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Snow removal cost in Ottawa: published prices for the 2026–27 winter

Ottawa ranges for a single visit, an hour of plowing and a full season, plus one firm's 2026–27 price list, each linked to where it was published. Then what turns a range into the price for your driveway.

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In short

  1. 01Per visit, residential driveway and sidewalk: $40–$150 in Ottawa (HomeStars).
  2. 02Seasonal contract, residential: $300–$1,800+ per winter in Ottawa (HomeStars).
  3. 03One firm's 2026–27 list at a 5 cm trigger: single $475, double $530, triple $630, each + HST.
  4. 04Roof snow removal: about $200–$1,000+ for a house, Canada-wide.
  5. 05Heavy winters can cost extra: some contracts cap the season at 250 or 275 cm.
At dawn, a pickup truck with a steel plow blade pushes a ridge of fresh snow on a residential double driveway in front of a two-car garage.

Typical ranges

JobAreaNotesTypical range
Driveway and sidewalk, per visit Ottawa Ottawa $40–$150
Residential snow removal, hourly Ottawa Ottawa $60–$100/h
Snow plow service, hourly Ottawa Ottawa $75–$150/h
Ice management and de-icing Ottawa Ottawa $90–$180/h
Seasonal contract, residential Ottawa Ottawa, per winter $300–$1,800+
Seasonal driveway contract Ottawa Canada-wide guide $350–$1,000+
Long or large driveway, per clearing Ottawa Canada-wide guide $85–$175+
Steep or difficult driveway, per visit Ottawa Canada-wide guide $115–$230
Roof snow removal, residential Ottawa Canada-wide guide $200–$1,000+

Source Ottawa ranges: HomeStars, Snow removal companies in Ottawa, section ‘What are the average costs of snow removal in Ottawa?’, seen 29.10.2026. Canada-wide: HomeStars, Snow Removal Costs For Driveways and Roofs, updated 21.08.2026, seen 29.10.2026. One firm’s list: a snow removal firm’s 2026–27 quote form, seen 29.10.2026. Contract fees: an Orléans snowblowing firm’s terms and conditions 2026–27, services page and home page with ice melter prices, seen 29.10.2026. Help with the cost: The Good Companions, Snow Go and Snow Go Assist and Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre, Snow Go Assist, seen 29.10.2026. Contracts: Ontario, Your rights when signing or cancelling a contract, seen 29.10.2026. Snowfall: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010, Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier Int’l A, via the ECCC climate normals data service, seen 29.10.2026. Licence and insurance minimum: City of Ottawa, SNOW KNOWledge brochure, seen 29.10.2026. HomeStars ranges are typical prices; the company that calls you quotes its own.

The Ottawa ranges, side by side

HomeStars publishes typical Ottawa snow removal prices on its Ottawa page. Next to them, its Canada-wide guide:

Job Ottawa (HomeStars Ottawa page) Canada (HomeStars guide)
Driveway, per visit $40–$150 with sidewalk $30–$90 standard
Residential, per hour $60–$100 not listed
Plowing, per hour $75–$150 not listed
De-icing, per hour $90–$180 not listed
Seasonal, residential $300–$1,800+ $350–$1,000+
Roof, residential not listed $200–$1,000+

The Canada guide adds $85–$175+ per clearing for long or large driveways and $115–$230 per visit for steep or difficult ones.

One firm’s 2026–27 price list

A snow removal firm in the Almonte area, west of Ottawa, publishes its 2026–27 seasonal prices on its quote form. The season runs November 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027. Driveway size is counted in cars:

Driveway 5 cm trigger 2 cm trigger
Single (fits 2 cars) $475 + HST $830 + HST
Double (fits 4 cars) $530 + HST $935 + HST
Triple (fits 6 cars) $630 + HST $1,105 + HST

Walkways cost $200 to $260 + HST by length and come only with the 2 cm contract. Neighbours who share a driveway and both sign get a lower price. The firm caps the season at 275 cm and bills extra snow in proportion to the contract. This is one company’s list; the company that calls you sets its own.

What moves your price

  • Driveway size and shape. Single, double, triple, long, steep or tight between houses.
  • Trigger depth. A 2 or 2.5 cm trigger brings more visits than 5 cm. One firm charges about 75% more for it, another 30% more.
  • Walkway, steps, the front of the garage. Priced on top on one firm’s list. An Orléans firm sends a separate shovelling team on its fuller program.
  • Where the snow can go. City rules keep it on your lot. A small lot means more work by late winter.
  • Caps and extra fees. Season caps, fuel surcharges and cancellation fees sit in the fine print. See Seasonal snow contract.
  • Ice. De-icing runs $90–$180 an hour in Ottawa, per HomeStars, or per application. One Orléans firm sells 10 kg pails of ice melter at $25 + tax.

Reading two quotes side by side

Two quotes compare only when they cover the same winter. Line them up and check:

  1. The trigger depth and where it is measured.
  2. Season start and end dates.
  3. What is cleared: driveway width, walkway, steps, windrow return visits.
  4. The cap in centimetres or visits, and the price per visit after it.
  5. HST, the payment schedule, and fees for fuel, cancellation and damage claims.
  6. The company’s City snow plow contractor licence and its insurance, which the City sets at a minimum of $2 million in coverage.

Ontario rules: if you sign at home, you have 10 days to cancel after you get a written copy. A written estimate in a contract caps the bill at 10% above it unless you sign a change.

Who you are dealing with

Ottawa Snow Desk sends your work order to one independent local snow removal company. That company calls you, sees the driveway, quotes it and does the clearing. You compare and decide.

Questions

01How much is a seasonal snow removal contract in Ottawa?

HomeStars’ Ottawa page lists $300–$1,800+ per winter for residential properties. One firm’s 2026–27 form prices a single driveway at $475 + HST and a double at $530 + HST at a 5 cm trigger. Walkways, a lower trigger and a long or steep driveway push it up.

02Is a seasonal contract cheaper than paying per visit?

It depends on the winter. Ottawa homeowners pay $40–$150 per visit, per HomeStars, and Ottawa airport averages about 15 days a year with 5 cm or more of fresh snow, per Environment Canada’s 1981–2010 normals. HomeStars notes a seasonal contract also helps avoid higher storm and last-minute rates.

03What costs extra on a snow removal contract?

HomeStars lists travel fees outside the company’s area, extra snow depth, emergency call-outs, equipment surcharges and mid-season contract changes. One Orléans firm’s 2026–27 terms add a possible $15 fuel surcharge, a $50 + tax fee to cancel after the markers go in, and $30 + tax per event after 250 cm at Ottawa airport or 22 events, unless you opt out.

04Is there help with the cost for seniors or people with disabilities?

Snow Go Assist, funded by the City of Ottawa, can repay up to 50% of snow clearing costs to eligible low-income residents aged 60 or older or adults with a physical disability, to a seasonal maximum of $250 in one agency’s description. Applications go out each October with a deadline in early December, and you need a signed contract or proof of payment.

05Does HST apply?

The firm’s 2026–27 list above shows prices plus HST. Ask every company whether its quote includes tax, so two quotes compare on the same basis.