First tip to save money: Get out the shovel. HA HA Just kidding, shoveling snow blows (trust us—we should know). Choosing to have a professional snow removal service will save your back, your time—but can it save you money? Perhaps, if you follow these 4 money-saving tips:
Oral Agreements aren’t worth the paper they’re written on!
Tip #1
Get an agreement in place BEFORE they remove the snow—preferably in writing. Unfortunately there are snow removal services in Massachusetts that are slightly unscrupulous, so ensure you have an agreement in place. Preferably you will want to set out the agreement BEFORE the snow starts falling, this will ensure that you have snow removal coverage in place and that you get the best rates (sometimes companies will jack up their prices right before or after a big snowstorm—ah capitalism).
Location(s), Location(s), Location(s)!
Tip #2
Be sure to get a snow removal contract for each of your locations. This may include your residential address, your business address (es), retail, etc. Also consider creating a contract with your neighbors, it’s not just neighborly—it could save you some money. Also, if you have elderly parents or grandparents, it might be a nice gift to include them on your contract as well (OK, so this one might not save you money but there’s no price on peace of mind).
Time = Money
Tip #3
Many people avoid buying a snow removal service, thinking it will save them money. But, how much is your time worth? Calculate how long it takes to shovel your driveway after a heavy snowfall, then multiply that by the average number of snowfalls in your area. By the way Massachusetts receives an average of 42 inches per year from an average of 23 annual snowfalls. Is your back hurting yet just thinking about it!!?
Hope for the Best…Plan for the Worst
Tip #4
You should build contingencies in your written snow removal agreement. Many snow removal contracts seem extremely competitive—until you find out their rates for ‘excess’ ice and snow removal. That’s right, not everyone knows but most snow removal contracts only cover you for a certain number of visits and/or for a certain quantity of ice and snow.
Cover yourself—before the snow and ice cover you.
