Property manager resource · Updated August 2026

Commercial snow removal RFP checklist

A low number is not a winter plan. Use this checklist to define the service level, map the property, require proof, and compare contractors on the operating details that decide whether the site opens.

Jump to the 100-point scorecard

01 / How to use it

Write the operating standard before asking for a price.

Give every bidder the same site map, scope, trigger, reporting requirement, and pricing format. Otherwise, the proposals are not comparable: one contractor is pricing the full risk while another is pricing only the visible plow pass.

This field checklist follows the procurement categories in the Snow & Ice Management Association’s 2025 standard, then adds St. Louis operating details for ice, refreeze, mixed precipitation, and documented service verification.

02 / RFP checklist

Put these requirements in writing.

Print this page or copy the items into the property’s bid package.

1. Property record

List every service address, property contact, escalation contact, and invoice contact.
State normal operating hours, earliest tenant arrival, dock schedules, and any 24/7 areas.
Identify medical, industrial, retail, office, multifamily, school, or other site-specific risk.
Document gates, keys, access codes, security procedures, and overnight parking constraints.

2. Site engineering plan

Mark plow limits, sidewalks, stairs, ramps, entrances, loading docks, fire lanes, and ADA routes.
Mark curbs, islands, wheel stops, hydrants, drains, speed bumps, low-clearance areas, and fragile surfaces.
Pre-approve snow stacking locations and identify areas where stacking is prohibited.
Define when relocation or off-site hauling begins and who authorizes it.

3. Level of service

Set the trigger for plowing and define any zero-tolerance zones separately.
State the required condition at opening time: passable, plowed, treated, or bare pavement.
Define service during long events, including priority lanes and return-pass frequency.
Authorize treatment for freezing rain, flash freeze, and refreeze even when snow depth is below the plow trigger.
Define who may order extra service and how that approval is recorded.

4. Scope of work

Separate parking-lot plowing, de-icing, sidewalk clearing, handwork, loading-dock work, and hauling.
Name the approved deicers for asphalt, concrete, parking structures, and landscape-sensitive areas.
State whether pretreatment, post-storm treatment, pile pushback, and spring cleanup are included.
Define property-owner duties such as moving vehicles, unlocking gates, and reporting hazards.

5. Service documentation

Require arrival and departure times tied to the property location.
Require starting conditions, completion conditions, services performed, and weather notes.
Require material type and amount for each application.
Require timestamped site photos and documented exceptions before a visit is closed.
Set the delivery method and retention period for service records.

6. Capacity and continuity

Request the primary equipment, backup equipment, staffing, and route plan assigned to the site.
Ask how breakdowns, absenteeism, salt shortages, and overlapping storms are covered.
Require disclosure of subcontractors and the same insurance and documentation standards for them.
Identify the named operations contact with authority during an event.

7. Risk and incident handling

Specify certificate-of-insurance requirements and verify coverage before the season.
Define incident notification, investigation, photo, and property-damage procedures.
Require immediate reporting of blocked drains, hidden obstacles, damaged curbs, or unsafe site conditions.
Have legal and insurance advisers review indemnity, additional-insured, waiver, and record-retention terms.

8. Pricing and invoicing

Choose the commercial model: seasonal, per occurrence, per inch, or time and materials.
List included equipment, labor, mobilization, materials, hauling, disposal, and minimum charges.
Require unit rates for out-of-scope work and a written change-order process.
Require invoices to identify the site, service date, work performed, materials, and supporting service record.

03 / Bid comparison

100-point vendor scorecard

Score the written proposal and reference check before opening the final price comparison.

Category	Points	What earns full credit
Site plan and scope accuracy	20	Are all priority areas, obstacles, stacking zones, and exclusions mapped?
Level-of-service fit	20	Do triggers, opening conditions, ice response, and long-event service match operations?
Capacity and backup	20	Are equipment, staffing, materials, route density, and contingency plans credible?
Documentation and communication	20	Will every event produce times, conditions, materials, photos, and exceptions?
Risk, insurance, and incident process	10	Are coverage, subcontractor controls, incident handling, and retention clear?
Price clarity	10	Can every charge be traced to a defined unit, trigger, approval, and service record?
Total	100	Record the evidence behind every score.

Suggested weighting by St. Louis Snow Removal; adjust it for your property’s risk, hours, and procurement rules. A lower bid should not offset a missing service plan or unverifiable event record.

04 / Reference check

Ask references about the last difficult event.

Was the property open when promised?
Did the contractor communicate during changing conditions?
Could the manager retrieve a complete service record after the event?
Were change orders and material charges traceable to the contract?
What happened when equipment failed or the route ran behind?

For our operating model, see how we prove service, review the commercial pricing guide, or send the property address for a measured scope.

05 / Source

Procurement standard used

Primary reference: Snow & Ice Management Association, SIMA-10-2025 Standard Practice for Procuring and Planning Snow and Ice Management Services. SIMA’s standard covers general procurement, level of service, scope of work, site planning, monitoring, and documentation.

Read the SIMA standards overview

This checklist is operational guidance, not legal or insurance advice. Have qualified advisers review contract language and coverage requirements for your property.

Ready before the weather turns

Put your property on the plan.

Send the address. We’ll walk the lot, map the scope, and build the right service plan for how your property actually operates.

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