How to price snow removal: the per-push formula, seasonal contracts and the minimum

Every snow price, per push or per season, comes down to three numbers: a base fee for sending the truck, a rate per square foot for the surface, and a minimum. Get those right and a seasonal contract is arithmetic. Here is the formula, with our pricing engine's starter rates so you can see it work, and how to turn it into a season.

The per-push formula

Price per push = base fee + (square feet × rate), never below the minimum.

• Base fee covers getting there: drive time, fuel, the stop itself. Our starter base fee is $25.
• Rate per square foot covers the work, and changes with the service: 3.6¢ for a plain push, 7.2¢ with de-icing, 10.8¢ for priority service with walks and steps.
• Minimum stops a short drive costing less than the trip. Ours is $40 a push.

On three driveways, that formula gives:

These are our engine's starter rates, the same ones the quote tool uses until a contractor sets their own. They are a starting point, not a market survey: your fuel, labour, equipment and competition set yours. What the formula gives you is consistency: two drives of the same size on the same route get the same price, and a bigger drive costs more for a reason you can explain.

From one push to a season

Seasonal price = per-push price × the plowable snowfalls you expect, adjusted for the risk you keep. Count the storms from your own records for the route, or from NOAA's climate normals, which list the average number of days a year with an inch or more of snow for thousands of US weather stations.

Say your area expects 12 pushes in a normal winter (an assumption for this example, not a figure for your town). An 800 sq ft drive at $54 a push comes to $644 for the season, or $991 with de-icing on every visit.

Then decide who carries a heavy winter:

• Unlimited: one price however often it snows. You carry the risk, so price above the normal-winter number.
• Capped: the season covers a set number of pushes, and each one past it is billed at the per-push price. Easier to sell honestly.
• Per push: no season at all. The customer carries the risk, and you carry the risk of a mild winter.

Whichever you sell, write the trigger depth (often 2 inches), what is cleared, where snow is piled and whether de-icing is included into the contract. Homeowners compare those terms in snow removal cost.

Add-ons and what moves the price

• Walks and steps: priced per visit; our starter add-on is $25.
• De-icing: included in a package or charged per application. Say which product, because some salts damage new concrete.
• Priority: first on the route each storm is worth more to an early commuter or a business, so it carries a higher rate.
• Route density: a drive next to one you already clear costs you almost no extra drive time. You can price it the same and keep the margin, or sell the street.

Quote it on your website

1. The homeowner types their address. The map starts on a driveway from the house to the street, and they adjust it or draw their own.
2. They pick per push, push and de-icing, or priority, and add walks and steps.
3. They leave their details to see your price. You get the drive measured and the service chosen, before the first storm.

Embed it with data-service="snow_removal". For filling the route itself, see snow removal leads.

Common questions

What is the formula for pricing snow removal?

Base fee plus square feet times a rate, never below a minimum: on our starter rates, about $54 for an 800 sq ft drive.

How do you price a seasonal snow contract?

The per-push price times the storms you expect, then a cap or per-push billing past it. 12 pushes on an 800 sq ft drive is about $644.

Should snow removal have a minimum charge?

Yes: the truck costs the same to send to a short drive. Our starter minimum is $40 a push.