Snow & ice management

Your snow contract is a liability problem. We write it like one.

Q: What is your trigger depth, and can we change it?

Our default commercial trigger is 1 inch for full-lot service, with walks and entries inspected at any measurable accumulation. Trigger depth is set per property during the site walk — retail centers and medical campuses often run tighter, industrial back lots often run looser. Whatever we agree to gets written into the contract.

Q: Do you use seasonal or per-event pricing?

Both. Seasonal contracts give you a fixed winter budget line and shift the weather risk to us, which most multi-site portfolios prefer for forecasting. Per-event pricing costs less in a light winter and more in a heavy one. We will price both so you can see the spread against the last five Twin Cities seasons.

Q: How fast do you get to us in a large event?

Priority is set by property type and opening hour, not by contract size. Medical, senior living, and early-open retail lead the route. Pre-storm staging at our Eagan facility means we are on route as the event begins rather than driving in from across the metro.

Q: What happens if we have a slip-and-fall claim?

You get the full service record for that event — timestamps for every pass, photo documentation of cleared surfaces, product used, and salt applied by weight. That record is exactly what your carrier and counsel will ask for, and it is the single strongest reason to hire a contractor who documents.

Q: Are you insured, and how fast can we get a COI?

Yes — $5M+ commercial general liability plus auto, umbrella, and workers’ compensation. Certificates naming your entity as additional insured are typically issued the same business day.

Q: Do you subcontract any of the winter work?

The core operation is ProScapes crews on ProScapes equipment. In extraordinary events we may add vetted support for hauling or additional loaders, and we tell you when we do. There is no hidden layer of brokers between you and the person driving the truck.

Q: Can you handle multiple properties across the metro?

Yes. Multi-site portfolios are most of our commercial book. You get one account manager, one invoice structure, and one portal view across every property — and route planning that treats your portfolio as a set, not as unrelated stops.

ASCA-accredited, SIMA-member snow operations with documented service levels, certificates of insurance on file before the season, and photo proof of every event. Your tenants should never see ice — and you should never wonder where the crew is.

Download the Snow RFP Kit Request a Winter Site Walk

24/7Storm response

<24 hrPost-event report

$5M+General liability

ASCA accreditedSIMA memberPre-storm staging in EaganSalt logged by weightPhoto proof every event

The problem

Most Twin Cities snow bids are a number and a handshake.

“As conditions warrant.” “Commercially reasonable efforts.” “Salt as needed.” That language is fine until a tenant falls in your entryway and your carrier asks for the service record. Then it is a problem you own.

Written triggers

The depth that sends a truck is in the contract, per site, agreed before the season.

Defensible records

Time-stamped photos, salt weights, and pass logs — the record your insurer wants to see.

Coverage in place

COI naming your entity as additional insured, issued before the first event, not after.

Service level matrix

What actually happens at each trigger depth.

Published up front, tuned to your property during the site walk, and written into your agreement. No other Twin Cities contractor puts this on their website — ask them why.

Sample ProScapes service level matrix
Trigger	What we do	Target window	Documentation
Trace – 0.9"	Walk and entry inspection; deice as conditions require	Before tenant arrival	Inspection note + photos
1.0" – 2.9"	Full lot plow, walks cleared, entries and ADA routes deiced	Complete before opening hour	Event report + photos + salt weight
3.0" – 5.9"	Continuous service during event; walks cleared on cycle; open-lot passes	Cycle service, final pass before opening	Event report + per-pass timestamps
6.0"+	Dedicated crew assigned for duration; staged equipment; stacking plan executed	Continuous until event ends	Full event narrative + photo set
Freezing rain / ice	Pre-treat where forecast supports it; repeat deicing passes on cycle	Pre-treat before onset, then by cycle	Application log with product + weight
Refreeze / melt-cycle	Daytime inspection pass; spot deice at drains, downspouts, and shaded walks	Same-day inspection	Inspection note + photos

Representative matrix. Trigger depths and windows are set per property during the site walk — a hospital entrance and a warehouse back lot do not get the same numbers.

What we cover

Lots, lanes, walks, and everything the plow cannot reach.

Parking lots and drive lanes
Fire lanes and emergency access
Sidewalks, entries, and vestibule aprons
ADA routes and accessible parking
Loading docks and trailer aprons
Hydrant and utility clearance
Stair treads and handrails
Trash enclosure access
Snow stacking and relocation
Off-site snow hauling
Roof-drop and downspout monitoring
Post-melt refreeze inspection

Crew clearing a commercial sidewalk after a snowfall

Deicing strategy

Salt is a cost, a liability tool, and an environmental decision. We treat it as all three.

Minnesota chloride runoff rules are tightening, and over-salting damages the concrete you are trying to protect. We select a protocol per property and log every application by weight.

Granular rock salt

The workhorse for open lots above roughly 15°F. Applied by calibrated spreader, logged by weight per pass.

Brine & pre-treatment

Applied ahead of forecast events to stop bonding. Uses meaningfully less chloride than reactive salting.

Low- and non-chloride

For properties with sensitive plantings, water features, structured parking, or corporate sustainability targets.

Our applicators follow Minnesota Pollution Control Agency smart-salting principles. Ask for our salt log from any past event — we keep them, and we will show you.

Dispatch

How a storm actually runs.

72–24 hours out

Forecast reviewed against every account. Routes assigned, crews notified, equipment staged and fueled at the Eagan yard.

Onset

Pre-treatment applied where the forecast supports it. Crews roll to priority sites first — medical, senior living, and early-open retail lead the route.

During

Cycle service on accumulating events. Your portal shows crew position and completed passes as they happen.

After

Final clean-up pass, photo set uploaded, event report generated with timestamps and salt weights — inside 24 hours.

Plow trucks staged and ready before a winter storm

Snow Operations RFP Kit

The full document set your procurement team needs to compare bids on something other than price.

Service-level matrix · COI summary · equipment and fleet list · salt sourcing and storage capacity · dispatch and escalation workflow · reference contacts · sample post-event report

Download the kit

Common questions

What property managers ask us before signing.

What is your trigger depth, and can we change it?

Our default commercial trigger is 1 inch for full-lot service, with walks and entries inspected at any measurable accumulation. Trigger depth is set per property during the site walk — retail centers and medical campuses often run tighter, industrial back lots often run looser. Whatever we agree to gets written into the contract.

Do you use seasonal or per-event pricing?

Both. Seasonal contracts give you a fixed winter budget line and shift the weather risk to us, which most multi-site portfolios prefer for forecasting. Per-event pricing costs less in a light winter and more in a heavy one. We will price both so you can see the spread against the last five Twin Cities seasons.

How fast do you get to us in a large event?

Priority is set by property type and opening hour, not by contract size. Medical, senior living, and early-open retail lead the route. Pre-storm staging at our Eagan facility means we are on route as the event begins rather than driving in from across the metro.

What happens if we have a slip-and-fall claim?

You get the full service record for that event — timestamps for every pass, photo documentation of cleared surfaces, product used, and salt applied by weight. That record is exactly what your carrier and counsel will ask for, and it is the single strongest reason to hire a contractor who documents.

Are you insured, and how fast can we get a COI?

Yes — $5M+ commercial general liability plus auto, umbrella, and workers’ compensation. Certificates naming your entity as additional insured are typically issued the same business day.

Do you subcontract any of the winter work?

The core operation is ProScapes crews on ProScapes equipment. In extraordinary events we may add vetted support for hauling or additional loaders, and we tell you when we do. There is no hidden layer of brokers between you and the person driving the truck.

Can you handle multiple properties across the metro?

Yes. Multi-site portfolios are most of our commercial book. You get one account manager, one invoice structure, and one portal view across every property — and route planning that treats your portfolio as a set, not as unrelated stops.

Get a winter site walk before the bid season closes.

Most Twin Cities winter contracts are decided between August and October. Walk your property with us now and you will have a scoped, documented proposal in hand before your renewal date.

Request a Winter Site Walk Download the RFP Kit