Gerson's Landscaping

Winter · Framingham, MA

Per-storm or seasonal snow removal in Framingham: 6 things that set the cost

There is no honest one-size price for snow removal. There are a handful of things that set it. Know them and you can compare any two quotes in a minute.

By Gerson's Landscaping · Updated · 2 min read

The short answer

  • Per-storm pricing pays for each storm; a seasonal price is one number for the winter, however many storms come.
  • NOAA's normals near Framingham average 13.6 days a year with 1 inch or more of snow, so the storm count is the swing factor.
  • Driveway size, walks and steps, the trigger depth and where the snow can be piled set most of the price.

Per storm vs seasonal, side by side

  • Per storm: you pay for each visit. A light winter costs less, a heavy one costs more.
  • Seasonal: one price for the season. You know your cost up front, light winter or heavy.
  • Either way, ask what counts as a storm, and what happens in a storm that lasts two days.

The 6 things that set the cost

  1. Driveway length and width, and how many cars need to get out.
  2. Walks, steps and a path to the door: hand shoveling takes time a plow does not save.
  3. The trigger: how many inches before the visit happens.
  4. How many storms a winter brings. Near Framingham, NOAA's normals show about 14 days with an inch or more, and about 6 with 3 inches or more.
  5. Where the snow can go. Framingham does not allow plowing snow into the street, so a lot with no room to pile takes longer.
  6. Salt or sand on walks and steps, if you want it.

How to compare two quotes fairly

Put both quotes against the same winter: the same trigger, the same driveway and walks, and an average of about 6 days a year with 3 inches or more of new snow. Then the cheaper-looking quote is often not the cheaper winter.

Ask for the trigger depth in writing. It is the line most quotes leave out.

Gerson's Landscaping is a landscaping business based in Framingham, Massachusetts, owned by Gerson E. Paniagua, offering lawn care, clean-ups, mulching, snow removal, stone walls and bluestone patios. Gerson speaks English and Spanish.

Sources

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