow blower can be purchased that is suitable for an average driveway anywhere from $700 to $1500 and even higher if you want a larger model with many more bells and whistles. Let’s assume you purchase a model that costs $1000. With maintenance, oil, gas etc you may spend another $100 over the four years. Essentially it will take 4 years of contractor payments to pay for the snow blower, which is pretty good payback! From that point forward, your snow blower is saving you money and you still get the exercise and the fresh air.

Snow Clearance Contractors – Advice for Using snow Blowers

One word of advice, always let the snow blower do the work. Don’t try to manhandle the machine, instead use the steering mechanism and let it do all of the work! Too many people try to push the machine into the position they want or try to steer the machine by pulling or pushing it. Especially with the larger machines and even with some of the smaller ones this can be particularly strenuous to try. Instead allow the machine to come to a stop, back it up, and steer it as you are moving the machine. You will find this approach much easier. Some of the new snow blowers actually have steering controls which when depressed will turn the snowblower in one direction or another.

Many snow plow companies switch to landscape work during the spring summer and fall. They use the shoulder months (Oct-Nov, Mar-April) for vacation time, equipment maintenance, and lining up new contracts for the coming season. This can be an opportunity for consumers to save some money if you use the same snow plow company for your landscape work and snow clearing. Landscaping can include a lot of different jobs. Everything from cutting the lawn, to trimming shrubs to actually redoing complete gardens. Using the same company might be an opportunity to reduce your overall cost. Also have someone you trust do the work. If you find that you have good service from one company why go to another. Stick with the company that meets your requirements and deal with the same people for all of the snow removal you need.

Snow Plow Company – landscaping

Most snow plow companies will use the same people all year round. They do this to maintain stability and to avoid having to hire and train new staff every year. If you are impressed with the people who are clearing the snow off your driveway, and you like the company, you may want to rehire them for the summer months. Basic things such as cutting the lawn, raking leaves, trimming shrubs, and planting new shrubs, etc are among the jobs a landscaping company will do. If you hire them to cut and trim the lawn and then add a small job here and there it may work for you. Especially if you pay in cash and the workers you are familiar with doing the work for you.

Even though you are using the same team of people, it is still important to specify exactly the services that you need delivering and have it in writing. This is the professional way to do business and avoids any conflict that might crop up later especially if you are relying on a verbal agreement instead of something that is written down on paper. Contracts can be written and they can be modified if needed. All it takes is people talking to each other and for both parties to agree on the terms.

Snow Plow Company – Early Contract

Another way to save some money is to negotiate your contract early in the season. The company knows that they have locked you in as a customer. They will have the cash you pay them to work with well in advance of the season. We suggest that customers only pay 10% initially and half of the remaining fee when the season begins. You can negotiate these payments with the final one coming due halfway through the season. This type of contract protects the homeowner from losing all of their money if the contractor ends up bankrupt etc.

Never pay 100% of the contract upfront for any work that you are having done. In fact for many contracts we hold back 10% after the work is completed for 30 days. This gives us time to make sure that the work is fully complete and meets the quality levels that we are looking for. It sends a message to the contractor that reinforces that they need to do a super job. If there are issues that they do not deal with, they risk losing 10% off the top of their profit. If you decide to take this approach it should be part of the contract. It must be well understood by both parties prior to the work beginning.

As all of us baby boomers get older there will be more and more opportunities for snow clearing companies to provide snow services in the winter time. Depending on what stats you read, there may be one in four of us who will be retired and at various capability levels over the next 20 years.  This is an unprecedented opportunity for many companies to provide a variety of services to seniors and the elderly. Most of us want to remain in our homes. Most of us will be unable to perform the various maintenance tasks around the home.

This means that many companies and individuals including  snow plowing companies will abound. They will be available to provide services for us. It will become very important that we make sure that we have a contract that specifies what services we are supposed to get. How much they will cost and importantly when the services will be provided. Snow services for clearing snow is no different. We urge anyone who is hiring someone to clear the snow. Have a clear and well-defined contract to cover them.

Snow Services – Have a Contract

Whichever company you hire, always have a contract that specifies what services you will receive, how often you will receive them and how much snow must fall before they will come around to clear the snow from your driveway. In addition it should specify when and how much you should pay them for these services. If you can ensure that all of these snow services are clear on the contract then you should have fewer problems and be satisfied with the service. Payment for the snow services is another issue we want to discuss. If they are looking for full payment upfront, you may want to question their motives. Never pay in full, always pay in installments for your own protection.

Snow Services – When to Pay

If your contractor wants all of the money upfront, find another contractor. The norm appears to be ten percent on the signing of the contract, 40% at the beginning of the season and 40% halfway through the winter. Both parties are protected from any fraud issues. Or if for some reason the contractor should be unable to provide the service due to business or health reasons. Someone who wants all of the money up front might be a legit contractor. However there is too much risk for the customer that the contractor will not provide the services as contracted. Or might even take off without providing the services at all.

Be cautious, ask for references. Only pay in installments. Always have a clear contract. This is by far the best method of ensuring that you are going to receive the snow services that you need and want and what you have contracted for. If for some reason, it does not work out with the contractor you choose, at least you have not given them all of your money. You may not recover the initial deposit or progress payment. But at least you can limit your losses. If the contractor does not live up to his end of the bargain. Also read the fine print, the details of the contract, etc to make sure that there is nothing in the contract that would cause any concern about signing the contract. If it is all one sided, you may want to renegotiate or find another contractor.

Landscape removal may seem like an odd post to be included on a site dedicated to reviewing all things about snow removal, but there is a reason for this unusual title.  Consider that you have hired someone to clear the snow from your driveway. They are using a truck and a blade much like the one shown in this picture. They might also use snow blowers, or tractors with blades. Or perhaps large blowers mounted on the front of the tractor.

Basically they will run the blade up and down your driveway to clear the snow away which is fine. Many contractors all over Canada and the United States use this type of technology. The problem comes when they are not careful about the edges of your driveway. They may scrape either some of your lawn or worse some of your landscaping as well. It ends up being pushed further onto your lawn. They leave an unsightly mess in the spring which you will need to repair. Or request that they make the repairs.

How Can You Prevent Landscape Removal

If you are concerned about this sort of issue when you hire someone to clear the snow from your driveway the solution is actually quite easy. Either do it yourself, hire someone else that does not use a blade or stick markers along the edge of your driveway. They will indicate where the edge is and where the landscaping starts.

Steel markers can be purchased with round red reflectors at the top that are easy to see. They indicate clearly where the edge of the driveway is or where your landscaping begins. Either way, you should not have to make any repairs in the spring. If the snow plow driver abides by these markers your landscaping will be in good shape.

Many companies will provide markers and place then at the edges of the driveway on either side to make the driveway. This is also advertising for them as well since their phone number and company name will be prominently displayed. it is to your advantage to have these markers in place other wise there is almost a certainty that your lawn at the edges of your driveway are going to be damaged.

For some people this may seem to be a minor issue, however if you have expensive landscaping along your driveway with flower beds etc, you certainly do not want them damaged in any way. Use the markers to indicate where the landscaping begins and avoid any chance of Landscape Removal.

Landscape Removal Companies

These same companies also provide landscaping services in the summer time. In fact I spoke to one owner just recently and this is exactly what he does. During the winter he is clearing snow and in the summer he is working on landscape projects, sometimes for the same customers that he removes snow for in the winter time. It is a good business for him since it provides time off for him and his crew during the fall and spring and also provides work for just about the entire year.  There is also a lot of equipment and he keeps it running all of the time to make money.

If you are in need of plowing services it probably means that you have a driveway like the one in this picture shown on the left. It is much too long for a regular snow blower. It is probably too expensive to buy your own truck with a front end blade. Or perhaps a tractor with an attached snow blower.

The next best thing is to hire a company that provides plowing services throughout the winter. A company that can be depended upon to clear your driveway after each snowfall. As well as each time the city snow plow clears the road. They tend to leave a large amount of snow at the end your driveway blocking your way. Sometimes the amount of snow left at the end of your driveway by the city snow plow can be so large that you cannot get your car through it. Make sure that you have a plowing services company that will be around promptly to clear your driveway.

Hiring Plowing Services

When you hire a company to keep your long driveway clear of snow, there are a number of contract-related issues to keep in mind aside from the price. The price is important. But so are the details of the contract that cover things such as how often they will clear your driveway. How much snow needs to fall before they show up. Also whether they will come back to clear the entrance after the city snow plow has passed by. Some companies will arrange to follow the city snow plow operators to clear the snow and avoid having to come back a second time to clear snow from the end of the driveway. This can also mean that your driveway is not cleared until later in the day when the city snow plow operator comes by.

These items should be clearly stated in the contract and if you are not satisfied with the stated level of service the time to negotiate them is before you sign the contract and especially before you pay any money to the snow plow company. Most are quite accommodating, but never the less you need to clarify these details before you sign.

Recommendations for Plowing Services

Consumers should also consider asking for and following up with recommendations from other customers. These might be customers provided by the company. They might be neighbors who use a company and are satisfied with their service. This can be an excellent way to make sure that you are getting the best service. Also the best deal for your money. Either way, examine the details. Negotiate the details before you sign and before you pay any money. Once you have paid them and once you have signed the contract, it is too late to negotiate any details.

We know consumers who have been forced to renegotiate their contracts because they wanted added services. They ended up paying more money for the service they are receiving. They might have saved themselves some funds if they had fully negotiated all services at the time of the initial negotiation.

Consumers are looking for reliable snow clearing services every winter instead of risking a heart attack or having to go out in the cold weather to clear their driveways. However many have different ideas about what this statement actually means. For some they are content as long as they can get their car out of the driveway in the morning. Other consumers are not happy unless the steps are shoveled. They want the driveway kept clean of snow at all times.

This includes that frustrating pile of snow that the city snow plow leaves at the end of our driveways. They always seem to show up a half-hour after our driveway has just been cleared. Some people want the driveway clear even if there is less than an inch of snow on the driveway. The more you ask for, the more you are going to pay for the services that you receive.

Reliable Snow Clearing Services to Look For

If it is not written into the contract, you probably are not going to get the service you might be looking for. For example, if it snows only one inch, your driveway may not be cleared. Most reliable snow clearing companies specify how much it must snow before they will come around and clear your driveway. Also, note that they rely on local conditions in your town or city. You could have more snow in your driveway than people do on the other side of town. You may want to be able to call them to arrange for snow removal if the local forecast does not report that sufficient snow has fallen.

Most will follow the city snow plow so that they only have to clear your driveway once during the day. If you need your driveway clear by 7 am, then this should be specified in the contract. It should also specify in the contract that they will return to clear the snow from the end of your driveway that the city snow plow operator leaves.

Always Have a Contract

Unless you are dealing with your next-door neighbor or a family friend, you really should always have a contract regardless of how confidant you are about the company you are dealing with. Think of the contract for reliable snow clearing as a form of communication between two parties. It  specifies various things about the removal of snow from your driveway. There may be some items that you are not considering which will be listed in the contract. For example most will include payment requirements. These can be one, two or three payments spread out over the season.

Timing, start and end dates, price, driveway clearing, sidewalk and front step clearing should be included in the contract. This will help  to ensure that there are no assumptions that can lead to disagreements later on. Even if a neighbor is doing the snow removal for you, having a clear understanding of when he will clear the snow from your driveway will avoid any disagreements or misunderstandings that you might have. It might not be a contract in legal terms, but just having the terms written down for both of you to review and agree to will avoid a misunderstanding in the middle of winter.

You might wonder why we are posting an article for snow removal services in May when the snow is all but gone. Well, there is one single reason and that is to remind consumers who use snow removal services that they may be able to lock in rates for the coming year. If they are happy with their current provider, why not have a conversation now with them about next year’s winter snow removal? Perhaps you can lock in the rate at the same level or lower than what you currently have. This could be a savings opportunity for you.

Confidence About Snow Removal Services

While it may be possible to negotiate an excellent rate for the coming year for your snow removal services,  consumers should also be confident that the company will still be in business in the coming year. They will expect at least partial payment to secure the best rate. Consumers will want to ensure that there is no danger of them going out of business and taking your money with them.

You might provide them with a low down payment and pay the remainder prior to the start of the next snow removal season. A winning negotiation would be that you secure the same rate or lower as the current year and also not have to pay anything until the beginning of the next season. Perhaps 10% now to hold the rate and 45% at the beginning of the season and the remaining 45% on January 1st would be appropriate to avoid any danger of losing your full deposit.

Snow Removal Services to Consider

You may only need the snow to be removed from your driveway with the consumer removing the snow from the front steps. Some consumers will be willing to pay a little more and have the snow also removed from the front steps and any walkways around the house. This will incur an extra cost in addition to the driveway snow removal since it takes more time and may also involve a second crew that comes around to shovel the snow from the steps etc.

Check with neighbors and friends to obtain recommendations and to also compare prices. While the snow removal services prices are pretty standard. It is nice to know that you and your next-door neighbor are in fact paying the same price for similar sized driveways. Another advantage of using the same provider as your neighbor is that it gives you negotiating power when negotiating the rate. If you have a complaint, the snow removal services provider is well aware that customers talk and he will be sure to rectify your problem quickly to avoid word getting around that they provide less than great service.

Consumers can reduce their overall cost of snow removal if they take this approach. The worst that can happen is that you ask for a discount and they give you the same price as your neighbor or other contractors. Even if you save 10% on the cost, it is money in your pocket which can be used for other things. We can all use the money for other expenses no matter how well off we might be.

Every year we see competing companies going from home to home in our neighborhood trying to sign up consumers for their annual snow remove services. When they do sign a customer up, they stick narrow signs into the ground at the end of the driveway on both sides. These signs show their name and telephone number which is more advertising for them.

These signs really serve two purposes. First, it is a demarcation point to show the snow removal operator where the end of your driveway is. Also where the driveway meets the lawn or whatever bounds your driveway. This is helpful for the operator so that they do not damage your lawn etc. In the wintertime when everything is covered by snow it is helpful to have something to tell the driver where the driveway ends and the lawn begins.

Advertising

In addition, this is advertising to your neighbors that this company is providing this service to you. They even provide the phone number on the sign so that your neighbors can easily call them. Let’s face it the more people they can sign up on a street, the less time they spend between jobs. If they make more money, in the long run, it reduces the cost for all customers. Since the costs can be averaged over more customers. If you are the first one, you might also ask them if you can sign up for a customer or two for them in your neighborhood. Will they give you a discount on your own snow clearing. Even 10% is better than nothing and it leaves more money in your pocket!

Price for Snow Removal Services

Residential snow removal services can cost somewhere between $300 to $500 for the season depending on the size of the driveway and the length of the driveway. In most cases, they will also prorate the cost across the number of months that you are signing up for making it easier to make all of your payments. They are pretty reasonable and will adjust the cost based on whether they clear the steps or not and walkways around your home.

Many people head south for the winter. They will hire a snow removal service before they leave. In fact, they can clear the snow for the full season. Or for only the time that you are away if you cannot arrange for a neighbor to clear the snow for you. Sometimes it is just easier to hire residential snow removal services that you can depend on. Relying on a neighbor who may or may not always clear the snow for you.

The important point here is to ensure that the home appears to be lived in and someone is home. An un plowed driveway is a sure sign that no one is home. A driveway with no tire tracks in the snow is another sign that no one is home. Arrange for the snow to be removed regardless of whether it costs you some money or not. It can avoid a lot of hassle if you are broken into.

Snow plow service pricing – Most people appear to pay somewhere around $300 to $400 for the season to have their driveways clear of snow. This level of snow plow service pricing is well within many consumers budgets. It does not represent a large sum of money for them. The pricing is well within the price of a new snow blower. But should you buy a snow blower or contract a snow plow service?

Cost Comparisons – Snow Blower vs. Snow Plow service

For example a decent snow blower will cost you from $700 to $1500. The price depends on power and width of the snow blower. Of course there are even more expensive units. However for the average consumer with a regular driveway and average amount of snow, this is what most people will pay for an adequate snow blower. There is the initial upfront cost. There is the annual maintenance that is typically needed. This involves changing the oil, updating the spark plug, making sure there is enough air in the tires etc. All of these things are easy to do by the home owner. There is little cost for those people who do it themselves.

As a result, someone who is comparing a snow blower to the cost of hiring someone to clear the driveway they can consider a 3 to 5 year payback on the snow blower. This is pretty reasonable. Most people will be willing to pay $300 to $400 for someone to clear their driveway of snow. Knowing that they can do this over 5 years and still pay about the same as a snow blower. This is based on the initial up front cost of the snow blower. Other than the maintenance we just discussed, a decent snow blower if it is properly looked after, it should not need major repairs during the initial five years.

Snow Plow Service Pricing

Of course snow plow service pricing can vary a great deal. In other words it depends on the size of the driveway, the number of times on average your driveway will need to be cleared. Also whether you want them to clear snow from your front steps or walkways around the house. Negotiate for the best price. Decide how much you want to do yourself in terms of the amount of personal snow clearing work that you are willing to take on.

One of our neighbors is not handy what so ever and does not want to be bothered with having to start a snow blower and clear snow. His wife will shovel snow but he will not. As a result they have a snow plow service for the winter and they are quite satisfied. Their motivation is not money, rather it is the avoidance of having to deal with a loud, messy machine in terms of maintenance. Money is no object for them.

This can easily be the decision for many people. However if money is a concern and if it is in short supply, you probably will be shoveling snow. Or perhaps buying a used snow blower to clear the snow from your driveway. Compared  to paying snow plow service pricing levels, a used snow blower is a much better solution in terms of overall cost. If you can fix your own, then you are much further ahead.