For property managers, building owners and businesses in London, Ontario, a winter contract should explain when crews are dispatched, how quickly your property is serviced, what areas are included, how ice is managed, and what happens when conditions change. Those expectations should be clear before the first major storm.

If you are comparing commercial snow removal companies in London, Ontario, here are 13 questions to ask before you sign. Under each, we explain how SG Mowing handles it so you can compare like with like. Every detail is confirmed in the property’s written winter agreement.

1. What is the snowfall trigger?

The trigger is the accumulation that starts service. Contractors may use 1 cm, 2 cm, 5 cm, or separate triggers for plowing, salting and freezing rain. Never assume they match, and don’t confuse municipal road standards with a private contract.

Ask: Will you make early passes if it keeps snowing, or wait until the storm ends? What starts plowing? Is salting a different trigger? What happens in freezing rain? Is pre-treatment included?

2. Is there capacity for your property?

Contractors build routes, crews and equipment plans before winter. Ask: “Are you still accepting commercial properties this season, and is there room on your route for ours?”

3. What is the expected ETA, and how many passes are included?

Don’t just ask whether they plow when it snows. Ask for the arrival time after the trigger is reached or snowfall ends, especially if you open early, and whether multiple passes are included in long storms.

4. Is salting or de-icing included?

Snow removal and ice management are different services. Confirm whether ice melt, pre-treatment and post-storm treatment are included or extra, and which areas are treated. This matters in London’s freeze-thaw cycles.

5. How is freezing rain handled?

A property can look clear and turn hazardous within minutes of freezing rain starting.

6. Are walkways, accessible routes and loading areas included?

A plowed lot is no help if people can’t reach the door. Confirm coverage for main and side entrances, sidewalks, ramps, stairs, accessible parking and routes, fire exits, loading docks, delivery entrances, fire lanes and drive-through lanes. If hand shovelling is needed, ask whether it’s in the price. These areas should be identified at the site inspection, not assumed.

7. Are return visits included, and is the property monitored?

Conditions change after the first pass: snowfall, plowing, temperature drop, refreeze, ice.

8. Who do you call during a storm?

Ask who your primary contact is, whether there’s an emergency number, how updates are given and how to request an extra visit.

9. Are they insured and WSIB compliant?

Ask for a current Certificate of Insurance showing Commercial General Liability coverage, and a current WSIB clearance certificate. Don’t rely on a verbal “yes”, and check your ownership or insurer requirements before work begins. SG Mowing carries $5M liability insurance and WSIB coverage.

10. What equipment will service the property?

Depending on the site: pickup plows, V-plows, straight plows, skid steers, loaders, snow blowers, salt spreaders and hand crews. The real question is whether the contractor has enough of the right equipment and people to service your site in a major storm.

11. Is service documented?

Records of service dates and times, conditions, plowing, ice-melt applications, return visits, areas serviced and notes help you keep organized winter maintenance records. Ask what documentation you receive.

12. Seasonal, per-visit or combined pricing?

Seasonal: a fixed price for agreed services. Per-visit: you pay for each visit. Combined: a seasonal base plus charges for specific services. Confirm what’s included and excluded: trigger, salting, return visits, hauling, emergency service, extra accumulation, HST and payment schedule. The lowest quote is only comparable if the scope is the same.

13. Who handles snow piles and hauling?

Repeated storms create large piles that block parking and sightlines. Ask where snow is piled, who chooses storage areas, whether snow is relocated, whether hauling is included or extra, and what happens when storage is full. Hauling should be named in the contract, never assumed.

Residential Snow Plowing in London, Ontario

Not a commercial property? Homeowners need the same clarity, just at a different scale. SG Mowing also provides residential snow removal and driveway snow plowing in London, Ontario, and the same questions apply: trigger, what’s included, ice melt and what happens after the city plow comes through.

Residential vs. commercial: homes typically use a 5 cm trigger and seasonal plans focused on the driveway and walkways, while commercial agreements can use a lower 1 cm trigger, service windows, multiple passes and documentation for lots and entrances. If you manage both, or own a home and a business, one team can handle both

Commercial Snow Removal Checklist for London Property Managers

What Makes a Commercial Snow Plan Different?

A complete plan connects each step: accumulation, dispatch, plowing, multiple passes, ice monitoring, de-icing, return visits, documentation and communication. SG Mowing’s commercial service is built around a 1 cm trigger, a planned 1 to 4 hour service window, multiple passes and early passes so your business stays open, property monitoring, on-site salt bin rental, pre- and post-freezing-rain ice management, ice melt, return visits and one primary contact. We limit seasonal capacity so we can plan crews, equipment and routes before the season starts.

The important question isn’t only “How much does it cost?” It’s:

What exactly happens at my property before, during and after a winter storm?