Facts from public sources, not quotes. Where these numbers come from
Driveways, sidewalks, steps, slopes, condo communities and commercial lots cleared and salted all winter. Lock in your spot on a local crew's route before the first snow, or request a storm-day visit.
Get a free quote How it worksPittsburgh averages about 44 inches of snow a winter, most of it in January (NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Pittsburgh International Airport: 44.1 inches). January is the snowiest month at 13.3 inches, followed by February at 11.7, December at 7.7 and March at 7.6. About 14.5 days a year bring an inch or more.
The bigger problem is ice. NOAA's engineering weather data counts about 97 freeze-thaw cycles a year at the airport, and the normal January low is 21.4°F. On Pittsburgh's hills, steps and steep driveways, melt runs downhill and refreezes overnight. Our count of NOAA daily records puts the median first measurable snow on November 15.
The best time to line up snow removal is before you need it. Routes fill up in the fall, and the people who call after the first icy morning wait in line.
Pittsburgh Snow Pros connects homeowners, condo and townhome associations and businesses in Pittsburgh, Mt. Lebanon, Ross Township and Monroeville with a local snow and landscape crew that plows, shovels and salts all winter. Every number on this site links to its public source, and we tell you what we don't know.
A seasonal residential contract puts your driveway on a route. When snow reaches the trigger depth in your contract, the crew comes without a phone call. Most plans cover the driveway and the front walk, and many add the steps, the sidewalk along the street and a pass of ice melt. On a hillside lot, ask about the steps and the steep part of the driveway first.
The rules make the sidewalk part matter. Pittsburgh Code §419.03 gives every tenant, occupant or owner fronting a paved sidewalk 24 hours after snow or sleet falls, or after freezing rain leaves ice. The general penalty is up to $300 plus costs per offense, and each day counts separately (§101.09).
Out in the townships the clock varies: 24 hours in Mt. Lebanon and Monroeville (where driveways and parking lots are included), 48 hours in Cranberry Township. In Ross Township, public works crews won't come back for the ridge their plows leave at your driveway.
If you clear your own walk between visits, a shovel with a spring-assist handle or a wide snow pusher saves your back, and a pet-safe ice melt is kinder to paws on the front steps.
Condo and townhome associations need more than a driveway service. A contract can cover private drives and shared parking, mailbox areas, common-area walks and steps, and the frontages along busy roads. On sloped sites, it should also cover salting the hills and stairs before the evening refreeze.
Common areas are only half of it. Many associations clear only the shared spaces and leave each owner's walk and steps to the owner. Read your association's rules, then fill the gap with a contract.
Plan where the snow goes, too. The City of Pittsburgh says not to move snow into the roadway, and Monroeville can fine $500 per occurrence for snow left on a public road. Piles stay on the property.
A good HOA proposal spells out the trigger depth, how fast walks are done after the snow stops, what salting is included and how extra storms and ice-only visits are billed.
The typical machine for a big lot is a wheel loader with a snow pusher box, the kind of rig that moves a whole lane of snow in one pass and stacks it at the edge of the lot (see a 102-inch skid steer pusher box in the Ice Fighter shop). It's the right tool for the biggest contracts from Ross to Monroeville: malls, retail centers, hospitals, universities, office and industrial parks and apartment lots where cars, trucks and customers need clear lanes before the doors open.
Big commercial work runs on a plan. A good contract lists the plowing trigger, when the lot must be open, where the snow piles go, how the drive lanes, loading docks and fire lanes are handled, and how salting and sidewalks are billed. In Monroeville, the 24-hour rule covers parking lots and driveways, not just sidewalks, and Mt. Lebanon businesses get only 4 hours for their sidewalks during business hours.
Smaller sites get the same attention with the right size of equipment: pickups with plows for office and church lots, and walk crews with blowers and spreaders for storefront sidewalks. As an estimate, HomeGuide's national averages put commercial lot plowing at $50 to $150 an hour and salting at $150 to $350 per acre, and every commercial price is set after a walk-through.
Pickups with plows clear smaller lots overnight, then come back for the drive lanes and entrances during long storms. Ask how the crew handles cars parked overnight.
When a big storm lands, large sites need several machines working together: skid steers with pusher boxes, loaders and plow pickups. Ask how many machines will be on your site and how often they return.
Storefront walks, ramps and entrances are cleared by hand crews with blowers and shovels, then treated so they don't refreeze.
Plowing moves the snow. Salting deals with what's left: the thin layer that packs down under tires and freezes into ice. Contractors spread salt from trucks with tailgate spreaders on lots and drives, and from walk-behind or ATV spreaders on sidewalks, steps and HOA paths.
In Pittsburgh, salting is half the job. About 97 freeze-thaw cycles a year (NOAA) mean melt runs downhill and refreezes overnight, and the city's 24-hour clock starts when freezing rain leaves ice, not just when it snows (§419.03). Steps, steep driveway aprons and north-facing walks need the most attention, and re-treating in the evening beats the overnight refreeze.
Want to see the gear behind a salting route? The Ice Fighter shop lists truck tailgate spreaders, a receiver-mount spreader for an ATV or UTV, a 100 lb walk-behind spreader and pallets of ice melt.
Not on a contract yet? Storm-day calls happen. As an estimate, ProMatcher's Pittsburgh figures put a driveway and sidewalk plow visit at about $37.06 on average ($32.94 to $41.18), and HomeGuide's national averages put driveway plowing at $30 to $70 a visit. These are estimates, not quotes.
Be ready to wait during a big storm, because contract customers come first. That's the strongest argument for signing up in the fall. If you just need a hand after a storm, use the form and choose a one-time job or step and driveway salting.
Pittsburgh has more public staircases than any city in the U.S., and plenty of private ones. A visit can include clearing and a pass of ice melt so the steps are safe in the morning.
Heavy snow at the roof edge can melt and refreeze into ice dams. From the ground, a roof rake can clear the edge. Anything that needs a ladder is a job for a pro.
A one-time plow visit can clear the driveway and the ridge the street plow leaves at the end of it.
Each city and township sets its own rules, and they're stricter than most people think. Here's a short version from each one's own page or code. Check the source before you rely on it.
| Place | Sidewalks | Where snow can go | Snow-emergency parking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | Within 24 hours after snow, sleet or freezing-rain ice; tenant, occupant or owner (§419.03). Up to $300 plus costs per offense, each day separate (§101.09) | Not into the roadway. Pile it on lawns or near the curb; in heavy snows, give up a parking space for the pile | No parking on marked snow-emergency routes starting 1 hour after the Mayor's declaration. Towed; fine up to $25 plus costs, towing and storage |
| Mt. Lebanon | 24 hours after 1 inch or more; businesses 4 hours, Mon.–Sat., 7 a.m.–10 p.m. Fine $5–$300 per offense, each day separate (§15-206) | Not covered here; check with the municipality | Not covered here; check posted signs |
| Monroeville | Sidewalks, driveways and parking lots within 24 hours; full width of public sidewalks; 3 ft around hydrants. General penalty up to $500 | Not on a public road: written notice, then $500 per occurrence for anyone doing winter maintenance | Not covered here; check posted signs |
| Cranberry Township | Within 48 hours after snowfall or ice ends, full width (§302.3.9.1) | Not into roads | Not covered here; check posted signs |
| McCandless | A reasonable amount of time, preferably within 24 hours | Depositing snow on roads violates Ord. No. 1283 | Not covered here; check posted signs |
| Ross Township | No deadline found | Public works won't return to clear plow ridges at driveways; owners clear around mailboxes | Not covered here; check posted signs |
Sources: City of Pittsburgh DPW, City of Pittsburgh Code, City of Pittsburgh, City of Pittsburgh Code, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Mt. Lebanon Code §15-206 (sidewalk snow), Monroeville Property Maintenance Code (snow and ice), Cranberry Township Property Maintenance Code §302.3.9.1, Town of McCandless, Ross Township. Bethel Park and Upper St. Clair rules are not covered yet; check with your municipality. Full source list.
Before you head out in a storm, check the official sources. These are the ones the state, the National Weather Service and the city point to.
PennDOT's 511PA has a Southwestern Region (Pittsburgh) page with road conditions and restrictions.
The National Weather Service office in Pittsburgh forecasts for the region. Check weather.gov/pbz for forecasts, watches and warnings.
Move your car off marked snow-emergency routes within 1 hour of the Mayor's declaration, or it can be towed.
The city's Snow Response Updates page shows a delayed dashboard of select plows and salt trucks and a snow route coverage map. The city treats over 1,200 miles of streets.
Once 24 hours have passed after the snow ends, report an icy city street at 412-255-2621 or 311.
Residents can request a salt box at the top or bottom of public city steps through 311.
Salt steps and steep driveway aprons first. Use grit plus melt on slopes, and a pusher shovel, never a snow blower, on steps.
About 97 freeze-thaw cycles a year (NOAA). Melt runs downhill and refreezes overnight, so re-treat in the evening.
The 24-hour sidewalk clock also starts when freezing rain leaves ice (§419.03). Keep ice melt on hand in light-snow weeks.
Snow work and landscaping go together. The snow and ice trade group SIMA reports 88,200 snow and ice businesses in the U.S., and more than half of them are lawn and landscape companies. The Census Bureau counted 1,033 landscaping businesses with 4,552 employees in the Pittsburgh metro in 2023.
That's good for you. A crew that mows your property in July already knows where the curbs, steps, sprinkler heads and flower beds are when they're buried under snow in January. When the snow is gone, the same crew can handle spring cleanup and repair any turf damaged by plows or salt.
It's also why customers stay. SIMA reports snow and ice customers are retained 93% of the time from one year to the next. Once you find a crew that shows up, you tend to keep them.
Treat these as estimates. ProMatcher's Pittsburgh figures put a driveway and sidewalk plow visit at about $37.06 on average ($32.94 to $41.18; the underlying report is from 2018). HomeGuide's national averages put driveway plowing at $30 to $70 a visit, a seasonal contract at $200 to $600 and sidewalk shoveling at $25 to $75 an hour. Your real price depends on the size of the area, steps and slopes, and whether salting is included. A local crew quotes it for free.
24 hours. Pittsburgh Code §419.03 says the sidewalk must be cleared within 24 hours after snow or sleet falls, or after freezing rain leaves ice. It applies to every tenant, occupant or owner who has care of land fronting a paved sidewalk.
The city's general penalty, §101.09, is up to $300 plus costs per offense, and each day counts as a separate offense. Private residents can also file a complaint with a City Magistrate.
Mt. Lebanon's code (§15-206) gives most property owners 24 hours after 1 inch or more of snow, but businesses must clear their sidewalks within 4 hours, Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fines run $5 to $300 per offense, and each day counts separately. A walk crew on contract keeps a storefront inside that window.
No. The City of Pittsburgh says snow should not be shoveled or moved into the roadway. Monroeville goes further: after a written notice, depositing snow on a public road costs $500 per occurrence for anyone performing winter maintenance, contractors included. McCandless says depositing snow on roads violates its Ordinance No. 1283.
When the Mayor declares a snow emergency, parking is banned on marked snow-emergency routes starting 1 hour after the declaration. Cars left there are towed to the City pound, with a fine of up to $25 plus costs, towing and storage.
Freeze and thaw. NOAA's engineering weather data counts about 97 freeze-thaw cycles a year at Pittsburgh International Airport. Melt runs downhill on Pittsburgh's slopes and refreezes overnight, so steps and steep aprons need treating again in the evening.
Pittsburgh Code §419.03 names tenants and occupants as well as owners. Whoever has care of the land fronting the sidewalk has 24 hours.
The City of Pittsburgh says snow should not be shoveled or moved into the roadway. Pile it on the lawn or near the curb, and in heavy snows, give up a parking space for the pile.
Pittsburgh's 24-hour clock also starts when freezing rain leaves ice on the sidewalk (§419.03). Keep ice melt on hand even in light-snow weeks.
Ross Township says its public works crews won't return to clear the ridge their plows leave at driveways. Plan to clear it, or ask your contractor to come back for it.
Plenty of people pair a contract for the driveway with a little work of their own between visits. If that's you, a few tools make a Pittsburgh winter easier.
For steps and slopes, start with ice melt: pet-safe pellets for the front steps and a 50 lb bag for the driveway, and a heated walkway mat for one steep step run. For a long, flat driveway, a two-stage snow blower like the Husqvarna ST224 or the battery-powered EGO 24-inch two-stage handles the heavy stuff. Never use a blower on steps.
Winter storms can also take the power down. A portable inverter generator such as the AIVOLT 4,200W can keep a fridge, a sump pump and the furnace blower going. Run it outdoors only, far from windows and doors, and keep snow away from the exhaust.
See every pick in the Ice Fighter shop, or let a crew do the heavy lifting.
Most contracts start at a set snow depth. Ask whether freezing rain or an overnight refreeze gets a salting visit, since the 24-hour clock starts then too.
When will the driveway be clear, and when will the sidewalk be done? Pittsburgh gives 24 hours; Mt. Lebanon businesses get 4.
Steps and steep aprons are where people fall. Make sure they are named in the contract.
Not into the roadway. In Monroeville, snow on a public road can cost $500 per occurrence.
Ask for proof of liability insurance, especially for HOA and commercial work where slip-and-fall risk is high.
Stake curbs, beds, sprinkler heads and low walls before the first snow so blades don’t chew them up.
Tell us what needs clearing, your ZIP code and anything that helps: driveway length, sidewalks, steps, a parking lot, an HOA drive or a business entrance. Your request goes to a local snow and ice crew serving Pittsburgh, Mt. Lebanon, Ross Township and Monroeville, and they contact you directly with questions and a price.
No cost and no obligation to ask. Seasonal contracts fill up before the first snow, so fall is the best time to ask.
Before you sign, ask for proof of insurance, what snow depth triggers a visit, whether sidewalks and salting are included, and how storm-day calls are billed.
