Residential snow removal in Oshawa starts with knowing where the City's work stops and yours begins. City crews plow the streets, but the sidewalk in front of and alongside your house, the end of your driveway and the windrow the plow leaves behind are the homeowner's job. Michael Durham Landscaping plows Oshawa driveways and shovels walkways on fixed-price seasonal contracts, and our crew is dispatched automatically once 2 inches of snow has fallen, day or night.
What Our Residential Snow Contract Covers
Our residential snow removal contracts for Oshawa homes run from November 1 to April 15 and include:
- Driveway plowing each time accumulation reaches 2 inches.
- Shovelling of walkways, sidewalks and the porch or front entrance.
- No phone calls. Dispatch is based on accumulation, not the time of day, so an overnight snowfall is handled before your morning.
- A fixed seasonal price, agreed before winter starts.
Extra areas such as a side door or a patio can be added to your plan. Residential contracts are plowing and shovelling only; we do not salt residential properties. When you get a quote, tell us which parts of your property you need cleared so the plan matches the City's rules below.
What Oshawa Expects from Homeowners
Your sidewalk, by midnight after the first day
The City of Oshawa's snow clearing page says home and property owners must clear the sidewalk in front of and alongside their property by midnight after the first day the snowfall has ended. On a corner lot, that includes the sidewalk along the side of the property. The City warns that failing to clear snow or ice from your sidewalks can lead to a fine, plus any costs if the City has to do the work itself. The details are in the Winter Access By-law linked from that page.
Homeowners are also responsible for snow at the end of the driveway, windrows and snow around fire hydrants. Snow from your driveway and sidewalk belongs on your own property, not on the road.
Why the plow leaves a windrow
A windrow is the long, narrow pile of snow a plow leaves across the bottom of your driveway. Oshawa's plows push snow to the right side of the road, and the City calls windrows an unavoidable result of clearing roads quickly and safely. Clearing them is the homeowner's responsibility.
The City answers the usual questions directly. Lifting the blade at each driveway would not stop the windrow and would leave snow on the road. Carrying all the snow up the street to an empty boulevard would take many passes, be unsafe, and still leave windrows. Dropping snow in the gap between your driveway and your neighbour's does not work either, because road plows cannot make tight turns or back into small spaces, and their blades are wider than the space between many driveways.
Hydrants and small habits that help
Fire hydrants are maintained by the Region, and the City asks residents to clear snow 2 feet around them so they can be seen from the road. Among its other tips:
- Pile snow on the right side of your driveway (facing the street) so plows do not push it back in.
- Shovel snow back onto your property so you can see when backing out.
- Clear snow from hydrants and catch basins.
- Remove snow from exit doors, stairways, fire escapes and furnace vents.
- Put garbage, recycling and green bins at ground level with a clear path to the road.
The City's Snow Clearing Assistance Program
Oshawa runs a Snow Clearing Assistance Program for residents 65 or older and people with disabilities, where no one without a disability under 65 lives in the household. Applicants must live in the single family home on the application and include proof of eligibility, such as a doctor's note or an Accessible Parking Permit.
Registered participants get help with City sidewalks and driveway windrows. The program clears only the windrow, not the rest of the driveway, and only when the windrow is at least 20 cm (8 in) high. It does not clear private walkways to the sidewalk, service begins after more than 2.5 cm of snow, and the City cannot promise a schedule. The 2026 application period runs October 1 to December 18, and participants renew every year.
The City also reminds participants of the Boulevard By-law: hedges, shrubs, posts, fences and similar items should not sit within 0.6 m (2 ft) of either side of the sidewalk or within 1.2 m (4 ft) of the curb, and the owner is responsible for damage to anything placed inside those distances. That rule is worth knowing for any garden bed along the sidewalk.
The City suggests that people who often leave home for appointments make other arrangements rather than rely on the program alone. A private contract can cover the driveway and walkways the program does not, and you can still apply to the program for the windrow and sidewalk.
Winter Parking and Trails
According to the City's winter parking page, on-street parking is banned from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. between December 1 and April 1, whatever the weather. Parking on the street is also not allowed at any time during plowing and salting, and Occasional Use Parking Permits are suspended during those operations. Cars on the street stop plows from reaching the curb. Keeping your vehicles in the driveway also gives our crew a clear surface to plow.
In winter the City maintains four trails: Harmony Creek Trail, Joseph Kolodzie Oshawa Creek Bike Path, Michael Starr Trail and the Waterfront Trail. Other paths are not cleared.
Rules change from season to season, so confirm current requirements with the City of Oshawa before winter.
Common Questions
Who clears the windrow at the end of my Oshawa driveway?
You do. The City of Oshawa makes windrow clearing the home or property owner's responsibility. Residents who qualify for the Snow Clearing Assistance Program can have windrows of 20 cm or more cleared by the City.
How long do Oshawa homeowners have to clear the sidewalk?
Until midnight after the first day the snowfall has ended, for the sidewalk in front of and alongside the property.
Can I park on my Oshawa street overnight in winter?
Not from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. between December 1 and April 1, and not at any time during plowing and salting operations.
Will your crew come to my Oshawa home after an overnight storm?
Yes. We dispatch automatically once 2 inches has fallen, day or night, from November 1 to April 15.
Book Your Oshawa Snow Contract
We sign seasonal contracts in September and October so routes are set before the first snowfall. Contact us for a free quote, read our snow removal tips for Durham homeowners, or compare towns in our guide to snow clearing rules in Durham Region. For warmer months, see landscaping in Oshawa.
Sources: City of Oshawa, Snow Clearing; City of Oshawa, Snow Clearing Help; City of Oshawa, Winter Parking.