A snow service is a process with four handoffs: the walk-through, the trigger, the storm morning, and the paperwork afterward. If you set it up as one phone call, the first heavy storm will show you which handoff failed. Set it up as a sequence, and test each step before the first real snowfall.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
Walk the property with the crew lead
Walk the driveway, the front walk, the path to the mailbox, the trash can spot, and any side steps with the person who will be out there. Ask them to point out where they will pile snow, and where it cannot go because it blocks a meter, a hydrant, a window well, or a shared drive. Mark the hard edges with a stake or a note, and take photos on your phone so the instructions survive the next crew change.
Agree the trigger in numbers
Ask what accumulation starts a visit, whether they plow during a storm or after it stops, and what time they start if snow falls overnight. Get the answer in writing. 'When it snows' is not a trigger. 'After two inches or after the snow stops, whichever comes first, before seven' is a trigger you can check.
Set the salt and sweep rules
Ask whether they salt or use another product, who supplies it, how much goes on the walk, and whether they sweep up afterward. If the steps and the path to the car are part of the job, say so in the agreement. A walk that is cleared but not treated is still a slippery walk.
Make the storm morning someone's job
Name the backup person who can check the walk when the crew is late, and give the crew a number that gets answered early. Ask the company what their process is when a visit is missed, and what they will do to make it right. Then put the number on the kitchen counter, not only in your phone.
Walk the first storm yourself
After the first real snowfall, go out and look. Check the start time against the clock, check the walk and the path to the mailbox, and check the salt. Write down what you saw. Send the crew lead a short note that names what worked and what needs changing. Then check the invoice against what you watched, not against what you remember.