Snow Removal.

Standard response SLA is 4 hours from the moment 2 cm of snow accumulates on the ground. For commercial accounts with custom triggers (1 cm, "all-storm continuous monitoring", "pre-treat ahead of forecast"), the response is built into the contract — most commercial response SLAs in Canada run 2 to 6 hours. The 4-hour window is the time from trigger to first vehicle arriving on site; total completion time depends on property size. A typical residential driveway clears in 8–18 minutes; a 5,000-stall commercial lot runs 90 minutes to 4 hours depending on accumulation and how many machines are dispatched. Storm-by-storm dispatch is rare in Canada because crews are pre-routed before storms based on Environment Canada forecasts.

Pricing varies by property type, size, city, and contract structure. Single-visit residential driveways run $79–$129 in most Canadian cities, slightly higher in dense urban cores (Old Toronto, Old Montréal, downtown Vancouver) where access is constrained. Seasonal residential plans run $580–$960 for a typical 12–20 storm winter, locking the per-storm rate against mid-season fuel and salt price swings. Commercial parking lots are priced per square foot per visit, typically $0.025–$0.055 depending on lot complexity and salt requirements. Condo and townhouse-row pricing runs $4–$8 per townhouse per visit. Municipal route contracts are bid by tender (see /tenders). We provide a real online quote at /quote — no obligation, no upsells, no phone-tree negotiation.

Not by snow volume alone — by total operating cost. Cities with high snowfall (Saguenay, Sudbury, St. John's, Thunder Bay, Saint John, Sherbrooke) have more storms per winter and higher salt consumption, but they also have lower property prices, lower fuel prices, and a stronger contractor base, which moderates the per-visit cost. Cities with less snow but extreme cold (Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg) have higher costs because ice control runs the entire winter season. Cities with lower snow but unpredictable storms (Vancouver, Victoria, Halifax) have moderate base rates but high "rapid response" premiums on the few annual storms. Per-storm pricing in Toronto, Montréal, and Ottawa tends to be the most price-competitive in Canada.

Seasonal plans are the right choice if you want predictable winter cost, priority dispatch on every storm regardless of demand, and a single annual invoice for budgeting. They are the dominant choice for commercial property managers, condo associations, hospitality, and any property with SLA obligations. Pay-per-storm is the right choice if you typically clear your driveway yourself but want a backup for the worst three or four storms a winter, if you travel for parts of the winter, or if your property has unpredictable winter occupancy (vacation rentals, snowbird homes). Most snow.ca residential customers choose seasonal plans because the per-storm rate works out 15–25 % cheaper across a typical 12–20 storm Canadian winter.

Yes — ice control is bundled with all commercial snow removal contracts and available as an add-on for residential plans. We apply pre-treatment brine when temperatures and forecast permit (cuts post-storm salt consumption 30–60 %), straight rock salt above –10 °C, treated salt blends between –10 °C and –20 °C, and calcium chloride pellets below –20 °C. All salt is AMS-2014 certified lot-traceable. Application is done with calibrated spreaders, not visual estimation. Photo proof of salt application is included in the post-visit report along with the snow-clearing proof. For ADA-compliance contracts (hospitals, schools, public buildings) we run dedicated stair-and-ramp ice-control crews with hand-spreader application at the higher 12–16 lb/1,000 sq ft rate required.

In Canadian commercial practice the terms are mostly interchangeable but with a slight semantic difference. "Snow removal" implies the complete removal of snow from the property — typically by plowing to a stack-out area, sometimes by hauling away to a dump or melting on-site. "Snow clearing" implies clearing the snow off the working surface (the driveway, the lot, the walkway) without specifying what happens to the snow afterward. For residential driveways the two are identical because snow is windrowed to the side yard or municipal boulevard. For downtown commercial lots they differ because "removal" may include hauling away or on-site melting, which has cost implications. snow.ca quotes both terms based on the property's actual disposal requirements.