Commercial property owners in Chicago understand the many obstacles that winter in the Windy City can bring. Snowed in parking lots, icy walkways, and dangerous rooftop drifts can all quickly turn into safety hazards.
If you don’t have a strategic plan in place for snow removal from your business, you might rapidly lose business and find your property riddled with costly issues. You shouldn’t have to deal with the headaches that snow can bring on your own.
Let the professionals at Ware Landscaping take care of your Chicago snow removal so that you can focus on running your business.
What you should know about Chicago snow and removal
If you own a commercial property in Chicago, chances are you’ve experienced the extensive moisture and freezing temperatures of Illinois winter. The winter of 2022-2023 was warmer than most Chicago winters, and we experienced less snow than our area typically sees. However, this is an anomaly for Chicagoans who regularly contend with a lot of snow.
The fluffy white stuff can transform into problematic accumulation, thick ice, and unsightly piles of sludge and become a huge stress for commercial property owners and homeowners alike.
Whether you own an apartment building, or an operational business, it’s vital that you protect your employees, your tenants, and your clients in inclement weather. For example, if snow blocks entranceways or piles high on rooftops, someone could get hurt, and you could be found liable for their injuries.
Why you need Chicago commercial snow removal services
Commercial snow removal may prove vital to the health of your business. Chicago sees a yearly average of 37 inches of snow, and winter temperatures rarely exceed 38°.F. This weather can prevent complete snow melt — even on the sunniest of cold days. Snow that isn’t removed may partially melt before freezing into dangerous ice.
Accumulated snow also tends to collect debris and air pollution. Snow can transform a landscape into magic, but it can also become black or grayish sludge which can lower your curb appeal and deter potential tenants or clients.
Professional commercial snow services can provide top-of-the-line equipment and experience to consistently take care of your snow and ice, keep your property looking great, and make your commercial property safe for visitors.
How Ware Landscaping can help
At Ware Landscaping, we’ve helped numerous Chicago commercial property owners with snow and ice removal services. We understand the headaches and anxiety snow can create, and we’ll work hard to ensure that your property is cleared and keep your walkways ice-free.
If snow or ice present safety threats or hazards to your daily operations, you don’t even have to call us — we monitor the weather and your property and are available throughout your snow removal contract. Our snow removal specialists can help to keep your property pristine and safe.
Inclement weather shouldn’t come in the way of your livelihood. We understand that even a moderate snowfall may require deicing and plowing. Here are some of the reasons Ware Landscaping is ready to manage your winter weather issues:
We’re ready to deploy our fleet of high-end snow removal equipment, including commercial-grade shovels, Bobcats, and heavy-duty deicer
We have top-of-the-line plow trucks that can efficiently clear parking lots
We can clear your property after each snowfall or ice storm, and keep hazardous accumulation from piling on your property
We won’t neglect the hard-to-reach areas of your property. For example, if you have an area of your parking lot that a plow truck can’t reach, we will use our fleet of snow removal equipment to ensure it’s cleared
Our snow removal services are offered in one or three-year packages. You can test our services for a full winter, and then purchase a three-year package — each package allows you peace of mind through brutal Chicago winters
We monitor both your property and the weather forecast to provide customized and expedient snow removal solutions
We understand how vital preemptive deicing can be to ensure your property remains safe. We’ll deice your property with Safe Paw, a non-corrosive rock salt alternative that’s eco, kid, and pet-friendly
What our Chicago commercial snow removal packages include
At Ware Landscaping, we provide snow removal solutions for each of our commercial clients. We provide two different contractual options (a one-year package or three-year package) to allow you to select which option might best suit your needs. However, both packages give you the benefit of our full snow removal services.
You don’t have to worry about contracting on a weekly or monthly basis — once you’ve chosen a snow removal package, you’re set for the entire season.
Here are some of the benefits of our commercial snow removal packages:
Shoveled entranceways, sidewalks, and walkways after a snowfall
De-iced parking lots, sidewalks, walkways — both preemptive deicing and post-weather event deicing
Plowed parking lots
Monitoring of both your property and up-to-date weather forecasts
A fleet of top-of-the-line snow equipment and snow removal specialists at the ready, including Bobcats, Bucket loaders, Safe Paw deicer, shovel crews, and snow plows used to keep your commercial property clear and hazard-free.
Safe Paw de-icer: Safe Paw is a fantastic alternative to corrosive rock salt. It’s great for the environment and safe for all loved ones, kids, and pets. Safe Paw works well as a preventative measure for accumulated ice and slippery sidewalks, too.
We’ll cover your exposed walkways and parking lots with Safe Paw to help prevent any slip and fall accidents.
Monitoring and service capabilities for 24/7 businesses. If your commercial property boasts storage capabilities, we may keep our equipment on site to ensure prompt snow removal. We will also monitor your property to deploy our equipment as needed.
Full snow removal service for your entire Chicago commercial property. This includes apartment buildings, banks, churches, hospitals, restaurants, office buildings, warehouses, and any other commercial property, regardless of the size of the property.
How to prepare for Chicago snow removal
In the warmer seasons, you can prepare for winter weather by ensuring that your commercial property is free from yard drainage issues (to prevent future flooding), sealing up any cracks in driveways or walkways, and by putting protective sealants on your hardscape areas.
During Chicago winters, preventative deicing can keep your driveways, parking lots, and walkways warm enough to avoid accumulated ice or hard-packed snowbanks.
The definition of zero-tolerance snow removal
Zero-tolerance snow removal means that we won’t wait for many inches of snow to fall before we act on your behalf. The snow removal specialists at Ware Landscaping understand that even a slight accumulation may require removal and safety measures.
Why we don’t use 2” trigger contracts
Many Chicago snow removal companies include a 2” trigger contract before they will perform their services for your property. This means that at least two inches of snow must fall before they will deploy their equipment and team for your property.
The downside to a 2” trigger is that slick and hazardous conditions can occur after an inch of ice, or even a slight accumulation of snow. This trigger also leaves commercial property owners on their own to deal with any dangerous icy or snowy areas of their property.
You should be able to leave all of your ice and snow removal needs in the trusted hands of a professional team. If you have to wait for two inches of moisture to fall, you may put yourself or your employees in dangerous situations with DIY, intensive labor.
DIY shoveling tips for Chicago snow removal
Although DIY shoveling isn’t recommended for commercial properties, it’s vital that you know the right and wrong way to perform snow removal by yourself. Remember, shoveling heavy snow can create health issues such as heart attacks and strokes, too.
The right way to shovel snow in Chicago:
Use a commercial-grade snow shovel. Heavy snow can ruin budget snow shovels
Store your shovels in a cool shed or garage. Warm settings can cause your shovel to become too warm and snow will stick to the blade, causing problematic snow shoveling
Bend with your knees
Shovel and dump snow with the side of the shovel, rather than with the front end
Lift with your legs
Reduce strain on your back and chest muscles by maintaining a two-handed grip, with one hand close to the shovel blade.
Dump the shovel when it’s half-full of snow
The wrong way to shovel snow in Chicago:
Bend with your back
Shovel and dump snow with the front of the shovel
Lift the snow rather than push it
Shovel immediately after eating or smoking
Fill the shovel before you dump it
Shovel heavy, wet snow
Work until you’re exhausted, and then keep shoveling
Chicago snow removal laws
The snow removal municipal codes in Chicago mandate that commercial property owners remove ice and snow from their sidewalks and walkways. It’s your responsibility to keep your property safe for passersby and customers alike.
Chicago takes the winter safety of residents seriously, and the city even suggests that people report businesses that fail to keep their sidewalks and entryways clear of snow and ice. You and your employees shouldn’t have to worry about taking care of snow removal on top of your full workday.
Let a professional, caring team take care of these services for you. The right Chicago commercial snow removal team can efficiently handle the impact of winter weather on your property.
Contact Ware Landscaping for Chicago commercial snow removal
The professional team at Ware Landscaping has helped countless property owners create and protect the landscape design of their dreams. For over two decades, we have lived and worked alongside our Chicago-area neighbors and understand the obstacles that heavy snowfall can present.
Our Chicago commercial snow removal specialists have strategized, customized, and implemented solutions to ensure we can meet your needs in inclement winter weather. You shouldn’t have to take on the dangers and stress of commercial snow removal on your own. And, long after the weather of a long, bleak winter ends, we can help you to create the yard of your dreams.
Our Spring, Summer, and Fall landscaping care and maintenance packages include vital services such as clean-up, top soil erosion protection, and lawn mowing. We can also help you with yard grading, yard drainage solutions, and creation and implementation of hardscapes and landscapes, among other services.
Connect with Ware Landscaping today, and leave the heavy labor of snow removal duties to us. You can also check out our website for resources and tips on landscaping, yard drainage solutions, and snow removal.
“I contacted Mike at Ware Landscaping for help with fixing my flooded backyard and garage. Mike gave me an honest assessment of my situation and recommended the right system to fix my problems (a lot of issues). Ware Landscaping installed drainage, underground downspouts, underground sump pump lines, driveway drains and surface drains in the yard to fix all my problems.. The team was very professional and always asked for my approval on work being done before it was completed. They did a great job and we are very pleased!”
Jim Kristof
I recommend him without any hesitation.
“We had a water problem in our basement that Mike Ware completely eliminated by removing both our sump pump water and downspout water away from the home. He was professional and highly motivated to solve the problem and do it the right way. I always felt like a priority and that my project mattered. I recommend him without any hesitation.”
Michael Swider
FANTASTIC JOB!!!
Ware Landscaping did a FANTASTIC JOB!!! I needed my entire backyard regraded and they filled it in with more than 2 truck loads, installed a French drain and put new beautiful green sod on top. They also power washed and reset my front retaining wall. Communication from the beginning was always very good. We always knew when they were coming out. The project was completed on time as well. They also called on their own a month after the project to check on the sod and were willing to replace some spots due to the June heat wave. Would recommend Ware Landscaping to all!!!”
Dan Malloy
The entire crew were incredible, so friendly, knowledgeable, and paid attention to every detail.
“Mike, Greg and the rest of the crew made our back yard dream a reality with a drainage system to remove the stream that flowed through the middle of the yard, which flooded every rainstorm and stuck around for weeks. To complete the look in came a perfectly designed beautiful hardscape patio that we can’t wait to use this summer. The entire crew were incredible, so friendly, knowledgeable, and paid attention to every detail. Highly recommend!”
Katie Jankowski
The crew was fast, friendly, and tidy.
“We had a wooden deck for a front porch that was starting to age. When we removed it we saw that there was a concrete slab underneath it that was pitched toward our house, creating an issue with standing water up against our foundation. We had Mike come by to advise us on the best solution, and he suggested permeable pavers. We were able to come up with a custom design with him that day. The crew was fast, friendly, and tidy. I’m sure they do much bigger jobs than our little patio, but this project made a huge difference for our home.
