Managing Parked Cars During Snow Removal at Condos and Apartments

4 min read · Thames Valley Snow, London, Ontario

Why parked cars cause so many problems

A commercial plaza empties at night. A residential building fills up. By the time a crew arrives in the early morning, nearly every space is taken. The plow can open the drive lanes but cannot reach the spaces themselves. Residents then dig out and push snow back into the lane, a windrow forms behind each car, and by afternoon the lot looks like it was never cleared.

None of this means the contractor did a poor job. It means the site needs a plan that accepts parked cars as a fact and works around them.

Decide what “cleared” means for occupied spaces

Start by agreeing, in writing, what the contractor is responsible for. On most multi-unit sites that includes:

• Drive lanes and fire routes opened to full width
• Visitor and accessible spaces cleared where they are empty
• Entrances, walkways and ramps hand-cleared and salted every visit
• A return to clear empty spaces once cars move, if that is part of the contract

Residents should know whether the crew will come back for vacated spaces or whether clearing around their own vehicle is their job.

Use rotation or clean-up windows where possible

Some buildings ask residents to move cars to one side of the lot, or to a visitor area, during a set clean-up window after a large storm. Others rotate sections of the lot on different days. These approaches only work with clear notice and realistic timing, but they can make a big difference on a tight lot. Talk with your contractor about which approach fits your site and how a return visit would be priced.

Keep residents from undoing the work

When residents shovel out, the snow often ends up in the drive lane or on the walkway. A short reminder before winter, asking people to throw snow onto the snowbank side rather than back into the lane, helps more than you might expect. So does making sure there is somewhere sensible for that snow to go, which means piles should be planned away from doors, drains and walkways, not in front of the only open strip.

Visitor and accessible parking

Visitor spaces and accessible spaces are often the first to be blocked by snow and the last to be cleared. Make them a named priority in your contract. Accessible spaces and their access aisles should be kept free of piles at all times. If residents are using visitor spaces as overflow during a storm, the property should address that through its own rules.

Records help settle disputes

When a resident complains that their space was never cleared, a timestamped photo log shows what the lot looked like at the time of the visit, including which spaces were occupied. That makes it much easier for a property manager or condo board to respond fairly. Our property managers page explains the records we keep.

Finally, review how the plan worked after the first few storms. Ask the superintendent or a board member which areas were left with ridges or blocked spaces, and look at the photo log for the same mornings. Small changes, such as a different route order, an earlier return visit or a clearer resident notice, often fix most of the problems for the rest of the winter.

Get a written quote for your site

Thames Valley Snow works with condo boards and apartment managers in London to plan around parked cars, with a written contract and a photo log every visit. Request a measured price through our quote form, or call or text (548) 888-8702. A written quote usually comes back within 2 business days.

What's included… and what's extra

Commercial snow service is priced per site from paved area, walkway length and opening time. A typical contract includes plowing at the agreed trigger depth, clearing before opening, hand-cleared entrances, sidewalks and ramps, and a timestamped photo log of every visit.

Common extras are quoted separately so you only pay for what the site needs: salting and de-icing per event, extra sidewalk or ramp coverage, after-hours or priority service, and snow relocation when piles run out of room. See commercial snow removal or request a site quote by calling or texting (548) 888-8702.