Why Property Managers Wait To Sign Snow & Ice Management Contracts (And 7 Reasons Why They Shouldn't)

If you haven’t signed your snow and ice management contract yet, Kevin Doleman gets it.

“When it’s 90 degrees outside, people aren’t thinking about snow,” says Doleman, snow manager at Level Green Landscaping.

Sure, head to the beach, grill some burgers, live in your flip flops. But take a few minutes to get your commercial property signed up for snow and ice management. When the snow starts drifting, you’ll be glad you did.

Here’s why it’s smart to act now.

First, What’s Your Excuse?

(Extra points if yours isn’t on our list.)

• “For property managers, snow and ice is a nuisance,” Doleman says. “It’s a lot of work. It’s expensive.” Ugh. It’s easier to just procrastinate.

• It might be a mild winter. Sure, it might be. That’s what keeps us on our toes around here. Remember last winter, when heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain slammed the region? Enough said.

• Lots of people are still working at home, right? So you might not really need it.

• “If you don’t treat your property, all it takes is one person to have an accident, and you’re liable,” Doleman says.

• Money, money, money. You’re working on your budget. It seems like the price of everything has gone up. You have to stretch. You figure maybe you can do your own snow removal. Shovels are cheap, right?

Here’s why you should sign that contract now:

1. You Want The Best People On Your Property

We partner with subcontractors to make sure we have enough people to clear our clients’ snow quickly and efficiently.

We’re in the process now of contacting interested workers, finding out what equipment they have and where they live.

But we can’t hire them until we know we’ll need them. And if we don’t bring them on, other landscaping companies will.

We don’t want to have to turn good people away because we don’t know yet if we need them.

Meanwhile, the best people could be scooped up by another company.

You want the best possible crews on your property, right?

So do we. Help us get the best crews on board by signing your contract.

2. You Want The Right Equipment

“Landscaping companies have many more mowers than they do snow removal equipment,” Doleman says.

We don’t own all the snow plows, skid steers. and snow blowers we need to service our vast client load. No landscaping company does.

What we don’t have, we rent. And we need to reserve this vital equipment well in advance of the first snow storm.

We set aside our own equipment for our customers who sign up early.

You want to be in that club, right?

3. It Takes Time To Create Your Property’s Snow Plan

“Signing early gives you the opportunity to walk your property with us to discuss your expectations,” Doleman says.

That walk through is super important. So many crucial things happen.

Walking through your property with you is a key step in preventing damage. It shows us if your property has areas of pavers. Paver areas need a rubber-edged plow blade — a regular blade can pull pavers up or damage them.

Is there anything protruding from the ground that could be damaged once it’s covered by snow?

Manhole covers, water meter covers, utility hardware — all of these things stick up out of the ground an inch or so. That’s enough to catch the edge of a snow plow blade, snow blower or shovel.

The walk through helps us prepare overhead site maps of your property to help our crews clear your property efficiently.

They show us exactly where to plow, shovel, and de-ice. They indicate where to pile the snow — and where not to pile it.

And they note any areas of concern, so we can minimize damage on your commercial property.

We’ll mark these areas with snow stakes or safety cones to keep them damage free.
It’s best to do that walk through now, while the weather is still nice and when we still have the time.

4. You Need To Be On Our Route

We start planning our snow removal routes in August.

Are you on one of them?

When we have to add a client at the last minute, we might not be able to get to them as quickly.

5. Snow Planning Is Tricky Around Here

In this market, we don’t know how much snow we’ll get year to year. It’s not like in Boston, where they know they’ll get 80 inches. One year we might get 30 inches, the next year we might get two inches.

That means planning is tricky. If we don’t have your company information in the mix, it’s even trickier. That can hamper our ability to give you the best possible service.

6. Don’t Risk a Lawsuit

Is it possible to breeze through snow season without paying for snow and ice management?

Sure, you could risk it.

But, like Doleman said earlier, if somebody slips and falls on your property, there can be serious financial consequences for you.

We’re talking legal costs, medical costs, potential insurance rate increases, plus workers’ compensation if an employee slips.

Also consider loss of business if potential customers or tenants pass you by because your property is clogged with snow or looks dangerously slick.

7. You Don’t Want to Miss Out

“Some believe they can just pick up the phone and get snow removal,” Doleman says. “But 99.9 percent of companies won’t do that unless you have a contract.”

When a company is at capacity with customers, they’re full.

“You don’t want to be turned away if your contractor is full,” Doleman says. “Being prepared is everything. Weather is a variable you can’t control.”

Sign Your Level Green Snow Contract Now

“The earlier we know, the better prepared we can be for you,” Doleman says.

Our account managers are ready when you are. They’ll make the process easy.

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

If you’re not already a Level Green Landscaping client, we’d love to add you to our growing list of happy customers.

Our focus is on commercial properties like offices, mixed-use sites, HOAs, municipalities and institutions in Maryland, Washington DC and parts of Virginia.

Contact us at 202-544-0968. You can also request a free consultation online to meet with us one-on-one.

We’d love to hear from you — before the snow piles up.