How Much Should You Pay Someone to Shovel Snow?

Most published price guides put hired snow shoveling at about $25 to $75 an hour, or roughly $30 to $100 for a typical driveway or sidewalk visit. Where you land in that range depends on how much needs clearing, how deep and heavy the snow is, and how soon you need it done.

What the price guides say

These figures come from three national cost guides for snow removal that includes shoveling, updated between January 2025 and October 2026. They are estimates, not quotes, so treat them as a starting point.

Per hour: $25 to $75 for shoveling and snow blowers. One guide puts the average at $41 an hour, within a range of $25 to $100.
Driveway, per visit: the guides' ranges run from $30 up to $100. One breaks it down by size, at $40 to $80 for a single-car driveway and $50 to $100 for a two-car driveway.
Sidewalk, per visit: $30 to $100.
After a big storm: one guide lists $30 to $100 for clearing after a big storm.

The guides overlap more than they disagree, and $30 to $100 covers most of what they list for a single visit. A neighbor with a shovel may charge less than a company with a crew, so your local price can sit on either side of these numbers.

What makes it cost more or less

Size. A long driveway or a corner lot with a lot of sidewalk takes more time than a short walk. One guide puts driveways of 640 square feet or less at $40 to $65 and driveways of 1,000 square feet or more at $80 to $200.
Snow depth and type. Depth is one of the biggest influences on cost, and wet, heavy snow takes longer to move than light powder.
Layout. Steep, long or curved driveways and tight steps slow the work down.
Timing. Last-minute and emergency requests often cost more, and one guide lists emergency service as the most expensive kind.
Salt. Putting down salt or sand adds to the price. One guide lists $20 to $40 per visit when a company supplies it.
Where you live. Rural homes and places far from a company's base can cost more.

Flat price or hourly?

Companies bill by the hour, by the visit, or by the storm, and some sell seasonal contracts. One guide lists $200 to $700 for a season of professional service.

For a single job with a neighbor, a flat price for a clearly described job is usually simpler. You both know the cost before anyone picks up a shovel, and nobody argues about how long it took. Say exactly what is included, such as the driveway, the walk to the door, the steps, or the car, so the price matches the work.

What SnowCrew suggests

When you post a job on SnowCrew, the app suggests a starting price based on the size of the job:

Small (about one car wide): $30
Medium (about two cars wide): $50
Large (three or more cars wide, or long): $80
Salt: add $10 if you want the shoveler to bring it and spread it

These are starting points, not quotes, and you can change them. All three fall within the $30 to $100 per-visit band that most of the guides above cover. If nobody books your job, you can raise the price later.

The price you set is what the shoveler gets, all of it. SnowCrew adds a 15% service fee on top, shown before you pay. A $50 job costs you $57.50: $50 to the shoveler and a $7.50 service fee.

When to tip

Tips are optional. A tip makes sense when the job turned out bigger than described, the snow was unusually heavy, or the shoveler came out in rough weather. On SnowCrew you can add a tip after the job, and all of it goes to the shoveler.

Setting a price that gets booked

Describe the job clearly. Say which areas to clear and mention anything unusual, like a steep step, a gate, or a spot that ices over.
Check your price against the ranges above. If you are not sure, ask a neighbor or a local group what people pay in your area.
Raise it if nobody books. A higher price is the first thing to try when a job sits unbooked.
Look at the photos before you approve. The shoveler takes a "before" and an "after" photo, and you can ask for anything missed to be fixed before you approve the job.