Trigger 1 in · Deadline 7:00 a.m.
Storm rules
One inch is the trigger. Seven a.m. is the deadline. Here’s the whole operating promise, the same one that’s in the season agreement.
One snow night, start to finish
8:00 p.m.
Forecast. We watch the forecast from 8 p.m. If an inch or more is coming, your crew is put on call.
1:00 a.m.
Radar check. We check the radar and the snow stick on the route. Still coming down hard? We let it taper.
3:00 a.m.
Route starts. The route starts around 3 a.m.: about 25 homes on neighboring blocks, so nobody drives across town at 5 a.m.
4:00 a.m.
Cutoff. Has the snow stopped? Overnight snow of 1 to 8 inches that stops by 4 a.m. is due at 7:00 a.m.
Still falling at 4 a.m. with an inch down: a first pass by 7:00 a.m., then the final pass by 10 a.m. if it stops before 7, otherwise within 4 hours of stopping.
7:00 a.m.
Deadline. Sidewalk, front walk, stairs and apron cleared, with a time-stamped photo in your inbox.
7:01 a.m.
Late. If the photo after an overnight snowfall says 7:01, that visit was late, and one-tenth of your pass comes back.
10:00 a.m.
Deadline. More than 8 inches overnight is cleared by 10:00 a.m., the city’s own deadline for overnight snow.
+4 hours
Daytime. Snow that stops after 7 a.m. but before 7 p.m. is cleared within 4 hours of stopping.
10:00 p.m.
City line. Daytime snow is never cleared later than 10 p.m., the city’s deadline for daytime snow.
Trigger: one inch
1 in
One inch or more of new snow since our last visit. The crew measures it on your walk with a snow stick, and we check it against the nearest National Weather Service report.
Under an inch isn’t a visit on the standard pass. Dusting runs ($249 for the season) add visits for 0.3 to 0.9 inches and for freezing rain, with ice melt on your stairs and walks.
Deadlines
| When the snow falls | Cleared by |
|---|---|
| Overnight, 1 to 8 in., stops by 4 a.m. | 7:00 a.m.Sidewalk, front walk, stairs and apron, with a time-stamped photo. |
| Still falling at 4 a.m., an inch down | 7:00 a.m. first passFinal pass by 10 a.m. if it stops before 7; otherwise within 4 hours of stopping. |
| More than 8 in. overnight | 10:00 a.m.The city’s own deadline for overnight snow. |
| Daytime, stops 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Within 4 hoursNever later than 10 p.m., the city’s deadline for daytime snow. |
Miss any of these and one-tenth of your pass comes back. The photo’s time stamp decides.
Late credit, and how the time stamp settles it
Every visit ends with a photo, and every photo carries the time it was taken. If the photo after an overnight snowfall says 7:01, that visit was late.
Each missed deadline credits one-tenth of your pass, as a refund or as credit toward next season, your choice. No claim form, no back-and-forth: the time stamp settles it. Clear by 7 pays the credit, not your crew.
On a $699 City Lot Pass, that’s $69.90 per missed deadline.
Chicago’s rule
| Snow falls | City deadline | Our target |
|---|---|---|
| 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. | 10 a.m. | 7 a.m. |
| 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. | 10 p.m. | within 4 hours |
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 gone by 10 p.m. The rule applies seven days a week, the path has to be at least 5 feet wide with corner ramps included, 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.
Source: City of Chicago, CDOT, Sidewalk Snow Removal (Municipal Code 4-4-310 and 10-8-180). Work out a deadline with the snow deadline calculator.
Long storms and visit counting
We don’t wait for the last flake. In a storm that runs all day, you get up to two passes in 24 hours, and each pass counts as one of your 20 included visits.
A normal winter at O’Hare has about 11 snowfalls of an inch or more, so 20 visits is roughly double what most winters need. If a big winter starts eating into them, we email you first. Visits after 20 cost one-fifteenth of your pass each, and you can say no.
Ice, freezing rain and dusting runs
Every visit gets ice melt on stairs and walks. Our standard is a calcium chloride blend, which keeps working at temperatures where rock salt stops.
A pet-friendlier blend costs nothing extra; just ask. If your concrete was poured in the last 12 months, tell us and we’ll use sand on it instead. We treat thick ice with ice melt; we don’t chip it. Freezing rain and snowfalls under an inch are covered when you add dusting runs.
Where the snow goes
Onto your parkway or into your yard. The city doesn’t allow shoveling snow into the public right-of-way, so our crews never put it in:
- the street
- transit stops and bus pads
- parking spaces
- bike lanes and bike racks
- Divvy stations
- the alley (apron snow is piled beside the garage)
What we need from you
Most of this is a one-time note when you sign up. Answer any route-desk email to update it.
- Gates and codes
- If the crew needs a gate open for the gangway or back walk, tell us how.
- Hidden steps and edges
- Loose pavers, low curbs, hose bibs: anything that hides under snow. A photo helps.
- New concrete
- Poured in the last 12 months? We’ll use sand instead of ice melt.
- Your car
- With car brush-off, tell us where it’s usually parked: in front of the house or on the apron.