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Winter Season Checklist for Snow Contractors

The first real storm is the worst time to discover an expired certificate, an undeclared truck or a subcontractor with no workers compensation account. Many of the problems that turn into claims or lost contracts can be caught in September and October with a few hours of paperwork.

Use this checklist as a starting point and adapt it to your own operation and province.

Insurance and Certificates

  • Start your renewal early. Give your broker time to review your operation and approach insurers before contracts start.
  • Update your broker on changes. New services (salting, sidewalks, roofs, hauling), new trucks, new staff, bigger or different sites.
  • Check your limits against your contracts. Many commercial and public sector contracts set their own minimums. See insurance requirements for commercial snow contracts.
  • Request certificates for every client that needs one. A certificate of insurance is evidence of coverage, not the policy itself. Turnaround depends on your broker and insurer, so ask early.
  • Confirm additional insured wording. If a contract asks you to name the client as an additional insured, your broker needs the exact names.

Vehicles and Equipment

  • Declare how each vehicle is used. Auto policies are priced on declared use, and plowing for pay is something to tell your insurer or broker. See does personal auto insurance cover plowing.
  • Check provincial commercial vehicle rules. For example, Ontario requires daily trip inspections for most trucks over 4,500 kg, and CVOR registration applies to trucks over 4,500 kg registered or actual weight. Confirm your own vehicles with MTO, or with the equivalent agency in your province.
  • Build an equipment list. Blades, spreaders, skid steers, loaders and sidewalk units, with serial numbers, values and photos. It speeds up any equipment insurance claim.

Crew and Workers Compensation

  • Register before you hire, or right after. WSIB says Ontario businesses have 10 calendar days from hiring their first employee. WCB Alberta requires an account within 15 days of hiring your first worker in a compulsory industry. WorkSafeBC says all employers must have coverage unless exempt. In Saskatchewan, confirm the rules with WCB Saskatchewan.
  • Train before the season. SIMA offers "Safety First" plow and sidewalk crew training covering fatigue, pre-trip checks and in-storm safety. See building a snow removal safety program.

Subcontractors

  • Collect certificates of insurance and track expiry dates. Our subcontractor COI tracker can help.
  • Collect workers compensation clearances. A WSIB clearance is valid for up to 90 days. WorkSafeBC advises getting a clearance letter addressed to you, and WCB Alberta advises getting one before you engage a contractor and before you pay them. See hiring subcontractors safely.

Sites and Contracts

  • Walk every site before the snow. Photograph curbs, lawns, light posts and existing damage, and mark hazards like drains and speed bumps.
  • Read the scope line by line. Which walkways, stairs and public sidewalks are yours? Courts look closely at who agreed to clear what.
  • Understand the service level. Trigger depths, response times and any zero tolerance language set the standard your work will be measured against.
  • Review indemnity and hold harmless clauses with your broker before you sign. See snow removal contracts and insurance.

Salt and Materials

Records and Claims

  • Set up your logging system now, not mid storm. Our snow log template is a simple starting point.
  • Decide who handles registered mail and incident reports. In Ontario, written notice of a snow or ice injury claim can arrive by registered mail. See Ontario's 2021 slip and fall notice law.
  • Save your broker's claims contact in every truck.

Sources

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Frequently Asked Questions

When should snow contractors start their insurance renewal?

Well before contracts start. Giving your broker time lets them review changes in your operation and approach insurers before clients ask for certificates.

Do I need workers compensation clearances from subcontractors?

Workers compensation boards in Ontario, BC and Alberta all describe situations where a hiring business can be liable for a contractor's unpaid premiums, and clearances are how you protect yourself. Confirm the rules with your provincial board.

What records should I keep during the season?

Dated logs of each visit, weather conditions, work done, salt applied and photos. See site logs and documentation.