Hiring a snow-plow or lawn service: a safety checklist

As codified through Aug 20, 2020; verify current rules with the City at garfieldhts.org. This is general information, not legal advice.

Seasonal services are where most neighborhood hiring happens — and where most disputes start. A short checklist:

1. Get two or three quotes, in writing, with what's included: for snow, the trigger depth (e.g. 2 inches), driveway only or walks too, and how many pushes per storm; for lawns, mowing frequency, trimming and cleanup.
2. Ask about insurance. A plow can crack a driveway apron or hit a mailbox; ask whether they carry liability insurance and what happens if something is damaged. On our board, "insured" and "licensed" badges are self-reported by the pro.
3. Payment terms: per visit, monthly, or seasonal. Avoid paying a full season in cash up front to someone you can't verify. Use a traceable payment method and get a receipt.
4. Mark your edges (driveway stakes before the first snow) and note anything fragile.
5. Know the red flags: pressure to decide now, cash-only with no name, a quote far below everyone else's, or someone who "just finished a job down the street" and wants a deposit.
6. Keep your own walks passable. The sidewalk along your lot is your job even if you hire out the driveway (see below, and exterior maintenance).

Snow plowing: what to ask for

Garfield Heights regulates plow contractors in Chapter 758 of the Codified Ordinances, "Snow Removal Contractors" (Ord. 76-2010). Here is what that chapter says, as codified through Aug 20, 2020; verify current rules with the City at garfieldhts.org.

• Registration. A contractor who uses motor vehicles to remove snow from private property needs a certificate of registration from the Service Director (758.02).
• A decal on every truck. A decal is issued for each vehicle used for snow removal and must be prominently displayed on it (758.05). Ask to see the registration decal on the truck.
• Fee. $18 a year, which includes one decal; each additional decal is $5 (758.06).
• Insurance. Before a certificate is issued the contractor must show liability insurance of at least $250,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, and $100,000 for property damage (758.07).
• Where the snow goes. Snow must be left on the lot it came from, or on the tree lawn in front of that lot (758.03(a)) — not pushed across the street or onto a neighbor's property.
• Doing it yourself. An owner, or an immediate family member, clearing their own one- or two-family home does not need to register (758.03(c)).

On our Local Pros board a plow listing may show "Snow-removal registration: self-reported". That is the pro's own statement. GarfieldHts.net does not verify registration, so ask to see the decal and the certificate.

Your sidewalk

Section 521.06 requires owners and occupants to keep the sidewalk along their lot free from snow and ice. Clearing is not required before 9:00 a.m. after a snowfall, nor more than once a day (521.06, as codified through Aug 20, 2020; verify current rules with the City at garfieldhts.org). If your plow service clears only the driveway, the walk is still yours to do.

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