Anyone who has lived through a Boston winter knows how brutal it can be. In the 2014-2015 season for example, the National Weather Service in Boston announced that the city had received over 110 inches of snow, making it the all-time snowiest season for Boston.
This weather trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down, either. In the last 22 years, Boston has now had four of its top five snowiest seasons.
This might sound like a winter wonderland to outsiders, but for Bostonians, it can be a nightmare — especially if you own a car or home. When five inches becomes five feet of white fluff sitting in your driveway, a snow shovel and a good attitude often isn’t enough to get the job done.
At least that’s what Eden, a new on-demand snow removal service, is banking on.
Toronto-based Eden offers snow removal and and landscaping services through a mobile app and recently announced it would be expanding its services to five U.S. cities, including Boston.
“Eden was built by contractors for contractors,” Zlotnick said. “We have some competition –– not an insane amount –– but some. We see a lot of features in our app that are differentiators but at the end of the day, we make sure we have great contractors and we have the ability to track them.”
All of Eden’s contractors are vetted and insured, and Zlotnick said Eden currently has more than 100 contractors who have signed on to go around the Greater Boston neighborhoods clearing driveways this winter.
To use Eden, simply download the app and tell Eden about the property you’d like serviced. After receiving a quote and accepting it, your job will be open for contractors in your area to accept.
Once a contractor accepts the job, you can track his or her progress to the home screen and receive “before” and “after” images to make sure the job is complete.
“The snow clearing industry is not a disruptor, but we’re about making the industry more efficient,” Zlotnick said.
In terms of cost, Eden uses an algorithm that combines the cost of labor with your property’s details, providing you with a competitive rate. A two-car driveway will cost about $40.
The five chosen cities (Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis) were selected based on weather forecasts and existing partnerships with contractors.
Zlotnick said in a year, he sees the company expanding to all suburban neighborhoods outside Boston.
“Once that snow actually hits, it’s going to snowball –– no pun intended,” Zlotnick said.
Photos via Eden and Shutterstock
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