Should you hire a snow removal service or buy a snow blower to do the job of removing snow yourself? As with many decisions involving the purchase of equipment vs. hiring professionals, you won’t find a single best answer for everybody. Take a moment to compare the benefits of either choice. Your schedule, preferences, and budget may all factor into the decision.

Cost Comparison of Buying a Snow Blower Vs. Hiring a Snow Removal Service

Obviously, you will have a higher upfront cost when you purchase a snowblower. With a snow removal service, you will pay for services over time. For instance:

• Snow blower: A two- or three-stage blower that can handle large, frequent, or wet snow accumulations may cost between $600 to $1,000. Cheaper electric snow blowers can’t handle large jobs efficiently.
• Removal service: In contrast, you will pay throughout the year for a service. Companies will base their prices on the time they estimate the job to take, but expect to pay about half as much as the purchase price of a powerful snow blower every year.

At first, it might look like buying a snow blower would lower your long-term costs. After all, you can just make an initial investment to buy a snow blower instead of having to make periodic payments forever, right?

Of course, you should also factor in fuel, maintenance, and your time when comparing the cost of buying a snow blower vs. hiring a service. For instance, you should expect to pay at least $100 to $200 each year on fuel and maintenance. If you hire somebody else to perform maintenance or repairs, you could pay considerably more. When you factor in the convenience, snow removal services can look like a bargain to many people.

Pros of Buying a Snow Blower

Some people enjoy doing their own snow removal. They also consider this task a useful way to enjoy fresh air and exercise. When compared to using an old-fashioned snow shovel, snow blowers make removing snow much faster and easier.

Also, having access to a snow blower at any time means that you won’t have to wait for a service to arrive after a sudden storm. If your job or family responsibilities depend upon keeping a tight schedule at all times, you may prefer immediate access to your own machine.

Pros of Hiring a Snow Removal Service

Snow removal services thrive because they can offer plenty of benefits to their customers. This list highlights just a few advantages of hiring a high-quality service:

• Health considerations: Even with a snow blower, only people in relatively good physical condition should brave the elements to attend to this strenuous task for a large area. Also, clearing the driveway might not sound so hard, but what if you also need to clear accumulated snow on your roof? According to Cleveland Clinic, there are also about 5,000 injuries each year from snow blowers.
• Convenience: Hiring a service will relieve you from having to set time aside to clear snow, attend to maintenance, acquire fuel, and eventually, seek repairs. You also won’t need to set aside storage space for your machine and its fuel. Your removal service will bring everything they need and take it away when they’re finished.
• Budget friendliness: With a service, you just pay a bill for the work. You don’t need to invest in an expensive machine or its upkeep. You also won’t need to worry about unexpected repair bills. Even though buying a snow blower may appear cheaper at first, it’s unlikely to save most people that much money. That’s especially true if you factor in your time.

Should You Hire a Snow Removal Service?

Do you prefer to attend to your own chores, need immediate access to snow removal, or have other particular requirements? If so, you might prefer to invest in a snow blower.

To be fair, some people compromise by keeping a shovel or lightweight snowblower for small tasks, touch ups, or emergencies, and then they’re still happy to rely upon a trusted company for regular snow removal. A snow removal service can do all the hard work while you attend to your business or simply snuggle up inside your cozy home.

When you call upon us here at Clear Cut Group, you can depend upon our seasoned professionals to remove ice and snow from walkways, driveways, and sidewalks. Our friendly and uniformed staff care about safety and your valuable property too. Contact us today to tell us about your property, and we’ll explain how we will help.