Confirm the parties and exact property limits
Start with the legal contracting parties, billing contact and authorized operational contacts. Attach an address-specific plan that shows the private property limits and any shared lanes, easements or adjacent areas that require separate confirmation. Do not assume a curb, boulevard, municipal sidewalk or neighbouring access belongs in the private scope. Record who can approve a change and who can make an urgent operational decision when the primary contact is unavailable. This foundation keeps a proposal from appearing complete while relying on an undefined area or on instructions from someone who cannot authorize the work.
Define the season and operating calendar
Record the agreement start and end dates, the property's normal hours and any holiday, inventory, shift or special-event periods. Ask how preseason site review, late-season events and work outside the stated term are handled. If the property changes operating hours during winter, identify the notice needed to update priorities. The City of Prince George publishes seasonal restrictions for public streets, but those municipal rules do not define a contractor's private-lot schedule. Off-site parking or access constraints should be noted separately from the private work being priced.
Write down every trigger and observation source
For each duty, ask what starts action and what information supports the decision. Snow depth, active accumulation, freezing rain, observed ice, drifting and a manager's service call are different trigger types. Specify where an accumulation is measured, who monitors the property, whether service can begin without approval and what happens when conditions change during a visit. Avoid copying the City's public-road thresholds into a private contract. A clear private trigger should match the site's operating risk and should be understandable after the event, not only while the proposal is being discussed.
List tasks by zone instead of by service label
A line that says plowing and salting is not enough for a multi-use property. For every mapped zone, state the intended task and priority: driving lanes, stalls, loading, entrances, stairs, ramps, pedestrian connections, refuse access and fire access may require different sequencing. Identify areas that cannot be serviced while vehicles or deliveries are present. If snow must first be windrowed and later relocated, show both steps. The same map should appear in the estimate, operating instructions and event log so an exception can be tied to a precise location.
Clarify methods, materials and site constraints
Ask what equipment classes are contemplated, where equipment may turn or stage, and which surfaces or structures impose limits. Record gates, low clearances, curbs, wheel stops, delicate paving, landscaping, loading plates and utility features. For ice work, identify who selects materials, what property restrictions apply and how a condition is rechecked. WorkSafeBC identifies ice, water, clutter and uneven surfaces among slip and trip hazards; the responsible employer still needs to apply appropriate controls for the actual workplace rather than relying on a generic contract phrase.
Set priorities without inventing a guarantee
The contract should state the order in which areas are normally addressed and the factors that can change that order. It should also distinguish a service target from an absolute promise. Continuing snowfall, freezing rain, blocked areas, equipment issues, road access and exceptional demand can affect operations. Ask what notification is provided when the normal sequence cannot be followed and who decides whether a second pass or different response is required. A credible agreement explains decisions and escalation; it should not promise that every surface will remain continuously clear or ice-free.
Specify communication and decision authority
Name the people who receive weather or service updates, approve optional work, report a property concern and authorize hauling. Decide which channel is used outside normal office hours and what information should be included in an escalation. If tenants or staff may report conditions, establish how those reports reach the authorized contact instead of producing conflicting instructions. Include the method for updating the site map and contact list. Communication terms are operational requirements, not decorative language; they determine whether a blocked area or changing condition reaches someone who can act.
Define the event record and exception process
Require a consistent record appropriate to the property. Useful entries can include date, arrival and departure, observed conditions, mapped zones addressed, actions, materials, photos, obstructions and communications. An exception should identify the affected zone, reason, temporary condition and next decision rather than simply saying incomplete. Ask how corrections are recorded if an entry is wrong. Retention and access should match the organization's operational, insurance and legal needs after qualified review; the website does not prescribe a universal retention period or determine the legal effect of any record.
Expose add-ons, exclusions and owner duties
Create separate lines for hauling, loader relocation, hand work, roof-shed cleanup, extraordinary accumulations, freezing rain, material use, extra visits and work outside the mapped limits. Record owner duties such as moving vehicles, maintaining access, identifying hazards or notifying the service contact about an operating change. Ask how taxes, minimum charges or seasonal caps apply without relying on an assumed price. Before approval, reconcile every verbal assurance with the written scope. If an item affects safety, insurance or liability, obtain advice from the responsible professional rather than treating the checklist as a legal conclusion.
The City of Prince George publishes municipal route priorities and winter parking restrictions. Those rules can affect off-site access, but they do not define a private property's contract triggers, duties or service sequence. WorkSafeBC separately identifies ice, water and obstructed walkways among workplace hazards.
City of Prince George — Snow Clearing · WorkSafeBC — Slips, Trips & Falls
Sources reviewed September 22, 2026. Confirm current requirements for the exact property and proposed scope.