Snow removal contracts: choosing a residential service

Many homeowners sign their snow removal contract in the fall, sometimes with a company they don’t know yet. Quebec’s Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC, the consumer protection office) gives clear advice on choosing a snow removal company, reading the contract and dealing with problems, and several Greater Montréal cities regulate private snow contractors. Here are the key points.

1. Choosing a company

• Ask neighbours, friends or family which companies they were happy with.
• Contact several companies to compare prices, payment methods and types of contracts. A reputable company answers your questions, has a real place of business and can give you references.
• Be wary of someone who leaves you only a phone number: if something goes wrong, they may be hard to find.
• The OPC’s "Get information about a merchant" tool tells you whether the company holds a licence (for an itinerant merchant), whether the Office has taken action against it and whether consumers have sent it formal notices.

2. The company that knocks on your door

A snow removal company that solicits you somewhere other than its place of business, for example by showing up at your home without being asked, is an itinerant merchant. According to the OPC:

• it must hold a licence from the Office and give you a written contract with all the mandatory information;
• you can cancel that contract, with no fees and no explanation, within 10 days of receiving your signed copy, even if the company has already cleared your driveway. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays count in the 10 days;
• it may not ask for or accept a deposit during those 10 days: don’t let the service start before the period ends, to avoid any dispute;
• in some cases you have one year to cancel, for example if the merchant had no valid licence when you signed or if the contract is missing information required by law.

3. What the contract should say

The OPC recommends always asking for a written contract: you will have a record of the agreement, and it will be easier to assert your rights. Make sure everything you were promised is in it, for example:

• the length of the contract, with fixed start and end dates;
• the exact amount of snow that triggers removal ("at least 5 cm" rather than "a snowfall");
• the time by which the snow must be cleared;
• where the snow will be put (check your municipality’s by-laws, section 8);
• related tasks, such as spreading salt or sand and clearing access to doors;
• the total price and the payment terms.

If you sign by phone or online, the company must give you certain information before the contract is made (contact details, description of the services, total cost, payment terms, start date, cancellation terms) and send you the written contract within 15 days.

4. Cancelling: not always 10 days

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t always have 10 days to change your mind. For a contract made in person with a company that is not an itinerant merchant, the law generally provides no cancellation period. So don’t sign anything until you have really decided. The rules for itinerant merchants (section 2) and for contracts made at a distance are on the OPC’s page on cancelling a snow removal contract.

5. Deposits and post-dated cheques

• Many companies ask for two post-dated cheques, for example dated November 15 and February 15. The OPC advises paying no deposit before the service starts, or only a very small amount, and spreading payments over the months, which limits your losses if the company goes out of business.
• If you are asked to pay more than 2 months in advance, check whether the company has a trust account and make the cheque payable to the company’s name followed by the words "in trust". Some merchants are exempt: the OPC tool will tell you.
• For a contract made by phone or online, the company may ask for or accept an advance payment only if you pay by credit card.

6. A price increase in mid-winter

In a contract for a set period, such as a full season, the company cannot change the price on its own, even if a clause allows it (for example, an increase tied to fuel prices). If it happens, the OPC suggests you first negotiate, file a complaint with the Office if needed, then pay "under protest" by writing it on the cheque, send a formal notice to claim back the overpayment and, if there is no answer, go to small claims court.

7. If your property is damaged

A snow removal company can damage a curb, a step or siding. Write down the date and take photos. The OPC recommends first trying to reach an agreement with the company; if it refuses to compensate you, send a formal notice and, if there is no answer, go to small claims court. If a city plow damaged your fence or lawn, the process is different: in Laval, for example, the claim is filed through Mon dossier (snow removal priorities and steps, in French).

8. Snow contractors in Montréal, Laval and Boucherville: permits and snow in the street

• Montréal: private contractors need a permit for each vehicle used for snow removal, visible at all times on the windshield or inside the vehicle, and must put at least one stake showing their name and phone number on the property they clear. The application requires proof of civil liability insurance, and one of the boroughs specifies coverage of $500,000 per incident, according to the page on permits for private snow removal contractors (in French, updated October 2, 2026, read November 1, 2026). Validity dates vary by borough. The City also forbids putting snow from private property on the sidewalk or in the street (snow removal on private land, in French).
• Laval: the City asks residents to report snow left on the roadway by a resident or a contractor through Mon dossier (same City page as in section 7).
• Boucherville: By-law 2026-480 (in French) on clearing private driveways and parking areas requires a permit for each snow removal vehicle, stakes showing the permit holder’s name and phone number, and that the snow stay on the client’s lot; it forbids blowing it into the street, onto a sidewalk cleared by the City or within 2 m of a fire hydrant. It also makes the owner responsible for making sure the contractor holds the City permit.

In practice: ask the contractor for their municipal permit number and proof of insurance, and have them written into the contract together with where the snow will be pushed.

When to call a licensed company

Clearing a driveway is not construction work. Repairing a damaged concrete step, balcony or siding is: look up the RBQ licence of whoever does the repair. For snow on the roof, see our guide on roof snow and ice dams. For a repair after winter, see renovation companies in Montréal, the Laval page or the Boucherville page, or describe the repair and get quotes.