Snow Removal in Chicago

Chicago averages 36 inches of snow per year, and every inch creates liability for commercial property owners. A parking lot that isn't plowed by 6am means tenants can't get to work. A sidewalk that isn't cleared and salted means a slip-and-fall lawsuit waiting to happen. An overnight ice storm that isn't treated means your property is the one on the news.

LPJ Services provides commercial snow and ice management for properties throughout the Chicago metropolitan area — parking lots, sidewalks, loading docks, drive aisles, pedestrian walkways, and emergency exits. We operate on priority response windows backed by 24/7 weather monitoring and pre-positioned equipment.

How our snow program works

When you sign a snow removal contract with LPJ, we assign equipment and crews to your property before the first snowfall. Plows, salt spreaders, and shoveling crews are pre-positioned based on your property's geographic location and service priority level.

Our operations team monitors National Weather Service forecasts, local radar, and ground-level temperature sensors around the clock from November through March. When a storm is forecasted, we activate crews proactively — before accumulation begins for deicing, and at pre-defined trigger depths for plowing.

Priority response windows

Every snow contract specifies target response windows based on the trigger depth you select. Common configurations are a 1-inch trigger with plowing targeted within 1-2 hours of trigger depth, a 2-inch trigger for properties that tolerate moderate accumulation before clearing, and zero-tolerance programs for medical facilities, hospitals, and 24/7 operations where any accumulation is unacceptable.

Response windows are documented in your contract, tracked in your client portal, and reviewed with you in post-season performance meetings.

What we cover

Our standard commercial snow scope includes parking lot plowing and stacking, drive aisle and fire lane clearing, sidewalk and walkway shoveling, building entrance and exit clearing, loading dock and service area plowing, de-icing salt and liquid brine application, sand application for non-salt-tolerant surfaces, and ice watch monitoring between storm events.

For properties with landscaping concerns, we use snow-friendly plow blades and mark curbs, islands, and vulnerable areas with reflective stakes before the season begins to prevent plow damage.

Salt and material management

We maintain our own salt inventory and do not rely on third-party suppliers for mid-season restocking. During the 2013-14 salt shortage that left many Chicago properties unserviced, operators without their own inventory couldn't perform. We manage our supply chain to prevent that from happening to our clients.

We also offer liquid brine pre-treatment, which is applied before snowfall to prevent ice from bonding to pavement. It's more effective than rock salt alone and reduces total salt usage by 30-40% — better for your pavement, your landscaping, and your budget.

Portal tracking through the winter

Every snow event is logged in your client portal: dispatch time, arrival time, services performed, materials applied (with quantities), departure time, and completion photos. This documentation is critical for property managers who need to demonstrate due diligence in slip-and-fall claims. Many of our clients use our portal logs as their primary defense documentation.

Seasonal contracts vs. per-event

We offer both seasonal flat-rate contracts and per-event billing. Seasonal contracts provide budget certainty — you pay the same monthly amount regardless of how many storms hit. Per-event billing works for properties with lower risk tolerance that want to pay only for actual service. Your account manager will recommend the best structure based on your property type and risk profile.