Snow removal questions, answered
The questions property managers, HOA boards and business owners in northern New Jersey actually ask, each answered in its first sentence. 57 so far.
A commercial seasonal snow contract in northern NJ runs about $10,000 to $30,000 a winter. New Jersey has no statewide sidewalk deadline: across 171 towns it runs from 5 daylight hours to 48 hours. Rock salt works best above about 15°F pavement temperature. The details, and the sources, are one click below.
Cost & contracts
What commercial snow removal costs in northern NJ, what a seasonal contract covers, and when to sign one.
- How much does commercial snow removal cost in New Jersey?
- Is salting included in a snow removal contract?
- Should I get a seasonal snow contract or pay per push?
- What if it barely snows? Do I still pay the full seasonal price?
- What if it's a record winter? Can a seasonal snow price go up mid-season?
- When should I sign a commercial snow removal contract?
- Is it too late to get a snow contract in November or December?
- How long does a snow removal contract last?
- How long does it take to get a snow removal proposal?
- What is a trigger depth in a snow contract?
- What is a cap in a seasonal snow contract?
- What counts as one snow event for billing?
- What does additional insured mean on a snow contractor's insurance?
- What is a hold harmless or indemnification clause in a snow contract?
- What is included in a seasonal snow management plan?
Sidewalks & NJ town rules
How long you have to clear a sidewalk, who is responsible, and what towns fine for, from each town's own code.
- How long do I have to clear my sidewalk after it snows in New Jersey?
- Who is responsible for clearing the sidewalk in front of a business in NJ?
- Can my town fine me for not clearing the sidewalk?
- Can my plow contractor push snow into the street?
- Is rock salt banned on sidewalks anywhere in New Jersey?
- Who is responsible for snow removal at a commercial property, the landlord or the tenant?
- Do I need a permit to plow or haul snow in New Jersey?
Slip-and-fall, liability & insurance
What to do after a fall, what records to keep, and what a contractor's insurance certificate should show.
- What should I do if someone slips and falls on ice at my property?
- How long should I keep snow removal records?
- What should a snow contractor's certificate of insurance show?
- Is an HOA liable for a fall on the public sidewalk outside the community?
- What is New Jersey's ongoing storm rule?
- Does salting during a storm create liability in New Jersey?
- Does hiring a snow contractor move the liability off the property owner?
- Does the ADA require clearing snow from accessible parking spaces?
- Does OSHA require employers to clear snow and ice?
Salt & ice
When salt stops working, why a lot ices after it was treated, and what de-icers do to concrete and pavement.
- At what temperature does rock salt stop working?
- Why is my parking lot icy even though it was salted?
- Why did my contractor salt when it didn't snow?
- What is pre-treatment or brine, and is it worth it?
- Is sand better than salt for ice?
- Does salt damage concrete sidewalks?
- What is the difference between rock salt, calcium chloride and magnesium chloride?
- What ice melt is safe for pavers and natural stone?
- Is ice melt safe for pets and landscaping?
- Do I have to buy plowing to get salting and de-icing?
During a storm
When the plow comes, what happens if a contractor does not show, and how much snow a winter really brings.
- Do I have to call my snow contractor when it snows?
- What do I do if my snow contractor doesn't show up?
- When will my parking lot be plowed before we open?
- How many times will my lot get plowed in a northern NJ winter?
- How much snow does northern New Jersey get in a winter?
- Do snow plows work during the storm or wait until it stops?
- What should a snow removal service report include?
- What happens when snow piles take over my parking spaces?
- When do I need snow hauling instead of just piling snow on the lot?
- Do you clear entrances, stairs and ADA routes by hand?
HOAs & property types
Private HOA roads, medical offices, retail centers and other property types, and which ones we do and do not plow for.
- Does the town have to plow private HOA roads in New Jersey?
- Does JRW Services plow residential driveways?
- What should an HOA snow removal contract include?
- What's different about snow removal for medical offices?
- What do retail centers need from a snow contractor?
- Can one contractor handle snow removal for several properties under one contract?
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