Does your snow removal company survey or snow plow blind?

snowplowWill your snow removal company survey your property before the snow flies? Once your parking lot(s) and drives are covered with snow it’s hard to tell where concrete or asphalt leave off and lawn or garden take over.

Just as a snow plow will clear a swath of snow it will scrape a path through grass and landscaping if the snow plow is driven beyond the pavement.

What about curbs and concrete parking blocks? If the driver of the snow plow doesn’t have a clue about what’s under the snow, hitting features on the parking lot(s) and drives is almost inevitable. Improperly handled, a snow plow can do considerable damage around your property. You may not recognize the full extent of that damage until the snow melts. At that time, however, you’ll find you’re in for a nasty surprise.

Here are some tips to consider when hiring a snow removal company:

  • Hire a reputable snow removal company – one that will be around when the snow melts in the spring and will stand behind its work. If your snow removal company does damage to your property, how will you hold them accountable if you can’t find them?
  • Only hire a company that uses appropriate snow removal equipment and qualified, trained drivers. A shortage in either department is an invitation to trouble. There are any number of people who throw a plow on the front of their truck to make some extra money in a Northern Illinois winter. Someone who doesn’t really know what they’re doing is quickly in over their head and could leave you holding the bag.
  • Hire a snow removal company with a reputation for reliability. What good is a snow removal contract if the company you hire doesn’t hold up their end or always shows up too late? Ask around before you sign on the dotted line.
  • Make sure the snow removal company you hire also knows how to spread salt and has the equipment to do so. The application of salt and de-icer is a science. Done properly, it will go a long way to increasing the safety of your pavement. Done wrongly, it could increase liability hazards.
  • If your snow removal contractor doesn’t show any interest in taking a good look at your property before the snow flies, it’s time to hire a new snow removal company. Otherwise, you might as well hire someone to snow plow your parking lot(s) and drives while wearing a blindfold.

At Cal & Shan’s, we’ve cleared snow for years. We use state-of-the-art equipment and top-notch qualified and trained drivers. And we are very much interested in seeing your property before we come out to clear the snow. We consider it imperative to know as much about your property as possible before we plow.