Launch League

Full guide · Ohio

How to start a snow shoveling business as a teenager

Snow is the easiest sale in Ohio because the customer cannot ignore the problem. It is also the hardest business to run, because the work arrives at five in the morning without warning. The money goes to whoever signed people up in October.

Under $50From age 13First dollar: The first storm.

What it costs

What you actually need

A good shovel
$25–$45

A bent-shaft pusher hurts far less than a cheap flat one over a season.

Waterproof gloves and boots
$40–$80

Wet hands at −15 end a shift in twenty minutes.

Ice melt
$15 a bag

Charge for it separately, or include it and say so.

A headlamp
$15

You will be working in the dark at both ends of the day.

Borrow before you buy

Do your first three jobs with equipment you already have access to. Buy your own out of money a customer has already handed you, never out of money you are hoping to make.

What to charge

Pricing, honestly

Start at the lower end of each range. Raise it once five people have paid you without hesitating.

Single driveway and walk, per storm
$20–$40

Depends entirely on size. Look at it in the fall, not in the dark.

Season contract, one driveway
$250–$450

Every storm, all winter. Good for them, and it pays you before it snows.

Walkway or steps only
$10–$15

The right offer for someone elderly who only needs to get to the car.

Ice melt applied
+$5

Small, and people say yes to it almost every time.

These are what people commonly charge, not what you will make, and they were first written for a Canadian market. Look up what adults near you charge for the same job, then start a little under it and raise your price once you have five happy customers.

Your first five

Exactly who to ask, in order

Warmest first. Your first attempt should be with someone who will be kind about it, because you will be bad at it.

  1. Person 1

    Anyone on your street who is elderly or recently had surgery. Ask in October.

  2. Person 2

    Two-car households where both adults leave before seven.

  3. Person 3

    Your own family's friends — a season contract is an easy gift for a grandparent.

  4. Person 4

    The neighbor whose driveway was always last to be cleared last winter.

  5. Person 5

    Everyone you mowed for in the summer. This is why you kept their number.

Send this

“Hi Mr. Dhillon — it's Alex from across the road. I'm shoveling driveways this winter. I can do yours every time it snows more than 2 inches, before 7am, for $300 for the whole season — or $30 a storm if you'd rather pay as it goes. Want me to put you on the list?”

Change the names and the price. Keep the shape: who you are, how they know you, what you do, the price, and an easy way to say yes.

Not optional

Staying safe

  • Shoveling is hard on the heart, even a young one. Push snow rather than lifting it wherever you can.
  • Lift with your legs and never twist with a loaded shovel.
  • Go inside every 20–30 minutes in deep cold. Frostbite is quiet.
  • Wear something bright and work facing traffic when you are near the road.
  • A plough will bury the end of a driveway again. Tell customers that up front so it is not an argument later.

Tell a parent or guardian where you are working and when you expect to be finished, every time.

The actual business

Getting them to book you again

  • Be finished before they need the car. That is the entire promise.
  • Text when you are done, with a photo, especially for customers who are away.
  • Do the walk to the door even when they only paid for the driveway.
  • Never skip a storm. One miss ends a season contract.
  • Sign people up in October, not in January.

Two things to know in Ohio

If someone hires you. Ohio generally requires a minor work permit (an age and schooling certificate) for ages 14 through 17 during the school year, and in summer break only for ages 14 and 15. It is not required in some common teen jobs, including snow shoveling, newspaper delivery and family farm work. See the Department of Commerce and the Legislative Service Commission.

If you work for yourself, that is a different situation, and the sources I read do not spell out how the permit rules treat a teenager running their own small business. If you are unsure, ask the Ohio Department of Commerce, Bureau of Wage and Hour.

Taxes. Money you earn counts. Net self-employment earnings of $400 or more usually mean self-employment tax, and in Ohio lawn care, landscaping and snow removal become taxable services once your sales reach $5,000 a year. The Ohio starting guide explains both.

Checked October 9, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Rules change.

More ideas are on the full list. Ready to make it a real business? Read how to start a business in Ohio.

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