Plowing
Plowing lots, aisles and fire lanes
Trucks go at the trigger depth in your contract, with blades sized to the lot and loaders on sites where snow has to be moved, not pushed.
A visit clears parking, drive aisles, loading areas and fire lanes in the order your tiers set. Accessible spaces and entrance approaches come before general parking.
Each visit covers
Parking, aisles and loading areas
Fire lanes and hydrant access
Accessible spaces and ramp approaches first
Snow pushed to the stacking areas marked on the site walk
A visit log with arrival and finish times
A plowing visit
Four stops on every plow visit
- 01
Measure
The driver or supervisor checks depth against the site's trigger and logs the time.
- 02
Clear
Priority areas first, then the rest of the lot, working toward the stacking areas.
- 03
Stack
Snow goes where the site walk marked it, away from drains, hydrants and sightlines.
- 04
Check
A supervisor looks over the lot and signs off the visit in the log.
What decides the price
What moves the price of plowing
The site walk measures each of these, and the proposal lists them.
Lot size and layout
Aisles, islands and tight turns slow a truck more than square footage does.
Trigger and clear-by time
A one-inch trigger with a three-hour clear time takes more trucks than a three-inch trigger before opening.
Where snow can stack
A site with room to pile costs less than one that needs snow hauled away.
Obstacles
Curbs, bollards, parked vehicles and fixed signs mean more hand work.
Questions
Plowing questions
Do you plow overnight?
Yes, when your contract's clear-by time needs it. Apartment and retail routes often run overnight so lots are open at first light.
What if cars are parked in the lot?
We plow around them and log which spaces were blocked. For apartments and offices, ask your residents or tenants to move cars when a storm is forecast, or tell us a lot to use.
Can you hold a trigger lower than an inch?
We can write one, but a very low trigger means more trips and a higher price. The site walk will say whether it is worth it for your property.
Get a plowing proposal
Walk the lot with a supervisor and we will price the trigger and clear-by time you choose.