What gets cleared
Driveways, front walks, porches and steps, and the path from the drive to the door. On residential properties that is usually the whole job: the drive so you can get out, and a clear route to the mailbox and the front door so nobody is picking their way across ice.
We salt after clearing where you want it. Salt is not automatic, because it does have downsides: it damages concrete over time, it kills grass along the edges where meltwater runs off, and it is hard on paws. Some people want everything salted, some want steps only. Tell us which and we will note it on the account.
When we come out
The usual trigger is two inches. Below that a drive is generally passable and clearing it does more harm to the surface than good. Above it we come through, and on a long storm we come more than once rather than waiting for it to finish and fighting a foot of compacted snow.
Timing follows the storm rather than the clock. Overnight snow gets cleared early so you can leave in the morning. Snow that falls during the day gets cleared as it accumulates.
We will not promise to be first on every property in a countywide storm, because nobody can honestly promise that. What we can say is the route is set before the season starts and you know where you sit on it.
Ice is the more dangerous problem
Most winter injuries around a house happen on ice, not on snow, and central Indiana produces a lot of it. A day of thaw followed by a hard freeze overnight turns meltwater running off a roof or down a slope into a sheet across the walk.
The spots that catch people are consistent: the bottom of a sloped drive where runoff collects, the step down from a porch, and anywhere a downspout discharges across a path. Those get particular attention, and they are worth pre-treating before a freeze rather than dealing with afterwards.
Seasonal agreements versus per-event
A seasonal agreement covers the winter for a set price regardless of how many storms come. It is the option most people take, because it is predictable and it guarantees you are on the route before the first snow.
Per-event billing charges for each visit. It works out cheaper in a mild winter and more expensive in a hard one, and the practical catch is availability: on the night of a big storm, seasonal customers are the route.
Either way, book before the season. Calling the evening of the first real snowfall is the one time we are least able to help.
Protecting what is under the snow
A plow blade does not know where your turf ends and your drive begins. Damage to the lawn edge, to landscape lighting fixtures, and to sprinkler heads near the driveway is the most common complaint people have about their previous snow contractor.
We already know your property, because we mow it. We know where your sprinkler heads sit and where the bed lines run, which is a genuine advantage of using the same company for both. On new properties we walk the drive before the season and mark anything that needs avoiding.
Common questions
- How much snow before you come out?
- Two inches is the usual trigger. Below that the drive is generally passable and scraping it does more damage to the surface than the snow was causing. On a long storm we come through more than once rather than waiting for it to end.
- Do you salt as well as clear?
- Where you want it. Salt is genuinely useful on steps and slopes, and it also pits concrete over time, kills grass where the meltwater runs off, and irritates dogs' paws. Plenty of customers want steps and walks treated and the open drive left alone. Tell us your preference and it goes on the account.
- Should I sign up for the season or pay per storm?
- Seasonal is a fixed price for the winter no matter how many storms come, and it puts you on the route before the first one. Per-event is cheaper in a mild winter and more expensive in a hard one. The real difference is availability on a bad night, when the seasonal list is the route.
- When should I book?
- Before the season, ideally in autumn. The route is planned in advance, and the evening of the first heavy snowfall is the point at which we are least able to add anyone.
- Will plowing damage my lawn or my sprinkler heads?
- It can, and that is the most common complaint people have about a previous contractor. Because we mow these properties in summer we already know where the heads and bed lines are. On a property that is new to us we walk the drive before the season and mark anything that needs avoiding.
- Do you clear the walk as well as the driveway?
- Yes. Front walk, porch, steps, and the route from the drive to the door as standard. Ice on a step causes more injuries than a snowed-in driveway causes inconvenience.
- Do you do commercial lots?
- Ask. Residential drives are the bulk of what we do, and whether a commercial property fits depends on its size and how early it has to be clear. We would rather tell you it is not a fit than take it on and be late every storm.
Snow Removal across Johnson & Morgan County
We run this service in every town we cover. Pick yours for what is specific to it.
Greenwood: Drives and walks through the winter. Greenwood route density means we get round quickly after an overnight storm. Whiteland: Wide open subdivisions with nothing to break the wind drift badly across a driveway. Clearing usually needs a second pass. Franklin: Older Franklin streets have narrow drives and tight turns, so these get cleared rather than pushed.
