When heavy snow hits Chilliwack, business owners and facility managers face a decision when winter comes—haul snow off-site, or store it on the property. Both come with trade-offs in cost, safety, legal risk, and environmental impact. Understanding those trade-offs helps you make an informed decision that keeps your property safe, legal, and functional throughout the winter months.
Snow Storage On-Site: What It Looks Like
- Commercial lots often designate areas for snow piling once plows have cleared walkways, drive aisles, and priority lanes.
- On-site storage saves immediate hauling costs, reduces disruption, and allows faster clearing and return to full use of the property.
- But poorly placed snow piles can block visibility, block drains, create meltwater runoff issues, or refreeze and become hazards.
Snow Hauling: Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Removes snow from your property so you don’t have to worry about piles melting and refreezing, or blocking customer traffic zones.
- Helps maintain full capacity of your lot, especially if storage space is limited.
- Reduces liability from unsafe snowbanks obstructing sightlines or accessibility.
Cons:
- Hauling means extra costs (fuel, dump fees, labor).
- Adds logistical challenges: when to haul, finding legal dump sites, coordinating with contractors.
- More environmental impact (truck emissions, dump site runoff) unless managed properly.
What Local Rules & Best Practices Say
- The Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) “Snow Storage and Disposal” best practices note that snow storage/disposal facilities must be designed to avoid environmental runoff (meltwater containing salts) and must not interfere with drainage systems.
- In Chilliwack, adjacent property owners are required to clear sidewalks and keep them accessible; any snow storage placing snow on sidewalks, blocking them, or forcing snow to blow into walkways can lead to safety complaints or bylaw violations.
How to Decide: Hauling vs Storage for Your Property
Here are some factors to run through before choosing:
| Factor | Favours On-Site Storage | Favours Snow Hauling |
| Lot size / available space | Larger lot with room away from entrances, visibility, drains | Small lot, tight space |
| Customer/staff traffic & safety | Lower traffic / routes easily kept clear | Busy walkways, drive aisles, entrances |
| Cost / budget | Lower up front; less contractor cost if you own equipment | Higher costs but cleans up hazards sooner |
| Environmental & compliance risk | More risk of meltwater issues and drainage / runoff if storage poorly located | Moving snow off-site reduces local pile melt risk but need legal dump sites and handling |
| Local visibility / aesthetics | Snow piles can be unsightly or block signs / views | No piles to manage; cleaner visual & safer lines of sight |
Recommendations for Chilliwack Businesses
- If you have a large commercial property with space for storage, designate a storage zone that is:
- away from customer entrances, visibility, drains, pedestrian access
- graded well so meltwater flows away from buildings
- marked so plowing crews know where to put snow
- When storage space is limited (multi-tenant, tight lots), plan regular snow hauling to avoid operational or safety disruptions.
- Factor hauling costs into your snow plan early so the alternative of storage doesn’t end up costing more (cleanup, liability, etc.).
- Maintain good snow pile management: compact snow properly, avoid windrow build-ups, and monitor refreeze / melt cycles.
For many Chilliwack businesses, the choice isn’t strictly either/or, a combined approach often makes the most sense. Store what you can safely on site, haul away the rest before it becomes a hazard. Talk with your snow management contractor about your lot layout, winter traffic patterns, and visual/visibility constraints. With good planning, you get safer operations, lower liability, and better use of your space.
If you need help figuring out what works best for your lot, Fraser Valley Contracting offers tailored snow removal and storage advice across Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley.
