Early Registrations for the 2026-27 season Opening Soon!
Early Registrations for the 2026-27 season Opening Soon!
Exterior Solutions strives to provide great winter service, but we also need your help. We would like to arrive at your driveway as quickly as possible after the storm and, we have come up with some guidelines to get the job done neatly and efficiently.
Main Office Line: (613) 852-5001 Open 9 am-3 pm Monday-Friday
Please note that the office is closed the day before, the day of, and the day after snow events, as we are busy managing the snow event. We will return your call as soon as possible. Please refrain from calling our office line during snowstorms, especially during the first three events of the year. This is a very busy time as we get organized and learn our routes.
The snow-blowing season is from November 1 to March 31 for snow events over 5cm as recorded by Environment Canada. The snowfall limit for the season is 250cm as recorded by Environment Canada at the Ottawa Airport or 40 visits. Coverage beyond these limits will cost a one-time fee of $75. You will be automatically billed if you have not opted out.
Generally, we wait until all the snow has stopped falling before we start cleaning. It will take SEVERAL hours from that point to clear your drive. Thank you for your PATIENCE. We may perform a quick pass on your driveway during heavy snow events just to help get you in and out. These visits could occur overnight before 6 am and during the day before 4 pm to help people coming and going from work. A full clean will be performed after the snow stops. During light snow accumulations, we may wait until the city plow has passed before we visit your house. For events less than 5cm, we do not go out. However, if 2cm falls each day for three days and accumulates, we will go out on the third day.
We will clear any snow accumulations over 5cm on all holidays and we ask for your patience over the holidays as some of our employees are away.
We strive for a 6hr completion time. Due to the unpredictable nature of the snow business, we cannot guarantee completion times. Traffic accidents, damaged equipment, and heavy snow can affect our speed. Rest assured; your driveway will get cleaned. Please remember that we are working very hard for you in harsh conditions. We are ready to spring into action 24/7, but our crews do require sleep at some point, have families to attend to, and sometimes have mechanical breakdowns no matter how well they take care of their equipment. No verbal or physical abuse will be tolerated.
Park your car as close to the house and the side of the drive as possible, so we can clean as much driveway as possible. Please do not park at the foot of the drive. This prevents us from accessing your driveway. Due to the significant amount of time involved with moving a vehicle and re-cleaning the driveway, we will contact you (if you subscribed to notifications) 30min-3 hours before we arrive to give you a chance to clean off your car and move it before we arrive. We will not contact you on overnight clearing visits or for light storms. Make sure your phone number and/or email are in the contract and that you have selected notifications if you want to receive notifications. Please note notifications are courtesy, if you’re not receiving them, please let us know after or during the first snow event.
Our operators will get as close to garage doors and the sides of the driveway as they feel comfortable. Operators are trained to go 2ft from any structures and 1 ft from our sign. If you did not sign up for our walkway service, please push the snow away from the edges and the garage door. This will help keep your driveway cleaner.
Keep electrical cords, garbage cans, downspouts, and obstacles off your driveway. Exterior Solutions is not responsible for damage to items that project into, border on, or that are left on the driveway, including non-permanent objects such as seasonal decor. Operators cannot see what is under the snow and are therefore not responsible for damages to any hidden obstacles.
Please make sure your driveway and lawn are clear and ready for winter. Hidden items can also damage our snow blowers, causing significant delays and expensive repairs. Any tender plant species along the edges of the driveway should be wrapped and/or protected by a wooden structure. We cannot be held responsible for damage to the driveway, areas/plants that border the driveway, or items that are left in the driveway.
Please trim tree branches that hang less than 12’ off the ground. Low branches will prevent the tractors from accessing your drive. If the tractor cannot fit in your driveway, it will not be cleared.
The homeowner is responsible for keeping the driveway free of obstacles, freezing rain, ice, melt/re-freezing, drifting, buildup from sidewalk plows, sanding /salting, and snowfalls less than 5 cm.
If you have a limited area upon which we can blow snow, we will fill it up as best we can, but we do not remove snow from your property. If snow is placed on city property, we are not responsible for any fines from by-law services.
All accounts must be paid in full; a signed contract must be returned to the office and a stake must be placed in front of your home before snow blowing will commence. Multiple payments are welcome but must be in the form of post-dated cheques.
This proposal can be canceled at any time with written notice. There is a $50 cancellation fee plus a monthly service rate. A service charge of $30 will be billed for any returned cheque.
Due to the nature of removing snow, we may use sharp steel scrapers to remove as much buildup as possible. This process may superficially scuff the surface of the driveway and in rare instances, may damage the driveway. We are not responsible for those damages. Any damages that may occur because of Exterior Solutions’ fault will be repaired through Exterior Solutions. Any repairs completed by Exterior Solutions are not guaranteed to match, as older homes may have out-of-date or unavailable replacement pieces. Exterior Solutions will repair or replace with similar (or as close a match as we can find) construction for the same use on the premises.
The client agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Exterior Solutions, its agents, and employees from and against any claim for damages arising from any property damage and/ or slip/falls or by anyone for whom the Contractor is responsible in law, in the performance of this Agreement and provided that the Contractor is given notice of the claim by the Owner within a reasonable time following the occurrence but in any event within 48 hours of the Owner first acquiring knowledge of the circumstances of the claim. The Owner expressly waives the right to claim against for, or be indemnified by the Contractor from and against, any other claims and further agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the contractor, its agents, and employees from and against any claim for damages which are not caused by the negligence or breach of this Agreement by the Contractor, or by anyone for whom the Contractor is responsible in law.
REMINDER : The maximum snowfall limit for the season is 250cm, which is determined by Environment Canada at the Ottawa Airport or 40 visits. If the snow coverage exceeds these limits there is a one-time fee of $75 to continue services to March 31. This fee will be automatically added to your account only if and when the limit is reached unless you choose to opt-out. If you would like to opt-out please complete the Opt-Out form. For paper registrations, please select the opt-out option provided in the contract. If you do not opt-out, the $75 fee will be applied to your account if and when the limit is reached, and the balance will be owed.
These terms and conditions may change at any time. Please review them frequently
Shop/Office Location: 874 Boyd Ave, Ottawa, ON K2A 2E3