You could throw darts at a board, consult a psychic, or hire the first company that offers you a free cheese pizza — all pretty fun — but none of that will nab you a great snow and ice management company.
You need to do some investigating. Pretend you’re Sherlock Holmes. Also fun.
How to choose the best snow removal services in DC, Maryland, and Virginia?
Check out these tips:
Look for Proactive Communication So You’re Always Informed
You shouldn’t have to call or text your commercial snow and ice management company to find out when they’re arriving or what their plan is for your property.
They should tell you.
Look for a company that has a detailed proactive communication plan in place. Ask them what you can expect.
At Level Green, you’ll hear from us via email five days before a projected weather event. It’s your first communication, but there’s plenty more to come.
Next up: 48 hours before, we call or email our commercial snow and ice management customers with an update. Another call goes out 24 hours ahead, to update you on our proactive plan of attack for your property.
We keep a close and constant eye on weather forecasts and the ground temperature, keeping our crews alerted and updating our plan for your property as needed. Then we communicate that to you.
No nail biting needed. You’ll stay informed throughout the storm, including timely phone calls from your account manager and photos from our crews who document their progress on your property.
Even when the sun comes out the next day, we’re still in touch. Leftover puddles often freeze. We keep you posted about our plan to treat that new ice to keep people from slipping.
Make sure you find a snow removal service with a detailed, proactive communication plan to keep you in the know.
Ask About Their Snow Contract Options
Love stress? We didn’t think so.
But the typical time and materials contract most snow removal services in DC, Maryland, and Virginia offer is pretty stressful. You might need Tums.
You have no idea what your exact cost will be until the end of each snow event. It makes budget planning tricky and stomach acid active.
Ask if the snow and ice management company offers a seasonal snow and ice management contract, where you pay a set amount for snow and ice services for the season — no matter how much snow falls or how many visits they make to your property.
Want even more peace of mind? Find a snow removal company that offers a five-year contract. The low snow years and high snow years will even out over the span of the contract.
And you don’t have to worry about signing another snow contract for five years.
That calls for a celebratory lunch. No antacid needed.
Find a Snow Removal Service That Prepares Year-Round
Top-notch snow and ice management doesn’t just switch on when the first frost shows up.
There are crews to train. Equipment to reserve. Routes to plan. Custom property site maps to create. Snow stakes to install. Lots of stuff to do.
Ask snow removal services in DC, Maryland, and Virginia about their preparation and make sure it starts well in advance. That way, you know they’ll be ready to keep your property clear and safe.
Will They Walk Your Property With You?
Make sure your snow and ice management company will do a comprehensive pre-season walk through of your property with you.
At Level Green, we use this time with you to gather important information to help us prepare detailed overhead site maps of your property. Our snow and ice management crews use these maps as they work to quickly and efficiently clear your property.
This is your chance to share your expectations and point out important property details like storm drain locations and any areas that get extra icy.
Plus, it’s an excuse to ditch your desk and your phone and get outside for some fresh air. Bonus!
Ask How They Treat the Environment
You need snow and ice management that keeps your property safe. But keeping the environment safe is a big concern, too.
Salt used in snow and ice removal makes its way into area lakes and streams, where it can kill the creatures who live there.
It damages plants and lawns, too.
How does your snow and ice management company balance getting the job done with care for the environment?
Ask them.
Level Green crews:
- Work to keep these materials on hard surfaces so the chemicals don’t damage your turf and plants
- Measure all your sidewalks and hard surfaces then calculate the exact amount of ice melt products needed — then they only use that amount.
- Limit use of straight rock salt by using other methods, too, including an engineered ice melt mixture that’s less corrosive than straight salt and friendlier to the environment
- Use brine, a liquid ice melt mixture that uses one quarter of the amount of salt as traditional rock salt. That means it’s better for the environment.
All this is increasingly important as state and local governments move toward regulating rock salt usage.
Find snow removal services in DC, Maryland, and Virginia with a track record of caring for the earth -- and a company that’s ready for increased salt use regulations.
How to Choose a Snow Removal Company? Trust Level Green
Sure, consult a psychic. Throw some darts. But when it’s time to sign your snow and ice management contract, give us a call.
Level Green Landscaping provides customized snow removal and ice management services for commercial properties in Washington D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia.
We provide these additional winter weather services to our clients which we already service throughout the year.
We love maintaining your commercial property’s landscaping during the spring, summer and fall. It just makes sense to trust your property to us during the winter months, too.
Our goal: protect everybody who spends time on your commercial property, and minimize your risk of liability due to slips, falls, traffic accidents, and property damage
If you’re not already a Level Green Landscaping client, we’d love to add you to our growing list of happy customers.
Our focus is on commercial properties like offices, mixed-use sites, HOAs, municipalities and institutions in Maryland, Washington DC and parts of Virginia.
Contact us at 202-544-0968. You can also request a free consultation online to meet with us one-on-one.
We’d love to hear from you.
