What does edge-to-edge driveway snow clearing include?
Every visit covers the full width of your driveway, edge to edge, plus the front walkway, your steps, and the windrow the municipal plow leaves across the end of the driveway. We clear to bare pavement, not a single strip up the middle with packed snow left along the sides.
After each visit, a time-stamped before and after photo is texted to you, so you can see the finish from your desk downtown or a warm beach in February. There is no visit counting either: every seasonal package includes unlimited visits at a 5 cm trigger, from November 1 to March 31.
Why does a cleared-to-pavement finish matter in Ajax?
Ajax winters run on freeze-thaw. Daytime melt spreads across any snow left on the surface, then refreezes overnight into black ice you cannot see at 6:45 in the morning. A driveway cleared to bare pavement drains and dries instead of icing over.
Packed snow is the other problem. After two or three freeze cycles it bonds to asphalt and concrete, turns into rutted ice, and stays there until March. Clearing to the surface every time, then treating walking areas through our salting and de-icing service, breaks that cycle before it starts.
How do we protect interlock, stamped concrete, and asphalt?
We never run steel truck-plow blades on a residential driveway. The heavy clearing is done with a commercial two-stage snow blower fitted with adjustable skid shoes, so the intake rides just above the surface instead of scraping across it. On interlock and stamped concrete, that is the difference between a clean pass and chipped pavers or gouged sealer.
Steps, walkways, and the tight strip along the garage are finished by hand. On walking surfaces we apply a pet-safe, kid-safe calcium chloride blend rather than coarse rock salt, which is gentler on concrete, gardens, and paws. We are insured, with every visit photo-documented.
How do the 5 cm trigger and the 7am guarantee actually work?
You never have to call us out. We track the forecast and the real accumulation on our route, and once snowfall reaches 5 cm a visit is automatically on.
- Snow hits 5 cm.The visit triggers automatically, no phone call and no request form.
- Cleared before 7am.Overnight snow is off your driveway, walkway, and steps before the morning commute.
- Photo texted.A time-stamped before and after photo confirms the work on every single visit.
- Backed by the guarantee.If an overnight snowfall is not cleared by 7am, that visit is free and you receive a $25 credit.
The guarantee holds because the route is deliberately small: around 30-35 driveways, all in North Ajax neighbourhoods like Nottingham, Applecroft, Salem Heights, Audley North, and the Middlecote and Taunton area. Minutes between stops, not half an hour of driving across Durham.
What happens when it snows during the day, or for days straight?
Ajax typically sees 105-120 cm of snow across roughly 15-25 plowable events each winter, and plenty of those storms do not end politely at 4am. Here is how the common scenarios play out.
| Scenario | What we do | Done by |
|---|---|---|
| Overnight snow, 5-15 cm | Full edge-to-edge clear: driveway, walkway, steps, windrow | Before 7am |
| Daytime snowfall passing 5 cm | Same-day clearing once accumulation crosses the trigger | Same day |
| Multi-day system | A fresh pass each day it keeps triggering, then a final cleanup | Daily |
| Blizzard, around 20 cm or more | Storm mode: multiple passes through the day, priority clients first | Same day |
| Freeze-thaw ice, no new snow | Extra de-icing visits on the Total Winter Care package | As ice forms |
The blizzard clause
When a storm drops around 20 cm or more, waiting until it stops is not an option. We clear the same day with multiple passes, priority clients first, so a full storm never sits on your driveway in one heavy, compacted layer.
What about the windrow the plow leaves at the end of the driveway?
The windrow is the dense ridge the municipal plow pushes across your driveway entrance, usually the heaviest, wettest snow of the whole storm. Clearing it is included in every visit and every package, because a driveway is not clear if you cannot get out of it. The full details are on our windrow removal page.
Worth knowing: the Town of Ajax windrow program serves only residents 65 and over or with a qualifying disability, and it activates up to 24 hours after a 5 cm snowfall. If you do not qualify, or you need the end of the driveway open before work, that ridge is yours to deal with. We clear it on every pass.
How much does driveway snow clearing cost in Ajax?
Three seasonal packages cover November 1 to March 31, all with unlimited visits at the 5 cm trigger:
- Driveway Clear, $599: snow clearing for the driveway, front walkway, steps, and windrow.
- Driveway + Salt, $849: everything above plus salting on walking surfaces at each visit. Our most popular package.
- Total Winter Care, $1,199: adds priority first-on-route clearing, unlimited de-icing, and the sidewalk and boulevard.
A one-time clearing is $50 for a single driveway or $80 for a double, with salt available at $35 per visit. Triple and extra-long driveways are quoted individually. Package details and the monthly option are on the seasonal contracts page, you can price your own driveway with the snow removal cost calculator, and our Ajax snow removal cost guide breaks down what drives pricing across Durham.
Who is driveway snow clearing built for?
Commuters who leave for the GO train or the 401 before sunrise and need the driveway open by 7am, every time. Travellers and snowbirds who want photo proof the house is looked after while they are away. Older homeowners who are done fighting the windrow, or whose family would rather they never shovel heavy snow again.
North Ajax Snow Removal is new for winter 2026-27, owner-operated, and honest about it. That is exactly why the guarantees are strong: cleared by 7am or the visit is free plus a $25 credit, a 30-day money-back promise, and photo documentation of every visit. The service earns trust one snowfall at a time.
Questions about driveway clearing
Will a snow blower damage my interlock or stamped concrete driveway?
No. The two-stage blower runs on adjustable skid shoes, so the steel intake rides just above the surface rather than scraping it. That protects paver edges, joint sand, and the sealer on stamped concrete. We never use steel truck-plow blades on residential driveways, and steps and walkways are finished by hand. On walking surfaces we use a calcium chloride blend that is gentler on concrete than coarse rock salt.
What counts as 5 cm, and do I need to call when it snows?
You never need to call. We monitor the forecast and measure actual accumulation on the route in North Ajax, and once snowfall reaches 5 cm every home on the route is automatically scheduled. Ajax typically sees about 15-25 plowable events per winter, so expect us regularly from November through March. If ice forms without fresh snow, Total Winter Care clients also get de-icing visits as conditions demand.
Is the windrow at the end of my driveway included?
Yes. Every package and every visit includes clearing the municipal plow windrow. The Town of Ajax windrow program serves only residents 65 and over or those with a qualifying disability, and it can take up to 24 hours after a 5 cm snowfall to arrive. If you need the end of your driveway open before the morning commute, windrow clearing is part of our standard visit.
What happens during an all-day storm or a multi-day snowfall?
Daytime snow is cleared the same day once it crosses 5 cm, and multi-day systems get a fresh pass each day they keep triggering. In a blizzard of around 20 cm or more, we run multiple passes through the day, priority clients first, so snow never sits long enough to compact into ice. Unlimited visits means none of this costs extra.
What if my driveway is not cleared by 7am?
If overnight snow is not cleared by 7am, that visit is free and a $25 credit is applied to your account. The time-stamped photo texted after every visit is your proof either way. We cap the route at around 30-35 driveways in North Ajax specifically so this guarantee stays realistic instead of becoming an empty promise.
Can I book a one-time driveway clearing instead of a seasonal package?
Yes. A one-time clear is $50 for a single driveway and $80 for a double, with salting available as a $35 add-on. It is a good way to try the service after a big storm. That said, at 15-25 snowfalls per winter, the $599 seasonal package usually works out much cheaper than paying per visit, and it includes the 7am guarantee.