Winter 2026–27 · Chicago · Evanston · Oak Park
Chicago sidewalk snow, cleared by 7 a.m.
A winter pass for sidewalk, front stairs and garage apron. After every inch overnight, with a time-stamped photo.
Pre-season · Routes start Dec. 1 · From $699 a winter
What we clear
5 ft
Public sidewalk
A path across your whole frontage. On a corner, both sides and the ramp.
6 steps
Front walk and stairs
From the sidewalk to your door, railings brushed off.
1–2 car
Garage apron
The strip between your garage door and the alley.
Ice melt
Every visit
A calcium chloride blend on stairs and walks.
Photo
Time-stamped
In your inbox after each visit.
How a snow night runs
An ordinary overnight snowfall. Bigger storms follow the storm rules.
Storm rulesExample night
8:00 p.m.
The forecast calls for 2 to 4 inches after midnight. Your crew is told to be ready.
1:00 a.m.
We check the radar and the snow stick on the route.
3:00 a.m.
The crew starts a route of about 25 homes on neighboring blocks.
3:00–6:45
A 5-foot path across your sidewalk, then the walk, the stairs and the apron, with ice melt.
6:52 a.m.
A photo with the time on it lands in your inbox.
One price for the winter
| Lot | Season | In a normal winter |
|---|---|---|
| Standard city lotUp to 30 ft of frontage | $699 | about $64 a snowfall |
| Wider lot31 to 50 ft | $849 | about $77 a snowfall |
| Wide lot51 to 75 ft | $1,049 | about $95 a snowfall |
| Corner lotYou own two sidewalks and a ramp. | +$300 | Add-on |
| Front stairs+$80 for 7 to 14 steps, +$160 for 15 or more | +$80 / +$160 | Add-on |
Add-ons, per season: back walk and gangway $90 · driveway $150 for one car, $250 for two · car brush-off $149 per car · dusting runs $249
The pass runs Dec. 1 to Mar. 31 and includes up to 20 visits. $49 holds your spot and counts toward the pass; it’s refundable until your first visit and comes back on its own if your route hasn’t opened by Dec. 15. The rest is due Dec. 1, or in two halves on Dec. 1 and Jan. 4.
Check my blockIf we’re late
7:01
Overnight snow of 1 to 8 inches that’s done falling by 4 a.m. gets cleared by 7:00 a.m. If the photo’s time stamp says 7:01, one-tenth of your pass comes back. No claim form.
< 20.0 in
Light winter? If O’Hare records less than 20 inches between Dec. 1 and Mar. 31, 20% of your pass comes back in April.
Questions
One inch or more of new snow since our last visit, measured on your walk with a snow stick and checked against the nearest National Weather Service report. Snow under an inch isn’t a visit on the standard pass unless you add dusting runs.
Then some money comes back. If O’Hare records less than 20 inches from Dec. 1 to Mar. 31, we refund 20% of your pass in April. The long-run average for those months is about 34 inches.
Add car brush-off for $149 per car for the season, and we brush off one car in front of your home or on your apron after every visit. We don’t dig out a car the street plow has walled in, and we don’t do dibs.
No. Clear by 7 is a private company, not affiliated with the City of Chicago. A City Council panel turned down a city sidewalk-clearing pilot in October 2025, so for now the job stays with owners.
Local landscaping crews we contract for the season. Clear by 7 plans the routes and checks every photo. Each crew must carry general liability insurance that covers snow and ice work, and before your first visit you get your crew’s name and a copy of its insurance certificate.
CrewsSnow that falls between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. has to be off the sidewalk by 10 a.m., and daytime snow by 10 p.m. The path must be at least 5 feet wide, corner ramps included, seven days a week, and fines run $50 to $500. We aim for 7 a.m. because most people are out the door before the city’s deadline. Evanston and Oak Park set their own rules; our 7 a.m. target is the same there.
The rule and its sourceOn Chicago’s North and Northwest Sides (60613, 60618, 60625, 60630, 60631, 60634, 60640, 60641, 60645, 60646, 60656 and 60659), in Evanston (60201, 60202) and in Oak Park (60301, 60302, 60304). Somewhere else in Chicago? Check your block anyway. A route opens where enough neighbors sign up close together, and we’ll tell you yes or no by Nov. 25.