Is this a legitimate business and are you insured?
Yes!  We have a business license from Nevada County and a permit to operate from the Town of Truckee.  We carry liability insurance–let us know if you want to see a certificate.

Do you have a contractor’s license?
No. Nevada County does not require a contractor’s license to do snow removal operations.

Do you have a backup if your machine breaks down? What if you get sick or hurt?
We own a backup tractor in case our main breaks down, and we have a backup driver (who also lives in Tahoe Donner) if Derek is unable to drive a snow removal route.

How do you determine driveway bids?
We try to balance many factors. We consider the size, steepness, and difficulty involved in clearing your driveway.  Snow storage is also an issue in pricing.  (Obviously, a small, flat driveway with no obstacles on either side is the cheapest.) Every driveway is unique and therefore bids will differ in price.

How do your prices compare to other services and will you match their bids?
We try to be competitive, but we cannot always offer the lowest price.  We got into this business to offer better SERVICE.  While we have less overhead than the big companies, we also have far less volume so we have to price at a level that keeps us viable.  Feel free to ask and we will make every effort to match another bid.

What do you charge for other services?

• General maintenance/handyman work: $60 per hour, billed in 1/2 hour increments.
• House Cleaning Services: $35 per hour
• Deck Snow Shoveling: $30 per person-hour

Give it to me straight.  How do you compare with other services? What are the plusses/minuses with your service compared to others?
Well, we’re relatively new (4 years) in the game. We don’t have a big fleet of equipment, so a breakdown will take several hours to fix (or to bring up the backup tractor) and you could be delayed in that time. However, Holder tractors are very reliable, which is why we chose them.

Advantages to using Larson: We’re small, we know our neighbors, and we communicate! You can always get in touch with us if you have a problem or issue that needs addressing.  Customers like how they can get in touch with us easily. Our smaller tractors are gentler on your driveway than big loaders. We can usually accomodate special requests (such as having you clear by a certain time when you request it the night before.)

Disadvantages: Very few–but there is one to consider.  Since we use smaller tractors, it is possible that our equipment could become overwhelmed during massive storms.  However, if a storm is that big, upper Skislope Way will most likely be impassable anyway–so you would to be delayed with ANY service!  We hope that our attention to customer service will make up for our small size!