Semi-Detached Homes: Side-by-Side Driveways in Winter

4 min read · Thames Valley Snow, London, Ontario

Why side-by-side driveways are harder

On a detached home, snow from the driveway can usually go on the lawn on either side. On a semi, one side of each driveway often runs straight into the neighbour’s driveway, so all the snow has to go to the other side or to the front. After a few storms the piles get tall, the driveways get narrower, and the end of both driveways is buried by the same City windrow.

If you and your neighbour share a single driveway rather than two separate ones, see our guide handling snow removal for a shared driveway with neighbours, which covers splitting the work and the cost.

Agree on where the snow goes

The single most useful thing you can do is have a short conversation with your neighbour before the first storm.

• Agree that nobody pushes or throws snow onto the other driveway, even a little. Small amounts pile up and pack into ice under tires.
• Pick a pile spot for each household, usually the outer edge of each driveway and the front lawn.
• Keep the strip between the driveways low, or keep it as a narrow walking path, so nobody has to climb over a bank to get into their car.
• Keep piles away from the gas meter, furnace and dryer vents and any basement windows on your side. See keeping furnace vents and gas meters clear of snow.
• Keep sightlines clear where the driveways meet the sidewalk and the street. Tall banks between two driveways can hide children and pedestrians from a car backing out.

Parking and doors

Cars parked tight to the shared edge make it hard to clear that strip. When a storm is coming, park toward the outer side of your own driveway, or out of the way as our guide where to park during a snowstorm explains. Many semis also have a side door or a walkway that runs along the shared side. Keep that path clear and salted, because water from both roofs often drips there and refreezes.

The City windrow

When the City plows the street, it leaves a ridge of packed snow across the end of both driveways. On a semi the two windrows often join into one long bank. Clearing your half and throwing it onto your neighbour’s half is the quickest way to start an argument. Our guide what is a City windrow and who clears it? explains how it forms. If the sidewalk in front of your home is part of your responsibility, see are homeowners responsible for clearing City sidewalks?

When it gets icy

Freeze-thaw days are tough on narrow driveways, because meltwater from tall piles runs across the pavement and freezes overnight. Break up piles that lean over the driveway, keep drains and the low side of each driveway clear, and salt the spots where meltwater crosses. Our guide how freeze-thaw cycles damage driveways and steps has more.

If you and your neighbour both want a service

Each driveway on a semi is its own property, so each household books and pays for its own driveway. Every quote is measured from City of London maps, so a narrow single driveway is priced as a single driveway. It still helps to tell us when you request your quote that the home is a semi with side-by-side driveways, and where you have agreed the snow should go, so both driveways can be cleared without moving snow onto the other.

How a seasonal plan helps

A seasonal snow removal plan takes the guesswork out of busy mornings. Your driveway is cleared automatically from December 1 to March 31 whenever 5 cm or more falls. In long storms we come back for return visits, the City windrow at the end of the driveway is cleared, and you get a timestamped photo after every visit, which is handy if there is ever a question about where snow ended up.

Prices (all plus HST):

• Single or 1.5-car driveway: $650 to $725 for the season
• Double driveway: $815
• 3-car, paver or stamped driveway: $1,050
• Walkway and steps: from $150, or $175 for a walk plus up to 6 steps; sidewalk $90
• Seasonal salt, including freezing rain and refreeze visits: $175
• Pet-safe de-icer: $120
• Priority early-morning clearing: $125
• Season extension from November 1 to April 15: add $95

Prefer to pay only when you need it? Per-visit snow removal is $70 to $85 a visit. Seasonal plans take a 30% deposit with the balance before December 1, and seniors and front-line workers save 5% on seasonal plans. We carry $2,000,000 in liability insurance, are registered with WSIB and are LPMA members.

Get a quote

Every quote is measured from City of London maps, and residential quotes come back within 1 business day. Ask for a free quote or call or text (548) 639-2069.