How do I mark my driveway for a snow plow?

To mark a driveway for a snow plow, push tall, flexible driveway markers into the ground along both edges before the soil freezes, set just outside the pavement or gravel, close enough together that a plow operator can see the line in the dark and in a storm. Add markers at curves, corners and the street apron, mark everything a blade could hit, and show the operator where snow should be piled. Then check the mailbox, because that is the other thing plows find.

Why markers matter

Under a foot of snow, a driveway, a lawn, a flower bed and a shallow ditch all look the same. An operator without markers is guessing, and a guess a little off the line puts the blade into turf, the tires into a soft shoulder, or the truck into a culvert end. On gravel it is worse, because winter plowing operations move stone off the surface even when the line is clear.^[7] For what that damage looks like and how to fix it, see why a plow tears up lawn or gravel.

Markers also help you. Whether you shovel, run a snow blower or hire a plow, a marked edge tells you where to stop.

Choosing markers

Driveway markers are thin, flexible rods of fiberglass or plastic with a reflective band or cap near the top. Look for:

• Height. Taller than the deepest snow you expect plus the bank the plow leaves along the edge. A marker that disappears in the second storm of a big week has done half its job.
• Flexibility. A rod that bends and springs back survives a glancing hit from a blade. A rigid wooden stake snaps, and a metal one can damage the plow or be thrown.
• Reflectors. Most plowing happens in the dark or in falling snow. Reflective tops show up in headlights.
• A second color. A few markers in a different color make it easy to show where snow should go.

Where to put them

Both edges. Run a line down each side of the driveway. Space them evenly on straight runs and closer together on curves, so the shape of the driveway reads clearly from a truck cab.

Just off the edge. Set each marker a short step outside the pavement or gravel, in the lawn. A marker right on the edge gets hit every storm. Tell the operator the markers show the edge, with a little room to spare, not a line to plow up to.

Corners and the apron. Mark both corners where the driveway meets the street, the corners at the garage, and the outline of any turnaround or parking pad. The apron is where most plows enter at an angle, and where lawn edges get scraped.

Obstacles. Give anything a blade could hit its own marker: landscape lights, rocks, low walls and bed edging, irrigation heads, a culvert end or a ditch, a drop-off at the side of the driveway, a septic or well cap near the edge. If there is a fire hydrant at the end of your driveway, mark it too. Alexandria asks residents to help by clearing the fire hydrants adjacent to their homes,^[4] and that is far easier when the hydrant has not been buried by a pile.

What to avoid. Markers only need to be pushed in by hand. Keep them clear of spots where you know low-voltage lighting cable, an irrigation line or a pet fence wire runs close to the surface.

Mark where the snow goes

Most plow damage comes from piles in the wrong place. Pick pile spots before the first storm and mark them in a second color: open lawn on the low side of the driveway, away from beds, shrubs and the corner you look past when backing out. Keep piles off the high side, where meltwater would run back across the pavement and refreeze; see why a plowed driveway refreezes.

Salt matters here too. Treated snow pushed onto plants damages them, and Virginia Cooperative Extension suggests: "Consider fencing or signage along roads to prevent plows from piling treated snow and ice on adjacent plantings".^[5] The same idea works at home: a marker or a short length of snow fence at the edge of a bed tells the operator not to pile there.

Plan for the street plow

Street plows will fill the end of your driveway whatever you mark. On public roads, crews push snow off the road, to the right.^[3] VDOT's advice for that ridge: "To avoid doing double work, shovel snow from your driveway once the plow has passed. Shovel it to the right of your driveway as you face the road. By creating this open area of about 10 feet, you’ll eliminate the chance of a plow pushing snow back across your driveway apron."^[3] Show your plow service where you want that apron snow to go, and agree whether they come back for the ridge.

Check the mailbox

A curbside mailbox is the most common thing a plow hits. The Postal Service gives the placement: "Position your mailbox 41″ to 45″ from the road surface to the bottom of the mailbox or point of mail entry", and "Place your mailbox 6″ to 8″ back from the curb".^[1] If you do not have a raised curb, contact your local postmaster for guidance.^[1] It also says to avoid unyielding and potentially dangerous supports, like heavy metal pipes, concrete posts, and farm equipment such as milk cans filled with concrete.^[1]

On state roads, Virginia's land use regulations say mailboxes may be placed within VDOT right-of-way without a permit, as long as placement does not interfere with safety, maintenance, or use of the roadway.^[2] A breakaway post is acceptable, defined as a single four-inch by four-inch square or four-inch diameter wooden post or a standard strength, metal pipe post with no greater than a two-inch diameter.^[2] Put a tall marker beside the box so both your plow service and the street plow can see it.

If a VDOT plow does knock it down, VDOT asks you to enter a ticket on myVDOT, its Customer Service Center portal, to start a claim.^[3] Setting a new post means digging, and Virginia 811 is clear: "You must contact Virginia 811 for all digging projects, such as installing mailboxes, fences or landscaping".^[6] Submit the request at least 3 working days before you dig.^[6]

Through the season

• Walk the driveway with your plow operator before the first storm, and attach a sketch of the markers and pile spots to the contract; see what a snow plowing contract should include.
• After each storm, straighten bent markers and replace any that went missing.
• In spring, pull them all before the first mow and store them flat.

For the rest of the pre-storm checklist, see how to get a driveway ready before a snowstorm.

Stop and call a pro if

• The driveway has a steep drop-off, a ditch or a culvert you cannot mark safely or that a plow keeps finding anyway.
• The mailbox post needs to be reset in concrete or moved, or a buried line has been hit.
• Plow damage has left ruts or washouts that need regrading and new stone.
• Snow and ice are building up on the roof; that is a job for roof snow and ice dam services.

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