Should you sign a seasonal snow removal contract or pay per push? A side-by-side comparison for GTA driveways, the Environment Canada snowfall numbers behind it, and a checklist of what every contract should spell out.
What is the difference between a seasonal contract and per-visit plowing?
A seasonal snow removal contract is one price for the whole winter: the crew comes every time snow reaches the trigger depth, however often that is. Per-visit (or per-push) plowing means you pay each time a plow comes, on a schedule or when you call. One trades flexibility for certainty.
Most of the confusion comes from the word unlimited. A seasonal contract is unlimited within its terms: the season dates, the trigger depth and the areas listed. Outside those terms, such as an ice storm with no snow or a pile that needs hauling away, read the fine print. Per-visit pricing is simple per trip, but the season total is a guess until spring.
| Factor | Seasonal contract | Per-visit (per push) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost predictability | Fixed price, set before winter | Unknown until spring; depends on how often it snows |
| Priority on the route | On the route for every storm that hits the trigger | Fitted in around route customers when there is capacity |
| Heavy winter | Better value: the price does not rise | The bill climbs with every push |
| Light winter | You may pay for snow that never came | Can cost less |
| Salt | Often included; confirm it in writing | Often a separate charge per application |
| Re-clears and windrows | Depends on the contract; ask in writing | Each return trip is usually another charge |
| Payment | Up front or monthly instalments | Pay after each visit |
How much snow do Milton and Mississauga actually get?
Environment Canada's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for Toronto Pearson, the airport station in Mississauga, show 114.5 cm of snow a year, 44.7 days with at least 0.2 cm, 7.2 days with 5 cm or more and 2.2 days with 10 cm or more falling in a single day.
January is the snowiest month at 31.5 cm, then February at 27.7 cm and December at 24.1 cm. The November to April window holds 114.3 cm of the 114.5 cm annual average, so a November 1 to April 30 season covers virtually all of a normal winter.
Averages hide the spread. The biggest single-day snowfall in Pearson's 1991 to 2020 record was 30.4 cm, in February 2008. Daily figures also undercount trips: a storm that drops 4 cm before midnight and 4 cm after shows up as two small days but still buries a driveway. Milton sits at the foot of the Escarpment, west of the airport, so conditions there can differ.
| Month | Average snowfall | Days with 5 cm+ in one day |
|---|---|---|
| November | 9.3 cm | 0.56 |
| December | 24.1 cm | 1.6 |
| January | 31.5 cm | 1.8 |
| February | 27.7 cm | 1.9 |
| March | 17.2 cm | 1.1 |
| April | 4.5 cm | 0.28 |
Is a seasonal contract cheaper in a heavy or a light winter?
In a heavy winter, a seasonal snow removal contract is almost always cheaper, because the price does not change with the snowfall. In a light winter, per-visit plowing can come out ahead. Since nobody can forecast a whole season in October, the contract is the way to buy certainty instead of taking the gamble.
HomeStars publishes typical Mississauga ranges of $40 to $150 per residential visit and $300 to $1,800+ for a seasonal contract. If your driveway costs $60 a push, 8 pushes is $480 and 20 pushes is $1,200, before HST. A seasonal price for that driveway sits somewhere in between and stays put while the per-push total swings by hundreds of dollars.
There is a time cost too. On per-visit service you watch the forecast, text the contractor and wait. On a contract, the crew shows up when the snow reaches the trigger. For the full price picture, see how much snow removal costs in Milton and Mississauga.
Why does a 5 cm trigger matter?
The trigger depth decides when the crew comes and how many visits your price covers. A 5 cm (2 in) trigger skips dustings but catches every snowfall that makes a driveway hard to drive on. Compare triggers before prices: a cheap contract with a 10 cm trigger leaves you shovelling the in-between storms.
Pearson's normals show why: about 7 days a year bring 5 cm or more, but only about 2 bring 10 cm or more. A 10 cm contract could leave you clearing most storms yourself. A 5 cm trigger also matches when Mississauga starts plowing its roads and sidewalks and when Milton starts on its priority sidewalks, so your driveway and the street get done in the same window.
What should a snow plowing contract include?
A good snow removal contract in Ontario spells out the season dates, trigger depth, exactly what is cleared, whether salt is included, where snow is piled, how damage and markers are handled, the payment schedule, cancellation terms and what counts as extra work. If it is not written down, assume it is not included.
- Term dates: the exact start and end (ours runs November 1 to April 30).
- Trigger depth: in centimetres, and whether re-clears after the city plow are covered.
- What is cleared: driveway, walkways, front steps, public sidewalk, side door.
- Salt: included or per application, and which surfaces get it. Our rock salt guide covers lawns and interlock.
- Where snow is piled: on your property, never on the road. Milton and Mississauga both prohibit it; see the local snow rules.
- Damage and markers: who installs snow stakes along the edges, and how lawn, curb or interlock damage is reported.
- Payment schedule: lump sum or instalments, due dates and accepted methods.
- Cancellation: what happens if either side ends the contract mid-season.
- Extra work: ice events, hauling and roof or deck clearing, and how each is priced.
When does per-visit plowing make sense?
Per-visit plowing makes sense if you are away for most of the winter, if you have a short driveway and are happy to shovel small storms, or if you only want help with the big ones. For a household that needs the car out every weekday morning, a seasonal contract is simpler.
If you go per-visit, get the per-push price, the minimum charge and the salt price in writing before November, and ask how quickly they reach call-in customers after a big storm. HomeStars' cost guide also flags extra charges for deeper snow and for emergency call-outs, which is where per-visit bills tend to creep up. Our snow removal tips for Mississauga and Brampton homeowners cover the rest of your winter prep.
How Lawn By Moe's seasonal contract works
Our residential seasonal contract runs November 1 to April 30, paid in 6 monthly instalments from November 1 to April 1. The crew comes when snow reaches 5 cm, plows the driveway, shovels walkways and front steps, salts, and piles snow on your property. We work around the clock during snow events.
Each driveway is priced by its size and layout, and the quote is free, usually the same day: send your address and a photo on WhatsApp to 437-433-1994. See snow removal in Milton and our GTA residential snow removal page for the areas we cover. Running a plaza or townhouse complex? Start with our commercial snow removal checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a per push snow removal price?
It is the price for one plow visit, charged every time the crew comes. HomeStars lists $40 to $150 per visit for a residential driveway and sidewalk in Mississauga and Milton. Ask about minimum charges, salt and deep-snow surcharges, because that is where per-push bills grow over a winter.
Are seasonal snow removal contracts unlimited?
Most are unlimited within their terms: every snowfall that reaches the trigger depth, between the season dates, for the areas listed. Work outside those terms, such as hauling snow away or clearing a roof, is often extra. Read the scope before you sign and get anything unclear confirmed in writing.
What does a 5 cm trigger mean?
It means the crew comes out once 5 cm (about 2 in) of snow has fallen. Lighter snow is not a plow visit. At Toronto Pearson, about 7 days a year see 5 cm or more fall in a single day, and storms that span two days can reach the trigger more often than that.
Can I cancel a seasonal snow contract mid-winter?
That depends entirely on the contract, which is why cancellation terms belong on your checklist. HomeStars notes that changing a snow removal contract mid-season can bring penalties or adjusted pricing. Get the cancellation terms in writing before November, and ask what happens if you sell the house in the middle of winter.
What happens on a seasonal contract if it barely snows?
You pay the agreed price regardless. That is the trade-off for a fixed cost in a heavy winter. Toronto Pearson's 30-year average is 114.5 cm, but any single winter can land above or below it, and that swing is the risk you hand to the contractor when you sign.
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Lawn By Moe is based in Milton and serves Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Halton Hills, Brampton and the GTA. Free quotes, usually the same day.
