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Brandon Rushing

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How We Keep Your Home Safe & Clear All Winter

Answering frequently asked questions about our snow & ice services

Throughout the years, there have been some serious blizzards in Northern Virginia, with blistering winds and record snowfalls that have you digging out for days. In other years, you can push aside the snow with the sweep of a broom.

In fact, there’s one thing we know for sure about winter weather in Virginia… it can be pretty darn unpredictable!

So if you want to make sure you can safely navigate your drive and walkway when the snow hits, it makes sense to sign up for snow and ice management. Just in case.

Here’s how we tackle snow and ice at Brandon Rushing.

When do snow services start?

Typical snowfalls in Virginia start around November 18th and go straight through to March 28th with February being the snowiest month. It’s rare that we see much winter weather outside of these parameters, so we begin our winter services November 1st and end them March 31st.

How do you charge for snow services?

Aside from an initial sign-up fee, you’ll only be charged when it snows or if there is slush or ice that needs to be removed. This is called a “pay-per-event” contract. 

We charge per square foot, so once you sign up with our snow removal service, we’ll measure the area to be cleared using our online tool. This gives you the advantage of knowing exactly how much it will cost to clear your drive and walkways, whether there is two inches of snow or two feet.

How do you monitor for snow?

We use the services of WeatherWorks, a meteorology consulting firm that gives us certified reporting on snowfall totals and weather conditions. 

They provide us with real-time updates on the status of each and every storm that rolls through, so we know exactly when to send out our crews. 

And at the end of a snow event, you’ll be sent a report which is basically a “narrative” of the storm. It’s a short, descriptive paragraph written by a meteorologist that describes how the weather event unfolded and includes:

  • Start & end times of the storm
  • Precipitation type & intensity — precipitation types include rain, drizzle, snow, sleet and freezing rain
  • Temperature data
  • Wind speeds, gusts & drifts — with drifts, several snow measurements are taken and then averaged

How soon will my property be cleared?

Snow doesn’t wait around for business hours, so our crew is “on-call” 24/7. And because we use our own employees and equipment and don’t sub-contract anything out, we’re always ready to go out as soon as we’re needed. 

The goal is to have all of our clients’ properties cleared within eight hours of a snow event, using plows, snowblowers, shovels and old-fashioned hard work. 

And if conditions are slippery, we use a product called ice melt in place of regular salt, because it’s just as effective and less harmful to the environment.

Make this winter stress-free!

If you’re already a customer of ours, you’ll be pleased to know that the friendly faces you see caring for your property in the spring, summer and fall are the same ones you’ll see clearing your snow in the winter! There’s something comforting about knowing exactly who will be working on your property, especially when it could be late at night.

Make sure your property is safe this winter by upgrading your maintenance program to include snow and ice removal. Just speak to your account manager or get in touch with us for a quote — and who knows? When you don’t have to get out and shovel after a snowfall, you might actually start enjoying winter again!

Written by Brandon Rushing, Founder & President

Posted on: September 15th, 2022