Private snow clearing rules in Montreal: what homeowners need to know

Montreal winters aren't optional, and neither are your snow clearing obligations as a homeowner. The city has specific rules about what you must clear, where the snow can go, and what happens if you push it onto the sidewalk or street. What follows is the complete picture based on the city's official regulations.

Your basic obligation: keep your entrances clear

According to the City of Montreal's snow clearing page, property owners must clear snow from their main entrance and parking area entrances for safety reasons. This isn't a suggestion. Keeping these access points passable is mandatory.

This applies after every snowfall. You can't wait for the city to clear the sidewalk first or assume someone else will handle it.

The main rule: keep your snow on your property

In most boroughs, the city prohibits placing cleared snow on the sidewalk or in the street when you remove it from your entrance or parking area. You must keep the snow on your own property.

This trips up a lot of homeowners, especially those with small front yards or narrow properties where there's limited space to pile snow. The regulation is clear: snow from your property stays on your property unless you have specific authorization.

When you can put snow on the street

Exceptions exist, but they're limited and vary by borough. According to the city's page on street snow placement permits:

For residential properties with up to 6 dwelling units that have a garage but no outdoor parking space, you may be able to put snow in the street on the same side as your property, but only:

• Snow from your garage entrance and main entrance (not your entire property)
• Before the city starts loading operations in your area

For all other situations, you need a permit.

Snow placement permits

If you don't have space on your property for snow storage, you can apply for a permit to place it on public property. The city's permit page provides borough-specific details:

Permit validity: November 1 to April 30 in most boroughs

Costs vary significantly by borough and property type. Here are some examples:

• Cote-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grace: $7.40 per square metre for properties up to 6 units; $11.60 per square metre for 9 or more units
• Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve: $50 per parking space (residential); $8.92 per square metre (commercial/industrial)

Display requirement: The permit must be visible from the street.

Conditions for snow placement on public property:

• Snow must not obstruct pedestrians, vehicles, or fire hydrants
• Must be placed before city loading operations begin
• Maintain a distance of at least 5 metres from intersections
• Cannot block driveways, bus zones, or disability parking
• Snow piles typically must stay within 1.5 to 2 metres wide and 1.5 to 2 metres high

Parking rules during snow removal operations

When the city launches a snow removal operation, strict parking rules take effect. According to the city's snow removal page:

• Plowing begins at 2.5 cm of accumulation
• Loading operations (the big blowers) start at 10 to 15 cm of snowfall

On narrow streets with 15 cm or more of snowfall forecasted, parking is prohibited on the right-hand side from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. The left side is reserved for narrow-street parking sticker holders.

Temporary no-parking signs go up during loading operations:

• Signs for 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. bans are posted on the same day before 3 p.m.
• Signs for 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. bans are posted the previous day before 8 p.m.

Towing and fines

If your vehicle is on a street being cleared during snow removal operations, it will be towed. According to reporting on Montreal's enforcement, the costs add up:

• Parking violation ticket: Approximately $196 (varies by borough)
• Towing fee: $77.12 for the first 10 km, plus $2.56 for every additional kilometre
• Impound storage: $15 per day

All of that is on top of the headache of tracking down your car at an impound lot across the city.

Snow banks from city plowing

When city snow removal vehicles create snow banks that block your property entrance or parking area, that's your problem to deal with. The city states that homeowners are responsible for removing snow banks to restore access to their property.

The plow comes through at 3 a.m., leaves a wall of heavy, compacted snow across your driveway, and you're the one who has to clear it. That's just how it works.

Rules for private snow removal contractors

If you hire a company to clear your property, they need their own permit. According to the city's contractor permit page:

• All private snow removal contractors using road vehicles need a permit
• Permit costs range from $32.50 to $118.10 for the first vehicle, with $5 to $25 for additional vehicles
• Contractors must carry minimum $500,000 liability insurance
• An identification pole must be installed on the property displaying the contractor's name and phone number, visible from outside

Contractors must follow these rules:

• Maintain snow banks at 2 metres or less at curbs
• Push snow at least 6 metres from intersections
• Clear before city snowblowers pass through
• Never cover fire hydrants
• Never push snow across the street
• Never clear sidewalks or bike paths (that's the city's job)

Practical tips for Montreal winters

Clear early, clear often. Shovelling 5 cm of fresh snow is far easier than chipping away at 15 cm of packed-down accumulation after cars have driven over it.

Sign up for your borough's snow removal alerts so you know when to move your car. Getting towed is expensive and entirely avoidable.

Invest in a good shovel. An ergonomic snow shovel with a curved handle reduces back strain significantly over a long winter.

Spread de-icer responsibly. Calcium chloride or sand works well on walkways. Excessive salt damages concrete, lawns, and local waterways.

Check your fire hydrant. If there's a hydrant near your property, keeping it clear of snow is a community safety practice. The fire department needs quick access in emergencies.

Need help keeping your property clear this winter?

Snow removal in Montreal never lets up. Whether you need regular clearing for your driveway and walkways or help managing those post-plow snow banks, we can help. Call us at 514-900-3867.