What's Covered If Plowing Damages Your Lot Surface?

4 min read · Thames Valley Snow, London, Ontario

Plow trucks and heavy equipment operating on your property carry some inherent risk of surface damage, from scraped asphalt to a cracked curb. Understanding what's covered when this happens protects you from an unexpected repair bill.

A contractor's liability insurance should cover damage caused by their equipment during normal operations, which is one more reason verifying insurance coverage before signing a contract matters as much as it does. Without proper coverage, you could be left absorbing repair costs for damage that wasn't your fault.

Documentation of pre-existing conditions matters here too. A site walk before the season starts, ideally with photos, establishes a baseline of your property's condition. This protects both you and the contractor by making it clear what damage, if any, occurred during the winter versus what was already there beforehand.

Reporting damage promptly when it happens makes resolution much easier. Waiting weeks or months to mention a scraped curb makes it harder to establish when and how it happened, while reporting it right away, with photos, gives everyone a clear timeline to work from.

Thames Valley Snow carries $2,000,000 in liability insurance, with certificates available on request. If a contractor has damaged your property in the past without a clear resolution, checking their insurance is the first step before signing again.

Ask for the Certificate, Not Just the Promise

Saying you are insured costs nothing. A certificate of insurance shows the coverage amount and the dates it is valid. Ask for one before the season starts. Thames Valley Snow carries $2,000,000 in liability coverage, and certificates are available on request. Commercial clients and landlords can also be named as an additional insured.

It is also worth checking that the company is WSIB registered. That covers the workers on your property if one of them is hurt, which is a separate issue from damage to your lot but just as important. We are WSIB registered.

Marking Before the Snow Flies

A lot of plow damage happens because nobody can see the edge of the driveway, a step or a drain once snow covers it. Before the season starts, we mark edges, steps and drains so operators can find them under snow. Stakes along a lawn edge, for example, keep the blade on the pavement instead of in the grass.

Photos Make Any Claim Easier

After every visit we take a timestamped photo. Over the winter that gives a running record of the property, which makes it much easier to tell when a problem appeared. Taking your own photos before the first snowfall is a good idea too.

Surfaces That Need Extra Care

Interlock, paver and stamped concrete drives need more care than plain asphalt, which is reflected in pricing: those drives are $1,050 for a season plus HST. If you have a decorative surface, mention it when you request a quote.

What to Do If Damage Happens

Report it right away and take your own photos. Compare them with the timestamped visit photos so everyone can see when the damage appeared. The sooner it is raised, the easier it is to sort out, because waiting until spring makes it hard to tell what happened and when. Keep a copy of the contractor certificate of insurance on file so you know who to contact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will you show me proof of insurance?

Yes. Certificates for our $2,000,000 liability coverage are available on request.

How do you avoid hitting lawn edges?

Edges, steps and drains are marked before the season so they can be found under snow.

Want a fixed price for your property? Request a free quote, or call or text (548) 888-8702. You can also read more about our stamped and paver drive service and residential snow removal.

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.