Seasonal snow contract in Ottawa: what the fine print decides
Two contracts at the same price can clear a very different winter. Here are the clauses to read before you sign, with one firm's 2026–27 terms as a worked example. Then one work order brings one local company's offer.
In short
- 01A seasonal contract starts a visit at a set snowfall: 5 cm on both 2026–27 contracts quoted here. On one Orléans firm's terms, smaller amounts that build up over several days stay with the homeowner.
- 02Ottawa airport averages about 15 days a winter with 5 cm or more of fresh snow, and about 224 cm of snow a year (Environment Canada normals, 1981–2010).
- 03One snow firm's 2026–27 list: $475 + HST for a single driveway at a 5 cm trigger, $830 + HST with a 2 cm trigger.
- 04Some contracts cap the season at 250 or 275 cm of snow and bill extra after it.
- 05Ontario names snow clearing deals made by phone or mail as remote agreements: you are owed a written copy.
Typical ranges
Source One firm’s list: a snow removal firm’s 2026–27 quote form, season 1 Nov 2026 – 31 Mar 2027, seen 29.10.2026. Ottawa range: HomeStars, Snow removal companies in Ottawa, seen 29.10.2026. Contract clauses: an Orléans snowblowing firm’s terms and conditions for Nov 1, 2026 – Apr 1, 2027 and its services page with the 30% Elite option, seen 29.10.2026. Snowfall: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010, Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier Int’l A (climate ID 6106000), read through the ECCC climate normals data service, seen 29.10.2026. Contract law: Ontario, Types of agreements and Your rights when signing or cancelling a contract, seen 29.10.2026. Windrow: City of Ottawa, Clearing snow from your property, seen 29.10.2026.
What to ask before you book
- Q1What depth starts a visit, and is it measured on my driveway or at a weather station?
- Q2Do you come back for the windrow after the City plow, and is that visit in the price?
- Q3Is there a cap in centimetres or visits, and what does each visit cost after it?
- Q4What are the start and end dates, and are holidays covered?
- Q5Which fees can be added during the season: fuel, cancellation, damage repairs?
Before the visit
- Driveway size and a photo from the street.
- The walkway, steps and paths you want in the contract.
- Where snow can be piled on your lot.
- Fragile things near the edges: interlock, lights, shrubs, a basketball net.
- One payment for the season or two instalments: which you prefer.
The trigger: when a visit happens
Every seasonal contract names the snowfall that sends the truck out. Both 2026–27 contracts quoted on this page use 5 cm. Some companies sell a lower trigger at a higher price: one firm’s 2026–27 form offers 2 cm to 5 cm events for about 75% more than its 5 cm contract, and an Orléans firm prices its 2.5 cm option at 30% more.
Two things to check in the wording:
- Where it is measured. One Orléans firm measures its 2.5 cm option on the ground in Orléans and counts its 250 cm season cap at Ottawa airport.
- What happens to small snowfalls. On the Orléans firm’s terms, snow that builds up over several days below 5 cm, drifts and ice stay the homeowner’s job.
How many visits a winter brings
Environment Canada’s normals for Ottawa airport (1981–2010) give a yardstick:
| Snow per day | Days a year, on average |
|---|---|
| 0.2 cm or more | 63 |
| 5 cm or more | 15 |
| 10 cm or more | 5 |
December and January are the heaviest months, at about 53 and 54 cm. November brings about 20 cm and March about 38 cm. Total: about 224 cm a year.
Season dates and the windrow
Contracts run on fixed dates. One firm’s 2026–27 season runs November 1 to March 31. The Orléans firm’s runs from 12:01 am November 1, 2026 to 12:01 am April 1, 2027, holidays included. Snow outside those dates is a separate job.
The City says property owners remove the windrow the street plow leaves. Residential streets are plowed after 7 cm or more, and can take 10 to 16 hours after the snow stops. So the plow often comes after your driveway is cleared. Ask whether a second pass for the windrow is in the price. The Orléans firm counts a visit that comes more than a day after a clearing, because of City plowing, as a new event.
Caps, extra snowfall and other fees
The clauses that change the price after you sign:
- Season cap. 275 cm on one firm’s form, with a surcharge in proportion to the contract price, opt-in or opt-out. 250 cm or 22 events on another, then $30 + tax per event.
- Fuel. The Orléans firm can add a one-time $15 surcharge if diesel stays above $2.20 a litre.
- Cancellation. The same firm charges $50 + tax to cancel after the markers are in, and refunds the rest pro rata.
- Damage. That firm lists what it does not cover (lights, extension cords, shrubs, items left under the snow) and wants damage reported within six weeks after the season ends.
- Big storms. In storms near 15 cm it may clear a narrow lane first and widen it after the snow tapers off.
Your company’s contract will differ. Read each of these lines in it.
Seasonal or per visit
Per visit, Ottawa homeowners pay $40–$150 to clear a driveway and sidewalk, per HomeStars. A seasonal contract sets one price for the winter, before any cap or fee clauses, and HomeStars says it often puts the property on a priority route. Per-visit service suits a driveway that needs a crew only after the odd big storm, or a winter you spend partly away. Pick “One-time snow clearing” on the form for that.
Who you are dealing with
Ottawa Snow Desk passes your work order to one independent local snow removal company. That company calls you, sends its contract and clears the driveway on its own terms. Read them before you sign.
Questions
01What is a trigger depth?
The snowfall that sends the crew out. On one Orléans firm’s 2026–27 terms it is 5 cm, cleared within a day, and a 2.5 cm option costs 30% more. Snow that adds up to less than the trigger over several days, drifting and ice buildup stay with the homeowner on those terms.
02How many visits does an Ottawa winter bring?
Environment Canada’s 1981–2010 normals for Ottawa airport show about 15 days a year with 5 cm or more of new snow, about 5 days with 10 cm or more, and about 224 cm of snow in total. A storm can span two days, and a return visit for the windrow adds to the count.
03What happens in a very snowy winter?
Read the cap clause. One firm’s 2026–27 form sets a 275 cm ceiling and bills extra snow in proportion to the contract price. An Orléans firm’s terms switch to $30 + tax per snow event once Ottawa airport passes 250 cm or the crew completes 22 events, unless you opt out.
04Do I get money back after a light winter?
Check the contract. One Orléans firm’s terms rule out refunds based on snow totals, citing fixed costs that stay the same whatever falls. Ask the company you talk to.
05Does Ontario law cover a snow contract?
Yes. The province lists snow clearing agreements made over the phone or by mail as remote agreements, which require a written copy for the consumer. If you sign in your home, you can cancel within 10 days of getting a written copy, and a written estimate in a contract caps the bill at 10% above it unless you sign a change.