Prepare a Capital Region property for winter by booking snow service in October, marking driveway edges and hazards before the first storm, clearing gutters, checking attic insulation to prevent ice dams, and confirming stacking areas. Contractors fill seasonal routes before November, so booking late means competing for leftover capacity.
Book snow service before November
This is the single most time-sensitive item on the list and the one most people get wrong. Snow contractors build their routes before the season starts, because routes are how capacity is planned. By the time the first significant storm arrives, the reputable operators are generally closed to new seasonal customers.
If you wait until it snows to start calling, you are competing for whatever capacity remains, which is usually the contractors who still have room in December for a reason. October is the right month. Early November is the last comfortable moment.
Mark everything a plow could hit
Once there is snow on the ground, a driveway edge becomes an educated guess made at 4 AM in the dark by someone who is on their eleventh property of the night. Marking removes the guesswork entirely, and it takes an afternoon.
- Stake driveway edges, especially where the pavement meets lawn with no curb
- Mark septic tank lids, leach field edges and well heads
- Flag irrigation heads, landscape lighting and low-voltage cable runs
- Mark culvert ends, drainage swales and anything that drops off
- Identify low walls, edging stones and planting beds close to the drive line
- On commercial sites, mark islands, curb ends, bollards, hydrants and drains
Roof and gutters, before the cold sets in
- Clear gutters and downspouts completely, since a blocked gutter guarantees an ice dam
- Confirm downspouts discharge away from walkways where meltwater would refreeze
- Check attic insulation depth and coverage, particularly at the perimeter
- Air seal obvious ceiling penetrations, light fixtures and the attic hatch
- Confirm soffit vents are not blocked by insulation, which is very common
- Verify bathroom and kitchen fans vent outside rather than into the attic
- Look at the roof edge for existing damage that water will find
Decide where the snow is going to go
Every property has a finite amount of space to put snow, and in a heavy Capital Region winter that space runs out. Deciding in October where snow gets stacked is far better than discovering in February that the pile is blocking three parking spaces, melting across the front walk, or sitting in an accessible access aisle.
Good stacking areas drain away from walkways and entrances, do not block sightlines at exits, do not sit on top of landscaping you care about, and do not consume parking you will need. On constrained properties, agree in advance at what point relocation or hauling gets triggered.
Commercial property additions
- Obtain a certificate of insurance from your snow contractor and confirm additional insured status
- Confirm the contract itemizes plowing, walkways, entrances, accessible routes and salting separately
- Agree required open times and trigger depths in writing
- Confirm how per-visit service documentation will be provided and stored
- Walk the site with the contractor and agree stacking areas before the season
- Stock entrance mats, and check that exterior lighting works for early morning service
- Identify accessible routes explicitly so they are serviced first, not last
Small things that matter in January
- Keep a roof rake if your roof can be safely reached from the ground
- Store ice melt somewhere accessible and dry, not behind the summer furniture
- Have a plan for how a parent, tenant or employee with mobility needs gets to the door
- Save your contractor’s number somewhere other than a fridge magnet
- Confirm oil, propane and mail delivery paths are on your service list
