If you are a condominium property manager, you need a good snow removal plan in place. This sets you apart from property managers who solely rely on landscaping to keep their properties looking good – while ignoring the small maintenance tasks that actually keep a condo building winter-safe.

Maintaining your snow removal capabilities is a basic necessity that every condominium, business, and property owner should be aware of. Why? Because the stakes are as high as they get.

When snow removal is neglected, condominiums and businesses face potential liability issues and safety concerns. Every year, several serious injuries and hospitalizations occur as pedestrians, drivers, and others attempt to get to their properties during the wintertime in Edmonton, Alberta.

As accessibility and safety priorities increase, you should take steps to improve circulation, accessibility, and safety on your property.

The basic steps to ensuring you hire the right snow removal contractor are:

Upload photos of your condominiums with descriptions of how the snow should be removed and stored.

The point is to provide as much information as possible for a professional snow removal crew to quote the project.

Take your time in this step. It may take you several hours to complete this task yourself, depending on the number of properties you have. Auditing for snow removal is always a respectable and important task ahead of time.

If there’s a heavy storm coming, ask the contractor to start clearing the snow from the sidewalks and roadways immediately.

Snow/ice accumulation on the sidewalks and roadways can last for a week or more if uninspected. Check-in on your property from late morning until dusk.

If at the end of the day there is still snow on sidewalks and roads, there may be safety risks posed to your residents.

Take pictures of their progress and get a confirmation from whoever is doing the snow clearing if you still require upgrades to the snow removal strategy.

In areas that are more forgiving to slush and ice, the results may not be as dramatic, but the investment behind the property is at risk.

Get the right snow removal contract.

Once you have an accurate understanding of how much snow and ice your condo needs to have cleared, it’s time to create a comprehensive snow removal contract.

Make sure your condo owner is aware of the major responsibilities of the snow removal team. A contract is a contract, even if it involves just a handshake and engagement between two parties. It is the legal document that sets expectations and protects both parties from liability and suits should a lawsuit arise from a snow removal accident.

Contracts vary quite a bit depending on the situation, and they cover many terms and conditions related to snow and ice removal.
You need to build trust with your contractor. That starts at the top with them understanding exactly what you want. Trust builds when your contractor understands your expectations and also communicates with you in a way that is respectful of your property and safety needs.

Secondly, ask for a contract to list out each term, condition, and procedure. These terms and conditions should put your contractor in a good light while empowering you to make quick changes at short notice. They also dismantle the negotiation pressure.

After the contract is created, make sure your team is prepared to manage the contractor. Make it clear who is on staff, what level of supervision is expected, and who is in charge of executing the work.

Conclusion

Your sole duty is to ensure that the conditions of your contract are met. If there are conditions that are not understood by the contractor, you may need to terminate the contract. It’s a good idea to revisit the contract terms and conditions regularly to make sure they are being complied with. Scheduled inspections can often be missed during busy times. That’s where steps like a photo of the conditions and reminders can be very helpful.

Remember, checklist and photo documentation are not substitutes for checking in with your contractor regularly.