An HOA Board's Guide to Reviewing the Snow Contract

October 21, 2025 · JRW Services LLC

Most HOA boards approve the snow contract in twenty minutes because winter feels far away and the incumbent sent the same paper as last year. Here's what to actually check before the vote.

One number the budget can hold

For an association, seasonal flat-rate pricing is almost always the right structure: one known cost, approved once, no special assessment because February turned mean. If the proposal is per-storm, ask what last winter would have cost under it. That math ends most debates.

Scope that matches how residents live

Boards get complaints about walkways, mailbox clusters, guest parking and the clubhouse entrance, not the main road. Check that the scope names those areas specifically, with their own trigger depth if they need one. "Common areas" is not a scope; it's an argument waiting for January.

Timing residents will actually accept

Pre-dawn passes should be done before commuters leave. Ask what "done" means in the contract: cleared once, or cleared and treated? During a daytime storm, how often do crews loop back?

Damage terms, in writing

Lawns, curbs, belgian block and mailboxes take the beating in a community. The contract should say the property gets staked and photo-documented before the season, walked after it, and who fixes what. A contractor who resists the walkthrough is telling you how spring will go.

Insurance the association can rely on

Certificate of insurance for snow and ice work specifically, with the association listed as additional insured, delivered before the first storm. If a resident slips, the contractor's service logs become the association's defense, so ask to see a sample event report too.

The renewal question

If the incumbent has been fine, renewing is reasonable. But get one competing proposal every couple of years anyway. It keeps the pricing honest, and reading a sharper contract shows you what your current one is missing.

A board that checks these six things has done its duty of care, and the winter meeting agenda stays boring. That's the goal.