How to prepare your driveway for snow plowing
Before snow hides the edges of your driveway, show your plow operator what to clear, what to avoid, and where the snow can go.
The first deep snowfall can hide the edge of a driveway and the items beside it. Take a few photos while everything is visible. They’ll help you explain the layout to your plow operator before there’s a snowbank between you and the street.
Show the operator what snow will cover
Photograph the driveway from the street and from the garage. Show where the surface changes from gravel to pavement, where the driveway narrows, and where a retaining wall or raised curb starts. Include fixed items such as drain grates, low landscape lights, or utility covers near the clearing area. Ask your operator which edges to mark and where to place markers.
Walk the same route before a storm and move anything that can disappear under fresh snow. Bring in hoses and extension cords, and move bins, planters, and other movable items away from the clearing path. If you have a gate, share when it can be open and leave enough room for it to swing.
Make a parking plan for clearing day
Tell the operator where each vehicle usually sits and which one you need to get out first. If you can move a vehicle out of the clearing area, confirm where to put it. Check Fort St. John’s current winter parking restrictions before choosing an on-street spot. When equipment is working on your property, stay clear and wait for the operator to finish before entering the work area. City of Fort St. John winter parking and equipment safety guidance
Pick a snow pile location before you need one
Choose a spot with room for several clearings. Keep the pile clear of the garage door, drains, and the view you need when pulling into the street. Look at how water would run from that spot on a warm afternoon. Avoid piling snow against the house and keep private drains open so meltwater has a route away. Fort St. John directs residents to put driveway snow on their lawn or take it to the public snow dump. City of Mississauga winter drainage guidance, City of Fort St. John snow placement guidance
Check who clears the adjoining sidewalk
If a sidewalk borders your property in Fort St. John, plan for it separately when you arrange driveway plowing. The City’s sidewalk bylaw sets a 48-hour deadline after snowfall ends for clearing the snow or ice it left on the bordering sidewalk. Confirm who will do that work and which surfaces your driveway quote covers. City of Fort St. John Sidewalk Regulations Bylaw, section 6(a)
Once you have your photos, include the approximate driveway length, the usual parking arrangement, and your preferred snow pile location. See PSP Maintenance’s residential snow removal service and request a quote for your driveway.