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The first real snowfall of the year is the worst day to start looking for a plow. Everyone else is calling that same week, and most contractors in the western suburbs already know which driveways and lots they're clearing all winter.
Routes get built in the fall. If you want to be on one, fall is when to sign.
How a snow route gets built
Our snow removal season runs November 1 through April 15, with some give at the back end if a late storm comes through. Most of our contracts are signed before Halloween.
The timing has nothing to do with paperwork. In November we mark the driveways, walks and sprinkler heads at every property on the route, so the crew knows where the edges are before snow covers them. Nobody on the crew should be guessing where the lawn ends at 5 a.m. with everything white.
We do take new contracts after November 15. By then, though, the routes are mostly set, and a late addition goes wherever it fits.
What homeowners get by signing early
Related service
Driveway Snow Removal
Single-family driveway plowing — seasonal contracts and per-event service. 2-inch trigger, 24/7 dispatch, 2-hour response after the trigger fires.
See the service →With a seasonal driveway contract, you never have to call us about a storm. Once snow reaches 2 inches, dispatch is automatic: we check the forecast, verify the depth on site, and the plow and clean-up pass happens within 2 hours of that trigger. If someone in the house has a medical need, we'll set the trigger at 1 inch on request.
We run commercial accounts first and residential routes right after. After an overnight storm, that usually means your driveway is clear by 7 a.m.
A few other things work best when we know the property before winter:
- The apron. After the village plow goes by and leaves its ridge at the end of your driveway, we come back for it. Most contractors stop at one pass.
- Walks and steps. Sidewalk shoveling is done by hand, so there's no snowblower scarring on stamped concrete or pavers, and most homes are finished before 7 a.m.
- Ice. De-icing can include an anti-ice treatment 4 to 12 hours ahead of a major storm when the forecast calls for it. Pet-safe calcium magnesium acetate is available on request.
Then there's the money. A seasonal contract is a flat rate billed in five monthly installments, so a heavy winter doesn't arrive with a heavy bill. It can't be cancelled mid-season, because the price assumes a full winter of work. If you'd rather keep your options open, per-event service is billed after each storm and you can stop it any time.
What commercial properties need in place first
For a parking lot, an HOA roadway or an office park, there's more to settle before the season. We start with a lot walk alongside the property manager, and the scope and the certificate of insurance go in writing before the first storm. We carry $2 million in general liability, plus property-damage coverage on every plow on the road.
The commercial contract is also where the details get decided:
- Trigger: 2 inches by default. A commercial contract can set a lower one, down to 1 inch or zero-trigger ice management, for an additional fee.
- Response: 2 hours from the trigger, under the contracted SLA, with the trigger based on the forecast plus a depth check at your site.
- Accessibility: code-compliant entries, ramps and accessible stalls are treated first.
- Records: every visit gets a photo log with GPS verification, emailed within 12 hours.
- Snow piles: mid-season relocation passes keep the lot's parking usable.
None of that can be worked out in the middle of a storm. The contract you sign in October is the one the crew works from in January.
Why we plan it before the snow
The yard our trucks pull out of every morning is on Mountain Street in Aurora. After twenty-five years here, we know which streets the city plows last after a heavy storm. That kind of local knowledge goes into how a route is put together, and it's why we'd rather put yours together in October than in the middle of the first storm.
We cover Aurora, Naperville and the western suburbs around them, for single-family driveways, HOAs and commercial lots.
How to get on the route
- Request a free estimate. We'll get back to you with a number within 48 hours.
- Choose a seasonal contract or per-event service.
- We mark the property in November.
After that, the first storm is our problem. If you'd rather talk it through, call (630) 946-9321.
