Winter puts lots of stress on facility managers to keep their properties clear and safe during a snowfall. Yes… snow is beautiful and sometimes fun like when we build a snowman or go sledding. But then there is the reality, snow is a real liability for commercial property owners. You need a plan for managing snow and ice removal. Without snow and ice removal, property owners can deal with slip and fall lawsuits, vehicle accidents and lost revenue. You must figure snow and ice removal into the annual maintenance budget of your property. With some planning and selecting the right snow and ice management partner you can be prepared this winter to deal with whatever Mother Nature sends us. Here are some factors to consider when hiring snow and ice management providers, including what to know about contracts.
Equipment and Resources
Ask you snow and ice management provider if they have plans to rotate equipment on a regular basis and if they replace vehicles and snowplows that are at risk of being in the repair shop more than on the job. Trucks, snow plows, salt spreaders and hard working equipment is more prone to breaking down because of the wear and tear associated with managing snow and ice. Older equipment breaks down frequently.
Monitoring the Weather
Select a company for your snow removal that is proactive instead of reactive. Continuous monitoring of Accu-Weather and other weather sources allows a commercial property to prepare the necessary crews and equipment needed to remove all snow and ice properly. Now is the time to select your snow removal company for your commercial location. Whether you have a shopping center, hotel, office building, school, government facility, restaurant, multi-family unit or a mall, you will want to choose a snow removal company that provides service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Does Your Snow Contractor have Insurance
There are several types of insurance, any company operating snow removal needs to be adequately covered in case of a slip and fall claim! It is illegal to do work without insurance. Owners of small snowplowing companies who operate out of their home usually do not have adequate coverage in their regular homeowner’s policy. This coverage can be increased by adding a “rider”, but usually a home-based business policy will be necessary .Ask the Question.
Understand the Snow and Ice Removal Contract
There are 3 types of Snow removal contracts for Commercial Properties:
- Pay Per Push-Pay Per Event – These snow removal contracts charge you only when a snow event happens and your property is cleared. Pricing is usually based on the depth of snow accumulation. The choice mostly comes down to budgeting. Do you want to pay a fixed price, or per push?
- Seasonal Contracts- These snow removal contracts include a fixed price per month for snow services, and the contracts are active during the five winter months for about 3 years. Multiyear contracts give clients the best value. Over the period of a few years the snow events per year average out. A seasonal contract is ideal for budget conscious clients.
- Time and Materials Contracts-The property manager is in a pretty sweet spot with this type of contract. They’ve got someone they can rely on to service the property if it snows, and they only have to pay for what the contractor does during an actual event, not what he or she has to purchase in advance and maintain throughout the winter to be prepared for action. However property managers and owners typically don’t prefer time and materials (T&M) agreements because they don’t provide firm budget numbers they like to stick to. Plus, the contractor has no incentive to service the property in a timely manner. Some would say it’s actually to the contractors benefit to take their time servicing the property so they can increase the bill.
Dedicated to Commercial Snow and Ice Removal
When deciding on a partner to manage snow and ice at your facility, remember to find out who will actually provide the services. Many companies rely on subcontractors that are not fully committed to their organization. We have a dedicated team that is on call around the clock. Many of our staff work year round, full time and are experienced at handling winter weather.
Is your property not receiving the attention it deserves? Are you tired of overpaying for subpar service? First Green Landscaping provides the best value for professional lawn care and landscaping services in the Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky area. No property is too big or too small for First Green Landscaping.
Contact us (859-292‐8556) today for a free consultation!
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About First Green Commercial Landscaping
About First Green Commercial LandscapingFirst Green Commercial Landscaping is a locally owned leading provider of lawn care and landscaping services in the Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky area. We provide superior customer service and strive to build long term business relationships with our clients.
- Lawn Care
- Landscape Maintenance
- Snow Removal
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