Driveway Snow Removal

Your driveway is the one part of the property you cannot work around in winter. If it is not clear, you are not leaving for work, the school run is late and anyone visiting is walking through snow to the door. Green Crest Landscaping clears residential driveways across York Region from our base in Richmond Hill, with the walkway, steps, windrow and salting handled at the same visit when you include them.

This page explains what driveway snow removal covers, how different driveways are handled, and what to expect from a seasonal plan. For the full residential service, see residential snow removal.

What driveway snow removal includes

• Driveway plowing from the garage door to the road, edge to edge.
• The apron: the strip between the sidewalk and the road, where packed snow builds up first.
• Windrow clearing: the ridge of heavy snow the municipal plow leaves across the end of your driveway.
• Walkway and steps from the driveway to the front door, cleared by hand.
• Salting of the driveway, walkway and steps, automatic or on request as agreed in your quote.
• Extras on request: side paths, back doors, gates, basement entrances and the area in front of garbage bins on collection day.

Driveway types we clear

Single and double driveways

The most common driveways in Richmond Hill, Markham and Vaughan subdivisions. We plow edge to edge, clear the apron and stack snow on your lawn side, away from the neighbour’s driveway and the sidewalk.

Townhome and semi driveways

Short driveways that sit close together with almost no snow storage. Snow is stacked on your own side, the walkway is cleared by hand and nothing is pushed onto the sidewalk or the next driveway. See snow removal for townhouses and laneway homes.

Long, curved and circular driveways

Estate lots in Kleinburg, Aurora, Thornhill and the north end of Richmond Hill often have long or circular drives with turning areas. These take longer to clear and are quoted by their layout.

Sloped driveways

Driveways that slope toward the garage or the road ice over quickly after a thaw. Salting on the slope is usually part of the plan, and we clear to the pavement so melt water has somewhere to go.

Shared driveways

Older homes in Richmond Hill, Aurora, Newmarket and Old Thornhill sometimes share a driveway with the neighbour. We agree in writing which part is cleared and where the snow goes.

Surfaces: asphalt, concrete, interlock and stone

Every surface is cleared differently. Asphalt is forgiving, but older asphalt has raised edges and cracks that a blade can catch. Concrete and stamped concrete can be damaged by some ice control products, especially in their first winters. Interlock and natural stone have joints and raised edges that need care with the blade and with the product used. We ask about your surface when we quote and agree on the ice control that suits it. See rock salt versus de-icers on concrete and interlock.

The windrow: why the end of your driveway refills

Municipal plows clear the road by pushing snow to the side, and the side is the end of your driveway. The result is a windrow: a ridge of packed, heavy snow and slush that is often harder to move than the snow on the driveway itself, and that sometimes arrives hours after you finished clearing. Windrow clearing is the reason many homeowners book a service rather than shovelling. When it is in your plan, we clear it as part of the visit or on a return visit after the street is plowed, as written in your quote.

How driveway snow removal works

1. Send your address and a photo of the driveway, walkway and steps by WhatsApp or text to 647-617-4020.
2. Get a written quote that lists the driveway, apron, windrow, walkway, steps and salting included.
3. Mark the driveway before the ground freezes with snow stakes along edges, curbs, beds and lights. See how to mark a driveway with snow stakes.
4. Storm service on the route for your area: Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan, Thornhill, Aurora or Newmarket.
5. Return visits for windrows, long storms and ice as agreed in your plan.

Areas we serve for driveway snow removal

• Richmond Hill: Oak Ridges, Jefferson, Mill Pond, Bayview Hill and Richmond Hill’s older central streets.
• Markham: Unionville, Cornell, Berczy Village, Markham Village and Cathedraltown.
• Vaughan: Woodbridge, Maple, Kleinburg and Vellore Village.
• Thornhill: both the Vaughan and Markham sides of Yonge Street.
• Aurora: the historic core, Aurora Highlands, Bayview Wellington and the Hills of St Andrew.
• Newmarket: Old Town, Stonehaven, Glenway and Woodland Hill.

Who books driveway snow removal

• Commuters who need the driveway clear before leaving on weekday mornings.
• Families juggling school runs and work, with no time to shovel twice when the windrow arrives.
• Seniors and anyone who should not shovel heavy, wet snow. See safer snow shovelling tips.
• Landlords with tenants who need a safe path to a side or basement entrance. See snow plans for rental properties.
• Snowbirds and travellers who are away for part of the winter and want the property to look lived in.

What affects your driveway quote

• Driveway length, width and shape.
• Surface type and slope.
• Walkways, steps and extra entrances included.
• Windrow clearing and salting included or on request.
• Where snow can be stacked on the property.

Our guide to snow removal cost factors in York Region explains each one. You always get a written quote before any work starts.

Seasonal plan or calling during a storm?

Calling around during a storm usually means waiting, because contractors clear their seasonal customers first. A seasonal plan booked in the fall puts your driveway on the route from the first snowfall, with everything included written down. See seasonal snow removal contracts and when to book snow removal. Before you sign with anyone, read questions to ask a snow removal company.

Between visits: keeping the driveway safe

Most slips happen after a storm, when meltwater from snow banks runs across the driveway and freezes overnight. Keep downspouts pointed away from the driveway, avoid piling snow at the top of a slope, and use a little ice melt on the walkway on cold mornings. Our guide on how to prevent ice on a driveway and walkway covers the rest, and how to protect shrubs and hedges from snow and salt helps protect the plants along your driveway.

Driveway snow removal FAQs

Do you clear the windrow at the end of the driveway?

Yes. Windrow clearing is available on residential plans and listed in your quote when included.

Do you clear the walkway and steps too?

Yes. The walkway from the driveway to the front door and the front steps are cleared by hand when included in your plan.

Will the plow damage my interlock or stamped concrete?

We ask about your surface when we quote, mark edges before winter and agree on surface-friendly ice control. Marking raised edges and borders is the best way to avoid damage under snow.

Where does the snow go?

On your own property, usually on the lawn side, never on the sidewalk or the neighbour’s driveway.

Can you work around cars parked on the driveway?

Yes, but tell us in advance. Cars change how the driveway is plowed and which areas are cleared by hand.

Which areas do you cover?

Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan, Thornhill, Aurora and Newmarket.

Do you also clear commercial lots?

Yes. See commercial snow removal.

More snow services

• All snow services
• Residential
• Commercial
• Fall cleanup
• Leaf cleanup

New builds and first winters

New homes in Cornell, Vellore Village, Woodland Hill and the newer parts of Richmond Hill often have fresh concrete walkways and steps, new interlock and driveways that are not yet paved. New concrete is more sensitive to some ice control products in its first winters, and gravel or base-coat driveways need the blade set higher so stone is not pushed onto the lawn. Tell us about new surfaces when you book and we will plan for them. If your builder has not finished final grading, mark low spots and catch basins with stakes before the ground freezes.

Helpful driveway guides

• Snow removal for townhouses and laneway homes.
• How to prevent snow mould on an Ontario lawn along the driveway edge.
• Commercial snow removal checklist if you also manage a business property.

Before you book

Take photos of the driveway from the road and from the garage, plus the walkway and steps. Tell us the surface, any slope and whether cars stay out overnight. Send them by WhatsApp to 647-617-4020 for a written quote.