In short
- Ariens, a snow blower maker, sets the scraper bar on 1/2-inch spacers for gravel and 1/8-inch for pavement.
- Fisher sells plow shoe kits for dirt or crushed stone roads so the scraping height can be adjusted.
- One Kanata–Stittsville firm says stones get blown onto the lawn until the ground freezes, and its terms leave the spring raking to the owner.
- Where a road has no sidewalk, Ottawa's by-law sets plow markers at least 2.1 m (7 ft) from the travelled road.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Driveway and sidewalk clearing, per visit | $40–$150 | HomeStars Ottawa page, by driveway size and snowfall |
| Long or large driveway, per clearing | $85–$175+ | HomeStars Canada-wide guide |
| Steep or difficult driveway, per visit | $115–$230 | HomeStars Canada-wide guide |
| Plowing, by the hour | $75–$150 | HomeStars Ottawa page, more for large lots, heavy equipment or storm calls |
| Residential season | $300–$1,800+ | HomeStars Ottawa page, per winter |
| Season at a 5 cm trigger: single, double, triple | $475 / $530 / $630 + HST | One Almonte-area firm’s 2026–27 form; a country lane is a separate option with no listed price |
Sources. HomeStars, Snow removal companies in Ottawa, cost section, seen 29.10.2026. HomeStars, How Much Does Snow Removal Cost?, Canada-wide, updated 21.08.2026, seen 29.10.2026. One Almonte-area firm’s list: 2026–27 quote form, seen 29.10.2026. One Kanata–Stittsville firm: terms and conditions and gravel driveway answer, seen 29.10.2026. Equipment: Ariens, How to Improve Snow Blower Performance, and Fisher, HT Series plow, shoe kit, seen 29.10.2026. City rules: Licensing By-law No. 2002-189, Schedule 4 Snow Plow Contractors, Clearing snow from your property and The right of way, seen 29.10.2026. Contracts: Ontario, Your rights when signing or cancelling a contract, seen 29.10.2026.
What gravel changes for a snow crew
Asphalt and concrete are hard from the first snow. Gravel stays loose until frost locks it. One Kanata–Stittsville firm puts it plainly: it will snow blow a gravel driveway, some gravel may land on the lawn, and drivers cannot avoid all of it until the ground freezes and the stones harden into place.
So the storms before the freeze are when stones move. Tell the company where water sits on the lane and where the edges are soft.
Blade height and the machine on the lane
The fix for loose stone is to clear a little higher. Ariens, a snow blower maker, advises 1/8-inch spacers under the scraper bar for paved surfaces and 1/2-inch for gravel, and says higher clearances suit any surface with loose material. For truck-mounted plows, Fisher sells a polyurethane shoe kit for dirt or crushed stone roads that lets the operator adjust the scraping height.
A raised edge clears to its setting, so the lane is left with a thin layer over the stone. Ask which machine the company sends, blower or plow, and whether it changes the setting for your lane. Machines compared: snow blowing vs plowing.
Stones in the lawn and the spring raking
Both published terms read for this page leave the stones with the owner. One Kanata–Stittsville firm’s contract says owners of gravel driveways rake stones off their lawns in spring. One Almonte-area firm’s form asks whether any part of the lane is unpaved or gravel and disclaims any gravel its equipment picks up and moves.
Two questions follow. Does the company offer a spring cleanup visit, and at what price? And how does its damage clause treat a stone thrown into a window, a car or siding? Spring repairs in general are on the spring melt page.
Markers along a gravel edge
On a gravel lane the line between driveway and lawn vanishes under the first snow. Markers show the operator where the stone ends.
Schedule 4 of Ottawa’s licensing by-law governs markers set by a snow plow contractor:
- Set no earlier than October 20 and removed by April 30.
- At least 2.1 m (7 ft) from the travelled road where there is no sidewalk, or 1.5 m (5 ft) from a sidewalk.
- At most 1.22 m (4 ft) tall, made of plastic, wood, fibreglass or metal. Metal ones are capped or sleeved.
- Two on the driveway, one on each side, plus two more plain ones on private property.
Those two extra markers suit a rural lane: a culvert end, a large rock, a bend. One Kanata–Stittsville firm excludes damage to objects hidden under snow and left unmarked, so flag them before the first storm. Full rules: driveway markers.
What moves the price on a gravel or rural lane
Length leads. HomeStars’ Ottawa page gives $40–$150 a visit for a driveway and sidewalk, $75–$150 an hour for plowing, and $300–$1,800+ for a residential season. Its Canada-wide guide gives long or large driveways $85–$175+ per clearing and steep or difficult ones $115–$230 a visit.
Published firm lists count car spaces. One Almonte-area form sells a 5 cm season at $475, $530 and $630 + HST for single, double and triple lanes, and lists a country or larger lane as its own option without a price. A long gravel lane is priced after a look.
HomeStars also names travel fees outside a company’s usual area. Give your nearest main road.
What the quote should list
- The length and width priced, and whether the rate is per visit, hourly or for the season.
- The machine and how its edge is set for gravel.
- The gravel clause: who rakes stones, and what happens if a thrown stone damages property.
- How many markers, including any extra ones.
- Whether drifts and the City windrow at the road are cleared, and at what price.
- Where the snow goes on your own land.
- The total with HST.
In Ontario, most contracts over $50 must be in writing. A written estimate inside the contract caps the final price at 10% above it unless you sign a change, and a contract signed at home carries a 10-day cooling-off period.
Who you are dealing with
Ottawa Snow Desk passes your request to one independent local snow removal company. That company calls you back, looks at the lane, prices the winter and does the clearing under its own contract.
Questions to ask the company
- Which machine clears my lane, and how high do you set the blade or scraper bar on gravel?
- Does the price change once the ground freezes, or is it one rate for the season?
- Who rakes stones off the lawn in spring, and do you offer that as a priced visit?
- How many markers will you set, and can you add two plain ones for a culvert end or a rock?
- What length did you price, and is there a travel charge for my address?
Have this ready for the call
- Length and width of the lane in metres, and which parts are gravel, asphalt or a mix
- A photo from the road and one from the house, taken before the first snow
- Where the gravel ends and the lawn starts on each side, with any low spots or soft edges
- Hazards near the edge: culvert ends, large rocks, a mailbox post, garden beds, low branches
- Where snow can go on your own land, clear of the ditch and the road shoulder
Questions people ask
Can a gravel driveway be snow blown?
Yes. One Kanata–Stittsville snowblowing firm says it does, and warns that some stones get blown onto the lawn until the ground freezes and they set in place.
Does gravel cost more to clear?
The published lists checked for this page carry no separate gravel price; they price by car spaces, length or the hour. Gravel shows up in the terms, as a clause about displaced stones.
Who pays to fix the lawn when stones end up in it?
Read the contract. One Kanata–Stittsville firm’s terms make the owner rake stones off the lawn in spring. One Almonte-area firm’s form disclaims gravel its equipment picks up and moves.
My lane is part asphalt, part gravel. What do I say?
Give the length of each part in metres. One Almonte-area form asks whether any part of the lane is unpaved, so a company will want to know where the surface changes.
Can the cleared snow go in the roadside ditch?
The City’s right of way includes the shoulder and roadside ditches, and the Use and Care of Roads By-law bars placing snow or ice on it. The snow stays on your land.
