Sidewalk Snow Clearing Rules for London Businesses

Snow & Winter · Published September 16, 2026

Many London business owners assume the city clears all sidewalks. In certain zones, that's not true — the frontage is your legal responsibility, and missing it carries both liability and fines. Here's what to know. This is general guidance; confirm current requirements with the City of London.

The General Rule

The City of London deploys sidewalk plows once snow passes roughly 8 cm, targeting clearance within about 48 hours after a storm. For most residential frontage, that's the city's job. But it's slower than a business day, which is where the exceptions come in.

The Business-Zone Exception

Properties adjacent to specific downtown and main pedestrian business districts are legally required to clear their own sidewalk frontage — often by 10:00 a.m. If your business is in one of these zones, waiting for the city plow isn't an option, and the responsibility falls on you regardless of when the city gets there.

Liability Beyond the Fine

An uncleared or icy business sidewalk is a slip-and-fall risk, and a fall on your frontage can become your claim. Clearing and salting the sidewalk isn't just bylaw compliance — it's liability protection. We cover the claims side in our post on preventing slip-and-fall claims.

Salting the Frontage

Clearing snow isn't enough if the sidewalk then ices over. A complete program salts the frontage on ice triggers, not just after snow. This is exactly the kind of detail a commercial contract should spell out.

Make It Someone's Job

The simplest fix is a contract that explicitly includes your sidewalk frontage in the scope, cleared and salted before opening, with documentation. See our commercial snow removal page to make sure your frontage is covered, and our London snow bylaws page for the full set of local rules.