Snow removal: the contract, the roof and your municipality's rules

By late October, orange stakes appear along driveways and snow removal companies offer their contracts. Before signing, three points deserve your attention: what the contract should contain, when the roof should be cleared, and what your municipality prohibits. The information below comes from Québec's consumer protection office (OPC), the RBQ, the workplace safety board (CNESST) and the municipal bylaws, which we reviewed one by one.

The contract: what the OPC recommends

Ask for a written contract. According to the OPC, it should specify:

• the term, with fixed dates;
• the snowfall that triggers service (for example, 5 cm minimum);
• the time frame for clearing;
• where the snow goes, in line with municipal bylaws;
• extras: salt or sand, the path to the door, the steps;
• the total price and payment terms.

Limit advance payments. Ideally, nothing should be paid before service begins. If you pay more than two months in advance, make sure the company holds the money in a trust account.

The price is fixed. In a fixed-term contract, the contractor cannot change the price unilaterally, even if a clause provides for it. A fuel surcharge clause is prohibited.

The 10-day cooling-off period does not always apply. A door-to-door seller who approaches you at home must hold an OPC licence, and you may then cancel within 10 days of receiving the contract. If you sign at the contractor's office, there is no cooling-off period. It is therefore best to sign only once your decision is made.

Contracts made by phone or online must be sent to you in writing within 15 days. If you do not receive a copy, or if service does not begin, you may cancel under the OPC's rules.

In the event of damage to a hedge, fence or mailbox, it is recommended to negotiate first, then send a formal demand letter and, if necessary, turn to small claims court.

Before signing, look the business up on the OPC website. The OPC also advises caution with anyone who provides only a cell phone number.

The roof: warning signs

The RBQ lists the signs of an overloaded roof:

• cracks in interior walls;
• interior doors that stick or rub;
• unusual cracking sounds;
• a ceiling that sags.

If any of these signs appear, the roof should be cleared, regardless of the amount of snow. Cycles of rain, snow and thaw make the snow heavier. Icicles over doors and parking spaces, temporary carports and emergency exits also require attention.

The RBQ recommends hiring a specialized company. If you do the work yourself, the CNESST advises you to work from the ground with a telescopic roof rake. On a sloped roof, snow should be cleared from the top down, because starting at the bottom can cause an entire slab to slide. Climbing onto the roof should remain a last resort, and always with a harness. Stay clear of power lines and keep people away from the area where snow falls.

Overnight winter parking: the rule in each municipality

Most of the municipalities we checked apply the same parking bylaw, SQ 21-001, enforced by the Sûreté du Québec. Its winter provisions are the same everywhere:

Parking on public roads is prohibited from midnight to 6 a.m., November 15 to April 15, throughout the municipality. Parking is allowed December 24 to 26 and December 31 to January 2. The fine is $50 and is doubled for a repeat offence within two years.

A few clarifications are in order. Duhamel's web page gives November 15 to April 1, whereas the published bylaw states April 15; the bylaw takes precedence. Ripon's page still cites an old bylaw number, but the dates and hours are the same.

Regarding carports, Fassett's 2026 municipal calendar allows them from October 15; in Papineauville, carports and snow fences are allowed from October 1, at least one metre from the sidewalk or curb.

We were unable to consult Namur's municipal website. There as elsewhere, when a web page and the bylaw differ, the bylaw prevails. When in doubt, contact your municipal office. Cottage owners who park on the road on Friday nights are particularly advised to verify this rule.

Pushing snow into the road: a prohibited practice

This practice is prohibited in nearly every municipality. Here is what the official texts we consulted provide:

• Thurso (bylaw 03-2013): no snow on public roads, in parks, on fire hydrants, in town-cleared ditches, or across to the other side of the road. The ridge of snow left by the plow at the driveway is the property owner's responsibility, and the owner is answerable for the snow contractor's offences. After a 24-hour notice, the fine is $250.
• Plaisance (bylaw 463-23, 2023): the same rules as Thurso. After notice, the fine is $400.
• Papineauville: snow may not be placed in the street, on the sidewalk, on a neighbour's lot or in the ditch. Bylaw 314-11-00 sets $100, then $300 for a second offence.
• Lochaber-Partie-Ouest (bylaw 370-2021): dumping snow in the road is a nuisance, subject to a fine of $150 to $1,000 for a first offence. Snow may not be dumped within 50 m of a watercourse.
• Val-des-Bois (RM10-2025): pushing, blowing or dumping snow from private land onto the public road, ditch included, is a nuisance, subject to a fine of $200 to $1,000 for an individual.
• Saint-Sixte: bylaw 72 bans blowing or pushing snow from private land into the road allowance, shoulders and ditches included, with a fine of $300. Bylaw 209-21 also makes it a nuisance.
• Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix (bylaw 1000): no snow on public roads, on hydrants, in town-maintained ditches, or across the road. After a notice, the offender has 24 hours to remove it, failing which the fine is $250.
• Mayo (bylaw 2009-001): pushing or dumping snow from private property onto the public road, ditch included, carries a fine of $500.
• Saint-Émile-de-Suffolk (bylaw 19-001): placing snow or ice from private land in the road or its allowance carries a fine of $1,000 to $2,000. The town plows school bus routes first.
• Montpellier (bylaw 03-2022): placing snow in the street, at the end of a culvert or around a hydrant carries a fine of $300 to $1,000. The municipality plows main roads first, then hills and side streets; private roads are not maintained.
• Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette (bylaw 2008-02): pushing snow onto public land or into a ditch is prohibited, with a fine of $200 to $1,000. The owner answers for the snow contractor.
• Boileau: the nuisance bylaw sets a minimum of $200, and the roads page states that the practice is strictly forbidden.
• Ripon and Chénéville: their public works pages state that snow may not be placed in the street.

If your snow contractor blows the snow from your driveway across the road, you are the one exposed to a ticket. It is advisable to address this in the contract.

Mailboxes and stakes

• Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix: its 2025 snow policy states that it is the residents' responsibility to protect trees, shrubs and mailboxes from snow pushed by the plow, and to mark obstacles. Plowing starts at 5 cm.
• Ripon: stakes and other obstacles must be outside the municipal road allowance. Mailboxes are tolerated there under Canada Post's criteria.
• Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette: flexible markers (wood, plastic, rubber) are allowed up to 1.50 m from the pavement. No rigid objects are allowed in the road allowance, and the municipality is not responsible for objects left there.
• Montebello: a mailbox must be at least one metre from the curb, sidewalk or pavement (bylaw 932-2019).
• Duhamel: school bus roads are cleared first, as soon as snow starts; roads leading to homes once 5 cm has fallen (bylaw 2022-05). The municipality does not maintain private roads.

Local businesses

Few residential snow removal businesses could be confirmed through an official source. The following are listed in their municipality's business directory:

For roof replacement, a cracked foundation or renovations after winter, here are contractors in the MRC whose licence is active in the RBQ registry (open data dated October 10, 2026):

If you provide snow removal services in La Petite-Nation and your business is not listed, you may add it free of charge.

Sources

• OPC, snow removal tips, contract, cancelling, price changes, damage
• RBQ, clearing snow and ice from roofs
• CNESST, clearing snow from a roof
• Bylaws and town pages linked in the table, plus: Thurso bylaw 03-2013, Plaisance bylaw 463-23, Papineauville public works and bylaw 314-11-00, Lochaber-Partie-Ouest bylaw 370-2021, Val-des-Bois RM10-2025, Saint-Sixte bylaw 72 and 209-21, Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix bylaw 1000 and snow policy, Ripon snow removal, Chénéville public works, Montebello bylaw 932-2019, Duhamel snow page and bylaw 2022-05, Fassett 2026 calendar
• RBQ registry, active licences (Données Québec, CC BY 4.0)
• Checked October 10 and 11, 2026.

ThursoPapineauvilleSaint-André-AvellinPlaisanceChénévilleVal-des-BoisRiponDuhamelLac-SimonNotre-Dame-de-la-PaixMontebelloSaint-SixteFassettLochaberLochaber-Partie-OuestNotre-Dame-de-BonsecoursBoileauBowmanLac-des-PlagesMayoMontpellierMulgrave-et-DerryNotre-Dame-de-la-SaletteSaint-Émile-de-Suffolk

Sources

The facts in this story come from these public sources. Every place and event mentioned has its own page, with its sources and the date it was checked. Legal notice

Links cited in the story

• Chénéville (town) · ville-cheneville.com/_files/ugd/dcb271_cd5f863b85d742c38daa3f2cb8e30dc0.pdf
• Val-des-Bois (town) · val-des-bois.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/SQ2021-001-relatif-au-stationnement.p
• Ripon (town) · ripon.ca/fichiersUpload/fichiers/20250128134623-sq-21-001-stationnement.pdf
• Duhamel (town) · municipalite.duhamel.qc.ca/public_upload/files/R%C3%A8glements%20municipaux/10.1
• Lac-Simon (town) · lac-simon.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Reglement-SQ21-001-Reglement-concernant
• Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix (town) · notredamedelapaix.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/SQ21-001-Reglement-Stationnem
• Montebello (town) · montebello.ca/fichiersUpload/fichiers/20241218151756-revue-municipale-hiver-2024
• Thurso (town) · ville.thurso.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/reglement_19-2021-SQ-21-001_statio
• Papineauville (town) · papineauville.ca/download_file/view/1183/252
• Saint-André-Avellin (town) · ville.st-andre-avellin.qc.ca/nouvelles/interdiction
• Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours (town document) · vplus-documents.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/notre-dame-de-bonsecours/_publicat
• Lochaber (town) · cantonlochaber.ca/municipalite/reglements/reglements-municipaux/
• Lochaber-Partie-Ouest (town) · lochaber-ouest.ca/docs/fichiers_documents/576.pdf
• Plaisance (town) · ville.plaisance.qc.ca/ressources-et-communaute/nouveaux-arrivants/
• Fassett (town) · village-fassett.com/wp-content/uploads/06-001-SQ-Stationnement.pdf
• Boileau (town document) · vplus-documents.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/boileau/_publication/fichiers/26-1
• Bowman (town document) · vplus-documents.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/bowman/_publication/fichiers/Stati
• Lac-des-Plages (town document) · vplus-documents.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/lac-des-plages/_publication/fichie
• Mayo (town) · mayo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/stationnement-SQ06-001.pdf
• Montpellier (town document) · vplus-documents.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/montpellier/_publication/fichiers/
• Mulgrave-et-Derry (town) · mulgrave-derry.ca/fichiersUpload/fichiers/20251031094424-sq21-001-concernant-le-
• Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette (town) · muni-ndsalette.qc.ca/docs/fichiers_documents/160.pdf
• Saint-Émile-de-Suffolk (town) · st-emile-de-suffolk.com/_files/ugd/8a174b_06bbe83d305749bbb2ed3af85ef82ed4.pdf
• Saint-Sixte (town) · saintsixte.ca/wp-content/reglements/203-19-Stationnement.pdf
• opc.gouv.qc.ca · opc.gouv.qc.ca/en/consumer/good-service/housing-renovation/landscaping-exterior/
• opc.gouv.qc.ca · opc.gouv.qc.ca/en/consumer/good-service/housing-renovation/landscaping-exterior/
• opc.gouv.qc.ca · opc.gouv.qc.ca/en/consumer/good-service/housing-renovation/landscaping-exterior/
• opc.gouv.qc.ca · opc.gouv.qc.ca/en/consumer/good-service/housing-renovation/landscaping-exterior/
• opc.gouv.qc.ca · opc.gouv.qc.ca/en/consumer/good-service/housing-renovation/landscaping-exterior/
• Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) · rbq.gouv.qc.ca/salle-de-presse/les-nouvelles/nouvelles-detail/item/2025-02-26-co
• cnesst.gouv.qc.ca · cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/fr/prevention-securite/identifier-corriger-risques/liste-infor
• Thurso (town) · ville.thurso.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/reglement_03-2013_deblaiement-neig
• Plaisance (town) · ville.plaisance.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/Reglement-463-23.pdf
• Papineauville (town) · papineauville.ca/fr/services-aux-citoyens/service-des-travaux-publics
• Papineauville (town) · papineauville.ca/download_file/view/1384/252
• Lochaber-Partie-Ouest (town) · lochaber-ouest.ca/docs/fichiers_documents/483.pdf
• Val-des-Bois (town) · val-des-bois.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/RM10-2025-nuisances-VF.pdf
• Saint-Sixte (town) · saintsixte.ca/wp-content/reglements/Reglement-72-encombrement-des-chemins-public
• Saint-Sixte (town) · saintsixte.ca/wp-content/reglements/Reglement-209-21-Modifie-En-vigueur-17-janvi
• Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix (town) · notredamedelapaix.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/r%C3%A8g-1000-d%C3%A9blaiemen
• Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix (town) · notredamedelapaix.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/politique-de-deneigement-adop
• Ripon (town) · ripon.ca/fr/services-municipaux/travaux-publics/deneigement/
• Chénéville (town) · ville-cheneville.com/travaux-publics
• Montebello (town) · montebello.ca/fichiersUpload/fichiers/20230224160053-reglement-numero-932-2019.p
• Duhamel (town) · municipalite.duhamel.qc.ca/fr/citoyens/deneigement-consignes-hivernales
• Duhamel (town) · municipalite.duhamel.qc.ca/public_upload/files/R%C3%A8glements%20municipaux/2022
• Fassett (town) · village-fassett.com/wp-content/uploads/Calendrier-2026-Officiel-1.pdf
• Données Québec · donneesquebec.ca/recherche/dataset/licencesactives

Sources for the places and events mentioned

• Papineauville (town) · papineauville.ca/fr/affaires-et-developpement-economique/repertoire-des-entrepri
• Duhamel (town) · municipalite.duhamel.qc.ca/fr/citoyens/services-a-la-population/entreprises-de-d
• Les Entretiens Touchette · touchetteconstruction.com/
• Les Rénovations Malartech inc. · malartech.ca/
• VOPAA · vopaa.com/
• Béton LCL inc. · betonlcl.com/
• Les Constructions Miric Enr. · constructionmiric.ca/
• pmonnaie.ca · pmonnaie.ca/commercants-participants/
• Construction LTL · ltlconstruction.ca/
• Construction & Rénovation JSL · constructionrenovationjsl.com/
• Després Construction · despresconstruction.com/
• Lac-Simon (town) · lac-simon.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Commerces-web-2026-Finale.pdf
• Thurso (town) · ville.thurso.qc.ca/organismes-et-etablissements/entreprises-et-industries/constr
• Ripon (town) · ripon.ca/fr/vivre-a-ripon/culture/artisans-et-commerces/

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