Every fall, homeowners in Aurora and Newmarket ask the same question. Should I sign a seasonal snow contract, or just pay someone each time it snows? Both can make sense. It depends on how much snow we get, how much you value not thinking about it, and what you’re comparing.

Here’s a plain look at both, using our own seasonal prices as the example.

How a seasonal contract works

With a seasonal contract, you pay one price for the whole winter. The company plows whenever the snow reaches the trigger, however many times that happens.

Our seasonal residential snow removal plan runs from November 1 to April 15. Prices are for standard subdivision lots, before HST.

• Townhouse, single lane: $720
• Detached home, double lane: $880
• Detached home, triple lane: $1,220

That price includes driveway clearing for the full season, 2 driveway markers, windrow clearing, automatic dispatch at 1.75 inches of snow or more and return visits during major snowfalls.

What that works out to

The season is about five and a half months long. Spread out, the townhouse plan is roughly $131 a month, the double lane detached plan is about $149 a month, and the triple lane plan is about $185 a month, before HST. With 13% HST added, the full season comes to $813.60, $926.60 and $1,152.60.

How paying per visit works

With per visit service, you call someone when it snows, or arrange to have them come by, and pay for each time they clear the driveway. You only pay when it snows.

That sounds good in a light winter. The catch is everything else.

• You don’t know your total cost until spring. A snowy winter can cost a lot more than you planned.
• In a big storm, per visit customers can end up waiting behind contract customers who are already on the route.
• You have to make the call, or at least keep an eye on things. A seasonal plan dispatches automatically.
• Windrow clearing may or may not be included, and it may be billed separately.

Doing the math for your own driveway

If you have a per visit quote, the math is simple. Divide the seasonal price by the per visit rate. That tells you how many visits it takes to break even.

Then think about a typical winter in Aurora and Newmarket. Snow doesn’t come once a month. It comes in small storms, big storms and storms that keep going overnight. Count the visits, and remember that a big storm can mean more than one visit and a windrow on top of it. Most people find the seasonal plan lands in a sensible place once they count honestly.

Don’t forget the windrow

In Aurora and Newmarket, the windrow at the end of your driveway is mostly the homeowner’s problem. Neither town clears windrows for most residents, so check your town’s current rules. If your per visit price doesn’t include the windrow, you’ll either pay more or shovel it yourself. Our seasonal plan includes it.

What you’re really paying for

Price matters. But the reason most people pick a seasonal plan isn’t the price. It’s not having to think about it.

• Automatic dispatch. Once 1.75 inches is down, we’re on the way. You don’t call anyone.
• Smart timing. We start plowing once about 70% of the forecast snow has fallen, so you’re not left with a half cleared driveway and a foot of new snow.
• Return visits during major snowfalls.
• Advanced weather monitoring all season.
• A 24/7 storm line.
• A fully insured, WSIB cleared company.

When per visit might make sense

To be fair, paying per visit can work for some people. If you’re away most of the winter, if you’re happy to shovel most snowfalls yourself and only want help in a big one, or if you’re only in the house for part of the season, a contract may be more than you need.

If the windrow is your main problem, there’s also a middle option. Our windrow only program clears the end of your driveway whenever the town plow leaves 6 inches or more, for one season price: $320 for a townhouse, $420 for a double lane detached and $520 for a triple lane detached, before HST.

Booking a seasonal plan

We’re one of the only local snow companies where you can register and pay online in a few minutes. Pick your home type, check out, and your account is set up at the same time. We serve Aurora, Newmarket, north Richmond Hill and East Gwillimbury.

Still deciding? Call Nathaniel at (905) 296-3589 or email Info@snowaurora.ca and ask whatever you want.

The first real snowfall always catches someone off guard. Bins are still on the driveway, the car is parked halfway down, and nobody can find the edge of the lawn. A little prep in October or early November makes the whole winter easier on you and on whoever plows your driveway.

Here’s what to do before the snow starts, and what to expect when our operator shows up.

Clear the driveway of anything that doesn’t belong

A plow can’t see what’s under the snow. Anything left on the driveway over the winter is at risk, and so is the equipment.

• Move basketball nets, planters and decorations off the driveway.
• Put away garden hoses, kids’ toys and bikes.
• Bring bins back up after collection day instead of leaving them at the curb.
• Pick up loose stones or edging that has drifted onto the driveway.

If something has to stay near the driveway all winter, let us know so the operator can watch for it.

Driveway markers

Once there’s a foot of snow down, the edge of a driveway is anyone’s guess. Markers are the thin stakes you see along driveways in winter. They show the operator where the pavement ends and the lawn, garden or curb begins.

Every seasonal plan comes with 2 driveway markers, and we install them for you. If you’ve had lawn damage from plowing in the past, markers help prevent it. Leave them in place until the season ends on April 15.

Mark anything else that’s hidden

Low garden walls, interlock borders and landscape lights are easy to miss under snow. If you have something like that near the driveway, let us know so we can watch for it.

Where to park during a snowfall

Parking makes a bigger difference than most people think. A plow can only clear the pavement it can reach. A car in the middle of the driveway means a big patch of snow left around it.

During a snow event, park in the garage if you can. If not, park as close to the garage door as possible, on the side opposite the walkway. If you have more than one vehicle, park them in tandem, one behind the other, instead of side by side. That leaves the operator the widest open stretch of driveway to clear.

Keep cars off the street, too. Street parking slows down town plows and usually means a bigger windrow at the end of your driveway. Many towns also restrict overnight street parking in winter, so check your town’s current rules.

Clearing the garage front

The strip right in front of the garage door is the hardest part of a driveway to plow. The operator can’t push snow into the door, and cars parked close to it limit how much room there is to work.

A few things help. Keep the area in front of the garage free of bins and shoe trays. If you park close to the door, leave a little space between the bumper and the door when you can. If a small amount of snow is left tight against the door or around a parked car, that’s normal for plowing, and it’s usually a quick job with a shovel.

What to expect from an operator stop

Our residential service is an operator stop. That means an operator comes to your home with a plow, clears the driveway, and moves on to the next stop on the route. Here’s how it works with a seasonal residential snow removal plan.

• Dispatch is automatic once 1.75 inches (about 4.4 cm) of snow or more has fallen. You don’t need to call.
• Plowing starts once about 70% of the forecast snow has fallen, so we’re not clearing an inch and leaving you buried by noon.
• During major snowfalls, we come back for return visits.
• The windrow the town plow leaves at the end of the driveway is included.

Don’t move your car while we’re there

This one matters. Please don’t move vehicles while an operator is servicing your driveway. It’s a safety issue for you and for the operator. Wait until the plow has left, then go.

What isn’t included

We plow driveways. We don’t shovel walkways or front steps, and we only offer salting for commercial properties. Plan to handle the walkway yourself or keep a bag of ice melt by the door.

A quick checklist before November

• Driveway cleared of bins, toys, hoses and decorations.
• Markers in, or a seasonal plan booked so we can install them.
• A parking plan for snow days: garage first, then close to the door on the side away from the walkway.
• Your town’s winter parking rules checked.
• A shovel and ice melt by the front door for the walkway.

If you’d rather let someone else handle the driveway this winter, you can register and pay online in a few minutes. If you only want help with the end of the driveway, our windrow only program is there for that. Questions? Call Nathaniel at (905) 296-3589.

You shovel the driveway, go back inside, and twenty minutes later there’s a hard ridge of snow across the bottom of it. That ridge is a windrow. For a lot of homeowners it’s the most frustrating part of winter, and it’s a big reason people hire a snow company in the first place.

Here’s what a windrow is, why it shows up after you’ve already cleared, and who is actually responsible for it in Aurora, Newmarket, Richmond Hill and East Gwillimbury.

What a windrow actually is

When a plow clears your street, the blade pushes snow to the side. That snow has to go somewhere, so it ends up along the curb and across the end of every driveway on the street. The pile left behind is called a windrow.

A windrow is not the same as the snow on your driveway. The plow packs it down and mixes in slush, ice and road grit. It’s dense and heavy. After a cold night it can freeze into something closer to a curb than a snowbank. After a big storm it can be tall enough that a car can’t get over it.

Why it shows up after you’ve cleared

Road crews plow main roads first and local streets after. So it’s common to clear your driveway early in the morning, then have the street plow come by later and close it off again. It isn’t personal. It’s just the order the roads get done in.

Who plows what

Snow clearing in our area is split between different levels of government. That’s why the main road can be bare while your street is still white.

• Highways like the 400 and 404 are maintained by the province.
• Regional roads such as Yonge Street and Davis Drive are plowed by York Region.
• Local streets, courts and crescents are plowed by your town or city.

So who clears the windrow at the end of your driveway?

In most cases, you do. Most towns treat the end of the driveway as the homeowner’s job, even though the town plow put the snow there.

Some municipalities do run windrow programs. Richmond Hill has its own windrow clearing program for residential driveways. Other towns have only tried it on a small scale, sometimes with a fee and a limited number of spots, or with help reserved for seniors and residents with disabilities. Aurora, Newmarket and East Gwillimbury homeowners should not assume the town will clear it. These programs change, so check your town’s current rules before you count on one.

Don’t push it back onto the road

It’s tempting to shove the windrow back into the street. Don’t. Most Ontario towns don’t allow snow from private driveways to be pushed onto the road or sidewalk, and some will fine you for it. It’s also a hazard for drivers, and the plow will just push it back at you later. Pile it on your own property instead.

Your options for dealing with windrows

There are really three ways to handle it.

• Shovel it yourself. Get to it soon after the plow passes, before it freezes.
• Use a town program if one exists where you live and you qualify.
• Hire a snow company that includes windrow clearing.

Windrow clearing is part of our seasonal residential snow removal plan. We plow your driveway, and the ridge the town plow leaves at the end of it is covered too. The plan runs from November 1 to April 15 with automatic dispatch once 1.75 inches of snow is down.

If you only need the end of the driveway done

Some people are fine shovelling their own driveway. It’s the windrow they can’t stand. That’s who our windrow only program is for. For one season price, we clear the windrow at the end of your driveway whenever the town plow leaves 6 inches (about 15 cm) or more. It’s $320 for a townhouse with a single lane driveway, $420 for a detached home with a double lane driveway and $520 for a detached home with a triple lane driveway, before HST.

A few tips for windrow season

• Keep cars off the street during storms. Parked cars slow the plows down and make the windrows bigger.
• Clear the windrow as soon as you can. Fresh windrow snow is heavy. Frozen windrow snow is worse.
• If there’s a fire hydrant near your driveway, keep it visible. It helps firefighters find it fast.
• On collection day, put bins at the end of the driveway, not on the road or on top of the windrow.
• Check your town’s winter parking rules. Several towns restrict overnight street parking through the winter.

The short version

A windrow is the snow a road plow leaves across the end of your driveway. In most of the towns we serve, clearing it is the homeowner’s job unless a local program covers you. If you’d rather not deal with it at all, call Nathaniel at (905) 296-3589 or register online in a few minutes.