What a Commercial Snow Removal Contract Should Include

Most commercial snow disputes are not about price. They are about a February morning when the lot was not clear, and two parties reading the same one-page contract differently.

The fix is boring and effective: get the specifics in writing before the season. Here is what a Calgary commercial snow removal contract should actually say.

1. The trigger

What it should say: the snowfall depth that starts the work, and whether it is per event or cumulative.

Most contracts trigger around 5 cm. A lower trigger means more visits and a higher price, but fewer mornings where snow sits because it technically did not qualify.

Watch for the word cumulative. If the trigger is 5 cm per event, three separate 3 cm snowfalls in a week may mean nobody comes, even though you now have 9 cm on the ground.

Also ask what happens below the trigger. On a retail site, 3 cm packed down by foot traffic is a slip hazard even though it is not much snow.

2. Response time

What it should say: how long after snowfall ends the crew will be on site, and whether that differs overnight, on weekends and at holidays.

This is the clause that matters most and the one most often left vague. “Prompt service” is not a commitment. “On site within 2 hours of snowfall ending” is.

For reference, we set response times per contract rather than quoting one number to everyone, because the right answer for a retail plaza opening at 9am is different from a warehouse opening at 6am.

Ask specifically about before opening. A lot cleared at 10am is a lot your customers could not use at 9am.

3. What surfaces are included

What it should say: a list, not a category.

At minimum, get clarity on:

• Parking areas and drive aisles
• Entrances and approaches
• Sidewalks and pedestrian walkways
• Loading zones and dock areas
• Accessible parking stalls and the access aisle beside them
• Stairs, ramps and handrail routes

Sidewalks are the most commonly underquoted item and the highest liability surface on the property. They are also where Calgary’s bylaw applies: the public sidewalk bordering your property must be cleared to bare surface within 24 hours of snowfall ending, and that responsibility sits with you.

4. Ice control, and whether it is included

What it should say: whether salting or anti-icing is part of the contract or billed separately, and what triggers it.

In Calgary this is not a minor clause. A chinook can melt the top layer of snow and refreeze it overnight, turning a properly plowed lot into a hazard without any new snow falling.

A contract that only covers plowing leaves you exposed on exactly the mornings that produce claims. Ask whether ice control is:

• Included in the seasonal rate
• Billed per application
• Triggered automatically on freeze and thaw, or only when you call

5. Snow storage and hauling

What it should say: where snow gets piled, and what happens when there is no room left.

Piles take up parking stalls, block sightlines at exits, and by late winter can stop being movable with a plow alone. Hauling is a separate operation needing a loader, trucks and a legal dump site, so it is priced separately almost everywhere.

Agree in advance:

• Where piles go, and which stalls you accept losing
• At what point hauling gets triggered
• The hauling rate, agreed now rather than during a February emergency when it is most expensive

6. Proof of insurance

What it should say: that the contractor carries liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage, with a certificate provided.

Do not accept “we’re insured” verbally. Ask for the certificate, check it is current, and check the coverage is appropriate for your property. If an uninsured contractor’s employee is injured on your site, or their equipment damages your building, that can become your problem.

7. Documentation

What it should say: that visits are logged, with date, time and what was done, and that records are available to you.

This is the clause almost nobody asks for and the one that saves you if a slip and fall claim arrives months later. Time-stamped service records showing the property was cleared and treated on the morning in question are far stronger evidence than anyone’s memory.

Photo documentation is increasingly standard and worth asking for.

8. Term, renewal and cancellation

What it should say: the season dates, how renewal works, and how either side exits.

Watch for automatic renewal clauses with a short cancellation window, and for contracts that quietly roll over at a higher rate.

The quick review checklist

Before signing, confirm the contract answers all of these in writing:

• What snowfall depth triggers service, per event or cumulative?
• How long after snowfall ends will a crew be on site?
• Which exact surfaces are included, sidewalks specifically?
• Is ice control included or extra, and what triggers it?
• Where does snow get piled, and when does hauling kick in?
• Is there current proof of liability and workers’ compensation coverage?
• Are visits logged and available to me?
• When does the term end and how do I cancel?

If a contractor will not put those in writing, that is the answer to your question about them.

Frequently asked questions

What trigger depth is normal in Calgary? Around 5 cm is common. Confirm whether it is per event or cumulative, since that changes how often anyone comes.

Should ice control be in the contract or billed separately? Either can work, as long as it is explicit. In Calgary’s freeze and thaw climate, a contract with no ice control provision leaves your highest-risk mornings uncovered.

Do I need snow hauling in the contract? If your lot has limited storage or you cannot afford to lose parking stalls, agree the trigger and the rate before the season. Booking hauling in February costs more.

Why does documentation matter? Slip and fall claims often surface months later. Time-stamped service records are the clearest evidence that the property was maintained.

Who is responsible for the public sidewalk? The property owner or occupier, under Calgary’s bylaw, within 24 hours of snowfall ending, cleared to bare surface.

Getting a contract that actually covers you

Our commercial snow removal service is quoted per property, with the response time, surfaces and ice control set out before anything is signed, because the point of a contract is that neither side has to argue in February.

If you also manage residential units or your own home, residential snow removal runs on flat-rate seasonal plans.

This article is general information about contract terms, not legal advice. Have significant contracts reviewed by a professional.