How Much to Charge for Snow Removal: A Complete Guide

Snow is a certainty in the US and Canada during winters. Thus, people will be looking for snow removal services that get the job done at an affordable price.

So, if you provide such a service, its cost and effectiveness will determine how many clients you can attract (and retain).

Of course, it isn’t just about charging the lowest fees among your competitors. This may attract your seekers but repel your profits. Plus, the clients also consider the quality of work done. You won’t like incomplete work at the lowest price, right?

So confusion may prevail about how much to charge for snow removal. But by the end of this post, it no longer will. Let us start with 6 ways to charge for snow removal services.

6 Ways You Can Charge for Snow Removal

Different snow removal companies have different metrics through which to charge their clients. Here are 6 common metrics you can use for your business as well:

• Cost per hour
• Cost per push
• Cost per event
• Cost per inch
• Full-season contract
• Multi-season contract

Let me show you each one of them in detail.

1. Cost per hour

It is simple to calculate as only five factors are usually considered in it:

• Number of workers
• Their cost per hour
• The number of hours needed to complete the job
• Miscellaneous costs like equipment and transportation
• Your profit

To estimate the total cost, just multiply a, b, and c and add the result with the sum of d and e.

For example, a snow removal service may take three hours to complete with the help of four workers whose hourly wage is $20 each.

So multiply the number of hours taken, hourly wage, and the number of workers. That is…

3 * $20 * 4 = $240

Now add other costs and your profit. Let’s say both combines to $60. So, $240 + $60 = $300 will be the snow removal cost.

2. Cost per push

No. This does not mean that you will charge for every dig you make with your shovel to remove the snow, as the name suggests. It means that you charge a flat fee for every visit you make.

Charging a flat fee for a small task will turn out to be very profitable. But there will be hefty ones as well who demand more of your effort and time. For them, you need to count in factors like hours worked or the thickness of the snow layer in inches.

3. Cost per event

An event here refers to a snowfall or even a snowstorm. In this, the snow removal company and its clients make a deal for removing snow as long as the event exists.

Many a time, it is just a light fall. Thus, you need to visit the client site only a single time. But with a forecast for a heavy storm, you may need to go again and again.

So charge with keeping this in mind.

4. Cost per inch

Calculating the snow removal cost based on its thickness is also a way that some snow removal companies use. This means that you charge for each inch of snow you remove.

You can also set different rates for the first few inches and the layer from there on.

5. Full-season contract

Ever bought a Netflix subscription? Basically, it allows you to use its video streaming service for a set time. Full-season contract for snow removal services aresending professional-looking estimates all the same.

Here the client will hire your snow removal company for the whole season. But before joining hands with anybody, we recommend you clarify terms like duration, maximum snow removal sessions, and the end date of the billable cycle.

Also, check the weather history of previous years to predict the next season. This will help you keep appropriate pricing for the contract.

6. Multi-season contract

If someone is interested in making a long-term contract with you, you can offer them a multi-seasonal deal. This is good for both parties.

You close a deal to ensure business for the next few years. And the client may also be able to get a personalized deal at a discounted price.

Usually, you have a better chance of striking a multi-season deal with commercial complexes rather than residential buildings for your snow removal services.

Now that you have an idea about ways to charge for your snow removal services, you will have to take care of creating estimates for your clients. And this is where InvoiceOwl can come to your rescue. InvoiceOwl is a snow removal contractor software.

Which Factors You Should Consider for Calculating Snow Removal Cost?

1. The location of snow

As you know, snow gets accumulated at various places. But snow removal at each place demands a different amount of effort.

So the location of snow matters a lot, and thus, you can ask for a higher rate for areas that are hard to reach, demands more effort, or brings in more risk.

2. The location of service

Snow removal services at different geographical locations have different costs. So look out for other snow removal companies in your city, state, or country and see how much they charge for their services.

We will show you the average rates at different places. But for now, we suggest you keep your pricing in line with your competitors in your region.

3. The amount of snow

Of course; you need to vary your charges as per the amount of snow as an increased scale demands a higher effort.

So, you need to carefully assess the task at hand to calculate properly how much to charge for it. This will give you proper compensation for your effort and make it worthwhile for your snow removal business.

4. The quality of your work

The quality you provide matters as some people will definitely be looking for a reliable service whereas some will just want to get things done.

So, ask yourself whether you want to position yourself as a high-end snow removal company that charges a tad higher for better quality work. Or do you want to be inclined toward the affordable side?

The bottom line is to charge proportionally to the quality you offer. And then justify that cost.

5. The method you used

There are 3 common ways you can use to remove snow. These are

The snow removal prices vary according to the method your use for it.

Now that you know some factors that you should count on while calculating your price, let’s move toward the big question – what’s the average cost that a snow removal company can charge?

What is the Average Price You Can Charge for Snow Removal?

Pricing appropriately is crucial, as nobody wants to spend a fortune just to remove a layer of snow. Ideally, people want affordable quality. So, have a look at the average cost an American pays for snow removal in 2022.

1. The average cost of snow removal

Even though it is very hard to come to a median price that applies to all the regions, you can get an idea of how much to charge with its average cost.

The average cost a client pays for driveway snow removal is $110, as per Forbes. But usually, it can fluctuate in the range of $49 to $180 for a standard driveway, depending upon the scale of snowfall, as the same data suggests.

For the larger ones, people even pay up to $400 to clear the snow away.

2. Snow removal cost based on the method used

Remember that different snow removal methods call for different pricing. It varies because each method calls for a varying expense in time and energy. Let’s look at their price range one by one.

Next, let’s have a look at the pricing based on the model you used for it.

3. Snow removal cost based on the pricing model used

We have already discussed 6 different pricing models that you can offer your clients. So based on those models, this is the average market pricing currently.

(a) Cost per hour

It is one of the most common methods used for pricing out of all 6. You can charge in the range of $25 to $75 per hour for each of your men needed for the task.

Let’s say that you deploy two of your workers to remove snow that took an hour to complete. So it will cost your client $50 to $150 depending upon your per-hour rate.

(b) Cost per push

Cost per push or cost per visit is a method for which you can charge $30 to $50. However, a lot also depends upon the size of the area. Thus, accordingly, you can charge higher to make it profitable for you.

(c) Cost per event

As said earlier, an event refers to a snowfall or a snowstorm. Here you need to mention terms like the amount of snowfall to trigger a visit and the maximum number of visits you will make.

Generally, a snow removal service per event costs $30 to $50 for every visit that is made. But also first check the area size to set appropriate pricing.

(d) Cost per inch

This is among the least used methods discussed here. But to cover every aspect of the topic, we have included it here.

A snow removal service usually charges $60 to $95 per 6 inches of snow. For any extra layer thereafter, you can charge according to $30 per 6 inches.

(e) Full-season contract

This is a great option for you to offer if you provide service in an area that regularly sees snowfall every season. Usually, a snow removal service for a season cost around $350 to $450.

But make sure that you clarify the terms and conditions with your clients. Terms like service triggers, duration, start date, and end date, and maximum visits, just like we suggested for the cost-per-event model.

(f) Multi-season contract

A multi-season deal can also be charged similarly to a single-season deal, i.e. $350 to $450 per season. However, you may offer a discount to a client to offer you a prolonged contract.

Now let’s look at the snow removal prices at different places.

4. Snow removal cost based on different areas

The average cost of snow removal for each region in the US varies a little. Keep an eye on this to match your charges with your region of service.

(a) California

The average cost here is $54 per session of snow plowing from the driveway and sidewalk. But it can vary between $48 to $60.

(b) Colorado

The cost of plowing snow in Colorado is a bit on the lower side. The per-visit cost of snow plowing or snow blowing for the driveway and sidewalk here is $41.

(c) New Jersey

A snow-blowing session per hour costs around $95 in New Jersey. And the snow plowing rate here is $51.

(d) New York

$53 per session is the average cost here for snow plowing. Whereas per hour cost roams around $56 and can go up to $67.5. Snow blowing here costs $117.5 per visit on average.

Another way you can decide your pricing is the location of the snow. Let’s see that.

5. Snow removal cost based on snow location

Different snow location demands different effort. So you can vary your charges as per that. Here are the common places where you may find yourself removing snow.

(a) Driveway

Driveway snow removal is the most usual place where you will be asked for your service as people need their driveways clear for cars to hit the road.

On average, the cost of removing snow from a driveway ranges from $30 to $70 per hour. And per visit for a driveway, snow removal costs around $40 to $75.

(d) Sidewalk

Snow removal rates for a sidewalk fluctuate from $25 to $75 per hour, $40 to $80 per visit, and $50 to $100 per event, depending upon its length.

Usually, driveways and sidewalks are included in the same package, and the cost is increased as such.

(c) Roof

Roof snow removal calls for a higher price as you need cannot plow snow here with a truck. You need to take extra care and use special tools for this.

Meanwhile, snow accumulating on the rooftops isn’t good for the health of the house either. Thus, removing snow from a roof can cost $50 – $100 per hour. The costs per visit and per event can also shoot up to the range of $150 to $700.

6. Snow removal cost based on the type of area

Residential and commercial areas have varying rates due to the scale of the project.

(a) Residential snow removal

Residential areas usually have cheaper rates for snow removal services because they don’t demand much time and effort.

$25 – $75 is the usual per-hour cost clients pay to clear out the snow from their homes. Per visit cost for residential areas can range between $30 to $100.

(b) Commercial snow removal

Commercial properties are often bigger than residential ones. Thus, the cost of removing snow for a commercial property also overtakes it.

The per-hour cost for such projects can go from $50 to $200.

So finally, we have covered almost every aspect from which you can decide to price your service. But we anticipate that you may have some questions nagging. Let’s tackle them before we conclude.

Conclusion

Now that you have got an idea about snow removal prices, it is time for you to decide your rates. We suggest you keep it competitive but profitable for your business.

Finally, we would like to add that sending professional-looking snow removal estimate template will give you an edge over your competitors. Thus, try InvoiceOwl for free to see how it can ease your business.