Why it's Important to Plan Your Snow Removal in Summer
The weather is warm, the birds are chirping, and it’s time to ask yourself an important question: Is your commercial property prepared for the onset of winter weather?
It may seem early, but if you’re in the Chicagoland area, it’s essential to be prepared for the inevitable snowfall. When it comes to hiring an experienced commercial snow removal company, it helps to plan ahead and shop during the summer months. Acting early to secure your snow removal needs allows you to rest easy as the seasons change.
Some of the types of properties that need to think about securing a commercial snow removal contract include:
- Homeowner’s associations
- Property management groups
- Commercial property owners
- Educational campuses
- Business owners
Below are more reasons why it’s key to consider this decision in advance.
5 Reasons to Secure Your Commercial Snow Removal Contract Now
Visibility – It’s easier for a landscape company to assess a building and property when it’s not covered in snow. When you have your property assessed during the summer months, you can receive a more accurate and detailed snow and ice management plan. In the winter, the snow can obscure the layout of your property.
Assure Your Access to the Best Resources – It takes heavy equipment, planning, and valuable resources to maintain a large property during the winter months. Even the largest snow removal companies have a fixed amount of resources. They need to allocate equipment, personnel, and salt/deicer, and that requires keeping close track of their clients’ needs.
When you wait until the winter, most companies have already allocated the necessary resources to be able to manage your job. They might not be able to manage the additional client load.
Request Multiple Bids – When commercial properties adequately plan ahead for their snow removal needs, they are more able to shop for the best bids, and select a contract that makes the most sense. It’s easier to seek multiple bids during the warm weather months. If you wait, you may receive higher estimates, or no estimate at all. You’ll also be left with very little recourse in this scenario.
Safety and Liability – Waiting to the last-minute means that you are risking that you’ll be left with less than adequate snow removal service. The best providers may fill up their schedules earlier in the year. What’s left may be either inexperienced or unreliable. They may be new to the business or have less than favorable reviews. This could leave your customers, residents, or the public in a less than safe situation while on your property. It could also leave you on the hook for liability.
Plan Ahead and Get the Right Contract at a Fair Price – If you wait until the first snow falls to address your plowing needs, you might end up paying more money for the contract than you’d otherwise need to. Addressing this early on can help you to get a fair price on a snow removal contract.
Why You Don’t Want to Wait Until It’s Too Late
If you’re commercial property is not fully prepared for winter weather, you’re only one major weather event away from incurring some devastating negative consequences:
- Business shutdowns – When the bad weather strikes, you may need to close your business if customers can’t gain full access to your facilities in a prompt manner.
- Your residents being stuck – If you are a homeowner’s association or part of a property management group, you’ll need to act fast to make sure that residents at your property don’t become snowed in, or stuck.
- The major liability involved with a slip and fall – In a worst-case-scenario, if someone were to fall and hurt themselves on your property due to inadequate snow removal, you could be left with liability.
Now is the Time to Review Your Current Snow Removal Company
Even if you do have a provider, it’s best to make sure that they are well suited to be your provider in the difficult Northern Illinois winters. Here are a few questions to make sure you ask about your current snow removal provider:
- Are they fully licensed and insured?
- Do they have experience, and can they be trusted? It helps if they have a reputable history.
- Do they have the right snow and ice removal resources to be able to help you? You’ll want to look at whether they have things like: safe and responsive crews, well-maintained equipment fleets, fair contracts, 24/7 weather monitoring, and emergency storm planning.
All these things can help you to determine if they are a trusted snow removal company.
It’s Time to Review Our Guide on How to Select the Right Snow Removal Company
Selecting the right snow removal company for your commercial property is a serious decision, with a lot at stake. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for in a snow removal company, it might help to check out our guide on how to make sure you pick the right company for your commercial property.
And if you have questions, or are looking to hire an experienced snow removal company with a proven track record, contact Ringers Landscaping today to request a quote!
