Strata Council Snow Removal Guide

The problems we take off your plate

Every quote describes something different

One bidder prices "the walkways," another prices "site clearing," and you have no way to know they mean the same surfaces. Without a measured map, comparing snow quotes is guesswork — and the cheapest one usually left something out.

You answer for the decision at the AGM

Council members are the ones owners question when the budget line jumps or a walkway ices over. A fixed seasonal number and a clear scope let you defend the choice with facts, not apologies.

The cheapest bid hides its exclusions

A lower price often means the parkade ramp, visitor stalls or sidewalk frontage were quietly left off. You find out mid-winter, when a change order is the only option. Seeing scope up front prevents that.

The maintenance duty is the corporation's

The Strata Property Act puts common-property upkeep on the corporation, and slip-and-fall claims name it. Council needs a contractor whose service produces the documented record that protects every owner.

You are the one who has to defend the decision

When a strata council signs a snow contract, the council members answer for it — at the next AGM, in the budget line owners scrutinize, and if someone slips and the corporation is named in a claim. This page is written for the people doing the choosing, not only for the property being serviced. For the property-level detail on how service runs day to day, see our strata properties page.

Compare quotes apples-to-apples

The hardest part of choosing a snow contractor is that no two quotes describe the same thing. Every North Shore Snow quote comes with a satellite-measured service map — the exact driveways, walkways, visitor stalls, parkade ramps and municipal sidewalk frontage included, with measured areas. Put it beside a competitor’s quote and the gaps are obvious: if their number is lower because they left out the ramp, you see it before you sign, not in February. Make sure any quote covers both clearing and ice control — snow removal, de-icing and salting are distinct line items, and a quote that omits ice control will cost you mid-season.

What to ask before you sign

Ask every contractor you are considering the same short list, and get the answers in writing:

Is dispatch triggered by weather monitoring, or do we have to phone during the storm?
What is included at the quoted price, and what gets billed as extra?
Do we receive a record of each visit — arrival times and photos?
Does the seasonal price hold no matter how many times it snows?
Who carries the liability, and what documentation backs a claim defence?

Our guide to what strata snow removal requires under BC law walks through these obligations in more depth.

The Strata Property Act duty is yours

Under the Strata Property Act the corporation must maintain common property, and courts assessing a slip-and-fall look for a system of reasonable, documented winter maintenance. A contract with weather-triggered dispatch and photo-verified visit records is precisely that kind of system. Our overview of slip-and-fall liability for commercial property in BC covers what adjudicators actually weigh.

Present it to owners with confidence

A council motion passes more easily when you can show owners three things: a fixed seasonal number they budget once, a map of exactly what is covered, and a record system that protects every owner. We give you all three in a package you can present as-is. We serve strata communities across North Vancouver, West Vancouver and the whole North Shore. When your council is ready to compare, request a quote.

Strata Councils — common questions

How do we compare snow removal quotes fairly?

Ask every contractor for a measured map of exactly which surfaces are included at the quoted price. Our quotes come with a satellite-measured service map, so you can lay ours beside a competitor's and see precisely where scopes differ instead of comparing two vague numbers.

What should a strata council ask a snow contractor?

Whether dispatch is weather-triggered or you have to call, what is included versus billed extra, whether each visit is photo-documented, whether the seasonal price holds no matter how often it snows, and what records back a liability defence.

Can you present to our council or owners?

Yes. We provide the service map, a fixed seasonal figure and a sample visit record in a format you can drop straight into a council package, and we are happy to answer questions by email or at a meeting.

Does hiring a contractor satisfy our Strata Property Act duty?

Courts look for a documented system of reasonable winter maintenance, not perfection. Weather-triggered dispatch plus photo-verified visit records is exactly that kind of system — but the duty stays with the corporation, so the records matter.

Choose a snow contractor your whole council can stand behind