At Snow Tech, we understand the business of snow removal in Waterloo. As an experienced snow removal company, we know how difficult it can be to compare snow removal quotes when each company packages and sells its services with a slightly different approach. So, we wanted to provide you with practical tips to help you evaluate each company’s quote and find the best fit for your business.
Adequate Insurance
The first question you will want to ask a snow removal company is if they have adequate insurance to cover any liability issues that might arise from a slip and fall? This is the most important question that should be asked first. You will want to choose a company that has $5,000,000 of liability and property insurance. If they have less than $5,000,000 of coverage, we suggest considering it a deal-breaker and moving on to other quotes.
It is always advisable to ask for a certificate of insurance showing the coverage. A professional snow removal provider will be able to send you a certificate of insurance by email easily. Also, ask if they will add your property as an additional insured on their policy. After the contract has been signed, you should be provided with a certificate of insurance showing your business as an additional insured. Make sure you have a copy of this for your records before the season starts.
WSIB Coverage
When looking for a snow removal company, you may not realize you should ask about their WSIB coverage. This is important because you need to ensure that the employee who may be shovelling your front walkway will not be injured on the job, which you could be liable for.
You should always ask for a WSIB eClearance certificate. This will show that the contractor is up-to-date on their WSIB filings and is in good standings. If you choose a small one-man snow plow contractor, you may be ok to choose an individual without WSIB if they are the only person working on your property. Again, we would recommend that no WSIB coverage is a deal-breaker.
Schedule
A reliable snow removal company should be able to tell you how often they will plow your snow. You need to know exactly how many centimetres or inches of snow needs to accumulate before they plow the property.
We recommend choosing a snow plowing service that triggers snow plowing at 2.5 cm. Anything more than 4 cm, and you will run into trouble with freezing snow packing into the pavement and ice.
Timing
When the snow starts falling, timing is everything. Find out when the removal company comes to plow the snow. Our recommendation is to be very specific about the needs of your property. This is one element in the quote process that you can control to compare service levels easily. Be specific. What time of day do you need the snow cleared by? Do you require snow removal service on weekends?
A good snow removal company will clear your property from snow every day of the week regardless of whether or not your business is open. The snow plow contractor is legally responsible and should ensure that the parking lot is safe at all times.
Invoicing
You will most likely receive different types of quotes, the standard per-time fee, all-inclusive pricing, and a combination of both, so it is important to understand how they will invoice you. To compare quotes apples-to-apples, you really need to break it down and look at it based on a per-event charge. While the all-inclusive pricing will initially appear a lot higher than the per-time fee, it protects you from being billed for additional snow events based on the contractor’s discretion.
Equipment
When comparing the equipment that will be used, you need to think about the quality of the end product. How will your parking lot look after the snow plow company has finished plowing? For example, if you have a lot of sidewalks and they will only be hand shovelled or cleared with a snowblower, it will be challenging for that snow plow company in a heavy snowfall. Your sidewalks may end up getting more and more narrow as the season goes on.
If you are looking at two quotes, and they are both plowing the parking lot with pick-up trucks, look at the type of snow plow blade that is being used. Will they be using a straight-blade, V-plow or hydraulic wing plow? An experienced operator with a hydraulic wing plow will be able to plow your parking lot quicker and do a better job than someone with the same experience using a straight blade. And, time is money.
Knowing the right questions to ask when comparing snow removal companies can save you time and money. You want to make sure you choose a company that takes pride in delivering consistent, excellent results during the winter months.Here at Snow Tech, we are Kitchener-Waterloo’s leading snow removal and landscape company offering services for commercial properties. We are happy to answer any questions or provide you with a free, no-obligation quote. Contact us today to get started!