Snow removal contract template for plow and shovel businesses

What to put in a snow plow contract

A snow plow contract should name the property and the areas you will clear, the trigger depth, the season dates, the price and payment dates, who handles de-icing, and how damage, ice and extreme storms are treated.

• The service area, with room for a site map or notes on what to clear and what to avoid.
• The trigger depth and a response window written as a target, not a promise.
• The season start and end dates, plus a snowfall cap if the price is a flat seasonal fee.
• A surcharge for blizzards or other extreme events, with a place for your numbers.
• Pricing and payment dates, including installments for a seasonal fee.
• De-icing and salting: included, extra or not included.
• Customer duties: stakes at curbs and edges, vehicles moved, sprinkler heads marked.
• Property damage: what is ordinary wear and how long the customer has to report damage.
• Ice and slip-and-fall wording, insurance, weather and equipment breakdown, cancellation, governing law and signatures.

Every item above is a clause in the template below, and each one can be edited. The live preview is free: you can answer every question, read every clause and edit the wording without paying. Your first clean PDF and Word download is free and leaving an email gets 2 more; after that this contract costs 1 credit, from $5.27 per document in a pack.

Seasonal flat fee vs per-push pricing

A seasonal flat fee gives the customer one predictable bill and you steady cash flow, while per-push and per-visit pricing follows the weather and shifts the risk of a heavy winter to the customer.

Example only, to show the structure and not a market price: a $600 seasonal fee that covers 15 visits, with extra visits at $45 each. Set your own numbers from your costs, route time and insurance.

Trigger depth, explained

The trigger depth is the amount of snow on the ground at which you start clearing, and it decides how many visits a customer gets in a winter.

A low trigger, such as 1 inch, means more visits and a cleaner driveway. A higher trigger, such as 3 or 4 inches, means fewer visits and a lower seasonal price. With a 2-inch trigger, a 1.5-inch dusting does not call for a visit, and a 4-inch storm gets at least one.

The template says you decide in your reasonable judgment when the trigger is reached, and that you may clear sooner. It also states a response window as a target, such as finishing within 24 hours after the snow stops, because storm length, road conditions and your route all affect timing.

Ice, slip-and-fall and what the customer keeps doing

The template says you clear and treat the property at the time of each visit and do not promise bare pavement, and it says the customer keeps watching for refreeze and ice between visits. How far a clause like this goes differs by state.

• It states that snow can keep falling and melted snow can refreeze after you leave.
• It keeps the customer responsible for monitoring the property, warning visitors and taking reasonable extra steps between visits.
• It limits your responsibility for conditions that develop or return after a finished visit, between visits or in areas you did not agree to service, written "to the extent permitted by law".
• It never limits liability for gross negligence, or for intentional or willful misconduct.

This is a drafting aid and not legal advice. Whether a court enforces these terms depends on the state and the facts. Ask a licensed attorney in your state and talk to your insurance agent about coverage for snow and ice claims.

Common snow disputes and the clause that answers them

Most snow removal disputes come from a handful of surprises, and each one has a clause in the contract that settles it in advance.

Before the first storm: an October and November checklist

Getting a signed contract before the first snowfall gives both sides the same expectations, so use October and November to sign and prepare every property.

• Send the contract with the price and trigger depth already filled in, and keep a signed copy.
• Walk each property once and take photos of curbs, edges, lawns and pavement before the first push.
• Ask the customer to set stakes or flags and to note sprinkler heads, lights and septic covers.
• Decide your de-icing rule and your extreme-event surcharge before you quote.
• Confirm your insurance details and write them into the contract.
• Collect the first payment or set the installment dates.

Key terms

Trigger depth

The snow depth at which the provider starts clearing.

Push

One plowing pass or clearing of the property after the trigger depth is reached.

Seasonal fee

A flat price for the whole season, usually with a cap on visits.

Snowfall cap

The number of visits a seasonal fee covers before extra visits are billed.

Response window

The target time to finish after a storm; a target and not a promise.

Refreeze

Melted snow turning back to ice after the provider has left.

Force majeure

Events beyond a party's control, such as severe weather or a breakdown, that excuse delay.

Build it in four steps

1. Choose what you clear and how you charge. Pick the areas and a seasonal, per-push, per-visit or per-inch price.
2. Set the trigger depth and season. Choose 1 to 6 inches and enter the start and end dates.
3. Pick de-icing and payment timing. Included, extra or not included, and when the customer pays.
4. Read, edit and download. Every clause is in the preview and editable before you pay.

Related contracts

Compare all six on the contractor contract templates page, or open another one.

• Lawn care contract
• Landscaping contract
• Pressure washing contract
• Junk removal contract
• Tree service contract
• Independent contractor agreement
• Service agreement template

Hiring a helper for your crew? Use the independent contractor agreement.