The Essential Snow And Ice Management Services To Include In Your Contract

When the snow starts to pile up on your commercial property, you need it out of the way.

When an ice storm looms, you need your parking lot, driveways and walkways free of treacherous ice.

Sounds pretty basic.

But when it comes to your property’s snow and ice management services, you want to make sure your contract covers all your winter needs.

The goal: to protect everyone who spends time on your commercial property, and minimize your organization’s chance of being exposed to snow and ice-related hazards such as slips, falls, traffic accidents, and property damage.

So, what are the must-have services to include in your contract?

Paul Wisniewski, division manager at Level Green Landscaping, walks us through the essentials.

Snow Plowing

Snow plowing, of course, is the foundation of your snow and ice management. But not all snow plowing is equal.

Level Green managers are frequently in touch with property managers, to see if they have extra needs as the snow moves in. Property managers get a chance to approve additional attention, even before the snow accumulates to the amount specified in their contract.

In a snow emergency, we know exactly where all the vehicles in our fleet are, thanks to GPS. We can look up and locate vehicles, even from the mobile apps on our operation managers’ smartphones. Then we can get those vehicles where they need to be, faster.

A Skid Loader

Skid loaders do the detail work a snow plow can’t navigate. They’re great in tight areas, Wisniewski says — between cars, around loading docks and dumpsters. They scoop up the snow and take it somewhere else.

A skid loader with a box does the job even better, Wisniewski says.

“They can push more snow with fewer trails of snow left behind,” he says. “They clean up a lot quicker and can push a larger amount. They’re more expensive, so some customers don’t want to pay for them, but they’re worth it in the end, because they’re so much more efficient.”

Hand Labor

Snow doesn’t just pile up in big parking lots where snow plows can swoop it away in giant swaths. It accumulates on narrow walkways, porches and stairs.

That’s when only a good old-fashioned shovel will do.

Your contract should include hand labor, to be sure every accessible nook and cranny of your property gets cleared for safety. In additions to shovels, hand labor crews might use a snowblower or a power broom to clear every corner.  

De-icer Applications

Ice is bad news. Invisible and slick, it creates injury-causing falls and traffic accidents. You want the best melting method in use on your commercial property.

Our crews don’t use straight rock salt for melting ice. Instead, we use an engineered ice melt mixture that’s less corrosive than straight salt and friendlier to the environment.

When pre-applied, it prevents ice and snow from bonding to the surface area. Because it’s a time-released formula, the ice melt stays on the surface longer, continuing to work, and helping to reduce the freeze and thaw cycle.

Preventative Surface Treatments

The only thing better than melting slick, dangerous ice is to keep it from forming in the first place. That’s where brine comes in.

Brine is a liquid mixture of water and salt that’s sprayed on roads, parking lots and walkways, usually before a snow or ice storm, to prevent snow and ice from sticking.

While salt doesn’t work until the snow or ice starts to melt and it mixes with that liquid and activates, brine is already in solution form, so as soon as we put it down, it starts to work.

That first inch or two of snow is the most slippery, so preventing it from sticking offers a real safety boost. A brine truck and driver handle this work.

Extras, If You Need Them

Beyond the essentials, there are other snow and ice management services available, if you need them.

A dump truck and driver can haul excessive snow off your property in the rare event that it piles up so much, there’s no place left to put it.

An ATV — all terrain vehicle — is an option to help clear extra wide sidewalks.

How Do You Know What You Need?

That’s where we come in.

“The customer’s main concern is, ‘We want it clean,’” Wisniewski says. “We determine the most efficient, safest way to keep their property clear, then staff it to get the job done.

“It comes down to understanding exactly what the customer’s expectations are,” he says. “That’s why we’re always communicating with them, so we’re always all on the same page.”

The Value Of A Single Provider For Your Property’s Needs

At Level Green Landscaping, we only offer snow and ice management services for our clients already under contract for landscape maintenance services.

Why? It means better service for our loyal customers.

When we take care of your commercial property year-round, we really get to know your property — before the snow falls. We know where the delivery trucks come in, and other areas where clear pavement is crucial.

If heavy snow damages your shrubs or a plow nicks a curb, we take care of it.

When you become our year-round customer, you have the ease of dealing with one landscape maintenance vendor. Your Level Green account manager is your dependable contact, whether you need help planting flowers or clearing snow.

Sign A Commercial Snow Removal Contract With Level Green

Do you currently have two different providers for your landscaping services and your snow removal? We’d love to tell you more about the value of hiring us to take care of both those needs.

Contact us for a free property assessment and consultation. We'll give you an honest evaluation of your best options.

Level Green Landscaping provides snow and ice management services for its commercial maintenance customers throughout Washington DC, Maryland and parts of Virginia.

Call us at 202-544-0968 or complete our contact form online to ensure you have the best snow removal company for your commercial property — before the snow piles up.