The snow is beautiful. You are warm and cozy inside. But it is time to grab the snow shovel and get to work. No matter what city, town or county you live in, municipalities expect you to shovel snow in front of your home and/or business. If you are renting, you are expected to shovel snow unless you have an agreement with your landlord that the work will be done for you. Whether you do it yourself or you pay 
someone to do the shoveling, it is your responsibility to get the job done.
Neither VDOT nor the county/city clears snow and ice from public walkways (sidewalks and trails). While not legally obligated, residents and businesses are asked to help keep sidewalks safe, when possible by clearing snow off the sidewalks in from of their property so that pedestrians, especially school children, those with disabilities and the elderly may walk securely. Clear sidewalks also facilitate the safety of mail carriers, parcel delivery carriers, and emergency personnel.
Homeowner associations may require members of their communities to clear the private walkways abutting their property. Please contact your association or property manager for further information.
There is a State Law granting counties, cities and towns the authority to make and enforce ordinances relative to snow/ice removal.
- 15.2-1115 Abatement or removal of nuisances:
- A municipal corporation may compel the abatement or removal of all nuisances, including but not limited to the removal of weeds from private and public property and snow from sidewalks; the covering or removal of offensive, unwholesome, unsanitary or unhealthy substances allowed to accumulate in or on any place or premises; the filling in to the street level, fencing or protection by other means, of the portion of any lot adjacent to a street where the difference in level between the lot and the street constitutes a danger to life and limb; the raising or draining of grounds subject to be covered by stagnant water; and the razing or repair of all unsafe, dangerous or unsanitary public or private buildings, walls or structures which constitute a menace to the health and safety of the occupants thereof or the public. If after such reasonable notice as the municipal corporation may prescribe the owner or owners, occupant or occupants of the property or premises affected by the provisions of this section shall fail to abate or obviate the condition or nuisance, the municipal corporation may do so and charge and collect the cost thereof from the owner or owners, occupant or occupants of the property affected in any manner provided by law for the collection of state or local taxes.
- Every charge authorized by this section in excess of $200 which has been assessed against the owner of any such property and which remains unpaid shall constitute a lien against such property. Such liens shall have the same priority as other unpaid local taxes and shall be enforceable in the same manner as provided in Articles 3 (§ 58.1-3940 et seq.) and 4 (§ 58.1-3965 et seq.) of Chapter 39 of Title 58.1. A locality may waive such liens in order to facilitate the sale of the property. Such liens may be waived only as to a purchaser who is unrelated by blood or marriage to the owner and who has no business association with the owner. All such liens shall remain a personal obligation of the owner of the property at the time the liens were imposed.
Municipalities expect you to shovel snow. The following summarizes the codes and ordinances of a number of localities in the region.
Blacksburg: Section 21-112 — Duty of property owners and tenants to remove snow from sidewalks. Within twenty-four (24) hours after a snowfall, each property owner shall remove the snow from the paved sidewalk in front of his or her property. If the property is rented, the tenant shall remove the snow.
Roanoke City: Sec. 30-16 – Removal of snow, ice, sleet and mud from sidewalks. (a) It shall be the duty of the occupant of every building, house or lot which has a sidewalk or footway of brick, stone, wood, concrete or other permanent material adjoining or touching upon the same, either in the front, in the rear or on either side, to have all snow removed from such sidewalk or footway within three (3) hours after the same shall have ceased falling, unless such snow shall have fallen during the night, in which case it shall be removed by 9:00 the next morning. The same requirements shall exist with respect to ice, sleet or muc on the sidewalks or footways, except that the same, when it cannot be removed without injury to the sidewalk, shall be covered, within the same period of time, with sawdust, ashes or other material which will render it safe for the owner of the lot or tenement to have the snow removed, or the ice removed or covered, or the mud cleaned off from his sidewalk or footway, as above required of occupants of houses. (b) Each six (6) hours that snow, ice, sleet or mud is allowed to remain in violation of this section shall be considered as a separate offense. (c) In case there is no occupant of the premises, and the owner or agent cannot be found, the city manager may cause the sidewalk to be cleaned or covered, at the expense of the owner, with a penalty of twenty (20) percent added.
City of Salem: Sec. 74-8 – Removal of snow, etc., from sidewalks; procedure with reference to ice, etc. (a) It shall be the duty of the occupant of every house or lot which has a sidewalk or footway of permanent material adjoining or touching upon the sidewalk or footway, either in front, in the rear or on either side, to have all snow removed from such sidewalk or foot pavement within six hours after the snow shall have ceased falling, unless the snow in question shall have fallen during the night, in which case it shall be removed by 11:00 a.m. the next morning. The same requirements shall exist with respect to ice, sleet or mud on the sidewalks or footways, except that such ice, sleet or mud, when it cannot be removed without injury to the sidewalk, shall be covered within the same period of time with sawdust, ashes or other material which would render it safe for travel. When there is no tenement on such lot, or any occupant of any tenement thereon, it shall be the duty of the owner of such lot or tenement to have the snow removed, or the ice removed or covered, or the mud cleaner off from his sidewalk or footway as required by this section of occupants of houses. (b) Each violation of this section shall be a class 4 misdemeanor, and each and every six hours that such snow, ice, sleet or mud is allowed to remain in violation of this section shall be considered as a separate offense. If there is no occupant of the premises and the owner or agent cannot be found, then the cty manager shall have the sidewalk cleaned or covered at the expense of the owner.
Christiansburg: Sec. 30-17 – Removal of snow and ice from sidewalks. It shall be the duty of the occupant of any property in the town which has a sidewalk of brick, wood or concrete abutting on such property to have all snow and sleet removed from such sidewalk within 24 hours after plowing of the street has been completed. If the owner of such property cannot be found, the town manager may cause such sidewalk to be cleaned or covered and may, after notice, proceed against such owner for the costs of the work.
Lynchburg: Sec. 35-6. Removal of snow, sleet and ice from sidewalks, etc. It shall be the duty of the occupant of every house or lot which abuts upon a sidewalk or footway of stone, brick or wood to have all snow removed from such sidewalk or footway within four (4) hours after same shall have ceased falling, unless such snow shall have fallen during the night, in which case, it shall be removed by 12:00 noon the day following. The same requirements shall exist with respect to ice or sleet on sidewalks or footways, except that the same, when it cannot be removed without injury to the sidewalk or footway, shall be covered, within the period of time specified, with sand, ashes or some other substance which will render it safe for travel. Whenever any house or lot is unoccupied, it shall be the duty of the owner, or the agent of the owner thereof, to have the snow or ice removed from his sidewalk or footway, as above required of occupants. The penalty for each violation of this section shall be five dollars ($5.00), and every six (6) hours that such snow or ice is allowed to remain in violation of this section shall be held to be a separate offense. For the purpose of this section the hereinafter designated officials shall be deemed the occupants of the buildings and grounds as hereinafter mentioned and shall be liable to the above-mentioned penalty. (Code 1959, § 30-15)
Town of Floyd: SECTION 15-21 — Duty Of Property Owners And Tenants To Remove Snow From Sidewalks. Within twenty-four (24) hours after a snowfall, each property owner shall remove the snow from the paved sidewalk in front of his property. If the property is rented, the tenant shall remove the snow.
Pulaski — Snow must be cleared from sidewalks in town business districts within three hours after the snow stops falling. If snow falls overnight or on a Sunday, it must be removed by 10 a.m. the following morning.
Radford — The occupant of any property must remove snow from sidewalks within three hours after snowing has stopped. If the snow falls during the night, it must be removed by 10 a.m. the following morning. If the property is empty, the owner is responsible for clearing snow. The same rule applies for ice and sleet on sidewalks, unless the precipitation cannot be removed without damaging the sidewalk. In that case, the ice must be covered with sawdust, ashes or some material that renders the sidewalk safe.
Vinton — Snow must be removed from sidewalks during the first eight hours of daylight after snow has stopped falling. Tenants, occupants or owners of any building or property that abuts a sidewalk are responsible for clearing the snow, which cannot be removed to another sidewalk or the street.
Bedford Sec. 50-6. – Removal, etc., of snow, ice and sleet. (a)It shall be the duty of every occupant or owner of a building or lot which has a sidewalk or footway of stone, brick, gravel, cinder, wood or other substance, when such walk is built and maintained by the town, adjoining and touching upon the same in front, rear or either side thereof, to have all snow removed from such sidewalk or footway within six hours after such snow has ceased falling, unless such snow shall have fallen during the night, in which case it shall be removed before 12:00 noon the succeeding day. (b)In event snow or sleet falls upon Sunday, the occupants or owners, as the case may be, of lots or tenements shall have until 12:00 noon the following Monday to comply with the subsection (a) of this section. (c)The requirements applicable to removal of snow shall apply with reference to ice or sleet on sidewalks or footways; except, that when ice or sleet cannot be removed without injury to the sidewalk or footway, such ice or sleet shall be covered within the period of time above specified with sand, ashes or some substance which will render it safe for travel. (d)When there is no tenement on such lot, or no occupant of any tenement thereon, it shall be the duty of the owner of the lot or tenement, or his agent, to have the snow or ice removed from his sidewalk or footway as above required of occupants of houses. (Code 1984, § 20-6)
If you live in a community not included in this list, your municipalities expect you to shovel snow, so please check with your local government for additional information or a summary of county, city or town requirements.
