Every season, Alterra Landscaping provides commercial snow removal services for retail stores and homeowners associations, office and industrial structures, and much more. Being one of the few ISO-recognized snow removal firms in Alberta, we know the most effective methods and techniques to combat winter storms safely and promptly. This article will take a closer review of the most common snow removal contracts available in Alberta and what’s included in the typical snow removal contract.
Types Of Snow Removal Contracts
There are three primary kinds of snow removal agreements for commercial properties that include per-event or seasonal and full-service.
Per Event
If you’re under an event-specific agreement, then you’ll have to pay when snowfalls. Our crews begin plowing after the snow has accumulated to the agreed-upon height of 4 to 5 inches. Many property managers appreciate this method because they don’t have to pay for services that they do not receive. It also allows the creation of an itemized account at the close of each month that they could later incorporate into the expense reports.
Seasonal
Seasonal contracts are usually set for 2 to 3 years with fixed costs for snow removal and permit an average law used in the clients and contractor’s. If a specific winter brings more snowfall than the average, it will benefit the client as the snow contractor is more likely to profit from a warmer winter. Many factors affect the cost of snow removal contracts.
Full-Service
A full-service contract can also be extended for 2 years, and is the Cadillac option for snow and ice removal. Our customers who have full-service contracts don’t need to worry about any issues during the duration of the season. All of the top options listed here are available. This is ideal for retailers who require a partner in fighting winter’s harsh conditions.
- Retail property managers that require Ice treatment throughout the day appreciate this service since they know they don’t need to be concerned about anything – we’ve got you taken care of.
- Associations that have HOAs are enthralled by this choice since it allows the association to know precisely the winter costs for maintenance will be which allows for regular fees for members.
Once you’ve mastered the three significant kinds of snow removal contracts, Let’s look at what’s in the most common snow removal agreement.
Ice Removal
The snow can lead to accidents for pedestrians and a decrease in the grip for vehicles within your property, but the most significant threat during winter months is ice. The disadvantage of a per-event agreement is that it will only permit service when there’s a specific quantity of snow in the area; however, ice can develop with no precipitation. In Schill Grounds Management, we strive to emphasize the importance of a snow removal plan that ensures your property is looked after regardless of the weather and not just following the snow has fallen.
Common Options For Melting Ice
Pretreatment With Liquid Deicer
The foot traffic is never stopped at some of the retail locations we manage, and the surfaces must be visible and free of ice in all weather conditions. We fight ice with various innovative strategies. We’re leading the way in making use of liquid deicers that are less harmful to buildings and plants than salt, yet is just as effective in keeping the ice from forming a bond with the pavement.
Salt
We employ salt on commercial properties, in addition to liquid deicer, mainly because it works more quickly. It’s particularly beneficial in circumstances that snow is falling quickly and the client has decided to not use any liquid deicer and when there’s not enough time to prepare all of the property.
But, salt can be damaging to the exterior of a building if it is trapped within the porous exterior layers of concrete or stone or inside the building when people walk through it with their shoes. Salt can also cause destruction to the landscape because salt sucks moisture away from plants.
Snow Removal — How And Where
The only thing people are aware of regarding commercial snow removal is that plows are used. What happens to the snow or the other equipment that is employed to get rid of it is a different story. Here are a few basic options prospective customers have to make regarding the way that snow is treated once it is removed from their property.
Snow Plowing, Shoveling, and Blowing
Snow plowing is usually what first pops into your mind when you think of snow removal however, there’s more than one option to clean sidewalks and streets. There are certain areas of your property that a snowplow shouldn’t or shouldn’t be used, so our teams sweep snow off areas that are walkable and beds, too. This ensures that your plants and trees are visible to your employees, customers, as well as tenants, to appreciate all year round even when it’s snowing.
Snow Hauling
Removal of snow by transporting it to a different location is a significant component of our work. Where does all the snow go? Alterra Management takes snow from the properties of our clients to our own snow farm located in the northern part of Lorain County, where it melts naturally when the temperature rises.
Snow Banking
If you don’t mind huge piles of snow in their yard, we can provide snow banks as well. It’s an affordable solution for homes with plenty of extra space that isn’t being used to serve other purposes. Many people are unaware of the length of time it takes in order for the banks of snow to dissolve naturally. It’s not unusual for massive piles of snow to remain on parking spaces into late spring and into early summer. We advise you to avoid any possibility of Christmas during July, and let us take away snow from your property completely.
How It Applies To Your Property
Making a Plan
After talking with you about your options, we will make the plan that will be tailored to your property’s needs. It’s not just about the items mentioned above however, it is also based on the location of your property in relation to our office as well as various salt storage facilities as well as the best way to clear snow off the property (what’s an efficient method to clear the snow and how many workers are required).
Contingency Plan
Blockages on roads can occur in the form of accidents; road blockages can occur, and, eventually, the original plan to your property might no longer be practical. Once we’ve created a preliminary plan to remove snow and ice off your property and then we’ll develop an alternate plan to implement if Murphy’s Law goes into effect.
