Commercial snow removalin Woburn and greater Boston

What a commercial snow program should include, how a site gets planned, how contracts are usually priced, and what to ask before you sign.

What commercial snow removal includes

For a business, a condo association or a property manager, snow removal is more than plowing the lot once the storm ends. A full commercial program covers four jobs: plowing the lot and drive lanes, shoveling the walkways, stairs and entrances, ice management with sand and de-icer, and snow relocation when the piles get too big for the space you have.

At Gerrior, that means plowing roads and parking lots, shoveling walkways, stairs and dumpster areas, sanding, and moving snow either to another spot on the site or hauling it away. You can see some of that work on our commercial snow removal photos page.

How we plan a site before the first storm

Every property plows differently, so we walk each site and plan it before winter. The things we look at:

• When you open. A medical office that opens at 7 needs a different storm plan than a warehouse with a night shift.
• Priority areas. Main entrances, fire lanes, accessible parking spaces, loading docks and dumpster pads get cleared first.
• Where the snow goes. Piles should not cover catch basins, block sightlines at the exit, sit on landscaping or melt across a walkway that then refreezes.
• Hazards under the snow. Curbs, islands, speed bumps, light pole bases and drain grates get marked while the ground is still bare.
• What has to be done by hand. Stairs, narrow walks and spots between parked cars need shovels, not plows.

That first look at the property is also when we spot the problem areas a property manager already knows about: the corner where melt runs across the walk, the drain that ices over, the end of the lot that drifts in.

Ice management: sanding, salting and refreeze

In Massachusetts a lot of the slip-and-fall risk shows up after the storm ends. Daytime melt runs off the snow piles and refreezes overnight into black ice on walks and drive lanes. Good ice management means treating during the storm and coming back to treat refreeze.

Rock salt works well on moderate cold, but it slows down a lot once pavement temperatures drop toward the teens, and sand adds traction when salt is struggling. Our fleet includes sanders for that work. We also take environmental impact seriously and use environmentally friendly practices where we can, since every pound of salt ends up in the soil, the storm drains and the plantings near the pavement.

The equipment behind a commercial snow program

A lot of people searching for commercial snow removal are really asking what it takes to clear a large property properly. Large lots need loaders and skid steers with snow pushers to move volume and stack it high, backhoes and loaders to relocate piles, sanders for ice control, and hand crews with shovels for walks and stairs.

Our snow fleet includes trucks, bobcats, loaders, backhoes and sanders, which is what lets us take on large commercial properties as well as small lots. Just as important is backup: on a long storm, equipment breaks, and a contractor needs spare capacity and a way to keep the team coordinated so your site still gets cleared. New England weather is unpredictable, and clear communication within the snow team is a big part of how we handle it.

How commercial snow contracts are usually priced

We price each commercial site after we have walked it, so we don't publish rates. It helps to know the common ways snow contracts are structured in the industry, because they shift risk differently between you and the contractor:

• Seasonal (fixed) contracts set one price for the winter regardless of how many storms come. Your budget is predictable.
• Per-push or per-event pricing charges for each plowing or each storm. You pay less in a light winter and more in a heavy one.
• Hourly or time-and-materials pricing bills equipment hours and materials used, often for relocation, hauling or extra work.

Whatever the structure, the price is driven by the same things: the size of the paved area, the length of walkway and number of stairs that need hand work, how early the site must be open, the trigger depth that starts a plow visit, how much sanding and de-icing the site needs, and whether there is room to stack snow or it has to be hauled away. Square footage alone does not tell the whole story. A small lot with long sidewalks and tight stacking room can take more work than a bigger, open one.

How to choose a commercial snow contractor

Snow is a liability issue as much as a convenience. Before you sign, ask any contractor:

• Are you insured, and can you send a certificate of insurance? (Gerrior is fully insured.)
• What equipment do you run, and what is the backup plan if a machine goes down mid-storm?
• Who decides when to dispatch, and how will you tell us about schedule changes?
• Do you handle walks and stairs yourselves, or only the lot?
• Where is your shop? A local base means shorter travel when roads are bad. Ours is in Woburn.
• Do you belong to a professional association such as SIMA?
• Can we talk to current commercial clients?

Plan ahead. The best time to set up snow coverage is late summer or fall, before the first storm, so the site can be walked and marked while the pavement is still bare. To get started, request a free estimate or call our Woburn office. You can also read more about Gerrior or check the towns we serve.