Facts from public sources, not quotes. Where these numbers come from
Home / Cost guide
Everything on this page is an estimate from published price pages, not a quote. ProMatcher's Rochester figures put a driveway and sidewalk visit at about $40.50 on average ($36 to $45), and HomeGuide's Rochester page puts a full season at $200 to $600.
| Service | Estimated range | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Driveway + sidewalk, one visit | About $40.50 ($36–$45) | ProMatcher, Rochester |
| Typical driveway | $40–$60 | YourGreenPal, Rochester |
| Hourly, residential | $45–$125 an hour | ProMatcher, Rochester (Sept. 2016 report) |
| Commercial lot | $150–$225 an hour | ProMatcher, Rochester (Sept. 2016 report) |
| Minimum charge / full season | $30–$70 an hour minimum; $200–$600 a season | HomeGuide, Rochester |
| Seasonal single driveway (about 450 sq ft) | Starting at $875, no sidewalk service | One Rochester snow company's published price |
| Roof raking / ice dam removal | $200–$500 a visit / $200–$2,400 | HomeGuide, national averages |
Estimates only, from ProMatcher, YourGreenPal, HomeGuide, Rochester Snow and HomeGuide. Your price can be higher or lower. A local crew quotes your property for free.
Your price depends on the size of the area, the equipment it takes, how fast you need it done and whether salting is included. In Rochester, two local factors matter: lake-effect bursts that can drop 2 to 3 inches an hour (NWS), which mean repeat visits, and ice that comes back between storms.
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Area and layout | Long driveways, wide lots, tight cul-de-sacs and lots of sidewalk take more time and more machine. |
| Trigger depth | A lower trigger means more visits in a season. |
| Timing | Lots that must be open before the first shift or first customer need crews overnight. |
| Salting | Material, number of applications and whether walks get treated as well as lots. |
| Snow piles | Where snow can go on site. Big lots sometimes need piles moved or hauled late in the winter. |
| Roof work | Roof raking and ice-dam help are priced separately. |
| Contract type | Seasonal, per visit or per hour. Seasonal prices spread the cost and lock in your spot. |
| The winter | The airport averages 102.0 inches (NOAA), but seasons vary. Per-visit costs rise in a heavy winter. |
You can see what the gear costs in the Ice Fighter shop, from shovels and ice melt to snow blowers and truck salt spreaders. For a driveway, a blower can pay off over a few winters. For HOA drives and commercial lots, the machines, insurance, crews and overnight hours are why contracts exist.
Every fact in the ticker and on our pages comes from one of these public sources. Figures are typical or historical, not promises about your property or the next winter.
| Fact shown | Source | Link |
|---|---|---|
| The Rochester airport averages 102.0 inches of snow a season (1991–2020 normals) | NOAA | NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Rochester airport (USW00014768) |
| January is the snowiest month at 27.4 inches; February averages 23.1 and December 22.3 | NOAA | NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Rochester airport (USW00014768) |
| About 29.2 days a year bring 1 inch of snow or more at the Rochester airport | NOAA | NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Rochester airport (USW00014768) |
| Normal January low: 19.0°F | NOAA | NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Rochester airport (USW00014768) |
| Average date of Rochester’s first measurable snow: November 8; first 1-inch snow: November 20 | NWS Buffalo | National Weather Service Buffalo, "First Snow" dates |
| Lake-effect bands can drop 2 to 3 inches of snow an hour or more, with sun a mile or two away | NWS | National Weather Service, "Lake Effect Snow" safety |
| Property owners and ground-floor occupants are responsible for their sidewalks | City of Rochester | City of Rochester, "Sidewalk Snow Removal" |
| The city’s supplemental sidewalk plowing starts at 4 inches of new snow; owners stay responsible | City of Rochester | City of Rochester, "Sidewalk Snow Removal" |
| Snow Emergency: no parking on Snow Emergency Routes | City of Rochester | City of Rochester, "Winter Snow Parking Rules" |
| Sidewalks cleared within 12 hours after snow ends; if it stops after 6 p.m., by 9 p.m. the next day | Gates | Town of Gates, Town Code (sidewalk snow removal) |
| No parking on town roads or the grass right-of-way Nov. 1 to Apr. 15, midnight to 9 a.m. | Irondequoit | Town of Irondequoit, "Winter Parking Ordinance" |
| Sidewalk snow violations: fine up to $250, up to 15 days, or both | Village of Pittsford | Village of Pittsford, Village Code (sidewalk snow penalty) |
| Rochester driveway and sidewalk visit: about $40.50 on average ($36–$45) | ProMatcher | ProMatcher, "Rochester NY Snow Removal Costs & Prices" |
| Rochester full-season snow removal: $200–$600 | HomeGuide | HomeGuide, "Snow Removal in Rochester, NY" |
| Live New York road conditions, closures and cameras | 511NY | 511NY, New York State traveler information |
| Snow and ice customers are retained 93% of the time year over year | SIMA | Turf Magazine, "SIMA Industry Impact Report: Average snow and ice revenue" |
| Rochester estimate: $45–$125 an hour residential; $150–$225 an hour for a commercial lot (Sept. 2016 report) | ProMatcher | ProMatcher, "Rochester NY Snow Removal Costs & Prices" |
| Rochester estimate: $40–$60 for a typical driveway | YourGreenPal | YourGreenPal, "Snow Removal in Rochester, NY" |
| Rochester estimate: $30–$70 an hour minimum charge; $200–$600 for a full season | HomeGuide | HomeGuide, "Snow Removal in Rochester, NY" |
| Published price: seasonal single-driveway plowing (about 450 sq ft) starting at $875, no sidewalk service | Rochester Snow | Rochester Snow, "Pricing" (a local company’s published seasonal price) |
| National average: roof raking $200–$500 a visit; ice dam removal $200–$2,400 | HomeGuide | HomeGuide, "Snow Removal Cost" (national averages) |
| Average monthly snow, Rochester airport: Nov. 8.1 in, Dec. 22.3, Jan. 27.4, Feb. 23.1, Mar. 17.9 | NOAA | NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Rochester airport (USW00014768) |
| About 64 freeze-thaw days each November–March (our count of daily records) | NOAA | NOAA NCEI GHCN-Daily, Rochester airport (our freeze-thaw count) |
| About 3.8 freezing-rain days a season, 2005–2025 (our count of airport weather reports) | IEM | IEM ASOS weather-station archive, Rochester airport (our freezing-rain count, 2005–2025) |
| Alternate-side parking where posted; Snow Emergency Route and Parking Emergency bans | City of Rochester | City of Rochester, "Winter Snow Parking Rules" |
| The town plows most sidewalks along plowed streets | Irondequoit | Town of Irondequoit, "Sidewalks" |
| Forecasts, watches and warnings for the Rochester area | NWS Buffalo | National Weather Service Buffalo, forecast office home page |
| Rochester metro population estimate, July 1, 2024: 1,057,218 | Census | U.S. Census Bureau, metro area population estimates, Vintage 2024 |
| Landscaping businesses in the Rochester metro, 2023: 471 | Census | U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 (Rochester metro, NAICS 561730) |
| 88,200 U.S. snow and ice businesses; more than half are lawn and landscape companies | SIMA | Turf Magazine, "SIMA Industry Impact Report: Average snow and ice revenue" |
Sources checked October 9, 2026. Snow normals are for the NOAA station at the Rochester airport (USW00014768). Freeze-thaw and freezing-rain figures are our own counts from public records. Cost figures are estimates from published pages, not quotes.
