How much does driveway plowing cost per storm in Virginia?

There is no standard Virginia price for plowing a driveway per storm. Each company sets its own, and two quotes for the same driveway can look far apart until you read what each one covers. The price comes down to the driveway itself, how much snow falls, how many times the storm has to be cleared, how fast you need to get out, and what else is included: the street plow's ridge, walks, steps and de-icing. A written quote that spells out what "one storm" means is how you compare them.

How companies price a storm

Residential plowing is usually sold one of four ways:

• Per push. One trip to clear the driveway. A long storm may need two or three pushes, each billed.
• Per storm. One price for everything a storm needs, however many trips. Some companies cap the trips or the depth.
• By depth tier. One price up to a set depth, a higher one for deeper snow. Read where the tiers break and who measures.
• Seasonal. A flat fee for the winter, sometimes with a visit cap. See whether a seasonal contract is worth it.

Per-storm and per-push prices can be the same number on paper and very different bills in a 14-inch storm. Ask how many pushes are included, and whether they plow during a long storm or wait until it ends.

What drives the price

The driveway. Length, width and slope matter most. A short, flat, paved driveway in a subdivision is a few minutes' work for a truck. A long rural lane, a steep drive, tight curves, a turnaround or a driveway with nowhere to pile snow takes longer and more skill. Walks, steps and stoops are usually done by hand and add labor.

The surface. Gravel takes more care than pavement. On gravel roads, traffic loosens stone from a gravel surface and displaces it toward the shoulders, and winter plowing operations move gravel off the surface too.^[6] A careful operator works slower and leaves a thin layer of snow rather than scraping, and some companies charge to rake or blade stone back in spring. For what that damage looks like, see why a plow tears up lawn or gravel.

The depth. Most companies have a trigger depth, and there is a reason. On Virginia's state roads, plowing generally begins when 2 inches or more of snow has accumulated.^[1] The City of Richmond explains that plowing is most useful when the total snow accumulation is above 2 inches, and when snowfall is less than 2 inches, or the accumulation is mostly ice, plow blades are not as effective.^[3] Below the trigger, the job is usually salt or sand, priced separately. Above it, wet heavy snow and deep storms take longer and may move you into a higher tier.

Timing. Being cleared before you leave at 6 a.m. is a different job from being cleared sometime the next day. A promised response time, early-morning service or plowing during the storm usually costs more, because the company can only be in one driveway at a time.

The street ridge. On public roads, crews push snow off the road, to the right, where it can end up in gutters, on road shoulders, and can sometimes block driveways, VDOT explains.^[1] On city streets it can arrive late: in Richmond, plows typically reach neighborhood streets within 48 to 72 hours after snowfall ends.^[3] Alexandria tells residents to be prepared to clear driveways and sidewalks more than one time.^[4] If the company clears your driveway before the street is plowed, the heavy ridge lands after they leave. Ask whether a return trip is in the storm price or billed as another push.

De-icing. Salt and sand are often an add-on, charged per application or per bag. Treatment has a cost to your yard as well: Virginia Cooperative Extension notes that salt accumulation in the soil usually occurs within 30-50 feet of roads, and suggests a 50/50 mix of sand and granular de-icer, or calcium, potassium or magnesium products instead of sodium-based ones.^[7] Ask what the company spreads, and keep it off the beds.

How many storms you are paying for

A per-storm price only means something next to the number of storms. Snowfall in Virginia swings widely. At Washington Dulles, the National Weather Service lists a normal season of 21.0 inches, but recorded 0.4 inches in 2022-23, 52.8 inches in 2013-14 and 73.2 inches in 2009-10.^[5] Recent winters there were closer to the middle, with 11.7 inches in 2023-24 and 15.5 inches in 2024-25.^[5] Southwest Virginia's mountains, the Shenandoah Valley and Hampton Roads all differ, often a lot. The point holds everywhere: in some winters you pay for one or two storms, in others for many, which is the case for and against paying by the storm.

Comparing quotes

Put the quotes side by side and check that each one answers the same questions:

• Which areas are included: driveway, apron, parking pad, walks, steps, mailbox access.
• The pricing model, the trigger depth, and what happens above it.
• How many pushes one storm includes, and whether they come during the storm.
• Whether the street ridge is cleared, and at what cost.
• De-icer or sand: included or extra, and which product.
• Who pays for damage to lawn edges, gravel, pavement or the mailbox.
• Proof of insurance. Even VDOT requires vehicle insurance for each piece of equipment from contractors who plow for the state.^[2]

For the full list of terms, see what a snow plowing contract should include.

Door-to-door offers after a storm

People with plows knock on doors after big storms. If you agree to a sale someone solicited in person at your home, Virginia's Home Solicitation Sales Act generally lets you cancel until midnight of the third business day after you sign.^[9] The cancellation must be in writing, sent to the seller at the address in the agreement,^[9] and the seller has to give you a copy of the contract and a written notice of your right to cancel.^[10] Cash sales of less than $25 are not covered,^[8] and the right can be lost if you asked for emergency service and signed a dated waiver.^[9] Settle the price before anyone starts.

Doing it yourself instead

For a short paved driveway, a shovel or a snow blower and an early start are often enough; see the best way to clear a driveway after a big snow. Marking the edges before the ground freezes helps whether you or a hired plow does the work; see how to mark a driveway for a snow plow.

Stop and call a pro if

• The driveway is long, steep, curved or gravel, and a shovel or small blower cannot keep up.
• A medical condition makes heavy shoveling a risk for you.
• You need to be out by a set time after every storm.
• There is nowhere left to put the snow and it has to be hauled away; see snow hauling.

Browse driveway plowing services and snow and seasonal answers, find seasonal services around Blacksburg, or describe your driveway once and local businesses quote it.