Facts from public sources, not quotes. Where these numbers come from
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Everything on this page is an estimate, not a quote. The one Pittsburgh figure comes from ProMatcher: a driveway and sidewalk plow visit at about $37.06 on average ($32.94 to $41.18; the underlying report is from 2018). The rest are national averages from HomeGuide, not Pittsburgh prices.
| Service | Estimated range | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Driveway + sidewalk plow, one visit | About $37.06 ($32.94–$41.18) | ProMatcher, Pittsburgh (2018 report) |
| Driveway plowing | $30–$70 a visit ($30–$50 under 70 ft) | HomeGuide, national averages |
| Seasonal contract | $200–$600 (limited visits) | HomeGuide, national averages |
| Sidewalk shoveling | $25–$75 an hour | HomeGuide, national averages |
| Roof snow / ice dam removal | $200–$500 a visit / $200–$2,400 | HomeGuide, national averages |
| Commercial lot | $50–$150 an hour plowing; $80–$200 an hour removal | HomeGuide, national averages |
| Commercial salting | $150–$350 per acre | HomeGuide, national averages |
Estimates only, from ProMatcher and HomeGuide. Pittsburgh prices can be higher or lower. A local crew quotes your property for free.
Your price depends on the size of the area, the equipment it takes, how fast you need it done and whether salting is included. In Pittsburgh, two local factors matter: steps and steep driveways, which take hand work and extra salt, and about 97 freeze-thaw cycles a year (NOAA), which can mean ice-only visits between snows.
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Area and layout | Long driveways, wide lots, steps, slopes and lots of sidewalk take more time and more machine. |
| Trigger depth | A lower trigger means more visits in a season. |
| Timing | Lots that must be open before the first shift or first customer need crews overnight. Mt. Lebanon businesses have 4 hours for sidewalks. |
| Salting | Material, number of applications and whether steps and walks get treated as well as lots. |
| Snow piles | Where snow can go on site. It can't go into the roadway, and big lots sometimes need piles moved. |
| Contract type | Seasonal, per visit or per hour. Seasonal prices spread the cost and lock in your spot. |
| The winter | The airport averages 44.1 inches (NOAA), but seasons vary. Per-visit costs rise in a heavy or icy winter. |
You can see what the gear costs in the Ice Fighter shop, from shovels and ice melt to snow blowers and truck salt spreaders. For a flat driveway, a blower can pay off over a few winters. For HOA drives and commercial lots, the machines, insurance, crews and overnight hours are why contracts exist.
Every fact in the ticker and on our pages comes from one of these public sources. Figures are typical or historical, not promises about your property or the next winter.
| Fact shown | Source | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh International Airport averages 44.1 inches of snow a season (1991–2020 normals) | NOAA | NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Pittsburgh International Airport (USW00094823) |
| January is the snowiest month at 13.3 inches; February averages 11.7 | NOAA | NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Pittsburgh International Airport (USW00094823) |
| About 14.5 days a year bring 1 inch of snow or more | NOAA | NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Pittsburgh International Airport (USW00094823) |
| Normal January low: 21.4°F | NOAA | NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Pittsburgh International Airport (USW00094823) |
| About 97 freeze-thaw cycles a year at Pittsburgh International Airport | NOAA | NOAA NCEI, Engineering Weather Data, Pittsburgh (KPIT) |
| Median first measurable snow at the airport: November 15 (29 seasons of daily records) | NOAA | NOAA NCEI GHCN-Daily, Pittsburgh International Airport (our median of 29 seasons) |
| Earliest 1-inch snow on record: October 18, 1972 (1.8 inches) | NWS Pittsburgh | National Weather Service Pittsburgh, "Snowfall Records" |
| Sidewalks cleared within 24 hours after snow, sleet or freezing rain (Code §419.03) | City of Pittsburgh | City of Pittsburgh DPW, "Removal of Snow and Ice" (Code §419.03) |
| General penalty: up to $300 plus costs per offense; each day is a separate offense (§101.09) | City of Pittsburgh | City of Pittsburgh Code, §101.09 general penalty |
| Snow emergency: no parking on marked routes starting 1 hour after the declaration | City of Pittsburgh | City of Pittsburgh Code, Chapter 531 (snow emergency) |
| Don’t shovel snow into the roadway; in heavy snows, give up a parking space for the pile | City of Pittsburgh | City of Pittsburgh, "Snow & Ice" |
| Businesses clear sidewalks within 4 hours, Mon.–Sat., 7 a.m.–10 p.m.; fine $5–$300 a day | Mt. Lebanon | Mt. Lebanon Code §15-206 (sidewalk snow) |
| Sidewalks, driveways and parking lots cleared within 24 hours; $500 per occurrence for snow on a public road | Monroeville | Monroeville Property Maintenance Code (snow and ice) |
| Sidewalks cleared within 48 hours after snowfall or ice ends | Cranberry Township | Cranberry Township Property Maintenance Code §302.3.9.1 |
| Pittsburgh driveway and sidewalk plow visit: about $37.06 on average ($32.94–$41.18) | ProMatcher | ProMatcher, "Pittsburgh PA Snow Removal Costs & Prices" |
| Snow and ice customers are retained 93% of the time year over year | SIMA | Turf Magazine, "SIMA Industry Impact Report: Average snow and ice revenue" |
| National average: driveway plowing $30–$70 a visit; under 70 ft $30–$50 | HomeGuide | HomeGuide, "Snow Removal Cost" (national averages) |
| National average: seasonal contract $200–$600 (limited visits) | HomeGuide | HomeGuide, "Snow Removal Cost" (national averages) |
| National average: sidewalk shoveling $25–$75 an hour | HomeGuide | HomeGuide, "Snow Removal Cost" (national averages) |
| National average: roof snow $200–$500 a visit; ice dam removal $200–$2,400 | HomeGuide | HomeGuide, "Snow Removal Cost" (national averages) |
| National average: commercial lots $50–$150 an hour plowing, $80–$200 an hour removal; salting $150–$350 per acre | HomeGuide | HomeGuide, "Snow Removal Cost" (national averages) |
| Average monthly snow, Pittsburgh airport: Dec. 7.7 in, Jan. 13.3, Feb. 11.7, Mar. 7.6 | NOAA | NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Pittsburgh International Airport (USW00094823) |
| Snow-emergency parking violators are towed to the City pound; stalling on a route with inadequate tires, fuel or battery: up to $35 | City of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Order 41-04 (towing procedures) |
| The city treats over 1,200 miles of streets; a delayed dashboard shows select plows and salt trucks | City of Pittsburgh | City of Pittsburgh, "Snow Response Updates" (plow tracker) |
| More public staircases than any city in the U.S.; request a salt box for public steps through 311 | City of Pittsburgh | City of Pittsburgh, "City Steps" |
| Snow and ice information from the municipality | Mt. Lebanon | Mt. Lebanon, "Snow and Ice" |
| The owner whose property the sidewalk crosses clears its full width | Cranberry Township | Cranberry Township, "Sidewalk Maintenance" |
| Clear sidewalks in a reasonable time, preferably within 24 hours | McCandless | Town of McCandless, "Snow & Ice Control" |
| Public works won’t return to clear plow ridges at driveways; clear an extra area on the right side of the driveway entrance | Ross Township | Ross Township, "Snow & Ice Removal" |
| Road conditions and restrictions, Southwestern Region (Pittsburgh) | 511PA | 511PA (PennDOT), Southwestern Region (Pittsburgh) |
| Forecasts, watches and warnings for the Pittsburgh region | NWS Pittsburgh | National Weather Service Pittsburgh, forecast office home page |
| Population estimates, 2024: Pittsburgh 307,668; Cranberry Twp. 35,004; Mt. Lebanon 32,917; Ross Twp. 32,457; Bethel Park 32,376; McCandless 28,684; Monroeville 27,966; Upper St. Clair 20,621 | Census | U.S. Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, Vintage 2024 |
| Landscaping businesses in the Pittsburgh metro, 2023: 1,033 (4,552 employees) | Census | U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 (Pittsburgh metro, NAICS 561730) |
| 88,200 U.S. snow and ice businesses; more than half are lawn and landscape companies | SIMA | Turf Magazine, "SIMA Industry Impact Report: Average snow and ice revenue" |
Sources checked October 9, 2026. Snow normals are for the NOAA station at Pittsburgh International Airport (USW00094823); the NWS Pittsburgh records PDF prints an annual 41.9 inches, but its own monthly normals add up to the NCEI figure of 44.1, which we use. The November 15 first-snow date is our median of 29 seasons of NOAA daily records. Cost figures are estimates, not quotes.
