Snow plowing in Reading and North Reading, MA: reserve your season pass
- 1 car$425
- 2 cars$550
- 3 cars or 75 ft+$750
12 plows included. $100 deposit holds your spot. Per plow: $55 / $70 / $95. We plow at 2 inches.
Reading and North Reading snow rules you should know
Reading
- Parking
- Police enforce the overnight parking ban only when snow is predicted, except in the Downtown Business District and town lots, where it is enforced regardless. The town and police post on social media and the website when overnight parking is prohibited. Cars may be ticketed and towed at the owner's expense. The 2025 notice did not state the hours; older notices said 1 a.m. to 6 a.m., so check this winter's notice.
- Sidewalks
- Right now the town has no requirement for owners to shovel public sidewalks; the DPW plows over 50 miles of them, up to 72 hours after a storm, and shoveling is optional. A proposed bylaw (Article 6) goes to Town Meeting in November 2026. As drafted, homes would have 24 hours after a storm and businesses 12 hours, with a warning first, then $100, then $200. It would start Jan. 1, 2027 if passed.
- Alerts
- Reading uses a website Notify Me list for email or text updates. The town says it announces trash postponements through its automated call system, website and social media, and posts parking-ban notices on its website and social media. Sign up or check.
Checked Oct 2026. Sources: readingma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=358, readingma.gov/241/Snow-Ice-Guidelines, readingma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/24891/Proposed, readingma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=907, readingma.gov/list.aspx
North Reading
- Parking
- From November 15 to April 15, no vehicle may park in the public right-of-way from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. unless acting in an emergency. During snow operations or emergencies, parking in the public right-of-way is banned at all times. The Director of Public Works can have a car that blocks plowing moved, and the owner pays the cost. The page does not state a fine.
- Sidewalks
- Businesses must clear the sidewalk next to their property. For homes the town only asks owners to clear the sidewalk in front of their homes. Bylaw 158-9 also bars putting snow or ice onto a cleared street or sidewalk, with fines of a warning, then $50, then $100.
- Alerts
- North Reading moved off CodeRED to the Rave / Smart911 system, run through the North Shore Regional Emergency Communications Center, and residents may need to register again. The town also has a Notify Me list on its website. Sign up or check.
Checked Oct 2026. Sources: northreadingma.gov/834/Winter-Parking-Ban, northreadingma.gov/833/Winter-Sidewalk-Maintenan, northreadingma.gov/882/Winter-Sidewalk-Maintenan, northreadingma.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/56
We are not the town. Rules change, so confirm with Reading and North Reading before a storm. All 43 towns: parking ban and snow emergency rules.
What the pass covers
- 12 plows for the season. Each plow is up to 6 inches of snow.
- We plow when 2 inches or more has fallen. What a 2-inch trigger means.
- You get a text when we start and when we finish.
Cost in Reading and North Reading
| Driveway | Season pass | Per plow |
|---|---|---|
| 1 car | $425 | $55 |
| 2 cars | $550 | $70 |
| 3 cars or 75 ft+ | $750 | $95 |
The pass costs less than paying per plow once you need about 8 plows. Pay $100 now, the rest on December 1. Per push or seasonal · Cost calculator
Plowing a driveway in Reading and North Reading
Reading
Reading covers about 9.9 square miles and has about 25,500 residents, with a Common Historic District, a Downtown district, and neighborhoods such as West Side and Wood End. The DPW maintains over 200 lane miles of roads and plows over 50 miles of sidewalks, so a lot of snow is moved before it reaches your street.
The town's guidelines say plow operators cannot lift their blades when they pass driveways, so snow is pushed into them, and a final widening pass can leave windrows at the end of the drive. The DPW says clearing the driveway opening is the owner's job and advises shoveling snow to the right as you face the street. Overnight parking is banned when snow is predicted, and downtown the ban is enforced regardless. A driveway keeps your car off the street and out of the plows' way. The town does not salt or sand sidewalks, and sidewalk plowing can take up to 72 hours after a storm.
A proposed snow shoveling bylaw will be before Town Meeting in November 2026. As drafted, it would make owners clear the sidewalk next to their property, including the part of the driveway that crosses it, within 24 hours for homes and 12 hours for commercial property, starting January 1, 2027 if it passes. Until then, shoveling the sidewalk is optional. If you want your sidewalk cleared with your driveway, say so when you ask for a price, and tell us the width and slope of the drive.
North Reading
North Reading is a family suburb of roughly 14,000 people (2000 census), with about 90 miles of paved streets and 10 miles of gravel roads in 13 square miles of land. The Ipswich River crosses the north, and the town grew out of a farming and mill past. The 10 miles of gravel road are plowed too.
The winter parking ban matters for driveways. From November 15 to April 15, no one may park on a public right-of-way from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. During snow operations the ban is on all day. Cars end up in driveways, so you may need extra clear width at the apron and at the side of the drive. A car left on the street can be moved by the Director of Public Works, and the owner pays for it.
The town's snow bylaw also affects how you clear your drive. Bylaw 158-9 bars putting snow on a street or sidewalk that has been cleared or plowed. A private plow cannot push snow across a public way onto another property. And snow cannot be placed where it blocks a fire hydrant. So the bank at the end of your drive has to be moved onto your own lot or the lawn side, not back into the road.
Sidewalks are a business duty in North Reading. Homeowners are only asked to clear the sidewalk in front of their houses, The DPW clears only the sidewalks near the schools.
Neighborhoods and areas we serve
- Downtown Smart Growth District
- Common Historic District
- Woburn Street Historic District
- West Side
- Wood End (Third Parish)
Good to know
- Reading covers 9.9 square miles and had 25,518 people in 2020 (Wikipedia).
- The DPW maintains over 200 lane miles of roads and plows over 50 miles of sidewalks (readingma.gov).
- The DPW asks you to shovel driveway snow to the right as you face the street to reduce plow windrows (readingma.gov).
- Highway Division 781-942-9092; nights and weekends 781-944-1212 (readingma.gov).
- The DPW plows, sands and treats about 90 miles of paved streets and 10 miles of gravel roads, and clears sidewalks near the schools.
- Bylaw 158-9 says no snow plowed across a public way by a private plow can be put on another property, and no snow may be put where it blocks a fire hydrant.
- Non-residential owners must make a reasonable effort to keep their sidewalks clear. The penalty for that bylaw is a warning, then $50, then $100, and each day counts as a separate offense.
- The area was first settled in 1651 and became the separate town of North Reading in 1853.
How it works
Reserve
Pick your driveway size and pay the $100 deposit.
We confirm
We text you to confirm the driveway and where snow can go.
We plow at 2 in
You get a text when we start and when we finish.
Condos, landlords and small lots in Reading and North Reading
Own a triple-decker, a condo association or a small lot in Reading and North Reading? A season pass is for single homes. For buildings and lots we walk the site and send a written price. Landlords · Condo associations · Request a proposal
Questions about snow plowing in Reading and North Reading
How much does snow plowing cost in Reading and North Reading?
A season pass is $425 for a 1-car driveway, $550 for 2 cars and $750 for 3 cars or 75 ft+. Each covers 12 plows. Or pay per plow: $55, $70 or $95. The pass costs less once you need about 8 plows.
When do you plow in Reading and North Reading?
We plow when 2 inches or more has fallen, once the snow stops. We do not promise a clock time because storms and routes vary. You get a text when we start and when we finish.
What happens after 12 plows?
Plows after the 12th are billed at the per-plow price for your driveway size: $55, $70 or $95.
Is there an overnight parking ban in Reading?
Police enforce the overnight ban only when snow is predicted, except in the Downtown Business District and town lots. The town posts on its website and social media when it is on. Check the current notice for hours.
When is the North Reading winter parking ban?
From November 15 to April 15, no parking in the public right-of-way from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. During snow operations or emergencies the ban applies at all times.
Do I have to shovel my sidewalk in Reading?
Not yet. Shoveling is optional until the DPW sidewalk plow reaches it, but a proposed bylaw goes to Town Meeting in November 2026. As drafted it would require clearing within 24 hours for homes.
Also plowing near Reading and North Reading
- Snow plowing in Wakefield and LynnfieldBorders Reading to the east.
- Snow plowing in StonehamBorders Reading to the south.
- Snow plowing in Woburn and Burlington and WilmingtonBorders Reading to the southwest.
- Snow plowing in Danvers and Middleton and TopsfieldBorders North Reading to the east; both have ponds and the Ipswich River.
- Snow plowing in AndoverClose to Andover.
All towns we serve · Before the first storm · Roof raking and ice dams