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Snow removal pricing calculator: what to charge per push

The short answer

Divide the area by what your truck clears in an hour, then add drive time, fuel, overhead and profit. Thumbtack’s national figures run $90 to $212. It lists one company at $35 to $60 a visit for driveways, and commercial examples of about $450 for 20,000 square feet and $900 for 50,000 square feet per snowfall.

Snow pays by the push, the month or the season. Whichever you sell, work out what one visit has to bring in first.

The push

These numbers are examples, not going rates. Replace them with yours.

Measure it once and keep the number for the whole season.
Time it. Deep or wet snow and tight corners are slower.
Their pay plus payroll taxes and insurance. If it’s you, what you want to earn.
Add salt here if it’s part of the visit.
Insurance, truck, phone, software, marketing. Add up a year and divide by your sales.

What to charge

$47.33

$0.05 per square foot. About 0.2 hours on site.

Labor, with drive time
$11.67
Fuel and wear for the visit
$12.00
Overhead
$11.83
Profit
$11.83
Brought in per hour the crew is tied up
$113.60

How it works

Price = (labor + supplies) ÷ (1 − overhead share − profit share). Dividing, rather than adding a percent, makes sure overhead and profit are the shares of the price you wanted.

Worked example: a 1,000 square foot driveway, using made-up numbers
LineAmount
Labor, with drive time (1 at $28 an hour)$11.67
Fuel and wear for the visit$12.00
Overhead (25% of the price)$11.83
Profit (25% of the price)$11.83
Price$47.33

What customers see

Figures from Thumbtack, updated April 9, 2026
JobPrice
National range (no unit given)$90 to $212
One company, 1 to 2 car driveway$35 a visit
One company, 2 to 3 car driveway$40 a visit
One company, flat monthly$120 to $130 a month
Commercial, about 20,000 sq ft$450 per snowfall
Salt or de-icing add-onAbout $40 to $70

Source: Thumbtack’s snow plow services cost (opens in a new tab). Prices here are one company’s or one market’s, so yours may well differ.

Per push or per season?

  • Per push: you earn more in a heavy winter, and the customer carries the risk.
  • Seasonal or monthly: steady income for you and a known bill for them, but you carry the risk of a heavy year.
  • Whichever you choose, write down your trigger depth, what’s covered and who marks the curbs in a snow removal contract.

Common questions

How much should I charge to plow a driveway?
Cover your drive, your time, fuel, overhead and profit, and look at your local market. Thumbtack lists one company at $35 to $60 a visit for driveways, though prices vary widely.
How much should I charge per push for a parking lot?
Work out how long the lot takes your truck, and add obstacles and salt. Thumbtack’s commercial examples are about $450 for 20,000 square feet and $900 for 50,000 square feet per snowfall.
How do I price a seasonal contract?
Estimate the visits in a typical year from your area’s past snowfall, multiply by your per-push price, and add something for the risk of a heavy winter.
How much should I charge for salting?
Price the material and your time as a separate line. Thumbtack lists salting or de-icing as an add-on of about $40 to $70.

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