Have any of you ever paid to have your snow removed?
My grass guy also does snow removal, and he charges $25/visit to remove the snow from the driveway, sidewalks, and the stoop. They come every time there is at least 2 inches of snow. He can't guarantee what time they'd be able to clear it by, but my husband needs to leave every day by 7 am at the latest.
Does it sound like it'd be worth while, or do you think we'd probably end up having to clear it ourselves to get hubby out on time?
Welllll, to tell you the truth two inches wouldn't be bad, you probably would have it done, however what about any other snow situations? Don't sign a contract that says you pay no matter what and yes, if you can enlist yourselves to shoveling you will certainly be much better off if we have one of those horrid winters and the snow guys can't always get there on time.
I've done snow removal contracts for several properties over many years, and you can have it in the contract that the plowing be done by a particular time. Expect to pay a bit more for that priority, and make it clear in the contract how often the plowing should be done and what's included - driveway, walkways, etc. One company I can warn you against (never plowed and expected payment anyway through bullying) is A1 Landscaping based in Cary, IL.
Not knowing how much area you have to be cleared.... I'd be more inclined to invest in a snow blower and contract a responsible neighborhood adult or pre-teen/teen to be there at 6am to run it. By employing someone in your neighborhood to show up at a specific time (who does not have other snow removal clients!) I think you stand a much better chance at getting it done when you need it. Having your own snow blower means that if your arrangement ever falls through, at least you have the equipment on hand to get the job done quickly so it's less stress for you and hubby.
Given that we have a very large driveway and walkway it made sense. The previous owner of our home was meticulous about everything and paid someone to shovel the driveway to protect the brick pavers from getting damaged by a plow. We found a snow plow service that uses rubber blades and after the Chicago Blizzard of 2011 it was well worth it. We paid between $600-700 for the season, but there are other options (i.e. per inch, major snow fall, etc).
