Every fall people ask whether they should sign a seasonal snow contract or just call when it snows. The honest answer is that these are not two prices for the same service. They are two different services, and the difference shows up on the worst morning of the winter.
What a seasonal contract actually buys
A contract is a position on a route. When snowfall hits the trigger depth, you get cleared automatically, in a set order, without anyone calling anyone. That is the whole product. The plowing is the easy part. Being scheduled before the storm is the part you cannot buy after it starts.
- A trigger depth that puts you on the route with no phone call
- A known position in the order, which decides whether you are clear before work
- Return passes during multi day storms rather than one visit at the end
- Ice melt on walks and steps, which is where people actually fall
- Drive edges staked before the first snow so nothing gets clipped in a whiteout
What per push really means in a big storm
Per push works fine in a quiet winter. The problem is that the storms where you most need help are exactly the storms where every plow in the valley is already committed to contract customers. Calling at six in the morning during a foot of new snow puts you behind everyone who signed in September. That is not a company being difficult, it is arithmetic. There are only so many hours before people need to leave for work.
Who each one suits
- Seasonal contract: anyone who has to get out on a schedule, anyone with a steep or long drive, rentals and second homes where somebody else is arriving, and any commercial lot with liability at the door
- Per push: a flat short drive, a flexible schedule, and a genuine willingness to wait until the route clears
Why routes fill early
A plow route is built around geography. Contractors group properties so a truck is not crossing the valley twice, which means the number of spots in your area is limited and they go before the first storm, not after it. By the time the forecast is on the news, the good routes are closed.
If you want a seasonal spot for this winter, now is when it gets decided. Call and we will walk the property, mark the edges, and put you on the route.