It is difficult to plan your winter snow removal budget.
You should ensure that your contract covers all of your winter requirements. But what are your winter requirements? And then there’s the major question: how much should you spend on snow removal?
The aim is to safeguard everyone who visits your business property and reduce your organization’s exposure to snow and ice-related dangers like property damage, traffic accidents, falls and slips.
How to develop a winter-proof snow removal budget?
We’re here to help you find the information you need.
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Use A Single Source For All Of Your Property’s Requirements
Hire snow removal specialists offering snow removal services and snowplows who exclusively provide snow and ice management services to clients who have a landscape maintenance contract.
Why? It translates to greater service for existing clients.
When they look after your business property all year, they truly get to know it – even before the snow hits. They are aware of where delivery vehicles enter and exit, as well as other spots where clear pavement is critical.
They can take care of any damage to your bushes caused by heavy snow or a plow nicking a curb.
When you become a year-round customer, you benefit from the convenience of dealing with one landscape management source. Whether you require assistance planting flowers or removing snow, your account manager is your go-to person.
Consult With Your Snow Removal Service Provider
Still unsure how much to budget for snow removal or shoveling services?
Speak with a professional snow removal company. They can assist you.
They take pride in their client communication. Furthermore, they begin communicating with snow removal clients before the snow season even begins, to ensure that everyone is on the same page with their tolerance level and strategy. They notify clients three to four days in advance of a storm, and then again 24 hours before the storm.
They notify property managers through text or email once they arrive at their property. Furthermore, they only need to check on their phone, say, ‘Good, they’re there,’ and then go back to sleep.
Have Some Extra Cash? Keep it
You planned for a usual snow year, but it didn’t snow. Congratulations! It’s tempting to consider all the possibilities for that extra cash.
Not so quickly.
We advise you not to spend that money on anything else. Set it aside for next year’s snow budget and parking lot snow removal.
The coming year might be a doozy.
Remember, There Are Guidelines
Tempted to simply disregard everything?
You must remove any common area sidewalks within 24 hours of the snow melting employing driveway snow removal services. In addition, your home must be accessible to emergency vehicles within 24 hours. Even if a structure has been abandoned, a fire vehicle must be able to reach it.
Pre-Treatment Will Not Necessarily Cost You Extra Money
Are you concerned that pre-treating your property before a storm will cost you more money?
No, not always.
If the home snow removal services provider offers brine pre-treats, it will help you clear your snow faster. Your budget will not be significantly altered. You’re just placing your chemical charges upfront rather than after the fact.
In certain circumstances, pre-treating eliminates the need for personnel to plow at all.
Pre-Treatment Will Not Necessarily Cost You Extra Money
Are you concerned that pre-treating your property before a storm will cost you more money?
No, not always.
If the provider offers brine pre-treats, it will help you clear your snow faster. Your budget will not be significantly altered. You’re just placing your chemical charges upfront rather than after the fact.
In certain circumstances, pre-treating eliminates the need for personnel to plow at all.
Don’t Simply Wing It
Sometimes, rather than making an educated approximation, individuals just make up a number for their snow removal budget.
There is an easier method. Consult a professional.
To assist you with the figures, a professional can look at the amount they billed you for a couple of events in previous years. They will be able to tell you how much you spent for a 2-inch event, a 4-inch event, and an 8-inch event.
Not sure how much ice to budget for?
They have formulae and spreadsheets that take the square footage of your property and generate a figure. Then they apply their knowledge to assist you in developing a budget and a plan.
One year you may go above budget, and the next you may be under budget. However, it normally evens out after three years.
Save Money By Restricting Access
To save money on snow removal, some clients elect to rope off a portion of their parking lot or restrict many building doors.
You might choose to clear simply a few important entrances and the fire escapes. People will simply have to walk a little further.
Determine Your Level Of Tolerance
Do you have a high or low tolerance for snow?
If you have a high tolerance for snow, it indicates you don’t want to be plowed if it snows 2 inches or fewer. If your property is flat, this could work. Vehicles, on the other hand, will slide if your property has slopes.
Because one of the primary reasons for having your snow removed is to decrease liability, your snow tolerance is an essential consideration.
How many chances are you willing to take? That is a highly personal choice.
Because members are generally responsible for sweeping their sidewalks, HOAs often have a higher tolerance.
Medical facilities, government offices, and retail malls are typically the clientele with the lowest tolerance.
All of these locations are extremely concerned about the possibility of slipping and falling. How much would a lawsuit cost you vs hiring a snow removal company to keep your home safe?