Roof snow removal contract: what to check

Season contract or one-time call

The Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ, Quebec's building authority) writes that at the start of the winter season, careful owners sign roof snow removal contracts just as they do for their driveway.

A one-time call is still possible. Both options serve the same goal, roof snow removal done by properly equipped people, but they raise different questions.

• For the season: who decides that a visit is needed, you or the company? How many visits are included?
• One-time: how soon can the crew come? Is the price set before the work?

No licence required: what you check

The Régie does not require one of its licences to clear snow from roofs. Instead, it asks owners to make sure the company has the experience and the equipment.

The Office de la protection du consommateur (Quebec's consumer protection office) advises people who hire someone to clear their driveway. Its page says nothing about roofs, but its pointers for choosing a company can guide you:

• ask neighbours or relatives for the names of companies they were satisfied with,
• talk to more than one contractor,
• look for a company with solid experience that provides references.

Add two requests specific to the roof: a liability insurance certificate, and a description of the fall protection equipment the crew uses.

What the agreement should say

The Office recommends always asking the snow removal company for a contract, to keep a record of the agreement. For driveway snow removal, it lists what this contract should include. Here are those items, adapted to a roof by this site and not by the Office.

1. The term, with fixed start and end dates.
2. What triggers a visit. The Office advises writing in a precise amount of snow rather than a vague term. For a roof, no source consulted proposes a threshold. Have the contract state who makes the decision and on what basis.
3. The time frame within which the work must be done.
4. Where the snow goes once it has fallen to the ground, and who picks it up.
5. Related tasks: ice at the roof edge, drains, balconies, stairs.
6. The total price and the payment terms.

Have the work method added, along with a statement that a thin layer of snow stays on the roof, as the Régie recommends to spare the membrane.

Payment

The Office advises, if possible, paying no deposit before the service has started, or else a very small amount. If the snow removal company asks for payment more than 2 months in advance, the Office says to check whether it holds a trust account, an obligation from which some merchants are exempt. This advice is aimed at driveway snow removal.

When the company knocks at your door

According to the Office, a snow removal company is doing itinerant selling if it solicits you somewhere other than its place of business, for example by showing up at your home without being invited. The company must then hold a permit from the Office and give you a written contract. Such a contract, the Office writes, can be cancelled within 10 days. The Office warns, however, that you do not always have a 10-day period to change your mind.

The Office is talking here about driveway snow removal. Its page does not say whether these rules cover roof snow removal. Ask the Office before you sign.

Frequently asked questions