SNOW REMOVAL FAQ

Is your snow clearing service actually completely unlimited? 

YES! We have absolutely no visit or accumulation caps. Be it a commercial, residential or industrial property - every time it snows one centimeter or more, no matter how often, how hard, or how much more it accumulates, we will be there to clear it. Even during the heaviest of winters, HHS Contracting will never surprise their customers with any hidden or undisclosed charges.

Do I have to sign up for the entire Winter season?

Yes. We provide flat-rate seasonal contracts that cover your property from first to last snowfall. We only provide snow maintenance services to seasonally contracted clients. We do not offer any per visit or on-call clearing, instead choosing to concentrate on delivering a consistently high level of service to our seasonally contracted clients.

How do I sign up? 

First you must request a quote for your property - either by phone or online. Once you receive it, included in your quote package is our written service agreement which will detail your seasonal price, payment schedule, and terms of service. You must sign this agreement, and either scan and e-mail, postal mail it to us or arrange for us to pick it up. Deposit payment, post-dated cheques or a Credit Card Authorization Form for all scheduled future payments must be included with your signed contract. Once we receive your signed agreement your service will commence. Do not hesitate to contact us to make an appointment to finalize your contract in person. 

Do we sign a written agreement?    

Your quote package will include a written contract, detailing exactly how and when the service will be performed. Our contract agreement is quite detailed and thorough, and will include a diagram of your property with all serviceable areas clearly marked. Your contract will have several service options for you to choose from, so be sure to review it carefully. Many questions about our service will also be answered in the Terms & Conditions section of your contract. Every one of our clients signs a copy of the written agreement - work will not commence until the signed contract is received. You can download a Sample Commercial on our site.

Can you shovel our walkways, sidewalks, steps, entrances, etc?

Yes. We offer a comprehensive service designed to include all the areas of your property that you want cleared. Please make sure to include a detailed description of service needs when requesting your quote.

Do you offer any on-call services? 

Absolutely not. We do not offer any on-call services, but rather choose to focus on our seasonally contracted clients instead. All of our properties are contracted for the entire season - this allows us to plan out and schedule our routes for maximum efficiency, and to deliver consistent, quality service to our seasonal customers. Our contracted properties are cleared automatically every time there is one centimeter or more of snow accumulation - without any need to call.

What is the minimum snowfall accumulation amount before you provide service?

All of our seasonally contracted properties get cleared every time snow accumulation reaches one centimeter or more. If you are a Priority or VIP Package client, your property will also receive automatic ice control service during freezing rain/sleet/slush, measurable snowfall accumulation under one centimeter, blowing snow, and flash freezing events.

Will my snow be automatically cleared?

Yes, your service will always be performed automatically. There is absolutely no need to call - once you sign up for your contract we come to clear whenever the snow reaches our clearing trigger of one centimeter.

What kind of equipment do you use?

We have a large fleet of well-maintained equipment including trucks, spreaders, sweepers, blowers and of course, shovels.  Our equipment is maintained by professionally trained technicians and none of our equipment is older than 5 years old.  We have extras of all equipment we use in order to ensure maximum up-time and no delays for our clients. 

I have a contract with you - how can I get service updates during the Winter?

You may call our office line (1-866-401-7669) 24 hours per day for live updates and information - a staff member is always monitoring the phone during snow events. A detailed list of updates will also be posted on Facebook as well as on our Twitter feed, before, during, and after all snow events.  We also have a text (SMS) alert system than clients may subscribe to.

What is the term / duration of your contract?

Officially, contracts start on the day you sign and service begins on October 15th and ends on April 15th of each calendar year. Our contracts are designed to cover you from first to last snowfall. Multi-year terms with locked-in seasonal pricing are available.

When do I have to pay?

We expect the first month of your service to be pre-paid as a deposit upon signing the contract. The remaining balance is due on or before the 15th of each month. There is a specific section of your contract that will detail exactly when your scheduled payments are due. Post-dated cheques or a Credit Card Authorization Form is required for all future payments and must be included with your signed service agreement when finalizing your contract, unless noted otherwise.

What forms of payment do you accept? 

We accept payment by all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard or AMEX) as well as cheque, money order or bank transfer. GST will be charged on all contract purchases. We are a registered income tax paying business and you will receive an electronic receipt for all payments made. 

What is the difference between your Standard, Priority, and VIP Service Packages?

Standard Package: Industry-standard service at an affordable price: Your property will be automatically cleared and salted within 12 hours of the snowfall ending, every time there is one inch or more of snow accumulation. The Standard Package is most-suited for household residential and budget-minded commercial properties, and only includes service upon accumulation of one centimeter or more of snow.

Priority Package: A comprehensive, prompt service designed to completely take care of all Winter maintenance for a flat rate, seasonal price.  Your property will be automatically cleared and salted within 8 hours of the snowfall ending, every time there is one centimeter or more of snow accumulation. Also, your property will receive automatic ice control applications every time there is any active Winter weather, including any minor snowfall accumulation, freezing rain, slush, sleet, blowing snow and flash freezing. Pre-salting before daytime storms will be performed automatically. The Priority Package is most-suited for commercial and residential properties such as retail stores, offices, condominiums, townhouses, apartments, restaurants, etc.

VIP Package: An innovative, industry-leading service for high-end properties.  Your property is guaranteed to receive service (clearing, and/or ice control, as necessary) prior to 8:00am or within 3 hours of snowfall end whenever there is any active Winter weather. Multiple service visits will be made to ensure a completely accessible property as promptly as possible. Serviceable events include any snowfall accumulation, freezing rain, slush, sleet, blowing snow and flash freezing. Pre-salting before daytime storms is also performed automatically. The VIP Package is most-suited for high-end, traffic-laden commercial, industrial, and institutional properties such as banks, schools, malls, plazas, gas stations, etc.

What time of day do you perform snow removal services?

Exact visit timing depends on when the snowfall starts, how fast it accumulates, when it stops snowing and your selected Service Package. We always perform all service within the guaranteed completion time noted on your contract, and aim to have as many of our properties cleared by morning as possible. Daytime snowfalls take the longest to clear, so when they do happen we send our trucks out as soon as the snowfall stops. VIP Package customers are always guaranteed to receive service prior to 8:00am or within 3 hours of snowfall ending.

Can I upgrade my chosen Service Package thorughout the season?

Upgrades are available on a case-by-case basis. Please inquire during the season if you would like to make a change and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Do your crew members get any kind of training?

Each crew member is trained on the specific navigation of their route, familiarized with the technical aspects of their equipment and thoroughly briefed on safety operating procedures. They are supplied with both written manuals and hands-on training.  We believe that preparedness reduces stress, the opportunity for damage, and the loss of time, which ultimately translates into the delivery of better service to our customers. 

What type of crew members do you hire?

All of our crew members are full-time, salaried employees with health and dental benefits, paid vacation time, seasonal bonuses and annual appreciate events.  We do not use part-time or temporary workforce agencies.  Crew members have undergone an extensive background check process and all have first aid training.  

Do I need to be at home when you come to clear? 

No, once the account is set-up you do not need to be home for us to take care of the property.

I have many more questions, what is the best way to contact you?

You can contact us either by phone or e-mail. We pride ourselves on answering all inquiries withing 24 hours.