Winter Snow Shoveling

[davissquarefan.livejournal.com]

Hello,

I am new to the neighborhood.  I have been hearing that to get our walkway and driveway shoveled, we need to set up a contract with someone in advance.  Can anyone explain how this works?  We are in a three-family with a two car tandem driveway and a front entrance.

Thank you,

DSF

Comments

[rmd.livejournal.com]

there is a high demand for people to do snow removal.

so if you're going to plan to hire someone, you'd do well to do so early. i know some folks who do snow removal are already fully booked.

[davissquarefan.livejournal.com]

thanks RMD ... any idea of where to find folks? I've looked in the Somerville Journal classifieds and no luck. Also, do you know what it typically costs or how it works?

[rmd.livejournal.com]

i know that in general, a number of construction and landscaping companies do this. servicemagic lists some companies with reviews, and craigslist has a number of entries. googling for "somerville massachusetts snow removal" seems to get some additional results.

i can't recommend anyone personally as i don't use a snow removal service.

[davissquarefan.livejournal.com]

thanks for the tips on where to look.

[808.livejournal.com]

One option is to ask your neighbors if they have any kids who would be willing to do it for money. If not, maybe they have a contractor they can recommend?

I live in a large corner lot with a giant driveway in a 3 family, so we have a lot of area to shovel. We also help shovel out an elderly neighbor's driveway. But it generally doesn't snow enough to justify paying someone for us. Once a plow person saw us shoveling and stopped to ask us if we wanted him to plow our driveway. He wanted $80!

[davissquarefan.livejournal.com]

thanks for the insights ... greatly appreciated

[somervilleguy.livejournal.com]

Yeah and he was on the low side!

[808.livejournal.com]

Jiminy!

[mistresshellena.livejournal.com]

in our 3 family condo, we take turns shovelling unless it's a real heavy one and then we all pitch in. It's great exercise! and there's generally camaraderie/commiseration with the neighbors!

[somervilleguy.livejournal.com]

http://community.livejournal.com/davis_square/1672437.html

[soft-shoulder.livejournal.com]

Is it really that hard to shovel? I mean I HATE the cold more than anyone yet I still voluntarily go help the landlord shovel our driveway and sidewalk. I feel bad seeing the old man doing it all by himself, says its good for his health, true true.

I can't see anyone paying $80 for a cleared driveway and sidewalk when you can get an amazing shovel for half the price and do it all winter long.

[alphacygni]

There are people, not even "old", who have back problems. Personally, actually shoveling a sizable space could leave me with spasms that could lead to far more missed work than I can afford. For certain storms, I'd cheerfully, eagerly pay someone $80 to shovel out the driveway.

[soft-shoulder.livejournal.com]

I see the back problems issue but a three family home has got to have a person or two, I would hope who can help out. Unless of course it's all single parents with children and elderly or something. I guess coming from Michigan where we shovel in shifts all day long because the snow falls fast enough to keep us going I have a mentality that everyone should just suck it up. *shrugs*

[witzwurst.livejournal.com]

If you live in a house where the snow from one whole side of the roof tends to drop three stories into a compacted mass in your driveway, then it is often that hard to shovel.

[soft-shoulder.livejournal.com]

That's actually how ours is, we get snow from our rooftop and the neighbors in our driveway. We keep piling it over top of our nearly non-existent fenced in front yard. =)

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

Thats what happens to my house as well.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

I live in a house that has been divided into condos. While I'd like to save some money by shovelling myself (unless the snow is really deep, since the driveway has a lot of area), I can't say the same for my neighbors. So if it snows while I'm not home, we'd need a plow service to take care of the driveway.

[soft-shoulder.livejournal.com]

It is very unfortunate that your neighbors wouldn't chip in.

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

My street appears to have a coop snow blower arrangement. My landlord does all the sidewalks of the people he likes and his driveway, and when he's not around, the people he likes come and use his snow blower and do the sidewalks and their driveways

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

Would it possibly be cost efficient to have everyone in the 3-family chip and buy a snow blower or whatever those machines are talking about?

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

I shouldn't post before my coffee...I meant whatever those machines are called since they obviously don't talk :)

Another consideration

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

Keep in mind that if you live on the even side of the street, every time the plow comes down the street it will dump mounds of snow and ice at the end of your driveway, and/or on your sidewalk. This snow is difficult to shovel because of the ice chunks that it usually includes. That will make a difference, because after you have cleared your driveway you may still have to shovel the end of the driveway several times, depending on how often the plows pass by.

[solarpanda.livejournal.com]

:( Is it really already time to talk about snow? Damn you New England weather!

I'd think, given the state of the economy, there would be quite a few craigslisters looking for the occasional odds&ends work like shoveling driveways.

It won't snow this year.

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

:)

Re: It won't snow this year.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

I really hope you are correct!

(And I don't even mind shoveling our short stretch of sidewalk.)

Re: It won't snow this year.

[smoterh.livejournal.com]

NOAA/s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) expects a moderate to strong el Niño during the upcoming winter (3-month Niño-3.4 SST index of +1.0°C or greater)...which suggests a good chance for above-average precipitation along most of the East Coast. This means either lotsa rain or lotsa snow.