Shared driveway snow removal: one crew, two households, one winter

Why a shared lane gets its own rate

A semi-detached pair or the end of a townhouse row often has two driveways with no curb or lawn between them. One machine clears that pavement in a single run. Several Ottawa firms put “shared driveway” on their price menus next to single, double and six-car options, and two lists quoted here price it below a single driveway on its own. Neither explains the discount; the likely reason is one stop, one stretch of asphalt and one windrow zone for two clients.

What the discount is worth on two price lists

On one firm’s 2026–27 list, plus HST for 1 November to 31 March, each household saves $50 on a single or double and $60 on a triple at the 5 cm trigger. On its premium 2–5 cm contract the gap grows to $80 on a single and $110 on a triple. One Kanata and Stittsville firm’s list shows $125 off per household on both its single and double, and its shared pages carry a 300 cm snow limit for winter 2026–27. Compare the seasonal contract terms behind each number: trigger, dates and cap move the total as much as the discount does.

The both-neighbours condition

Both firms tie the shared rate to both attached neighbours signing with them. Settle these with your neighbour before either of you signs:

• One request for both homes. Send both addresses together so the company quotes the pair.
• What happens if one leaves. A sale or a January cancellation can end the shared condition. Ask whether the other household moves to the unshared rate, and from which date.
• Group discounts. The Kanata and Stittsville firm splits a group discount between two attached clients, $25 each on a $50 discount. Ask how any discount you are offered is divided.

Where the snow goes on two lots

The Use and Care of Roads By-law bars snow on the City’s right-of-way: streets, sidewalks, pathways and parks. The City’s SNOW KNOWledge brochure makes it an offence for a contractor to dump snow on private property other than the client’s. On a shared lane, each half’s snow goes onto that household’s own lawn or side yard, and when only one neighbour is a client, ask that the crew pile on that side only. Mark the lot line in your request.

Driveway markers have City limits too: wood, plastic, fibreglass or metal, no larger than a hockey stick, two per property under the brochure. Agree with your neighbour where they go.

The windrow and the parked car

The City puts the windrow on property owners. Residential roads are plowed once 7 cm or more has fallen and can take 10 to 16 hours after the last snowflake, so the pile can arrive after the crew has left, across both halves. Ask whether the return pass is in the contract for both homes.

Cars are the daily friction. One household leaves at seven, the other parks in the lane until noon. Say in your request who parks where, and ask how a blocked half is handled.

Two contracts, one understanding between neighbours

Ontario names snow removal among the contracts covered by the Consumer Protection Act. A written estimate inside the contract caps the bill at 10% above it unless you sign a change. A contract signed in your home can be cancelled within 10 days of receiving the written agreement. A renewal needs written notice with the option to decline.

A short note between neighbours covers what contracts leave out: who calls about a missed visit, where guests park, who reports damage to shared pavement. Where a condominium corporation looks after the lanes, see condo and townhouse clearing.

Who you are dealing with

Ottawa Snow Desk passes your request to one independent local snow removal company. That company calls you back, prices the lane for one or both households, and does the clearing under its own contract. Read its shared-rate terms before either of you signs.