Seasonal Driveway Contracts · Cambridge
Seasonal Driveway and Walkway Snow Contracts in Cambridge
On a flat driveway the question is when. On a sloped driveway in Galt or Preston the question is also which way, and where the ice will form once the snow is gone.
Cambridge's residential streets range from the flat subdivisions on the east side to streets in Galt, Preston and Hespeler steep enough that the City counts hills among its priority routes. A seasonal contract covers both, but it is priced and planned differently for a grade. The driveway goes on a route, the trigger depth is agreed, and every snowfall that reaches it is cleared without a call from the first plowable fall to the end of the season.
What is included
- The driveway, cleared at the agreed trigger depth, typically around 5 cm.
- The front walk and steps, by shovel or small blower.
- The windrow. Residential streets in Cambridge are plowed at typically 8 cm or more after priority routes, courts by contractors on their own timing, so the City plow can arrive a day or more after your driveway was cleared and leave a dense bank across the apron. Returning for it is part of the service.
- The public sidewalk on the frontage if wanted, which meets the City's 36-hour rule without a second arrangement.
- Salting as an option, applied when conditions call for it. On a sloped drive, ice control at the foot is recommended rather than optional, for the reason below.
Sloped driveways
Snow is not pushed uphill, so a drive that climbs from the street is cleared downward toward a stacking point to one side at the bottom, and a drive that drops from the street is cleared toward the garage end. Where the pile goes is decided by the grade and settled on the site visit. Meltwater runs down any slope and refreezes at the low point, usually where the drive meets the sidewalk, so a sloped drive that is bare at the top can have a sheet of ice at the bottom by morning. A thin layer left on a grade is more dangerous than an unploughed one, because feet and tyres find the ice under it. The honest options on a steep drive are a full clear with ice control at the foot, or no contract at all; the half measure is the dangerous one.
Where the snow does not go
Down the drive and into the street. The City asks residents not to shovel snow back onto the road or over catch basins, and the Highway Traffic Act prohibits depositing it on the roadway. On a hill the street is the path of least resistance, which is exactly why it has to be planned around.
Timing, plainly
Routes run through the storm and after it. No hour is written into the agreement, because the City itself says most residential streets will stay snow-covered through much of the winter and a private contractor working the same storm is not faster than the weather. If an early fixed departure matters in any weather, say so at the quote and keep a shovel for that one morning.
Frequently asked questions
Does a sloped driveway cost more?
Usually, because it takes longer, needs ice control at the foot, and sometimes needs a smaller machine or hand finishing. The site visit decides, and the quote says why.
When does the season run?
Typically from the first plowable snowfall, often November, to the end of March or into April. The agreement states the dates and how early or late storms are handled.
What if it barely snows?
The seasonal price is a fixed fee for a place on the route all winter, so a light year costs the same as a heavy one and a heavy one costs no more. Per-visit pricing is the alternative if you want cost to track snowfall.
Serving Cambridge and surrounding areas. Contact us for a no-obligation quote specific to your property.