A seasonal snow removal contract is a written agreement that covers a property for the whole winter at one fixed price, however many storms arrive. The price is only half of it. The contract also decides when crews come out, what they clear, whether ice is treated, when the season starts and ends, and what records you get. Those clauses are what you are really buying.
This guide explains how seasonal, per-push and per-event contracts work, who each one suits, and the clauses to read before you sign. For what snow removal costs, see our separate guide to snow removal costs in Ontario.
Seasonal, Per-Push and Per-Event Contracts Compared
Most snow removal contracts in Ontario use one of three billing models. Some contractors combine them, for example a seasonal price that covers a set number of snowfalls with a charge for each one after that.
| Contract type | How it works | Suits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonal | One fixed price for the season, set before winter | Homes and businesses that need a clear driveway or lot every time and a known budget | A cap on the number of snowfalls, and what happens after it |
| Per-push (per visit) | A set charge each time the crew plows or clears | Properties that need service rarely, or owners who can absorb a high bill in a snowy winter | How a visit is defined when a storm runs all day |
| Per-event (per snowfall) | A set charge for each snowfall, however many passes it takes | Owners who want to pay only when it snows | How the contract decides when an event starts and ends |
The standard form snow and ice maintenance contract that Landscape Ontario developed for its members shows why definitions matter. It lets the parties cap the number of snowfalls the fixed price covers, set a charge for each extra snowfall, and define a snowfall by the depth that starts it and the number of hours without new accumulation that ends it. If your contract has no such definitions, ask for them.
We offer fixed-price seasonal agreements only, for homes and for commercial and industrial properties, so you know your winter cost before it starts.
Who Each Contract Type Suits
Homeowners
A seasonal contract suits most households that need the driveway open before work and school. You do not have to call anyone or approve each visit. A per-push arrangement can make sense for a short driveway at a home that is empty for much of the winter, if you accept that the bill follows the weather.
Businesses and property managers
Plazas, offices, industrial sites and multi-unit buildings usually need the lot and entrances ready before staff and customers arrive, every time. A seasonal agreement keeps the budget fixed and keeps the property on the route all winter. Commercial contracts also carry more detail: salting, site maps and service records, covered below.
Our guide to choosing a snow removal contractor in Durham Region covers what to ask about the company itself. This post is about the contract you sign with it.
The Clauses to Read Before You Sign
Trigger depth
The trigger is the amount of snow that sends a crew out. A lower trigger means more visits; a higher one means you may shovel lighter snowfalls yourself. Check whether the trigger applies day and night. Our residential contracts dispatch automatically at 2 inches, day or night, so nobody has to call.
Included areas
The contract should list every area to be cleared, ideally on a site plan. The Landscape Ontario form attaches drawings and specifications as schedules so the scope of work is clear. For a home, check the driveway, walkways, the public sidewalk, the porch or front entrance, side doors and the windrow the town plow leaves at the end of the driveway.
In Durham Region, clearing the public sidewalk and the windrow is usually the owner's job, with deadlines that differ by town. Our guide to snow clearing rules in Durham Region sets out each municipality's rules. Confirm them with your municipality, because rules change, then make sure the contract covers the parts that fall to you.
Our standard residential contract covers the driveway, walkways, sidewalks and porch or front entrance, and extra areas such as side doors or patios can be added.
Salting and ice control
Ask whether salt or ice melt is included, billed for each application, or not offered at all. The Landscape Ontario form makes the parties decide who chooses when ice melting products go down: either the contractor, at its discretion, or the owner, on request. It also states that ice melt cannot remove all ice immediately or completely.
Our residential contracts cover plowing and shovelling only, with no salting. Our commercial and industrial contracts include salt or calcium chloride after every plow visit, with pre-treatment before major events.
Response time and follow-up visits
Look for when work is done after a snowfall starts and what happens if snow keeps falling. The Landscape Ontario form leaves a blank for the number of hours to the first visit, and has the crew return within 24 hours after the snowfall ends if more snow builds up. It also uses Environment Canada records for the nearest location to settle disagreements over whether a snowfall happened.
Season dates
A contract that ends in March can leave you without service during a late storm. Check the start and end dates. Ours run November 1 to April 15, and we sign them in September and October so routes are set before the first snowfall.
Records and documentation
For commercial properties this clause matters most. Under section 6.1 of Ontario's Occupiers' Liability Act, a claim for injury caused by snow or ice cannot go ahead unless written notice, with the date, time and location, is served within 60 days. The occupier must then send a copy to its snow removal contractor, and the contractor must send a copy of any notice it receives to the occupier. A judge can still allow a late claim in some cases.
That means the occupier and contractor may need to show what was done on a given day weeks later. On our commercial contracts, every visit is logged with a timestamp, photos, conditions and salt application rates. This is general information, not legal advice; talk to your lawyer or insurer about your obligations.
Insurance
Ask for proof of liability insurance and WSIB coverage before you sign. The Landscape Ontario form requires the contractor to carry comprehensive general liability insurance and to show evidence of it on request. We carry 5 million dollars in commercial general liability insurance and WSIB coverage for every crew member, and documentation is available before we start.
Extra charges, changes and cancellation
HomeStars' snow removal price guide lists the extra charges that most often surprise people: travel fees outside the usual service area, extra snow depth, emergency call-outs, equipment surcharges, and penalties or new pricing for changing a contract mid-season. Ask for each one in writing. The Landscape Ontario form also expects extra work to be requested and described in writing.
Read the cancellation clause too: the notice needed, any refund of a prepaid seasonal fee, and what happens if you sell the home or the business moves.
Your Rights as an Ontario Homeowner
Ontario's consumer protection guidance names snow removal services as an example of a contract that should be in writing when it costs more than 50 dollars. According to ontario.ca:
- The contract must clearly show all the terms of the agreement, and fees must be what they say they are.
- A business must give you written notice of any change it wants to make, including renewing or extending the contract, and give you the option not to accept it.
- When you sign a contract in your home, you have a 10-day cooling-off period after receiving a written copy to cancel for any reason.
- If there is a dispute over unclear or vague language, the law interprets it in favour of the consumer.
These rules are written for consumers. A business signing a contract for its property should ask its own lawyer which rules apply.
Pre-Signing Checklist
Before you sign any snow removal contract, confirm it states:
- The billing model: seasonal, per-push or per-event, and any cap on snowfalls
- How a snowfall or visit is defined
- The trigger depth, and that it applies day and night
- Every area included, on a site plan for commercial properties
- Who clears the public sidewalk and the windrow
- Whether salting is included, extra or not offered
- When crews arrive and when they return during a long storm
- Season start and end dates
- What records you receive and how fast
- Proof of liability insurance and WSIB coverage
- Every extra charge, and how mid-season changes are handled
- The cancellation terms
Our post on why snow removal contracts matter covers the case for a contract in the first place.
Common Questions
Is a seasonal snow removal contract better than paying per push?
For most homes and businesses that need clearing every time it snows, a seasonal contract gives a fixed budget and a guaranteed place on the route. Per-push billing can cost less in a light winter and more in a heavy one.
What should a snow removal contract include?
The billing model, trigger depth, included areas, salting terms, response and follow-up visits, season dates, records, insurance, extra charges and cancellation terms. The checklist above covers each one.
Does a commercial snow removal contract include salting?
It depends on the contract, so read the ice control clause. Ours include salt or calcium chloride after every plow visit, with each visit logged.
When should I sign a seasonal snow removal contract?
In early fall, before routes fill. We sign contracts in September and October for a season that starts November 1.
Can I cancel a snow removal contract?
It depends on the terms you sign. Look for the notice period and any refund of prepaid fees. If you signed at home, Ontario's consumer protection rules give a 10-day cooling-off period.
Get a Clear Seasonal Contract
We offer fixed-price seasonal contracts across Durham Region. See what our residential snow removal contracts include, or our commercial and industrial snow removal service for salting and service logs. Contact us for a free on-site quote anywhere in Durham Region before the season starts on November 1.
Sources: Landscape Ontario, Standard Form Snow and Ice Maintenance Contract (PDF); Ontario e-Laws, Occupiers' Liability Act, section 6.1; Ontario.ca, Your rights when signing or cancelling a contract (updated April 1, 2025); HomeStars, Snow Removal Costs price guide (checked October 2026).
