Snow removal equipment list: from the first shovel to the skid steer

Snow gear exists to clear every property on your contract list before people need it, storm after storm, often between midnight and dawn. So read this list as a reliability list. Items 1 to 8 equip a sidewalk and driveway crew, which can start the business with no plow at all. Items 9 to 15 build a plow truck. Items 16 to 19 are upgrades for commercial lots, and items 20 to 22 are the office pieces that bring in contracts and get them paid. There are no prices here; dealers, used markets and pre-season deals vary too much from town to town, so get local quotes in late summer. For contracts, trigger depths and liability, start with how to start a snow removal business, and see our snow removal industry page for the way we build sites, phone lines and customer systems for plow and sidewalk outfits.

1. Snow shovels and pushers

Every property needs hand work, even on a plow route: steps, stoops, the strip behind parked cars, the path to a side door. A wide pusher moves light snow down a walk in one pass, and a narrower steel-edged shovel cuts packed snow and the ridge a city plow leaves at the end of a driveway.

Look for: blade widths that match the walks you service, a replaceable wear strip, poly blades for pavers and steel edges for hard pack, and handles that won't snap at minus ten. Buy: day one, with spares, since handles break mid-storm. Safety: OSHA's winter weather guidance tells workers to warm up first, scoop small amounts, push snow instead of lifting where possible, and lift with the legs without twisting.

2. Ice choppers, scrapers and stiff brooms

A light dusting that triggers your contract often needs a broom more than a shovel, and the ice that forms on steps after a thaw needs a chopper. These cheap tools handle the spots a plow never touches: steps, ramps, landings and the space in front of every door.

Look for: a long-handled ice chopper with a flat steel blade, a stiff push broom for walks and a small hand broom for steps and railings. Buy: day one, one set per crew. Watch the surface: a steel chopper can chip pavers, stamped concrete and stone treads. Test on a hidden spot, and note fragile surfaces in the property's file so every crew member knows.

3. A two-stage walk-behind snow blower

A blower clears long walks and residential driveways far faster than shovels, and it throws snow clear of the walk instead of building banks that fall back in. It is also the machine that lets one person carry a sidewalk route.

Look for: a clearing width that fits through the narrowest gate on your route, a two-stage design if you face deep, wet snow or plow ridges, electric start, a chute you can turn from the handle, skid shoes you can adjust for gravel, and a local dealer who does winter repairs. Buy: day one if you sell driveways or long walks, plus a backup once the route fills. Safety: OSHA says never clear a jam by hand. Turn the blower off, wait for all moving parts to stop, then use a long stick. Never refuel while it runs or while the engine is hot.

4. Ice melt and a walk-behind spreader

Clearing snow is half the service. The other half is the treatment that keeps a walk from glazing over at 6 a.m., and that is the part property managers and insurers ask about after a fall. A walk-behind broadcast spreader puts ice melt down evenly, and a handheld spreader reaches steps and entries.

Look for: a spreader with a rustproof hopper, a gate you can set and lock, a cover for wet days, and pneumatic tires that roll over packed snow. For the product, ask your supplier which ice melt works at the temperatures you actually see, and read each bag's label for surface and pet warnings. Buy: day one. Safety: gloves and safety glasses go on before you fill the hopper, and write down the product and amount used at every stop.

5. Insulated, treaded boots and cold-weather layers

Your crew walks on the same ice it is paid to remove, often in the dark, for twelve hours. Falls and frozen feet end shifts early and turn into workers' compensation claims once you have employees.

Look for: what OSHA's winter guidance calls a must, insulated and water-resistant boots with good rubber treads. Add slip-on ice cleats for glazed walks, a waterproof shell over warm layers, and a dry set of gloves and socks for every person on every truck. Buy: day one. If you hire, budget for spares, because new workers show up in sneakers. Safety: build warm-up breaks into long storm shifts, and pull anyone who is soaked through. Wet clothing in the cold is how a long night becomes a medical problem.

6. High-visibility outerwear and headlamps

Sidewalk crews work at night along streets and in lots full of moving plow trucks, delivery vans and commuters who cannot see well through frosted windshields. Being seen is the cheapest safety gear you will buy.

Look for: a high-visibility vest or jacket with reflective striping on all sides, sized to fit over a winter coat, and a headlamp with a spare battery for every crew member. Buy: day one. Safety: OSHA's winter guidance says workers exposed to vehicle traffic should wear an appropriate high-visibility vest at all times so motorists can see them. Make it a rule that nobody steps out of a truck without one, owner included.

7. A vehicle emergency kit for every truck

Storm routes put you on roads that the city has not cleared yet, at hours when nobody else is out. A stuck truck with no kit can turn into a stranded driver.

Look for: OSHA's suggested winter vehicle kit, which lists a cellphone or two-way radio, an ice scraper and snow brush, a flashlight with extra batteries, a shovel, a tow chain, traction aids, emergency flares, jumper cables, snacks, water, road maps, and blankets with a change of clothes. Buy: day one, one kit per vehicle, checked before each season. Safety: if you are ever stranded with the engine running, OSHA warns about carbon monoxide: keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow and crack a downwind window.

8. Snow stakes and a map of every property

Once a foot of snow covers a driveway, the edge of the pavement, the curb, the sprinkler heads and the landscape lights are invisible. Stakes show the driver where to stop, and they help you avoid the torn turf, chipped curbs and crushed lights that otherwise show up in spring.

Look for: fiberglass or plastic stakes tall enough to stand above your area's typical snowbanks, with reflective tops, and a driver tool for frozen ground. Photograph each property with the stakes in, and note where snow is allowed to be piled. Buy: in fall, and set them before the ground freezes. Tip: put the photos and notes in the customer's record, so a substitute driver at 3 a.m. sees the same map you do.

9. A truck rated for a plow

A plow hangs hundreds of pounds, sometimes more than half a ton, off the front of a truck and then pushes snow with it, so the truck has to be built for the job. Truck makers must print the limits on a label beside the driver's seat, typically on the door pillar or door edge, under 49 CFR 567.4: the gross vehicle weight rating plus one rating per axle, listed front to rear.

Look for: a front axle rating with room for the plow and mount, four-wheel drive, and confirmation from the truck dealer that the model is approved for plowing. Buy: once you have driveway or lot contracts to fill it; the work truck buying guide weighs new against used. Safety: OSHA's winter guidance lists the checks to make before driving: brakes, cooling, electrical, engine, exhaust, tires, oil and visibility systems.

10. A plow matched to that truck

Straight blades are simple and tough. V-plows can be set in a V to break drifts, a scoop to carry snow, or straight. Winged and expandable blades push more snow per pass in open lots. The right choice depends on the truck and the properties on your route.

Look for: a model approved for your exact truck. One plow maker's fit tool matches blades to a vehicle's specifications, and its heavy V-plow is listed at about 970 to 1,320 pounds depending on blade width, not counting a vehicle mount of roughly 60 more. Also look for a trip edge (only the bottom edge trips on a hidden curb, keeping the blade upright), plow headlights, and a dealer who stocks parts locally. Buy: with the truck, installed by the dealer. Safety: aim the plow headlights each season.

11. Spare blade wear edges and blade markers

The wear edge is the replaceable steel or rubber strip bolted along the bottom of the blade, and it wears every time it touches pavement. A worn edge leaves a film of snow behind that freezes into the slick layer customers complain about.

Look for: a spare edge and bolts made for your blade, steel for most asphalt, and a rubber or poly edge for pavers and decorative concrete. Add blade guides on the corners so the driver can see the ends of the blade in the dark. Buy: one spare edge on day one. The plow maker's pre-season checklist includes a check of how far that bottom edge has worn, so measure yours every fall. Safety: lower the blade to the ground or block it before anyone works on or under it.

12. A tailgate or hopper spreader

Salting lots and long drives by hand doesn't scale. A tailgate spreader hangs off the hitch and suits driveways and small lots. A hopper spreader sits in the bed, holds far more material and covers larger lots between refills.

Look for: the materials it is built for (in the same maker's product line, some tailgate models are listed for salt only, others for salt and fine materials, and the hopper models for salt, sand and liquid brine), an in-cab controller, a corrosion-resistant hopper, and a size your truck can carry. Weigh the truck on a scale with the plow, the spreader and a full load of salt, and compare it with the gross rating and both axle ratings on the door-pillar label. The plow loads the front axle; the salt mostly loads the rear. Buy: a tailgate unit with the plow; a hopper once lots fill the route. Safety: cut power before reaching into the spinner or auger.

13. Covered, dry salt storage

Bulk salt that sits out in the rain clumps into rock, jams spreaders and washes away. It also runs off: EPA explains that city storm sewer systems often carry polluted runoff, without treatment, straight to nearby lakes and streams.

Look for: a roofed bin, shed or bay on a hard surface, away from storm drains, with room for a loader or skid steer to scoop from it. Until then, store bagged ice melt on pallets under cover. Buy or rent: bagged product on day one; bulk storage once you salt lots. Ask local supply yards whether they load bulk by the scoop and whether they deliver mid-season. Tip: lock in your salt supply before the first storm, when everyone else starts calling.

14. A storm repair kit

Plows break at the worst moment: mid-storm, mid-route, with twenty driveways still waiting. A kit on the truck turns many breakdowns into a short stop in a parking lot instead of a tow.

Look for: a spare hydraulic hose and fittings for your model, the hydraulic fluid the plow maker specifies, pins and cotter pins, fuses, bulbs, a tow strap, wire, zip ties and the hand tools that fit your mount. The plow maker's checklist calls for checking the hydraulic system for leaks and cracked hoses, confirming cotter pins are in place, and cleaning and tightening electrical connections, then coating them with dielectric grease. Buy: day one. Ask your dealer what fails most often on your plow and carry that part. Tip: keep a backup driver or a subcontractor you trust for the night a truck is out for good.

15. Strobes, mirrors and a backup camera

Plowing a lot means backing up over and over, in the dark, around parked cars, light poles and the occasional person walking from a car to the door. You need to see, and other people need to see you.

Look for: warning lights visible from every side, a backup camera or alarm, and mirrors that are not blocked when the blade is raised. Check your state's rules on which light colors work trucks may use. Buy: before the first lot contract. Safety: OSHA includes visibility systems in its pre-trip checks. Clear snow and salt crust off lights and cameras at every fuel stop, and use a spotter in tight lots where a pedestrian could step behind the truck.

16. A skid steer, loader or tractor with a blade (upgrade)

Big lots, snow stacking and relocating piles are loader work. One plow maker lists snowplows for trucks, UTVs, skid steers and tractors, and pushers for loaders, and a compact machine can stack snow where a truck can only push it.

Look for: a machine sized for your largest lots, a cab with heat and good lighting, quick-attach for a bucket, blade or pusher, and a trailer rated to haul it between sites. Rent or lease: ask equipment dealers about monthly or seasonal terms before you buy, and track hours used. Safety: the fatality reports OSHA links from its landscaping hazards page include an operator crushed by a skid-steer attachment, and OSHA tells employers to train and certify operators. Follow the operator's manual every time.

17. A containment plow, or box pusher (upgrade)

A pusher is a box-shaped blade with side walls. It carries a large volume of snow straight across a lot without spilling it off the ends, which suits big open areas cleared with a loader or skid steer.

Look for: a width your machine can push when the box is full, a trip or flexible edge for hidden curbs and drains, and pickup points that match your quick-attach. Rent or lease: rent with the machine for the first season, then decide based on how many large lots you hold. Safety: big pushers stack snow fast and high. Keep piles away from fire hydrants, sight lines at lot exits and the spots where the property manager told you to pile.

18. A UTV or sidewalk machine with a blade and spreader (upgrade)

Condo associations, office parks and campuses can have miles of sidewalk. A small machine with a blade and a spreader clears and treats those walks with one operator, on routes that would otherwise take a full shovel crew.

Look for: a machine narrow enough for the tightest walks, a cab or windshield for long nights, lights all around, and a spreader mount. Rent or buy: buy only after you hold enough sidewalk contracts to keep it running every storm. Safety: train every operator, keep hi-vis gear on them, and check local rules before running a UTV on public walks or roads between properties. Pedestrians will walk right in front of it.

19. A liquid anti-icing sprayer (upgrade)

Some contractors spray liquid de-icer on lots and walks before a storm, so snow does not bond to the pavement and clears more easily. It is a separate service you can price and sell to commercial clients who want pre-treatment.

Look for: a tank and pump sized for your truck, a boom or nozzles sized for the lots you treat, corrosion-resistant fittings and a way to measure output. A full tank adds serious weight, so count it against the door-label ratings along with the plow. Buy: later, once commercial clients ask for pre-treatment in their contracts. Tip: ask your salt supplier about liquid products and how they behave at the temperatures common where you work.

20. A business number that answers during storms

Snow calls arrive in a flood, at the same time you are plowing: new customers whose regular guy didn't show, contract customers asking when you'll get there, a property manager reporting an icy entrance. A business number keeps your cell private, rings the crew phone that is free, and texts back every missed caller automatically. A greeting that explains your storm routine answers the most common question before anyone picks up. See our guide to missed-call text back and how we set up business phone systems.

21. Proof-of-service, routing and invoicing software

In snow, your records are your defense. Every visit needs a timestamp, photos, the conditions and the salt applied, tied to the property. The same system should run routes in order, bill per push or per event from the visit log, and keep a card on file for seasonal contracts so March isn't spent chasing payment. Our custom CRM page covers the scheduling, invoicing and card-on-file billing we shape around each company, and our snow pricing guide explains per-push and seasonal models.

22. Insurance that names snow and ice work

Ask your agent to confirm in writing that your general liability policy covers plowing, salting and sidewalk work, and read the exclusions yourself. You will also need commercial auto for the plow truck, coverage for the plow, spreader and tools themselves, and workers' compensation once you hire, under your state's rules. Commercial clients will ask for a certificate before the season starts. Our contractor insurance guide and commercial auto explainer walk through each policy.

Where to start

Do three things first. Buy the sidewalk kit (shovels, a two-stage blower and a push spreader, items 1, 3 and 4) and sell walks and driveways this winter without a plow. Put boots, hi-vis gear and an emergency kit on every person and vehicle (items 5 to 7) before the first storm. Then set up proof of service (item 21) so every visit is logged from day one. Buy the plow truck when signed contracts can fill it, and leave skid steers and pushers to rentals until lot work pays for them. The start a company hub covers what's left to set up. Before the fall selling season, ask for a free launch plan and we'll put your website, phone and quoting in order, in writing.

Frequently asked questions