Now is a good time to make sure you have installed a trusted app or two to book a reliable and cost-effective snow removal service, before you need it most. Also keep in mind, that even if you are lucky enough to be in a warm part of the country, you can book these services for loved ones who are not!

Though most on-demand snow removal and lawn care apps like to associate their value propositions with Uber, keep in mind it is very unlikely that any of these younger apps will have the ease-of-use and reliability that has made Uber so popular.

Therefore, if you plan to use an on-demand snow removal service this winter, we strongly recommend trying a few out well before the first major snowstorm, to see which one is the best fit for your circumstances.

Table of Contents

Important Reminder:

If you find yourself snowed in sometime during the winter and you urgently need an appliance repaired, give virtual appliance repair services a try!

 

Key Traits of an On-Demand Snow Removal App

  • Average window of time for a job to be completed
  • Lead time needed for booking a service
  • Types of services provided and best fit for your property
  • Cancellation policy
  • Rules for booking the services for others such as elderly relatives or neighbors
  • Special add-ons offered E.g. rubber bladed plows, salt or calcium chloride treatments, clearing of stairs and porches, etc.
  • ETA of your contractor updated in real time similar to Uber

If not explicitly cited, all of these services covered in this article are on-demand and do not require on-going contracts. However some services do offer pro-active subscriptions, which can automatically trigger snow removals when snow accumulation reaches specific heights.

Though persons who may lack sufficient stamina, strength or ability to remove snow will naturally find these apps appealing, even healthy, strong-bodied individuals should consider these services which have multiple benefits.

 

Reasons to Hire a Professional Snow Removal Service

  • Prevent Health Ailments, like heart attacks or colds
  • Prevent Injuries
  • Prevent Accidents
  • Save Time
  • Leverage the Right Tools for the Right Job
  • Produce Safer, More Thorough Results
  • Reduce Stress
  • Maintain a Schedule
  • Be Productive with the Time Saved

In short, by outsourcing snow cleanup chores to a professional, you will greatly reduce the chances of experiencing mishaps due to dealing with a sudden change to your daily routine.

One example would be running behind schedule due to cleaning up your driveway. Feeling pressure to get to work on time could increase your chances of a road incident due to trying to make up for lost time on thoroughfares with precarious conditions.

 

How Most On-Demand Snow Removal Apps Work

  • Customer books an on-demand snow removal for a specific price
  • Customer specifies any special requests such as rubber plow blades or salt or calcium chloride
  • Customers do not have to be on site to book a job, which means they can be on vacation or can book another person’s location, such as for their parents or grandparents
  • Contractor accepts the job and confirms expected arrival time
  • Snow removal jobs are typically completed within 1 to 4 hours after booking a contractor
  • Contractor confirms completion of the job via the app and with an “after” photo
  • Customer can add an additional tip and provide a review or rating for the contractor

 

Setting Proper Expectations Before the First Big Winter Storm

One important point to keep in mind is that these services will receive a surge of activity, including many first time users, when the first major snowstorm hits your area. Be sure to understand the time parameters of when your property’s job will start.

On the one hand your removal job will certainly not be immediate like when taking an Uber or ordering a pizza. On the other hand, the estimated time of arrival of the contractor should be more precise and narrow than the historically inaccurate appointment windows given by Cable TV and other service professionals.

 

“Uber” Snow Removal Apps

Here are several on-demand snow removal apps to consider this winter season:

 

Plowz and Mowz

As their name implies, Plowz and Mowz (P&M) provides year-round outdoor home services centered on lawn care and snow removal. Their comprehensive set of services are also helpful for transitioning from one season to the next – for example, Fall into Winter: leaf removal; gutter clean up; driveway sealing; and firewood delivery.

Plowz & Mowz non-winter services are currently available in over 36 markets (59 cities) within 29 US states, with future plans to expand.

For the winter season, P&M offers residential snow plowing, as well as salting services, for the following cities and states:

  • Denver, Chicago, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin
Plowz & Mowz - On Demand Lawn Care and Snow Plowing App

 

QuikPlow

QuikPlow succinctly promotes their diverse winter services as:

  • Plowing, Shoveling, Salting and Snowblowing

Having started with a narrow focus in Michigan, QuikPlow’s quickly became a popular local hit. From the beginning, they focused on making it easy to use the app to book snow removal services for friends and family in need. Their marketing has been on a personal level that is easy to comprehend: driveway clearing, side walk shoveling, and salting.

Growing their Michigan presence to 18 cities, they have since expanded to the following cities outside of their home state:

  • Buffalo, Chicago, Newark and Rochester

 

SnoHub

Unique to SnoHub is their Premium Service which allows customers to book an exact date and time for their snow removal request. SnoHub also takes great pains to ensure accurate, fair and transparent pricing that consistently works well for both customers and contractors. There focus on this is a testament to their experience in this space, as details really matter to forge good experiences between customers and contractors.

Similar to other established snow removal apps, SnoHub offers a full suite of snow removal services. However, SnoHub appears to have the largest network of snow removal contractors, which crosses 23 states, plus DC:

  • CO, CT, DC, DE, ID, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NE, NH, NV, NY, OH, PA, RI, UT, VA, VT, WI

 

Eden

Eden is a popular year-round outdoor lawn care app, based in Toronto. Their snow removal services include:

  • On-Demand One Time Snow Removal (Snow Plowing or Shoveling)
  • Automated Snow Removal (upon 2 inches of accumulated snowfall, a preassigned Eden contractor will automatically be sent out to service your home)
  • Add-On Walkway Clearing (e.g. front door walkway, stairs and front landing, or side door walkway)

To keep a uniform services and quick completion times, Eden currently does not offer salting services.

Unique to Eden is their “Fair Trade App”, which implies that their marketplace can offer competitive pricing to customers, while still being adequately profitable to service providers. Prices are based on a median averages for the customer’s region.

To help meet the expectations of customers, Eden encourages contractors to accept only jobs that they can reliably complete within a 3-hour window upon accepting a request.

Their snow removal services are available in the following US and Ontario cities:

  • Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Philadelphia
  • Barrie, Burlington, Cambridge, Guelph, London, Hamilton, Kitchener, Newmarket, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Toronto, and Waterloo

 

“Uber” Snow Removal Apps for Canada

 

Snow Removal Resources

 

Recommended Reading

 

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