When snowfall hits, property owners need to start thinking about how they’ll keep their property safe, accessible, and visually appealing. In Cambridge, property owners are usually making a choice between removing the snow themselves or hiring a snow removal company. This article will compare a snow removal company vs. DIY snow removal, exploring the pros and cons to help property owners determine what solution is more valuable for their needs.
Snow Removal Company: Pros & Cons
Hiring a snow removal company means handing off the full responsibility of snow and ice management to trained professionals.
At C&T, we routinely clear snow for properties across Cambridge, Kitchener, Paris, and North Dumfries. With professional-grade equipment — such as truck-mounted plows, skid steers, salters, and blowers — combined with effective de-icing and preventative treatments, our team provides a reliable solution for keeping your property safe, accessible, and protected against ice buildup.
Request a free estimate for our snow removal services today!
Pros of a Snow Removal Company
- Convenience and Reduced Physical Strain: Our snow removal company eliminates the time, effort, and physical demands that come with DIY snow removal. It also frees up your day when there’s heavy snowfall.
- Less Risk of Injury: Our snow removal company works on your schedule to ensure your property is safe when you need it to be. You won’t have to deal with hazardous snow and ice buildup and put yourself at risk of injury when leaving or entering your property.
- Compliance Made Easy: Waterloo region, including Cambridge, has strict snow clearing bylaws that every property owner must follow. Our snow removal company stays up-to-date on these bylaws, guaranteeing compliance with every visit we make.
- Ongoing Monitoring and Timely Response: You gain peace of mind knowing our team tracks weather conditions closely. We dispatch crews as snow accumulates and return as needed to keep driveways, walkways, and parking lots consistently clear.
- Liability Protection: Our regular de-icing treatments help reduce slip-and-fall risks. For businesses especially, this can support compliance with safety standards and reduce liability concerns.
- Enhances Customer Comfort: Customers visiting your business can feel deterred when the parking lot and other walking areas have accumulated snow and are clearly unsafe. Our around-the-clock snow removal services keep your property in excellent condition throughout the day, helping customers feel comfortable and allowing you to focus on your business.
Cons of a Snow Removal Company
- Higher Cost Than DIY: A snow removal company will typically charge per-season, per-visit, or per-hour, making it more costly than DIY overall.
- Scheduling Limitations: While companies work hard to respond quickly, during heavy storms you may still need to wait for your turn on the route, especially during peak snowfall times.
- Less Control: You have less control of how the snow is cleared and rely on the company’s timing, equipment, and approach, which may conflict with your own preferences.
Who Should Consider Hiring a Cambridge Snow Removal Company
- Business owners with a physical store location.
- Landlords who manage an apartment complex or multiple properties.
- Residential homeowners with too large of a property space.
- People who own or live on farm property.
- Senior homeowners who can no longer clear snow on their own due to health issues.
DIY Snow Removal: Pros & Cons
DIY snow removal involves removing the snow yourself, typically using a shovel or snowblower. For smaller properties and lighter snowfall, DIY snow removal can be a manageable and cost-effective option. However, it also requires much more time, effort, and physical strain, which can lead to injury.
Pros of DIY Snow Removal
- Saves Money: Aside from purchasing a shovel or small snow blower, there are no recurring service fees like with a snow removal service. This makes DIY snow removal the cheapest option.
- Complete Control: DIY allows you to clear your property exactly when and how you prefer. Some prefer to remove snow as soon as it falls, while others wait until the snowfall has stopped or slowed down.
- Good for Light Snowfall and Small Properties: For small driveways, short sidewalks, or days with less snowfall, DIY removal is quick and straightforward. It can help homeowners get fresh air and stay active during the winter season.
Cons of DIY Snow Removal
- Physical Strain and Injury Risk: Clearing snow, especially during heavy snowfall or freezing rain, puts significant strain on your back, shoulders, and heart. For this reason, it’s generally recommended that you don’t shovel after a certain age, but even younger individuals at top health can fall victim to a bad fall or overexertion.
- Time-Consuming: When big storms hit or when snow piles up multiple times in a day, DIY removal can quickly turn into a repetitive, exhausting task. It can take a lot of time out of your day. People that have busy schedules, early work shifts, or issues with mobility, may find it hard to keep up.
- Equipment Limitations: Most property owners rely on shovels or small snow blowers, which are not very effective with deep drifts, ice buildup, or long driveways. A lot of the time, DIY snow removal doesn’t completely remove injury risks. Commercial-grade plows or de-icers do a better job of preventing slip and falls.
- Risk of Missing Bylaw Requirements: Cambridge and Waterloo Region bylaws require timely clearing of sidewalks and pathways. If you forget to shovel or aren’t home when a storm hits, you could find yourself in legal trouble.
Who Should Consider DIY Snow Removal
- Homeowners with small properties, driveways, and walkways.
- Homeowners who work from home and can clear snow throughout the day.
- Homeowners with reliable access to snow blowers or other equipment.
- Homeowners on a tight budget.
- People who enjoy outdoor physical activity and can handle the physical demands of regular snow removal.