Snow blowing vs plowing in Ottawa: which machine clears your driveway

Three machines on Ottawa driveways

Plow truck. A pickup with a blade on the front. One Ottawa firm lists plow trucks and skid-steers as its residential kit. HomeStars describes plow service as pushing snow aside to keep driveways and lots open.

Tractor with a snow blower. A compact tractor carrying a two-stage blower: an auger feeds snow into a fan that throws it out a chute. Two Ottawa-area seasonal firms build their contracts around it. One runs 92-inch blowers and says a driveway takes a couple of minutes.

Walk-behind blower and shovels. Single-stage machines, usually 20 to 24 inches wide, suit light, dry snow under about 10 cm. Two-stage blowers come wider than 24 inches and take wet, heavy snow. One tractor firm sends single-stage blowers or shovels to walkways; another clears walkways, steps and the strip in front of the garage with plastic shovels.

Where the snow ends up

A plow can only push, so the snow piles at the side of the driveway, often on a corner of the lawn. A blower throws it into the middle of the lawn, leaving room for a heavy winter. One tractor firm’s terms add that if space runs out, it may use the side of the driveway or a spot arranged with a neighbour.

City rules apply to every machine. The Use and Care of Roads By-law bars placing snow on streets, sidewalks, pathways or parks. The City’s brochure makes it an offence for a contractor to dump snow on private property other than the client’s. When the lawn is full, snow hauling is a separate job.

Interlock: what touches the pavers

Belgard, a paver maker, warns that metal shovels can scratch and even crack pavers and names a snowblower as the better option. It asks for snow removal equipment with proper spacing, bumpers and rubber blade guards on textured pavers, and for a blower depth gauge set at least 1/8 inch above the surface with a plastic-edged shoe. Two Ottawa tractor firms fit Teflon-edged blowers to limit marking. One says minor scratching or discolouration can still occur on uneven interlock.

Ask which edge the company runs and what the walkway crew shovels with. The interlock driveway page covers salt and sealers.

Asphalt, gravel and worn surfaces

One tractor firm says its drivers lower the blower in a controlled way to avoid jolts on asphalt. It also says worn driveways carry a higher risk of scratches and chips, and its terms exclude pieces of asphalt or interlock torn out on deteriorated surfaces, plus scrapes, scratches and rust marks.

Two items to settle before the first snow. A water valve cap sticking up from the driveway can be torn off, and the same firm says the City may charge for that repair in spring; ask the City to lower it in the fall. Gravel driveways lose stones to the lawn until the ground freezes. More on gravel and rural driveways.

Licence and plate by machine type

Per the City of Ottawa, anyone running a snow plow business needs a snow plow contractor licence. People clearing with a shovel or manual snow-blower are exempt. The SNOW KNOWledge brochure defines the exemption as equipment that does not need a vehicle to operate.

For truck and tractor outfits, look for an orange plate with a valid annual sticker and the company’s name and phone on both sides. The brochure sets minimum insurance at $2 million for snow plow contractors. A walk-behind crew sits outside those rules, so ask it about insurance directly.

How the machine shows up in the price

HomeStars puts Ottawa plowing at $75–$150 an hour. Published lists differ in shape. One Kanata and Stittsville tractor firm sells seasons at $495 single and $545 double. One Ottawa plow-truck and skid-steer firm lists one-time clearing at $70 per worker-hour with a one-hour minimum. Ask each company for a season total with HST, the trigger depth and what the walkway crew adds.

What to put in your request

The driveway surface (asphalt, interlock, stamped concrete or gravel) and its condition, with photos of any heaves or loose pavers. The width in cars, the slope, and a main or bus street out front, which one tractor firm prices higher because keeping driveway ends clear takes more service. Where snow can go: open lawn, a narrow strip, a fence. Valve caps, low walls or garden beds near the edge.

Ask which machine will come, what edge it runs, and what the damage clause excludes. Ontario’s consumer rights page lists snow removal among services over $50 that should come with a written contract, and a contract signed at home carries a cooling-off period of 10 days from receiving the written copy.

Who you are dealing with

Ottawa Snow Desk passes your request to one independent local snow removal company. That company calls you back, tells you what equipment it runs, quotes its own price and clears the driveway.