Commercial Snow Removal & Ice Management in Somerville, Medford, Cambridge & Boston
Quick answer: Seasonal snow and ice contracts for condo associations, apartment buildings, small commercial properties and property management portfolios — plowing, walkway and stair clearing, salting, pre-treatment and hauling, with a timestamped log for every event. Seasonal contracts typically run $2,000–$10,000 per winter. Sidewalk-only compliance service is available for North End, Charlestown and Beacon Hill buildings. Request a snow proposal before contracts are awarded in October.
Snow is where property managers change vendors. Not because of price — because of the 6 a.m. call from a resident who can't get out of the lot, the walkway nobody salted, the plow guy who took on too many accounts and got to yours last. Our snow contracts are written to remove those calls from your winter.
We're a Medford company that's worked in these neighborhoods since 1989, and we build snow routes the same way we build grounds routes: tight, local and deliberately limited to what the crew can service inside the contract window.
What a snow & ice contract covers
Plowing & clearing
- Parking lots, drives and fire lanes
- Walkways, stairs, entries and ramps
- Dumpster pads, mailboxes, hydrants
- Contracted trigger depth (typically 2")
- Return visits during long-duration storms
- Snow relocation and hauling when piles max out
Ice management
- Pre-treatment ahead of forecast storms
- Rock salt for lots, calcium blend for walks and steps
- Refreeze checks the morning after
- Material logged by location and quantity
- Drainage fixes for chronic ice traps (we're an NDS certified drainage contractor)
Documentation your insurer will ask for
Every event produces a log: time in, time out, what was plowed, what was treated, how much material went down, and photos. Slip-and-fall claims hinge on whether the property owner can show reasonable care. A dated, photographed service record is that proof. You get it after each event without asking.
Sidewalk snow compliance for dense Boston neighborhoods
In the North End, Charlestown, Beacon Hill and much of the South End there's nothing to plow — but there are sidewalks, stoops and entry stairs, and the City of Boston holds the owner responsible. Boston's ordinance requires abutting sidewalks to be cleared within 3 hours after snowfall ends (or within 3 hours of sunrise for overnight snow), with a path at least 42 inches wide, and ice treated. Fines run per day and inspectors work these neighborhoods first because the complaints come from these neighborhoods first.
For these buildings we offer a sidewalk-and-entry contract: shoveling, stair clearing, treatment and a photo record that the work was done inside the window. It's priced per building for the season, and because the buildings are close together, it's affordable. Property managers with multiple downtown buildings can put them on one agreement.
How pricing works
We quote seasonal contracts by default: one fixed price for the winter, billed monthly November through April, no surprises in a February like 2015. Per-push and per-inch pricing are available if your board prefers them, and we'll lay both out side by side so the decision is informed. Salt is either included in the seasonal price or billed per application — your choice, stated in the contract.
Neighborhood notes
- Somerville, Medford, Arlington, much of Cambridge — real lots and grounds. Full plow, walks and salt. This is our core market.
- North End, Charlestown, Beacon Hill, South End — sidewalk, stair and entry compliance service. No plow needed, no plow charged.
- Cambridge — the city's own sidewalk deadlines apply, and equipment noise rules matter year-round. We plan Cambridge routes around both.
Grounds and snow on one contract
Snow is usually how a property manager tries a new vendor, and grounds is where the relationship pays off for both sides. Putting both on one agreement (our Total Property tier) means one vendor knows your property in every season, one invoice, one renewal date. See the grounds maintenance page for what the green-season side covers.
Snow & ice FAQ
How much does a commercial snow removal contract cost near Boston?
Seasonal snow contracts for condo associations and small commercial properties in Somerville, Medford and Cambridge generally run $2,000 to $10,000 per season depending on lot size, walkway footage and salting needs. Per-push plowing runs about $75 to $200 per visit for small lots, salting about $75 to $400 per acre per application, and snow hauling $150 to $400 per truckload when piles have nowhere left to go. We recommend seasonal pricing for anyone who has to budget.
Seasonal contract or per-push — which should our association pick?
Seasonal, in almost every case. A seasonal contract is a fixed price for the winter regardless of how many storms hit, which is what a board budget needs. Per-push is cheaper in a light winter and painful in a heavy one, and it puts the vendor's incentive in the wrong place. We offer both and will show you the math for your property.
When do you start plowing?
The trigger depth is written into your contract — typically 2 inches for lots and drives, with walkways and entries cleared and treated at lower accumulations because that's where people fall. Pre-treatment before a forecast storm and salting after are scheduled by the event, not by a phone call from you.
What are Boston's sidewalk snow rules?
Boston property owners must clear snow from the sidewalks abutting their property within 3 hours after snow stops falling, or within 3 hours of sunrise if it snowed overnight, leaving a path at least 42 inches wide. Ice must be treated. Fines are issued per day for non-compliance and the city enforces it in dense neighborhoods. Somerville, Cambridge and Medford have their own deadlines; we track all of them.
Do you provide service records for liability purposes?
Yes. Every event gets a timestamped log of arrival, work performed, materials applied and departure, with photos. If someone claims a slip-and-fall on your property, that log is what your insurer will ask for first.
When should we sign for this winter?
September and October. That's when property managers award snow contracts for the winter, and it gives us time to walk the property before the ground freezes, mark obstacles and stage salt. We'll still take properties later in the season, but signing early means the property gets walked and staked before the ground freezes.
Source: City of Boston snow removal ordinance (Boston Municipal Code 16-12.16) and boston.gov snow-clearing guidance. Confirm current fine amounts with the city; they change.