How to keep a snow plow from damaging your lawn, pavers and landscaping

Updated 2026-11-03. Prices are typical published ranges, not quotes. DrivewayBlankets.com doesn't plow; how it works.

Most plow damage happens because the driver can't see where the driveway ends under a foot of snow. A little prep in the fall, plus a clear agreement with your provider, prevents most of it.

1. Mark the edges before the ground freezes

Put up driveway markers: tall fiberglass or plastic stakes, ideally reflective, along both sides of the driveway. Space them evenly, and place extra ones at curves, corners and where the driveway meets the street. Put them in while the ground is still soft. Once it freezes, you won't be able to push them in.

Also mark anything a blade could catch or bury: sprinkler heads, low landscape lighting, garden-bed edging, mailbox posts, decorative boulders, the edges of a walkway and any drainage grates or culverts.

2. Agree on where the snow goes

Show the provider exactly where to pile snow before the first storm. A good spot is downhill from the driveway, away from shrubs and trees, and not where meltwater will run back across the pavement and freeze. Don't pile it on top of shrubs, against the house, or where it blocks sight lines at the street. Many cities forbid pushing snow into the street. See local snow rules.

3. Protect pavers and decorative surfaces

• Ask about the cutting edge. Rubber or polyurethane edges, or a blade set slightly high with shoes, are much gentler than a bare steel edge on pavers, stamped concrete or brick.
• Check paver edging. Loose edge restraints are where a blade catches. Fix them in the fall.
• Ask the installer or manufacturer about deicers. Some products can harm certain pavers or sealers. See driveway ice.
• Expect a thin layer of snow to be left behind on delicate surfaces when the blade runs high. A shovel or blower can finish the job.

4. Protect the lawn edges

Turf right along the driveway takes the most abuse. Besides markers, a few things help: keep edges trimmed so the line between pavement and grass is clear, avoid deep mulch beds right at the edge, and use edging stones or a curb at problem corners. On gravel driveways, a raised blade keeps the stone where it belongs. See plowing gravel.

5. Watch out for salt damage

Salt spray and salty meltwater can brown grass and damage shrubs along the driveway and the street. Use less deicer, choose products labeled as gentler on plants, shovel salty snow away from beds, and water the area in spring to flush salt out of the soil.

6. Talk to your plow provider before the season

• Walk the property together or send photos with the markers in place.
• Point out hazards: hidden steps, a drop-off, a septic cover, a sprinkler valve box.
• Ask how they handle damage. Do they repair turf in spring? Do they carry liability insurance? See questions to ask.
• Agree on whether you want it scraped clean or left with a thin layer.

7. Document it

Take a few dated photos of the lawn edges, pavers and curbs before winter. If something is damaged, you'll have a clear before-and-after to show your provider.

Spring repairs

Rake out gravel and debris, reset or replace pavers that shifted, fill gouges in the turf with topsoil and seed, and flush salty areas with water. Most minor plow scars in grass fill back in within a season.

Ready for a plow? Get an instant price, then mention pavers, gravel or tricky spots when you send your request.

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