Updated November 2026 US, UK, Canada and Australia Free calculator
Snow removal is the rare job where customers are in a hurry to pay you. It is also work you cannot schedule: it arrives at 5 a.m., all your customers want you first, and a heavy storm can take three times as long as a light one. Your prices have to allow for that.
Clearing a two-car driveway after an ordinary snowfall goes for $45–$90 in the US and C$50–C$100 in Canada. Those are the two real markets for this trade. Paid snow clearing is rare in the UK and Australia, and the figures given for them here (£27–£50 and A$50–A$85) are worked out from local hourly labour rates, not from an established market.
Set the job details to get a price to quote, then check what that price leaves you per hour once driving, supplies and tax are counted.
sq ft
A single-car driveway is about 300 sq ft, a two-car driveway about 600 sq ft.A single-car driveway is about 20 m², a double about 40 m².A single-car driveway is about 300 sq ft, a two-car driveway about 600 sq ft.A single-car driveway is about 25 m², a double about 50 m².
We only publish going rates for the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Enter the price you plan to charge and the calculator shows what it pays you per hour, and the lowest price you should accept.
Charge about
$60
per visit, for 600 sq ft
Budget$45Typical$60Premium$90
$
per visit, in your own currency
What you really keep
$58an hour in your pocket at the typical price
Adjust the numbers above to match your job.
The price is built as a base fee plus a rate for the size of the job, then adjusted for the options you pick. Time is an estimate for one person working alone; change it if you know your own pace.
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Price list
Snow Removal prices by job size
Job
United States (USD)
United Kingdom (GBP)
Canada (CAD)
Australia (AUD)
Single-car driveway
$35–$55about 300 sq ft
£25–£30about 20 m²
$40–$65about 300 sq ft
$50–$55about 25 m²
Two-car driveway
$45–$90about 600 sq ft
£27–£50about 40 m²
$50–$100about 600 sq ft
$50–$85about 50 m²
Long or four-car driveway
$65–$150about 1,200 sq ft
£40–£85about 80 m²
$70–$175about 1,200 sq ft
$65–$145about 100 m²
Large property or lane
$115–$290about 2,500 sq ft
£65–£150about 160 m²
$120–$330about 2,500 sq ft
$105–$270about 200 m²
Hourly rate
$30–$100what working pros bill
£25–£50what working pros bill
$35–$100what working pros bill
$40–$75what working pros bill
Minimum charge
$35smallest job worth the trip
£25smallest job worth the trip
$40smallest job worth the trip
$50smallest job worth the trip
Prices are per visit in local currency, from a fair budget price to an established operator in a higher-cost area.
United States: Prices are highest in the Northeast and around the Great Lakes, where storms are frequent and customers sign up for the whole season. In areas with only a few snowfalls a year, charge per visit.
United Kingdom: There is very little paid domestic snow clearing in the UK, and no published price guides for it. These figures are estimates based on gardener and landscaper hourly rates. Demand exists mainly in Scotland and northern England, and most paid work is gritting for businesses.
Canada: Most households in snowy cities buy a seasonal contract, typically paid before the first snowfall. Clearing the heavy ridge left by the city plow at the end of the driveway is expected, so allow time for it.
Australia: Snow clearing is limited to the alpine areas of New South Wales and Victoria, and no published prices exist for it. These figures are estimates based on local hourly labour rates. Treat this as occasional extra work, not a business.
Method
Ways to price snow removal
01Per visit
A set price each time you clear the driveway, usually triggered when a certain depth has fallen, commonly 2 inches or 5 cm. It is simple and fair in places where snow is occasional. Agree the trigger depth in advance so nobody argues about a dusting.
02Per storm, by depth
The per-visit price rises in steps with snowfall, for example one price up to 6 inches, a higher one up to 12, and a higher one again above that. This protects you in a big storm, when you may need to clear the same driveway twice.
03Seasonal contract
One fixed price for the whole winter, paid up front or monthly. Price it as your per-visit rate times the average number of snowfalls in your area, less about 10 percent. You win in a light winter and lose in a heavy one, but the income is guaranteed before the first flake.
04Hourly
Used for large or unusual jobs such as roofs, long rural lanes or digging out after a blizzard. Quote a minimum of one hour, because the travel and setup are the same however small the job.
Price factors
What changes the price
01How much snow fell
Six inches of powder and fourteen inches of wet snow are different jobs on the same driveway. Depth and weight decide your time more than area does, which is why per-visit prices should rise in steps with the snowfall.
02Driveway size and shape
Area sets the base price, but layout matters too. A straight driveway with lawn on both sides is quick. One boxed in by walls, cars and a garage leaves you nowhere to throw the snow and takes far longer.
03Shovel, blower or plow
Customers pay about the same whichever tool you use. A two-stage snow blower clears a two-car driveway in a third of the time a shovel takes, so it is the machine, not a higher price, that lifts your hourly earnings.
04The plow ridge at the street
City plows leave a dense, icy bank across the end of every driveway, often after you have already cleared it. In Canada and the northern US, customers expect it gone. Price in a return visit, or state clearly that it is extra.
05Timing
Everyone wants to be clear before they leave for work. A route that guarantees clearing by 7 a.m. is worth more than one that gets there by noon, and you can only fit a limited number of driveways into that early window.
06Salt and ice
De-icer is a consumable with a real cost, and spreading it creates an expectation that the surface will be safe. Charge for it as a separate line and note the conditions each time you apply it.
Worked examples
Real quotes, step by step
United States
Two-car driveway after an 8-inch storm
A 600 sq ft driveway with 8 inches of snow, cleared with a snow blower, plus salt on the slope by the garage.
With a blower and a tight route, deeper snow raises your earnings instead of ruining your morning. That only works if your prices step up with the depth.
Base price, 600 sq ft
$61
6 to 12 in (15 to 30 cm)
× 1.4
Spread salt or de-icer
+ $25
Quote, rounded
$110
Going range
$90–$150
Time, with 15 min driving
1.25 hours
Supplies and fuel
− $4
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $27
You keep
$64 an hour
Canada
Single-car driveway and walkway, by shovel
A 300 sq ft driveway after a 10 cm snowfall, cleared by hand along with the front walk and steps.
Shovel-only work still pays when the jobs are small and close together. Stay on your own street and you have no travel costs at all.
Base price, 300 sq ft
$50
Clear the walkway and steps
+ $20
Quote, rounded
$70
Going range
$60–$85
Time, with 15 min driving
1.25 hours
Supplies and fuel
− $2
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $17
You keep
$41 an hour
United States
Long driveway, light snowfall
A 1,200 sq ft driveway with 3 inches of dry snow, cleared with a snow blower on a seasonal customer's property.
Light snow on a long drive is your easiest money of the winter. These are the visits that make a seasonal contract profitable.
Base price, 1,200 sq ft
$97
Quote, rounded
$95
Going range
$65–$150
Time, with 15 min driving
1.25 hours
Supplies and fuel
− $5
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $23
You keep
$54 an hour
Your costs
What it costs you to do the work
A shovel is enough to start on your own street. To run a route you need a snow blower, and a way to move it. UK and Australian prices are for the same equipment bought locally, where the choice is limited.
Item
USA (USD)
UK (GBP)
Canada (CAD)
Australia (AUD)
Snow shovel and pusher
$30–$80
£20–£50
$35–$90
$40–$100
Two-stage snow blowerSingle-stage machines are cheaper but struggle with deep or wet snow.
$800–$2,000
£600–£1,800
$1,000–$2,600
$1,500–$3,500
Salt or de-icer, per 50 lb (20 kg) bag
$8–$25
£6–£15
$8–$30
$15–$40
Fuel and maintenance, per month in season
$30–$100
£20–£60
$40–$120
$30–$90
Liability insurance, per yearSlip-and-fall claims are the main risk. Check that snow and ice work is covered.
$500–$2,000
£100–£350
$600–$2,500
$450–$1,100
Avoid these
Pricing mistakes that cost beginners money
One flat price whatever the storm
A single price per visit feels simple until a 20-inch storm takes four hours and pays the same as a dusting. Set depth steps before the season starts and put them in writing.
Taking on more driveways than you can clear by morning
Every customer expects to be done early. Count how many driveways you can really clear in the first three hours after a storm, and stop selling when the route is full.
Underpricing the seasonal contract
Look up the average number of snowfalls for your area over several winters, not just last year. Multiply by your per-visit price, then discount only slightly. A cheap contract in a heavy winter means working for nothing in February.
Spread-out customers
In a storm, driving is slow and dangerous. Ten driveways on two streets beat twenty across town. Discount for neighbours and turn down jobs far off your route.
Questions
Common questions about snow removal prices
How much should I charge to shovel a driveway?
For a two-car driveway after an ordinary snowfall, charge $45–$90 in the US and C$50–C$100 in Canada. A single-car driveway is about a quarter less. Charge 40 percent more once the snow is over 6 inches deep, and nearly double above 12 inches.
How much should I charge for a seasonal snow removal contract?
Multiply your per-visit price by the average number of snowfalls in your area and take off about 10 percent. In the US most residential contracts fall between $300 and $1,000 for the season. In Ontario the usual range is $400 to $1,200.
How much should a teenager charge to shovel snow?
A teenager with a shovel working on their own street usually charges $20 to $40 for a standard driveway, more after a heavy storm. That is below professional rates, which is fair with no insurance, fuel or travel to pay for.
What is a fair hourly rate for snow removal?
Working pros bill about $30–$100 an hour in the US and C$35–C$100 in Canada, with a minimum charge per visit. Per-visit or seasonal pricing is far more common for driveways.
Should I charge extra for salting?
Yes. Salt or de-icer is usually a separate line of $20 to $60 per application in the US, depending on the area treated, because the material costs you money each time.
Is snow removal worth doing in the UK or Australia?
Only as occasional extra work. Snow is too rare and too local in both countries to build a route around. If you already run a gardening or handyman business in a snowy area, charge your normal hourly rate with a one-hour minimum.
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Where these numbers come from
The rates on this page were set in November 2026 from the published price guides below, then checked so that the calculator, the price list and the examples all agree. How we work out prices.