Reading a snow contract before you sign it

Every winter complaint traces back to something that was never written down in October.

Trigger depth

The accumulation at which the contractor is obliged to come. Lower for commercial lots that must open, higher for a driveway you can live with.

Priority

Seasonal contracts are serviced before per-visit customers, everywhere. If you must get out every morning, this is the line that matters.

The city windrow

The bank the municipal plow leaves across the bottom of your driveway, often after your contractor has been. The contract should say whether clearing it is included and what happens if the city comes later.

Re-runs in a long storm

A single clearing at the end of a two-day event is not a service. Ask how re-runs are handled.

Salt

Included, on request, or extra — and what product on which surfaces. Salt on new interlock or beside fresh planting needs a conversation, not a default.

Choosing a trigger depth