BCLS Snow and Ice Management of Central Virginia
Partnering with a good Snow and Ice Management contractor company can take the headache out of severe winter weather for any Property Owner or Manager. If you have never had to hire a snow contractor, or if you have had unsuccessful experiences in the past, here is a surefire checklist for hiring a qualified and competent company who will be by your side through the toughest winter weather.
- Find out if the contractor is capable of handling the requirements of your site. How many trucks and pieces of equipment do they own or have access to? How do they handle ice melt applications? Where are they located in relation to the sites to be serviced? Do they offer all of the services you need (i.e. sidewalk clearing, loaders to relocate snow, etc.)
- Confirm the company has the resources to manage snow and ice for your ENTIRE winter weather season. In Central Virginia, it has snowed as early as November and as late as April. Make sure that you hire a company capable of servicing your property for your area’s average snow season.
- Check references. If the company you are considering has performed snow and ice management services in the past, they should be able to provide references of comparable sites that they have worked for.
- Know what services they use to track storms and winter weather. Relying on one type of weather service alert can be dicey if they are inaccurate about the timing of the storm or the severity. Ask what sources they employ to track, follow, prepare, and manage a storm from beginning to end.
- Provide each bidder with your property’s requirements and make sure that the proposal you receive addresses each one. If there is something specific that you require to keep your site safe during winter weather, make sure each bidder knows what that is and make sure that they provide pricing for those services.
- Have a written contract that outlines pricing and responsibilities. Make sure how you are charged is clear and make sure you and your snow contractor agree on what needs to be submitted in order to facilitate payments.
- Make sure the companies you are sourcing are familiar with snow & ice ‘risk-management’. Comprehensive snow planning is just as important, if not more important than removing the snow itself.
Start your snow contract process early so you have plenty of time to compare and review your options. If any of the companies you are talking to can’t reassure you that they can provide these six key items, keep looking.
We serve Office Buildings, Office Parks, Retail Centers, Shopping Malls, HOA, Multi-Family, Apartment Homes, Industrial, Flex Space, Health Care, Retirement Facilities, Municipal and Governmental Buildings.
Interested in learning more about our BCLS Snow and Ice Management Services? Contact us at (804) 752-0052