Snow removal contracts in Ottawa: what a fair contract says (trigger depth, timing, salt vs sand) and 2026 price ranges
Updated
What to look for in a seasonal snow contract in Kanata and Ottawa: licensing, trigger depth, response time, salt and sand, damage, and indicative 2026 prices.
Start with the licence
The City of Ottawa licenses snow plow contractors who clear private property with a plow. Rules updated on October 16, 2024 require at least $2 million in liability insurance and an orange plate with a valid yearly sticker on each plow vehicle.
Ask for proof of the City licence before you sign. You can also check the vehicle for the orange plate. People who clear snow only with shovels or walk-behind snowblowers do not need this licence.
Licensed contractors must also give customers the City's SNOW KNOWledge pamphlet each year. If yours does not, ask for it.
The trigger depth
The trigger is the snowfall that brings the plow out. It should be written in centimetres. A lower trigger means more visits and usually a higher price. A higher trigger means you may shovel light snowfalls yourself.
Check how the depth is measured. Is it snow on your driveway, or a reading at a weather station? Does a series of light falls that add up count?
Ask what happens with the windrow, the ridge the City plow leaves at the end of the driveway. A good contract says whether it is cleared and how soon after the City plow goes by.
Timing and what gets cleared
A fair contract says when you can expect service. Many owners want the driveway clear before they leave for work. Get a time window in writing, and what happens in a storm that runs all night.
List what is included: the driveway, the apron to the street, walkways, steps, the path to the side door, and any parking pad. Hand shovelling of steps is often extra.
Ask where the snow will go. City rules make it an offence to dump snow on the road, the sidewalk, or private property other than the client's. Contractors must clean up snow left on City property or accessible parking spaces within 4 hours. Snow also has to stay clear of fire hydrants.
Ask how many clears are included in a season and what extra visits cost, if any.
Salt, sand and your property
Salt melts ice. Sand gives grip but does not melt anything. Many contracts treat either as an add-on, per visit or per season.
Salt has costs beyond the price. Environment and Climate Change Canada lists road salts as harmful to vegetation, soil organisms and fresh water, and notes that almost all the chloride ends up in waterways. Salt spray can burn lawn edges and shrubs. Ask for salt only where people walk, and in the smallest amount that works.
Talk about interlock and new concrete. Ask the contractor what product they use on those surfaces and whether they use plastic or rubber-edged blades.
Stake your driveway edges before the first snow. Ask who repairs lawn gouges, damaged pavers or a clipped garage door, and put it in the contract.
Indicative 2026 prices and payment
These are indicative 2026 ranges for Kanata and Stittsville, before HST. A seasonal contract for a single driveway runs about $400 to $900. Wider and longer driveways, corner lots and walkways push the price up.
Per-visit plowing is an option for people who are away part of the winter. It costs more per clear over a snowy season.
Read the dates. A seasonal contract covers a set period. Check the start and end dates, and what happens with an early or late storm outside them.
Look at payment terms. A deposit is normal. Paying the full season up front leaves you with little leverage if service is poor.
Keep a signed copy. If there is a problem, a clear contract and dated photos help settle it. If a contractor dumps snow illegally, you can report it to the City through 3-1-1.
Red flags
No written contract, or a contract with no trigger depth and no time window.
No proof of the City licence, no orange plate on the truck, or no proof of insurance when you ask.
A price far below every other quote for the same driveway. Ask how many driveways are on the route and how long a full route takes after a big snowfall.
A plan to push your snow onto the road, the sidewalk or a neighbour's lawn. That is against City rules, and it is you who deals with the neighbour.
Pressure to pay the whole season in cash, up front, with no receipt.
A good contractor will answer these questions without fuss. Ask them in September or October, before the routes fill up.