Guides for city lots

Snow that falls between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. has to be off the sidewalk by 10 a.m. Snow that falls from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. has to be off by 10 p.m. That’s every day of the week, weekends included.

The cleared path has to be at least 5 feet wide on every sidewalk next to the property, including the crosswalk ramps at a corner. Fines run $50 to $500 per case, and an Administrative Hearings judge sets the amount, so the flat $50 you sometimes hear isn’t the whole story. The rules live in the Municipal Code, sections 4-4-310 and 10-8-180.

How often does it come up? O’Hare averages about 36.7 inches of snow a year, and about 11 days from December through March with an inch or more (1981–2010 normals). Evanston and Oak Park set their own rules, so check your city or village before counting on Chicago’s times there.

Sources: City of Chicago, CDOT, Sidewalk Snow Removal; Illinois State Climatologist, Chicago O’Hare climate normals (1981–2010)

On a corner, Chicago expects the sidewalk cleared on every side of the property, plus the corner ramps into the crosswalks. The path is the same 5 feet wide and the deadlines are the same: 10 a.m. for overnight snow, 10 p.m. for daytime snow.

On a standard 25-by-125-foot lot, the side sidewalk is about 125 feet long, five times the 25 feet in front. That’s why our Corner Lot Pass is $999 for up to 30 feet of front: the City Lot price plus $300 for the side sidewalk and the ramps.

Sources: City of Chicago, CDOT, Sidewalk Snow Removal

The city doesn’t allow shoveling snow into the public right-of-way. That means not into the street, transit stops, bus pads, parking spaces, bike lanes, bike racks or Divvy stations.

Put it on your parkway, the strip between the sidewalk and the curb, or in your yard. From a garage apron, pile it beside the garage rather than out in the alley. Our crews follow the same rule on every visit.

Sources: City of Chicago, CDOT, Sidewalk Snow Removal

Shovel first, then treat what’s left: ice melt works on a thin layer, not under three inches of snow. Rock salt is cheap and common, but it stops working on the coldest nights. Calcium chloride keeps working at temperatures where rock salt stops, which is why our crews carry a calcium chloride blend.

New concrete is the exception. If your sidewalk, stairs or apron were poured in the last 12 months, skip deicers this winter and use sand for traction. If you have a dog, ask for a pet-friendlier blend; on our pass it costs nothing extra.

Chicago puts the duty on owners, and on tenants or occupants who are in charge of a property. Some leases hand snow removal to tenants; many don’t. If you rent, read the snow clause in your lease or ask your landlord who handles it.

Illinois’ Snow and Ice Removal Act (745 ILCS 75) generally says residential owners, and people they hire, who clear the sidewalk next to a home aren’t liable for injuries from snowy or icy conditions unless the conduct is willful or wanton. It doesn’t cover every situation, and this isn’t legal advice.

Our pass covers the whole frontage of a two-flat or three-flat, the front stairs and the apron. Renters can buy a pass too; we just ask that your landlord knows.

Sources: City of Chicago, CDOT, Sidewalk Snow Removal; Illinois General Assembly, Snow and Ice Removal Act (745 ILCS 75)

Per-push service bills each snowfall, usually priced by depth, sometimes with a separate charge for salting before a storm. You only learn what the winter cost in spring. On-demand apps charge per job; prices vary with the job and with demand, and there’s no promised arrival time.

A season pass sets one price before the first snow. Ours is $699 for a standard city lot, Dec. 1 to Mar. 31, up to 20 visits. O’Hare averages about 11 snowfalls of an inch or more in those months, so that’s roughly $64 a snowfall in a normal winter, and a light winter (under 20 inches) sends 20% of your pass back in April.

Which is cheaper depends on the winter and on what you value: a fixed price and a deadline, or paying only when it snows.

Sources: Illinois State Climatologist, Chicago O’Hare climate normals (1981–2010)