Snow removal in Ottawa: the driveway, the walkway and the windrow
Tell us the size of the driveway, what else needs clearing and where the snow can go. We pass the work order to one independent Ottawa snow removal company, and it calls you to price the winter.
In short
- 01Ottawa homeowners pay $40–$150 per visit to clear a residential driveway and sidewalk, and $300–$1,800+ for a seasonal contract, per HomeStars' Ottawa page.
- 02City plows leave a pile at the end of your driveway, the windrow. The City says property owners are responsible for removing it.
- 03Ottawa's Use and Care of Roads By-law bars anyone from pushing, plowing or dumping snow onto a road. That covers the company you hire.
- 04A snow plow business in Ottawa needs a City licence, an orange plate with a valid annual sticker and insurance coverage of at least $2 million.
Typical ranges
Source HomeStars, Snow removal companies in Ottawa, section ‘What are the average costs of snow removal in Ottawa?’, seen 29.10.2026. City rules: City of Ottawa, Clearing snow from your property, Use and Care of Roads By-law No. 2003-498, When roads and sidewalks get plowed, Winter parking, all seen 29.10.2026. Help programs: City of Ottawa, Get help clearing snow and agency list, WOCRC, Snow Go Assist, seen 29.10.2026. Contractor rules: City of Ottawa, SNOW KNOWledge brochure (By-law 2002-189, Schedule 4), seen 29.10.2026.
What to ask before you book
- Q1What snowfall starts a visit, in centimetres, and do you come back for the windrow after the City plow passes?
- Q2Which parts are in the price: the driveway, the walkway, the steps, the strip in front of the garage door?
- Q3Where on my lot will you put the snow, since it cannot go on the road or the sidewalk?
- Q4What is your City snow plow contractor licence, and is there an orange plate with this year's sticker on the truck?
- Q5If the winter runs heavy, is there a cap in centimetres or visits, and what does each visit cost after it?
Before the visit
- Driveway size: single, double or triple, and how many cars long. A photo from the street helps.
- Where snow can be piled: lawn on either side, beside the garage, the back of the lot.
- What sits under the snow: interlock edges, garden lights, a water valve cover, a low hedge.
- Walkway, steps, side path: which ones you want cleared, and roughly how long each is.
- When cars leave in the morning and whether one stays in the driveway overnight.
Write the driveway the way a snow crew reads it
A crew prices a winter from four facts:
- Size. Single, double or triple, and how many cars long. A driveway that fits two cars nose to tail is a different job from one that fits four.
- Extras. Walkway, front steps, a side path to the back door, the strip right in front of the garage door.
- Where the snow goes. The crew needs room on your lot. A narrow driveway between two houses leaves little space by February.
- What can be hit. Interlock edges, curbs, lights, shrubs, a basketball net. Say so before the first storm, and the markers go in the right places.
Add the address or the postal code and pick a season or a one-time visit on the form.
Seasonal contract, one visit or the roof
- Seasonal snow contract: what the trigger in centimetres means, how many visits an Ottawa winter brings, season dates and the caps that change the price after a heavy winter.
- Roof snow removal: when a crew clears the roof, what the job is priced on and what City rules say about snow on roofs.
- Snow removal cost in Ottawa: published ranges, one firm’s 2026–27 list and what pushes a quote up.
Area pages: Barrhaven, Kanata, Orléans, Nepean.
The City’s part and yours
The City plows by priority. Residential sidewalks get cleared after 5 cm of snow, and the City says those routes may take 12 to 16 hours after the last snowflake. Residential streets get plowed after 7 cm or more, in 10 to 16 hours. So the street plow often passes after your driveway is done, and leaves the windrow. The City says property owners remove the windrow, and the by-law bars pushing it back onto the road.
From November 15 to April 1 the City can call a Winter Weather Parking Ban when Environment Canada forecasts 7 cm or more. Overnight bans run 7 pm to 7 am, and cars left on the street without a residential permit may be ticketed and towed. Tell the company if your cars move into the driveway on ban nights. It changes how much room the crew has.
The licence, the plate and the markers
Anyone running a snow plow business in Ottawa needs a City licence under Schedule 4 of By-law 2002-189. The City’s SNOW KNOWledge brochure sums up the rules:
- An orange plate with a valid annual sticker on each plow, and the company name and phone number on both sides of the vehicle.
- Insurance coverage of at least $2 million.
- Driveway markers allowed from October 20 to April 30, set 5 feet back from the sidewalk, or 7 feet from the road edge where there is no sidewalk. Two per property at most, logo and phone number only, and unlit.
- Snow dumped on public property or an accessible parking space must be cleaned up by the contractor within four hours.
People clearing with hand shovels or a manual snowblower fall outside this licence. The City lists the contractors who hold it at ottawa.ca/consumerawareness.
Who you are dealing with
Ottawa Snow Desk is a request service. We pass your work order to one independent local snow removal company. That company calls you, prices the driveway and does the clearing all winter or for the visit you booked.
Questions
01What does snow removal cost in Ottawa?
HomeStars’ Ottawa page lists $40–$150 per visit for a residential driveway and sidewalk, $60–$100 an hour for residential work and $300–$1,800+ for a seasonal contract. Size, layout, the walkway and the trigger depth set where your driveway lands. The company that calls you prices it after it sees the driveway or a photo.
02Who clears the windrow the City plow leaves?
The City of Ottawa calls the pile at the end of a driveway after a street is plowed a snow windrow, and says property owners are responsible for removing it. Some seasonal contracts count a second pass for it as a new visit. Ask on the call.
03Can the company push my snow onto the road or across the sidewalk?
Under the City’s Use and Care of Roads By-law, nobody may throw, push, plow or dump snow or ice onto a road. The contractor rules also make it an offence to dump on public property, an accessible parking space or a neighbour’s lot. Snow stays on your property or goes to an authorized snow disposal facility.
04How do I check the company has a City licence?
Ask for proof of the City business licence and look for an orange plate with a valid annual sticker on the plow. The City keeps a list of contractors holding the licence at ottawa.ca/consumerawareness. Report an unlicensed operator to 3-1-1.
05Is there help with the cost for seniors?
The City lists two programs. Snow Go matches older adults and people with disabilities with someone to clear driveways and walkways at an affordable rate. Snow Go Assist, funded by the City and run through local community support agencies, helps eligible low-income older adults and people with disabilities with part of the cost. It asks for a signed contract or proof of payment.
06What if the company cannot take my driveway?
We ask you before passing the request to another company. Your details go to one company at a time.