Commercial Snow Removal Contract Checklist for GTA Property Managers

1. Book it before November

Snow contractors plan their routes and crews before winter. Properties signed in September and October get a proper spot on a route; properties added after the first storm get squeezed in. For condo boards, the fall budget meeting is the natural time to have next winter's quote in hand.

2. Map exactly what gets cleared

• Parking lots and drive aisles
• Walkways, steps, ramps and building entrances
• Fire routes, hydrants and emergency exits
• Garbage and recycling areas, loading docks and mailboxes
• Public sidewalks along the property, if the city does not clear them

3. Agree on the trigger and the timing

Write down how much snow starts a visit (for example a set number of centimetres) and when areas must be clear, such as before a business opens or before residents leave for work. Say what happens in a long storm: one clearing at the end, or repeat visits during it.

4. Salting and ice

Clearing snow is only half the job; most slips happen on ice. Agree which surfaces get salted or de-iced, whether freezing rain and refreeze overnight trigger a visit even without new snow, and what product is used near plantings, interlock and new concrete, which salt can damage.

5. Where the snow goes

Mark the places snow may be piled, away from sightlines at exits, drains, fire routes and plantings. Big winters fill those spots, so agree what happens then: moving piles within the site, or hauling snow away, and how that is priced.

6. Records of every visit

Ask for a dated record of each visit: when the crew arrived, what was cleared and salted, and ideally photos. Under Ontario's Occupiers' Liability Act, someone injured by snow or ice on private property must give written notice within 60 days, and good service records are what show the property was maintained.

7. Pricing: seasonal, per visit or per event

A seasonal price is predictable for a budget, whatever the winter brings. Per-visit or per-event pricing costs less in a mild winter and more in a heavy one. Whichever you choose, make sure salting, extra visits, snow relocation and hauling are either included or priced in writing.

8. Paperwork to ask for

• A certificate of liability insurance, with the property or corporation named as additional insured
• WSIB clearance, so you are not liable for the contractor's workers
• A storm-day contact who actually answers the phone
• The contract term, renewal and cancellation terms

How Goats Landscaping handles snow

We plow, shovel and salt lots, walkways and entrances for condos, townhouse complexes, plazas and businesses across Markham and the GTA. We walk the site with you before winter, then give you an itemized quote you can take to the board. Book by October to get on the route.