Snow Hauling in Rochester, NY: How to Tell When Pushing Isn't Enough

Quick summary

• Plowing moves snow to the edge of a lot. Hauling moves it off the lot.
• Small lots, village lots and large lots with lake-effect storms reach "no room left" at different times.
• Decide ahead of time which spaces, lanes and entrances must stay open.
• Ask what snow depth or pile size starts a haul, and who makes that call.
• Ask for the hauling plan in writing, before the first big storm.

What is the difference between plowing and snow hauling?

Plowing pushes snow into piles at the edges of the pavement. Hauling loads that snow into trucks and takes it away. They are separate jobs, and a contract that names only plowing does not necessarily cover hauling.

CPM describes its approach in one line on its snowfall clearing and hauling page: "When There's Nowhere Left to Push It, We Haul It." That is the dividing line to use for your own property.

How do you know a lot is running out of room to push snow?

After the first few plowing visits, and when it is safe, observe the lot from a safe location, or ask the contractor to review it, and look at what the piles are covering. The signs are usually easy to spot:

• Piles reaching into parking spaces that tenants or customers need.
• Snowbanks narrowing the drive lanes or the turning room for delivery trucks.
• Piles blocking the view of drivers at entrances and exits.
• Banks covering sidewalks, building entrances or the spots where walkways meet the lot.
• A plow crew that has to push snow farther and farther with each storm.

One or two of these may be a scheduling question. These signs can help you decide whether to discuss hauling or a different stacking plan with your contractor.

Which kinds of properties reach "nowhere left to push" first?

A tight lot may run out of stacking room quickly; a larger lot can also run out of room, depending on its layout, available storage and snowfall. CPM's local pages describe three different versions of the problem:

• Village lots. CPM's East Rochester page says village lots are small, so the job means less pushing and more precision, with hauling when piles start taking spaces. Its Pittsford page says the same about tight village lots.
• Large retail and industrial sites. CPM's Henrietta page describes plazas, hotels and distribution buildings where a storm means acres of pavement, and says CPM hauls when there is no room left to stack.
• Lake-effect storm areas. CPM's Webster page describes a plan for where the snow goes once the piles get big, and says that happens quickly in Webster.

These pages show the kind of work CPM lists in those towns. They do not describe your property, so describe your own layout when you ask for an estimate.

What should you decide before a storm?

Decide which parts of the property must stay open no matter how much snow falls, and put them in writing. A short list works well:

• Entrances and exits, and the sight lines for drivers leaving the lot.
• Accessible parking spaces and the routes from them to the building.
• Loading docks and delivery routes.
• The number of parking spaces the property needs to keep each day.
• Places where piles are acceptable, and places where they are not.

Give the same list to every contractor who bids. It turns "haul when needed" into something both sides can check.

Who decides when snow gets hauled, and when?

The contract should say. Ask each bidder what starts a haul, whether that is a pile size, a lost row of parking, a snow depth or a call from the property manager. Then ask who can request one and how quickly a crew can respond.

CPM's snow management services page describes contingency and emergency plans for storms of 8 inches or more at one time. The snowfall clearing page adds that for major storms, its contingency plan provides snowfall clearing and hauling once accumulation passes 8 inches, with a plan for where the snow goes. The two pages describe different things: the snow management page describes contingency or emergency plans for storms of 8 inches or more at one time, and the hauling page says its major-storm plan applies once accumulation passes 8 inches. Eight inches is not a universal trigger for hauling. Those are CPM's published descriptions, not a promise for any specific property, so confirm how they apply to yours in the written plan.

What equipment and crew questions are worth asking?

Hauling takes loading equipment and trained operators. CPM's page lists front-end loaders, skid steers, snow pushers, plows, sweepers and snow blowers, and says every operator is trained on each piece of equipment. It also says the crew responsible for a site does on-site training there before each season.

Ask any contractor you are comparing:

1. What equipment will load and move the snow at my property?
2. Will the crew that plows my lot also handle hauling, or a different crew?
3. How does the crew learn the property before the first storm?
4. How do you track storms and decide when to dispatch?
5. How do I request a haul between regular visits?

What should the contract say about where the snow goes?

Ask the contractor to describe the plan for where the snow goes, and ask for it in writing. CPM's published pages say there is a plan for where the snow goes once there is no room to push it, but they do not describe the destination, so ask about that directly if it matters to your property.

Also ask how hauling is scheduled and billed relative to plowing. CPM's pages do not publish prices or terms for hauling, so any figures come from a written estimate for your property.

When should you plan for hauling?

Plan before the first storm, not after the lot fills up. CPM's Webster page says it tracks lake-effect events so crews and materials are staged before the bands set up, which is the kind of lead time a hauling plan needs too. When it is safe, observe the property from a safe location, or ask the contractor to review it. Make the list of spaces and lanes that must stay open, and ask for hauling terms with the rest of the snow plan.