Price a snow removal job for a driveway or lot, by the visit or by the season. Enter your time on site, crew rate and overhead — the calculator adds salt if you include it, applies your target margin, and rolls everything into a per-visit and seasonal price with a buffer for heavy winters.
Price a snow removal job
How to read your result
A residential double driveway (~1,000 sq ft), seasonal contract, salt included, USD:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Labour — 0.5 hr × $75 | $37.50 |
| Equipment & fuel overhead | $8.00 |
| Salt — 1 bag × $35 | $35.00 |
| Cost per visit | $80.50 |
| Price per visit at 20% margin ($80.50 ÷ 0.80) | $100.63 |
| Seasonal price — 15 visits × 1.15 buffer | $1,735.78 |
| Salt cost per season (35 × 1 × 15) | $525.00 |
| Seasonal price without salt | $981.09 |
Placeholder numbers only — enter your own time, rates and salt costs above.
Two contract habits that save seasons: put a trigger depth in writing (e.g. service at 2+ inches) so there is never a 6 a.m. debate about whether a visit counts; and cap the visit count on seasonal contracts, pricing overage visits separately.
Which trades is this for?
Snow and ice management for commercial and residential properties.
- Snow removal contractors: route-based pricing across multiple lots.
- Landscapers: winter work that fills the gap between seasons.
- Property maintenance: bundled winter services for commercial clients.
Assumptions & limits
- Time drives the price, not square footage. The area field is context to sanity-check your time estimate — a wide commercial lot and a tight driveway of the same size can take very different times.
- Your cost per visit is an estimate. Include drive time, fuel, wear and salt or de-icing materials. Labour costs per hour can be worked out with the Fully Loaded Labour Rate Calculator.
- The risk buffer is a judgment call. 15% is a starting default — adjust it to your winters and your tolerance, and pair it with a written visit cap.
- Contracts vary. Make sure the terms you quote (trigger depth, visit cap, salt included or extra) match what you enter above.
- Not included: sidewalk-only routes, on-call staffing, equipment payments or insurance — fold those into the per-visit overhead field.
- This is a pricing aid, not financial advice. Final pricing is your call.
Common questions
Per-push or seasonal — which is better?
Per-push pays you for every visit, which is fair in heavy winters. Seasonal gives the customer a predictable price and you predictable revenue. Compare both using the calculator — many contractors offer seasonal with a per-push option for salt or de-icing.
What trigger depth should I use?
It depends on the client and the lot. Commercial lots often use a 2-inch trigger; residential driveways are often 3 inches or more. Whatever you choose, put it in the contract so there’s no 6 a.m. argument about whether a visit counts, and a cap.
How do I price salt and de-icing?
Either include it in the per-push price or charge it separately per visit or per bag. If you include it, make sure your rate covers the material cost plus a margin. Salt prices can spike mid-season, so many contractors price it separately.
What if it barely snows?
That’s the risk with per-push pricing — your revenue follows the weather. Seasonal contracts protect you in light winters but can cost you in heavy ones. Some contractors use a hybrid: a seasonal base fee plus per-push charges above a certain number of events.
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Worked examples showing how snow and ice contractors use this calculator with their own numbers: