A compiled reference of 37 verified statistics on snow and ice removal costs, from per-visit and seasonal rates to commercial parking lots, de-icing and salt, roof snow and ice dams, winter insurance losses, and shoveling injuries. Every figure is drawn from a named public source (HomeGuide, Lawn Love, Forbes Home, Bob Vila, the Insurance Information Institute, NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey, and a peer-reviewed injury study) and independently checked before publishing.
Pay per push
Per-visit snow removal
$45–$160typical residential visit (avg ~$105)
- Plowing runs $30–$70 per visit; shoveling or blowing $25–$75 per hour.
- Billed per push, even if the lot is cleared several times in one storm.
- Deeper storms cost more: about $110/hr for 6–12 inches, $170/hr for 18-plus.
- Best when snow is infrequent and you can absorb a big-storm spike.
Pay for the season
Seasonal contract
$200–$600residential season (avg ~$700 all-in)
- Fixed price for the winter, usually with a cap on the number of visits.
- Extra clearings past the cap cost more, so read the fine print.
- A 50-space commercial lot runs about $6,000 for the season.
- Best when snow is frequent and predictable and you want budget certainty.
How to read this: the break-even is roughly the number of storms. Under a handful of clearings a winter, per-visit usually wins; past that, a capped seasonal contract caps your exposure. Ranges are from HomeGuide, Lawn Love, and Bob Vila 2026 cost guides; see the full listing below.
Key statistics
Key takeaways
Snow removal averages roughly $105 to $125 per visit and $700 per season for a home, but the real money is at the commercial and disaster scale: a 50-space lot runs about $6,000 a season, U.S. winter storms caused about $15.5 billion in insured losses in 2021, and shoveling sends about 11,500 people to the emergency room every year.
The average snow removal visit costs about $105, and a full season averages about $700 (Lawn Love, 2026).
Snow plowing runs $30 to $70 per visit or $200 to $600 for a seasonal residential contract (HomeGuide, 2026).
Commercial parking lot plowing runs $50 to $150 per hour; removal and hauling $80 to $200 per hour (HomeGuide, 2026).
Ice dam removal costs $200 to $2,400, and roof snow removal $200 to $500 on average (HomeGuide, 2026).
Highway deicing used about 41% of all U.S. salt in 2023, of an estimated 41 million tons worth $2.6 billion (USGS, 2024).
U.S. winter storms caused about $15.5 billion in insured losses in 2021, the decade's highest (Insurance Information Institute, 2024).
NOAA counts 24 billion-dollar winter storm disasters since 1980, totaling $104.2 billion and 1,463 deaths (NOAA, 2025).
Snow shoveling sends about 11,500 people to U.S. emergency rooms a year; slips and falls are 20% of those cases (Am. Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2011).
How we built this report
Every figure was compiled in September 2026 from named public sources and verified against the original before publishing.
- Compiled from primary sources
Published contractor cost guides (HomeGuide, Lawn Love, Forbes Home, Bob Vila), insurer loss data from the Insurance Information Institute citing Aon, NOAA billion-dollar disaster records, U.S. Geological Survey salt commodity data, and a peer-reviewed emergency-department injury study.
- Only explicitly stated figures
We include only numbers a named source states directly, and attribute each one inline at the point it appears.
- Disagreements shown, not averaged
Cost guides quote different national averages, from $105 to $200. We show each guide's own number rather than blending them into a false single figure.
- Independent review
Written by one co-founder, reviewed by the other before publishing.
A note on scope: the cost figures here are guide-level ranges from contractor pricing databases, not an audited survey, and they vary widely by region, snowfall, property size, and access. Insurer and government figures are national totals. Confirm any individual number against the specific source and your local market before you budget from it.
Snow and ice removal, by the numbers
All 37 figures, grouped by theme, each from a named public source and independently verified against the original.
What snow removal costs
The cost guides broadly agree on the shape but not the midpoint. According to Lawn Love's 2026 cost guide (lawnlove.com), the average visit is $105 and a season averages $700, with most homeowners paying $45 to $160 per visit. According to Forbes Home's 2026 cost guide (forbes.com), which surveyed 19 cost databases, the average is $125 across a $15 to $1,300 range. And according to Bob Vila's 2026 guide (bobvila.com), citing Angi, the national average is $200 with a $40 to $450 range. HomeGuide (homeguide.com) anchors the hourly labor at $25 to $75 per worker.
Statistic 1
The average professional snow removal visit costs about $105, and a full seasonal contract averages about $700.
Lawn Love (2026)
Statistic 2
Most homeowners pay $45 to $160 for a single visit, or $300 to $1,000 for a full-season contract.
Lawn Love (2026)
Statistic 3
Forbes Home puts the average price at $125, ranging from $15 for DIY shoveling to $1,300 for extensive roof removal.
Forbes Home (2026)
Statistic 4
Shoveling or snow blowing generally runs $25 to $75 per hour per worker.
HomeGuide (2026)
Statistic 5
Snow plowing typically costs $30 to $70 per visit, or $200 to $600 for a seasonal contract.
HomeGuide (2026)
Statistic 6
Bob Vila's guide, citing Angi, reports a $200 national average with a $40 to $450 range.
Bob Vila / Angi (2026)
Statistic 7
Clearing is priced per push, and a plow visit is billed even if the area is cleared several times in one storm.
Bob Vila (2026)
What this means: the "national average" for snow removal spans $105 to $200 depending on which guide you read, so a single quoted number is close to meaningless. The unit matters more than the average: per push, per hour, per inch, or per season all describe the same job, and the contract structure is what determines your real winter exposure. It sits alongside every other line in a rental property maintenance budget.
Pricing by snow depth
Depth is the hidden multiplier. According to Lawn Love's 2026 cost guide (lawnlove.com), the first six inches cost $10 to $25 per inch, then $4 to $9 per additional inch. According to Bob Vila's 2026 guide (bobvila.com), six inches or less averages $60 to $95, with about $30 added per further six inches, and deeper storms push hourly plow rates from about $110 to $170.
Statistic 8
The first 6 inches of snow costs $10 to $25 per inch, then $4 to $9 per additional inch.
Lawn Love (2026)
Statistic 9
Clearing 6 inches or less averages $60 to $95, with about $30 added for each further 6 inches.
Bob Vila (2026)
Statistic 10
Deeper storms raise hourly rates: about $110/hr for 6 to 12 inches, $140/hr for 12 to 18, and $170/hr for 18-plus.
Bob Vila (2026)
What this means: a "$50 plow" quote assumes a normal storm. A single heavy event can multiply that several times over, which is exactly why capped seasonal contracts exist and why the fine print on visit limits matters.
Commercial parking lots and contracts
Commercial work is priced by the hour and by the season, not the driveway visit. According to HomeGuide's 2026 cost guide (homeguide.com), lot plowing runs $50 to $150 per hour and full removal with hauling runs $80 to $200 per hour. According to Lawn Love's 2026 guide (lawnlove.com), a 50-space commercial lot runs about $6,000 per season, and seasonal contracts cap visits with extra charges beyond the cap.
Statistic 11
Commercial parking lot plowing runs $50 to $150 per hour; full removal and hauling runs $80 to $200 per hour.
HomeGuide (2026)
Statistic 12
A 50-space commercial parking lot can cost about $6,000 to clear for the season.
Lawn Love (2026)
Statistic 13
Lawn Love lists commercial parking lot clearing at $45 to $155 per hour, including salting.
Lawn Love (2026)
Statistic 14
Seasonal contracts run $200 to $600 and typically cap the number of visits, with extra costs beyond the cap.
HomeGuide (2026)
What this means: for a multi-property operator, snow is a per-lot line item that behaves like pavement maintenance: predictable per unit, ugly in aggregate, and easy to under-budget. A capped contract trades a lower ceiling for a higher floor, which is usually the right trade when a slip-and-fall claim is the downside.
De-icing, salt, and materials
De-icing is its own line item, and salt is a national commodity. According to HomeGuide's 2026 cost guide (homeguide.com), salt spreading is $20 to $65 per 1,000 square feet, and a parking lot needs 500 to 1,000 pounds of salt per acre. According to the U.S. Geological Survey's 2024 salt commodity summary (usgs.gov), highway deicing used about 41% of all U.S. salt in 2023, out of an estimated 41 million tons worth $2.6 billion.
Statistic 15
Salt spreading costs $20 to $65 per 1,000 square feet per application, or $5 to $15 per bag spread.
HomeGuide (2026)
Statistic 16
Salting a parking lot runs $2 to $3 per 1,000 square feet on small jobs, or $150 to $350 per acre.
HomeGuide (2026)
Statistic 17
Bulk snow salt costs $100 to $200 per ton, and one acre of parking lot requires 500 to 1,000 pounds.
HomeGuide (2026)
Statistic 18
A single salt or sand application to an icy surface generally costs $20 to $40 per visit.
Bob Vila (2026)
Statistic 19
Highway deicing accounted for about 41% of all salt consumed in the United States in 2023.
U.S. Geological Survey (2024)
Statistic 20
U.S. salt sold or used in 2023 was about 41 million tons, worth an estimated $2.6 billion.
U.S. Geological Survey (2024)
Statistic 21
Rock salt made up about 46% of all salt sold or used in the United States in 2023.
U.S. Geological Survey (2024)
Statistic 22
The number of winter weather events, not total snowfall, is the better predictor of salt demand.
U.S. Geological Survey (2024)
What this means: de-icing is billed separately from clearing and scales with the number of icing events, not the depth of a single storm. A mild winter with frequent freeze-thaw can cost more in salt than one big blizzard, which is worth remembering when a contract quotes plowing and salting as separate lines.
Roof snow and ice dams
Roof work is the most expensive and most dangerous line, and it is where snow becomes a building-damage problem. According to HomeGuide's 2026 cost guide (homeguide.com), roof snow removal averages $200 to $500 and reaches $1,000 to $2,000 on large or hard-to-access roofs, while ice dam removal costs $200 to $2,400. Roof heating cables run $500 to $1,500 installed.
Statistic 23
Roof snow removal averages $200 to $500, or $50 to $100 per hour, reaching $1,000 to $2,000 for large roofs.
HomeGuide (2026)
Statistic 24
Lawn Love reports rooftop removal at $190 to $735 per visit, reaching $900 to $3,000 for large, steep roofs.
Lawn Love (2026)
Statistic 25
Ice dam removal costs $200 to $2,400 depending on the method used.
HomeGuide (2026)
Statistic 26
Roof heating cable systems cost about $5 to $15 per linear foot, or $500 to $1,500 installed.
HomeGuide (2026)
Statistic 27
Professionals recommend clearing a roof for every six inches of snow that accumulates.
HomeGuide (2026)
What this means: an ice dam is not a snow problem, it is a water-intrusion problem that starts on the roof and ends inside the ceiling. The $200 to $2,400 to remove one is cheap next to the interior repair it prevents, which is why roof snow is a documentation-and-inspection item, not just a clearing item. It connects directly to roof repair costs when the dam is left to leak.
Winter storm losses
Zoom out and the numbers move from hundreds of dollars to tens of billions. According to the Insurance Information Institute's 2024 winter-storm facts (iii.org), citing Aon, U.S. winter storms caused about $15.5 billion in insured losses in 2021, the decade's highest year, and the February 2021 Texas Freeze is the costliest single winter event on record. According to NOAA's 2025 billion-dollar disaster data (noaa.gov), there have been 24 billion-dollar winter storms since 1980.
Statistic 28
U.S. winter storms caused about $15.5 billion in insured losses in 2021, the decade's highest ($18.2B in 2023 dollars).
Insurance Information Institute / Aon (2024)
Statistic 29
The Feb 2021 Polar Vortex and Texas Freeze was the costliest U.S. winter event on record: $14.9B insured ($17.5B in 2023 dollars).
Insurance Information Institute / Aon (2024)
Statistic 30
The Dec 21-26, 2022 nationwide storm was the second costliest on record: $7.7B insured ($8.0B in 2023 dollars).
Insurance Information Institute / Aon (2024)
Statistic 31
From 1980 to 2024 the U.S. had 24 billion-dollar winter storm disasters, totaling about $104.2 billion and 1,463 deaths.
NOAA / NCEI (2025)
Statistic 32
Each billion-dollar U.S. winter storm has averaged about $4.3 billion in damage.
NOAA / NCEI (2025)
Statistic 33
Separate from snowstorms, 9 billion-dollar U.S. freeze events since 1980 caused about $37.4 billion and 162 deaths.
NOAA / NCEI (2025)
What this means: winter damage is concentrated in a few catastrophic events, and much of it (burst pipes, roof collapse, water intrusion) is exactly the kind of damage that proactive snow, ice, and freeze management is meant to prevent. The clearing bill is small; the loss it heads off is not.
Slips, falls, and the liability case
The reason to clear on time is not just the property, it is the people on it. According to a peer-reviewed study of national emergency-department data published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine in 2011 (nih.gov), snow shoveling sent an estimated 195,100 people to U.S. emergency rooms over 17 years, about 11,500 a year, and slips and falls were the second most common cause.
Statistic 34
An estimated 195,100 people were treated in U.S. ERs for snow-shovel incidents from 1990 to 2006, about 11,500 a year.
Am. Journal of Emergency Medicine (2011)
Statistic 35
Slips and falls caused 20.0% of snow-shovel ER visits, second only to musculoskeletal exertion at 53.9%.
Am. Journal of Emergency Medicine (2011)
Statistic 36
Cardiac-related visits made up 6.7% of snow-shovel emergencies and accounted for all 1,647 deaths in the study.
Am. Journal of Emergency Medicine (2011)
Statistic 37
Lower-back injuries were 34.3% of snow-shovel cases, and 95.6% of incidents happened in and around the home.
Am. Journal of Emergency Medicine (2011)
What this means: for a property owner or manager, an uncleared walkway is a documented injury risk, and a slip-and-fall on it is a liability claim. Dated photos of a cleared, salted surface are the record that shows the work was done. This is the same evidence problem behind every slip-and-fall claim: the dispute is almost always about whether the surface was maintained, and when.
Cite this study
Academic or press use: copy a ready-made reference. RapidEye is the publisher.
Quick FAQ
How much does snow removal cost per visit?
Snow removal averages about $105 per visit, with most homeowners paying $45 to $160, according to Lawn Love's 2026 cost guide (lawnlove.com). Forbes Home (forbes.com) puts the average at $125 across a $15 to $1,300 range, and shoveling or snow blowing generally runs $25 to $75 per hour per worker per HomeGuide (homeguide.com).
How much does a seasonal snow removal contract cost?
Seasonal snow removal contracts run about $200 to $600 for a residential property and average $700 per season, according to HomeGuide (homeguide.com) and Lawn Love (lawnlove.com) 2026 cost guides. Contracts usually cap the number of visits and charge extra for additional clearings. A 50-space commercial parking lot can cost about $6,000 for the season.
How much does commercial parking lot snow removal cost?
Commercial parking lot plowing runs $50 to $150 per hour, while full snow removal and hauling runs $80 to $200 per hour, according to HomeGuide's 2026 cost guide (homeguide.com). Salting a lot adds $2 to $3 per 1,000 square feet or $150 to $350 per acre, and one acre needs 500 to 1,000 pounds of salt.
How much does ice dam removal cost?
Ice dam removal costs $200 to $2,400 depending on the method, according to HomeGuide's 2026 cost guide (homeguide.com). Roof snow removal that prevents ice dams runs $200 to $500 on average, or up to $1,000 to $2,000 for large or hard-to-access roofs, and roof heating cables cost $500 to $1,500 installed.
How costly are winter storms in the United States?
U.S. winter storms caused about $15.5 billion in insured losses in 2021, the highest single year in the decade, according to the Insurance Information Institute citing Aon (iii.org). NOAA (noaa.gov) counts 24 billion-dollar winter storm disasters from 1980 to 2024, totaling about $104.2 billion and 1,463 deaths.
Data sources
Every figure traces to one of these named public sources, each checked against the original before publishing. We name each source and show its root domain, but do not link out to external sources; only our own pages are linked.
HomeGuideSnow removal cost guide, 2026homeguide.com
Lawn LoveSnow removal cost guide, 2026lawnlove.com
Forbes HomeSnow removal cost guide, 2026forbes.com
Bob VilaSnow removal cost guide (citing Angi), 2026bobvila.com
Insurance Information InstituteWinter-storm facts (citing Aon), 2024iii.org
NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationBillion-dollar weather disasters summary, 2025noaa.gov
U.S. Geological SurveySalt mineral commodity summary, 2024usgs.gov
American Journal of Emergency MedicineSnow-shovel injury study (Nationwide Children's), 2011nih.gov