Driveway Snow Plowing in Central Indiana
On Grade plows residential driveways from Greencastle to the west side of Indianapolis: house drives in town, subdivision drives, long rural gravel drives and private lanes shared by a few homes. On Grade also builds gravel drives, so the plowing is set up to move the snow and leave the stone where it belongs. Homeowners can pay per push or set up a seasonal agreement.
- Free estimates
- Based in Greencastle, Indiana
- Residential and commercial
Residential snow removal, drive by drive
Plowing gravel without losing the stone
A gravel drive is the easiest drive to ruin with a plow. Set the blade down on the stone and it scrapes the top course into the yard, where it sits in the grass until spring and the mower finds it. Early in the winter, before the ground freezes, the blade can also dig into the soft base and leave ruts. So gravel drives are plowed with the blade set a little above the surface, leaving a thin packed layer of snow that gives good grip.
Once the ground freezes hard, the stone is locked in and plowing gets easier. The drive edges, culvert ends and any ditch beside the drive get marked with stakes before the first snow so the plow stays on the stone. If some stone does get moved, On Grade can put it back and reshape the drive in spring. See gravel driveway repair and regrading.
Long rural drives and private lanes
Out in the country around Greencastle, Bainbridge, Danville and Lebanon, a drive can run a long way back from the county road to the house, often across open ground. Wind across the fields drifts snow into the drive even on a day with little new snow, and the drift is always worst where the drive passes a gap in the trees or a fence line. Long drives get cleared the full length and the full width, with a turnaround at the house kept open.
Private lanes shared by several homes are a common setup on acreage. The county does not plow them. One owner, or the owners together, can set up one agreement for the lane, with each driveway off it added if they want. That keeps the lane cleared in one pass instead of each house calling separately. The lane is staked along its edges the same as a drive.
Subdivision and town drives
In the subdivisions around Avon, Brownsburg, Plainfield and Zionsville, drives are shorter, paved and closer together, and the main trouble is the end of the drive. When the town plow comes down the street, it leaves a ridge of heavy, packed snow across the bottom of every drive. That ridge is often the hardest part to move by hand. A driveway visit clears the drive, the apron and that ridge, with the snow placed in the yard rather than back in the street.
On paved drives the blade can work closer to the surface. Salt can be added on the apron, the walk to the door and any slope where the drive meets the road. On a slope, grit gives grip without the salt reaching the lawn. The walk and front steps can be cleared on the same visit; the sidewalk snow removal page has more on walks.
Per push or by the season
Homeowners usually choose between two setups. Per push means the drive is plowed each time the snow reaches the agreed depth and billed for each visit. It costs less in a light winter. A seasonal agreement is one amount for the winter, however often it snows. It is easier to budget and it puts the drive on the route for the whole season. In a winter with only a couple of real snows, per push usually comes out ahead.
Either way, the trigger depth and what is included get agreed up front: the drive, the turnaround, the apron, the walk, and whether salt goes down. The snow removal contract guide explains the options in more detail, including the questions worth asking any contractor before you sign. Write the trigger down, so nobody is guessing on the night of the first storm, and ask whether a second visit in a long storm counts as a new push.
Before the first snow
Call in the fall. Travis looks at the drive while it is still bare: where the edges are, where the culvert sits, where the ground drops off, and where the snow can go without burying the mailbox or blocking the view of the road. Stakes go in along the edges. The drive gets a place on the route, ahead of anyone calling for the first time on the morning of a storm.
If the drive itself has problems, like soft spots, ruts or a culvert that floods, fall is a good time to deal with them before the ground freezes. A drive that goes into winter with ruts comes out worse, because the plow follows the low spots and water sits in them through every thaw. A regrade in October is easier than a rebuild in April. See the driveway culvert guide for what to check at the road end.
Snow Removal and Plowing
Plowing, salting, hauling and sidewalks for homes and businesses from Greencastle to the west side of Indianapolis.
See the pageTalk to Travis(317) 203-8928
Call or text the address and what needs clearing: a lot, a drive, walks or all three. Travis sets the route and the terms with you before the first snow.
Call nowWhat that covers
- Gravel drives. Plowed with the blade set high so the stone stays on the drive.
- Long rural drives. Cleared full length and width, with drifts and the turnaround opened.
- Private lanes. One agreement for a shared lane, with each house drive added if wanted.
- Subdivision drives. Drive, apron and the ridge the town plow leaves at the street.
- Walks and salt. Front walk, steps and the apron treated on request.
Snow Removal and Plowing
Plowing, salting, hauling and sidewalks for homes and businesses from Greencastle to the west side of Indianapolis.
See the pageSnow serviceCommercial Snow Plowing
Parking lots, drive lanes and loading docks plowed in a set order, with piles where the site map puts them.
See the pageSnow serviceCommercial Snow Removal Contracts
Seasonal, per-push, per-event and time-and-materials snow contracts, written and signed before the first storm.
See the pageSnow serviceSalting and Ice Management
Pre-treating before freezing rain, salting after the plow, and going back out when meltwater refreezes.
See the pageSnow serviceSidewalk Snow Removal
Walks, entrances, steps, ramps and business frontage cleared and treated on the same visit as the lot.
See the pageDriveway plowing <span class="gt">nearby</span>
On Grade plows driveways from Greencastle and the farm ground of Putnam County east through Hendricks and Boone counties to the west side of Indianapolis. There is a town page for snow removal in Brownsburg, with its subdivision drives, and every snow service is listed on the snow removal and plowing page. Call with the address and the length of the drive.
Set up before the first snow.
You call
Call, text or send the form with the address and what needs clearing: a lot, a drive, walks, or all of it.
Travis walks it
Before the season he walks the property with you, marks curbs, drains and islands, and agrees where the snow goes.
Terms in writing
Seasonal, per push or per event, the trigger, salt and walks are written down, so nobody argues at five in the morning.
Cleared when it falls
When it snows, the property is worked in the order agreed, salted if it is in the contract, and logged.
The machines and the crew.
These are photographs from Travis's actual jobs: the same equipment and the same crew that run the snow routes. See more recent work.
Questions people ask
Not seeing yours? Call (317) 203-8928 and ask Travis, or read the guides.
Will plowing scrape the gravel off my driveway?
It can if the blade is set down on the stone. On Grade plows gravel drives with the blade set a little above the surface, leaving a thin packed layer of snow so the stone stays put. Drive edges are staked before winter. If some stone does get moved, it can be pulled back and the drive reshaped in spring.
Is per push or a seasonal agreement better for a homeowner?
Per push costs less in a light winter and more in a heavy one. A seasonal agreement is one amount however often it snows, which makes it easier to budget. Many homeowners in Central Indiana choose per push because most winters bring only a few real snows. If you need the drive open every time, seasonal can make more sense.
Do you clear the snow the city plow leaves at the end of my drive?
Yes. The ridge of packed snow the town or city plow leaves across the bottom of a drive is part of every driveway visit. The snow gets moved into the yard rather than back into the street. If the street plow comes through after the visit, it can leave another ridge.
Do you plow private lanes shared by several houses?
Yes. Private lanes are not plowed by the county, so the owners along them handle it. One agreement can cover the lane, with each house drive off it added if the owners want. That clears the whole lane in one pass instead of each owner calling separately.
What should I do before the first snow?
Call in the fall so Travis can look at the drive while it is bare, stake the edges and culvert ends, and agree where the snow goes. The drive then has a place on the route. It is also a good time to fix ruts or a culvert that floods before the ground freezes.
Other work he takes on
Most jobs end up being two or three of these at once, and they get quoted together.
Snow removal in other towns
Excavation & Site Prep
Sites stripped, cut and graded, ready for the builder.
Learn moreFoundation & Basement Excavation
Basements, crawl spaces and footings dug to grade and backfilled.
Learn moreDrainage, Culverts & Utilities
Water moved off yards and away from foundations; culverts and service lines set.
Learn moreDriveways & Finish Grading
Gravel drives built and crowned; yards finish graded for seed.
Learn moreLand Clearing & Forestry Mulching
Lots and acreage cleared, brush mulched in place.
Learn moreBuilding & Pole Barn Pads
Pads cut, filled and compacted for barns, shops and houses.
Learn moreFree driveway plowing estimate.
Call or text Travis. Snow contracts and one-off plowing, set up before the first snow.
Greencastle, Indiana · Putnam, Hendricks, Boone and Marion counties
Snow removal where you are
Each town has its own page: what winter does there, what gets plowed and how the contracts are set up.
Need your driveway plowed this winter?
Call Travis at (317) 203-8928 to get your drive on the route before it snows.