Snow at six in the morning, black ice on a Sunday – and the pavement in front of the house still has to be safe to walk on. In North Rhine-Westphalia the duty to clear and grit (Räum- und Streupflicht) applies to almost every property owner, and anyone who neglects it is liable when somebody falls. Gala Bau Kurt takes that duty off your hands – for houses, homeowners' associations (Eigentümergemeinschaften), property managers (Hausverwaltungen) and businesses in Düsseldorf, Wuppertal, Schwelm, Ennepetal, Meerbusch, Cologne and throughout NRW.
You either sign a seasonal contract or book individual properties; we take care of the weather watch, the standby duty, the clearing, the gritting and the documentation of every call-out. Your paths stay safe and your liability risk goes down.
What our winter service covers
From the pavement in front of a terraced house to a customer car park – you define the areas, we keep them safe.
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Snow clearing on pavements & entrances
Public pavements in front of the property, entrances to the building, outdoor steps and the path to the bin store – cleared to the width the by-laws prescribe.
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Drives, courtyards & car parks
Driveways, underground car park ramps, parking spaces and yards cleared with a sweeper or a plough blade – for larger residential and commercial sites too.
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Gritting with abrasive materials
Grit chippings, sand or granulate against ice; de-icing salt only where the by-laws and the situation allow it.
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Standby duty & weather monitoring
From November to March we follow the ice warnings and set out before the clearing period begins – at weekends and on public holidays as well.
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Call-out documentation
The date, time, weather, area and grit used for every call-out are logged – your evidence towards insurers and tenants.
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Winter service for property managers & homeowners' associations
Several properties with fixed priorities, one named contact and an invoice that can be passed on as operating costs (Betriebskosten).
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End-of-season clean-up
After the last frost we sweep up the grit chippings and the leftover material and clean out channels and drainage inlets.
The duty to clear and grit in NRW: who has to clear, and when?
Responsibility for keeping public pavements safe (Verkehrssicherungspflicht) initially lies with the local authority. Under § 4 of the NRW Street Cleaning Act (Straßenreinigungsgesetz NRW), however, the towns and cities pass it on to the adjoining owners through their street cleaning by-laws (Straßenreinigungssatzung) – in other words, to you as the owner. Typical requirements: on working days from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Sundays and public holidays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., pavements must be cleared to a sufficient width (usually 1.0 to 1.5 m, depending on the by-law) and gritted when it is icy; if snow falls during the day, you have to clear again. On the property itself the duty covers every path used by residents, visitors or delivery drivers.
Anyone who neglects the duty is liable for injuries from falls under § 823 of the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, BGB). The duty can be transferred to a specialist contractor by written contract that names the areas, the times and the services clearly; what remains with you is an occasional duty to spot-check. That is why we document every call-out – the log is your proof that the area was cleared and gritted.
How we work: standby duty, clearing equipment, grit, log
Good winter service begins before the first snow. At the free on-site visit we measure up the metres of pavement, the drives, steps, ramps and parking spaces and decide where we work with a snow shovel and hand spreader and where with a sweeper fitted with a plough blade or a gritting machine. Underground car park ramps, north-facing sides and shaded steps are given priority in the call-out plan, because that is where ice forms first.
During the season we watch the ice forecasts of the German weather service (Deutscher Wetterdienst) and time our rounds so that the areas are safe to walk on by the start of the clearing period. We grit with abrasive materials – chippings in a 2–5 mm grain size, or sand – because the by-laws in Düsseldorf, Cologne and Wuppertal generally prohibit de-icing salt (Auftausalz) on pavements or allow it only during freezing rain. Grit chippings are also kinder to paving, joints and plants, and we sweep them up at the end of the season. After every call-out we record the time, the weather, the areas and the quantity of grit used; property managers can receive the log as a monthly PDF on request.
Winter service in Wuppertal, Düsseldorf, Cologne & NRW: two winters, one contractor
Our service area runs from the Rhine plain up to the heights of the Bergisches Land – a marked difference in climate. In Wuppertal, Schwelm and Ennepetal many residential areas lie between 200 and almost 400 m above sea level: in Cronenberg, Ronsdorf, Küllenhahn, on the Schwelmer Höhen or in Rüggeberg, snow falls more often and lies longer than down in the valley, and the steep drives, outdoor steps and sloping paths of properties in the Bergisches Land quickly turn into a slide when wet surfaces freeze over. Here we plan closer inspection rounds and a larger stock of grit kept on site.
Düsseldorf, Meerbusch and Cologne have mild winters with little snow – ice there is mainly caused by hoar frost, freezing fog and freezing rain, often for only a few hours in the morning. That means fewer clearing runs, but attentive grit management along the long pavement frontages of apartment blocks in Oberkassel, Lindenthal or Büderich and on customer car parks. From the Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis we reach Wuppertal within minutes, Düsseldorf and Meerbusch via the A46 and Cologne via the A1 – we group properties into fixed rounds so that the order and the timing stay dependable.
Claiming winter service against tax or passing it on to tenants
If you live in the property yourself, winter service counts as a household-related service under § 35a of the German Income Tax Act (§ 35a EStG): 20 % of the labour costs, up to a maximum of €4,000 a year, comes straight off your income tax – including for the public pavement in front of the property, as the Federal Fiscal Court (Bundesfinanzhof) decided in 2014 (case no. VI R 55/12). The conditions: an invoice with the labour costs shown separately, and payment by bank transfer.
Landlords and homeowners' associations pass the cost of a contracted winter service on to their tenants as operating costs (Betriebskosten, § 2 no. 8 BetrKV); tenants may then claim their share under § 35a EStG as well. Our invoices are set out so that property managers can use them directly.
How our winter service works, step by step
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Site visit & measuring up
We measure the pavements, drives, steps and parking spaces, check the access routes and where grit can be stored, and establish which by-law applies.
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Seasonal quote
You receive a fixed-price quote – either as a flat seasonal rate from November to March or as a standby fee plus a price per call-out – with all areas and times set out in the contract.
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Call-out plan & standby duty
Before the season starts we fix the order of the rounds and the priorities, deposit grit on site where needed and begin monitoring the weather.
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Clearing, gritting, documenting
When it snows or ices over we clear and grit within the prescribed times and log every call-out. After the season we sweep up the grit chippings.
What does winter service cost?
Winter service is calculated according to area, location, the number of call-outs and the contract model. Guide prices from NRW to give you a first idea (incl. VAT):
| Scope of work | Costs & Prices |
|---|---|
| Clearing & gritting per call-out | approx. €1.00–3.50 per m² |
| City-centre locations, steps, areas with difficult access | up to approx. €9 per m² and call-out |
| Standby fee (November to March) | approx. €20–40 per month |
| Detached house (pavement + drive), seasonal contract | approx. €40–60 per month |
| Apartment block / commercial site, flat seasonal rate | approx. €500–2,500 per season |
| Winter service within the caretaker package | approx. €200–400 extra per year |
Grit and the sweeping-up in spring are included in our flat seasonal rates. Properties with an underground car park ramp, a sloping site or special service times are quoted individually – as a fixed price after a free on-site visit.
All figures are non-binding guide prices incl. VAT. The final price depends on area, access, materials and effort. You will receive a binding fixed-price quote after a free on-site visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a winter service cost for private households or property managers?
For a detached house with a pavement and a drive, seasonal contracts in NRW are usually between €40 and €60 a month. Property managers and businesses pay flat seasonal rates of roughly €500 to €2,500 depending on the area, or a standby fee of €20–40 a month plus €1–3.50 per m² and call-out. After the site visit we give you a fixed price.
As an owner in NRW, do I have to provide a winter service, and can I transfer it?
Yes. The street cleaning by-laws of the towns and cities transfer the duty to clear and grit the pavement to the adjoining owners; on the property itself your general duty of care (Verkehrssicherungspflicht) applies in any case. You may delegate the task to a specialist contractor by contract – all that then remains with you is an occasional check, and our call-out logs document that the work was done.
At what times does clearing and gritting have to be finished?
In most NRW municipalities – Düsseldorf, Cologne and Wuppertal among them – from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on working days and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays and public holidays. If snow keeps falling, you have to clear again at reasonable intervals; there is no duty at night. Our rounds are timed so that your areas are safe by the start of the clearing period.
Is de-icing salt allowed?
In Düsseldorf, Cologne, Wuppertal and many other towns, de-icing salt on pavements is generally banned, or permitted only in exceptional icy conditions such as freezing rain and on steps and ramps. That is why we grit with chippings or sand as standard and use de-icing agents only where the by-laws and safety require it.
Who is liable if somebody falls despite the winter service?
With a written contract the duty of care passes to the winter service provider; all you keep is a duty to supervise. Whether the clearing and gritting were carried out properly is shown by our call-out logs with the time, the weather and the grit used – which is why the contract and the log name the areas and times unambiguously.
Do you take on winter service at short notice, or only with a seasonal contract?
Seasonal contracts come first, because we plan the standby duty and the rounds in autumn. We do however allocate any spare capacity at short notice – for example if your previous provider drops out. It is best to enquire by October; in Wuppertal, Schwelm and Ennepetal we can often still step in during the season.