Snow removal in Whitby splits neatly in two. The Town plows the streets, and almost everything between the curb and your front door belongs to you: the driveway, the ridge of snow the plow leaves behind and the public sidewalk out front. Michael Durham Landscaping is based in Whitby, and our residential snow removal contracts take the driveway and walkway work off your hands, with a crew sent out automatically once 2 inches has fallen, day or night.
What Our Residential Contract Covers
Every Whitby residential contract follows our residential snow removal service:
- A 2-inch trigger. We dispatch on accumulation, not the clock, so you never have to phone us.
- The standard areas: driveway, walkways, sidewalks and the porch or front entrance.
- Extra areas on request, such as a side door or a patio.
- One fixed price for the whole season, November 1 to April 15, agreed before winter.
Residential work is plowing and shovelling only. We do not salt homes; salting belongs to our commercial contracts.
Your Part of a Whitby Winter
The boulevard: Town land, your job
Many Whitby homeowners ask why they have to look after a strip of land the Town owns. The Town answered this in its Facts. Not Fiction post on boulevards: ownership and maintenance are not the same thing. The boulevard between your lot line and the road belongs to the Town, but the Clean Community By-law puts its upkeep on the owner next door. Looking after it does not make it yours, and the Town keeps control over what can go there.
The same idea carries into winter. The post lists what owners handle: the sidewalk along their property within 24 hours of the snow, their own driveway, the windrow a plow leaves and the space around any hydrant on the boulevard.
The sidewalk and where snow can go
The Town's sidewalk snow clearing page sets the 24-hour deadline for every sidewalk and walkway bordering your lot, and warns that the Town can do the work and bill you if it is missed. Shovelled snow stays on your own lot or the boulevard, never in the road.
Windrows in Whitby
A windrow is the pile of snow left at the bottom of a driveway after a plow clears the road. On its snow clearing page, the Town asks owners to keep windrows cleared on both the road and the sidewalk, and points out this may need doing more than once a day when a storm is heavy. That matters even with a contract: a Town plow can pass after your driveway has been done and leave a fresh ridge.
The same page offers two practical tips. Shovel snow further back onto your lot to lower the banks beside your driveway, so you can see traffic when backing out. And keep cars off the street during a storm and for the days after, which lets plows work properly and means smaller windrows for everyone.
The Town's Snow and Windrow Clearing Program
Whitby runs a free Snow and Windrow Clearing Services program for seniors and residents with disabilities. Here is how it works, according to the Town:
- Who qualifies: residents 65 or older, or residents certified in writing by a medical doctor as physically unable to clear snow, with nobody under 65 in the home who can help.
- What is covered: only the Town-owned part of the property, meaning the windrow and any public sidewalk next to it. Ice is not included, and no salt or sand is supplied.
- When crews come: sidewalks are cleared after at least 5 cm (2 inches) of snow and windrows after at least 10 cm (4 inches). Work usually starts about 36 hours after the snow stops or drifting ends, because Town roads and sidewalks come first.
- Time away: residents away more than 45 days in a row between November 1 and April 15 should make private arrangements.
- How to apply: online, from September 14 to November 1 for the 2026 to 2027 season.
The Town says it cannot customize the service and suggests other arrangements for anyone needing more. The program never touches the driveway itself, so the driveway and front walk remain the household's job or a private contractor's.
How Fast the Town Clears Roads
Whitby follows the provincial Minimum Maintenance Standards for depth and timing. The table on the Town's snow clearing page reads:
| Class of highway | Depth | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Regional Roads) | 2.5 cm | 4 hours |
| 2 | 5 cm | 6 hours |
| 3 | 8 cm | 12 hours |
| 4 | 8 cm | 16 hours |
| 5 | 10 cm | 24 hours |
Whitby's primary roads are class 2, secondary roads are class 3 and 4, and residential streets are class 5 and 6, so most home streets sit near the bottom. If you spot snow, ice or damage on a Town road, sidewalk or trail, use the Town's online Report a Winter Issue form on that page, with a photo if you can. Rules change, so confirm current requirements with the Town of Whitby each winter.
Common Questions
Does the Town of Whitby clear the windrow at the end of my driveway?
Not for most homes. The Town asks owners to clear windrows on the road and sidewalk. Only residents in its Snow and Windrow Clearing program get windrow help, after at least 10 cm of snow.
Who qualifies for Whitby's free windrow program?
Residents 65 or older, or residents with a doctor's written confirmation that they cannot clear snow, with nobody under 65 at home able to help. Applications run from September 14 to November 1.
Why do I have to maintain the boulevard if the Town owns it?
The Town owns the boulevard, but the Clean Community By-law makes the neighbouring owner responsible for its upkeep, including sidewalk snow within 24 hours.
Is your crew local to Whitby?
Yes. Michael Durham Landscaping is based in Whitby and serves homes across town, along with the rest of Durham Region.
Sign Up Before the First Storm
We sign residential contracts in September and October so the season is set before November 1. Contact us for a free quote, read how much snow removal costs in Ontario, or see our snow clearing rules guide for Durham Region. For the rest of your yard, visit landscaping in Whitby.
Sources: Town of Whitby, Snow and Windrow Clearing Services; Town of Whitby, Snow Clearing; Town of Whitby, Sidewalk Snow Clearing; Town of Whitby, Facts. Not Fiction: If the Town Owns the Boulevard, Why Am I Responsible for It?.