Snow removal

GigNGo, a job marketplace, reports a median snow removal job budget of $100 (provider data), with the middle half of jobs between $60 and $225. Aspire, a landscaping software company, cites $30 to $75 per visit for a residential driveway.

TaskRabbit charges the client a service fee on top of your rate. Its terms say registration is the only fee charged to Taskers, a one-time $25 charge.

How the money works in snow removal

Customers pay per visit (a push) or a flat fee for the season. Aspire says per-push pay ties income to storm frequency, while seasonal contracts are more stable.

On TaskRabbit, Taskers receive 100% of tips and expenses, and those who set an hourly rate keep all of it. With direct clients you set the price and collect payment yourself.

What snow removers actually earn

GigNGo says its figures are per-job budgets, not hourly rates or income guarantees. The BLS figure covers a broader group of year-round grounds workers.

Where the hours go

Travel, quoting and messaging come out of the job price when you work out hourly pay. Rerun the numbers with your own times using the hourly earnings guide.

What it costs to start

Insurance is the only recurring cost with a published price. Simply Business advertises coverage from $20.75 a month, a starting price, not a typical one.

Where to find snow removal customers

TaskRabbit lists snow removal and yard work among Tasker categories, and Angi Services lists snow shoveling. As with most local services work, neighbors and nearby property owners are the off-platform option: you skip platform fees, but you handle quoting, payment and insurance yourself.

Requirements and rules in the U.S.

Rules vary by city and state, so check your city or town clerk and public works pages.

• Sidewalks. Chicago's deadlines, as reported by NBC Chicago, are 10 p.m. if snow falls from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and 10 a.m. if it falls from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Cambridge, MA fines $50 a day for sidewalk noncompliance and bans pushing snow into the street. Center Line, MI treats snow placed on a public street by a hired contractor as a violation.
• Licenses. West Seneca, NY requires contractors to hold an annual license, with a separate permit for each vehicle. Homeowners plowing their own property are exempt.
• Insurance. General liability covers third-party injury claims such as slip-and-fall on icy walkways. Insureon lists typical snow plow policy limits of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate.
• Taxes. Self-employed people file Schedule C and Schedule SE and generally pay estimated taxes quarterly. Self-employment tax is generally due once net earnings reach $400.

Risks and red flags

The American Heart Association said in 2022 that shoveling may raise the risk of heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest. Research it cites found heart rate above 85% of maximum after two minutes of shoveling.

OSHA lists slippery surfaces, wind and cold as winter hazards, requires fall protection for roof snow removal, and warns about power lines.

Who snow removal fits, and who should skip it

Fits you if:

• You can be free right after a storm, since cities set sidewalk deadlines within hours of snowfall.
• You have neighbors to reach, since a free Nextdoor Business Page is listed at no cost.
• You're comfortable quoting and collecting payment yourself, since direct clients mean no platform fee.

Skip it if:

• You need income in months without snow. Handyman services can work year-round.
• Heart risk worries you. See the American Heart Association warning above.
• You don't want to deal with local licensing. Some towns, such as West Seneca, NY, license commercial plowers.

How to start

1. Read your city's sidewalk and snow-placement rules on its public works or clerk page, using Cambridge's as a model of what to look for.
2. Ask your city or town clerk whether commercial plowing needs a license, as West Seneca's does.
3. Get a general liability quote from Simply Business or Insureon. Insureon's figures are medians of applicant quotes.
4. Apply on TaskRabbit (18 or older, background check) or Angi Services (paid experience, ID and background check), or set up a free Nextdoor Business Page for neighbors.
5. Time a few jobs from door to door and work out your real hourly pay with the hourly earnings guide.
6. Set aside money for quarterly estimated taxes using the IRS self-employed tax center.