Milton

Location

Washington

King County / Pierce County

About

Milton straddles the King and Pierce county line on the hillside above Federal Way, Fife, and Edgewood, and while it sits in the Puget Sound lowlands, its sloped North Hill streets pick up ice more readily than the flats below. Snow is occasional here, usually a wet inch or two, but the grades running down toward Surprise Lake and the valley turn a light event into slick driveways and hard-to-climb approaches. A snow and ice plan that respects Milton’s hillside layout keeps homes reachable during the short cold snaps that follow winter storms.

Milton is largely single-family homes with some townhomes and a modest downtown of small retail and civic buildings, so service leans toward private driveways, hillside approaches, and walkways rather than large lots. We plan clearing around the grade of the North Hill neighborhoods, where getting up and down a sloped drive safely matters more than the amount of snow that falls.

Snow and ice in Milton, by the numbers

6.1 insnow in an average season

1.9days a year with 1 in or more of snow

28freezing nights, Oct–Apr

1.86plow events in an average season

3.95light-snow days that need deicing

Biggest storms since 2005

Jan 15–20, 2012: 12.7 in total, 4.4 in on the biggest day
Dec 26–31, 2021: 12.4 in total, 5.6 in on the biggest day
Feb 5–6, 2017: 9.5 in total, 7.8 in on the biggest day

NOAA station records and NWS reports, 2005-2026.

Snow removal prices in Milton

Starting prices for Milton (travel zone C). Final price depends on size, slope and snow depth.

Homes

Two-car driveway incl. front walk and steps, per visit	from $330
Single-car driveway incl. front walk and steps, per visit	from $220
Deicing application, per visit	from $100
Seasonal plan, two-car (up to 4 visits)	from $825
Seasonal plan, single-car (up to 4 visits)	from $550
Ice plan add-on, per season	from $475

Prices approved Oct 2026. See your city's page for its exact prices.

Businesses and HOAs

Plow truck with driver (Ram 3500)	$250 / hour
Plow and spreader truck with driver (Ram 5500)	$325 / hour
Compact track loader with operator (Kubota SCL1000)	$175 / hour
Crew member (shoveling, sidewalks, hand work)	$110 / person-hour
Ice melt, bagged	$45 / 50 lb bag
Bulk salt, applied	$300 / ton
Trip charge for Milton (zone C)	$350 / dispatch

Prices approved Oct 2026. See your city's page for its exact prices.

Seasonal plans are priced from Milton's snow history: about 1.86 plow visits in an average season.
Visits beyond a plan's limit are half the per-visit price.
Service starts at 1 inch of accumulation.

Popular services in Milton

Local Notes

A small city on the King and Pierce county line between Federal Way and Fife.

Site Conditions

The hillside setting is the key factor: even a thin snowfall compacts on sloped drives and refreezes overnight, and shaded runs along the county-line ridges stay icy after flatter ground clears. Freeze-thaw is the recurring pattern, with daytime melt on asphalt turning to morning black ice on the descents toward Surprise Lake. Traction on grade matters as much as clearing the surface.

Seasonal Considerations

A normal winter delivers just a few accumulating events, most tied to a cold push behind a Sound system, so the danger is the icy morning after rather than deep snow. We treat sloped approaches before an evening freeze, keep the hillside drives passable through short cold snaps, and watch the overnight refreeze closely. Because snow is infrequent, staging traction material early prevents scrambling when the grades ice over.

Common Project Types

Common jobs include plowing and de-icing sloped residential driveways, adding traction on hillside approaches, and clearing steps and walkways on the North Hill lots. Downtown work covers small retail sidewalks and civic entries, and many owners add seasonal standby so a single freeze does not leave a steep drive unusable for the morning commute.

Property Styles

Housing is mostly single-family homes with some townhomes, many perched on the hillside grades between the two counties. Sloped drives, retaining walls, and terraced yards mean clearing has to protect hardscape edges while keeping the descent safe, so we favor traction-forward treatment and careful plowing over aggressive pushing near walls and beds.

Local Materials & Plants

On Milton’s grades we emphasize grit and pre-wetted salt for traction on the descents, while switching to calcium magnesium acetate near lawns and foundation shrubs so runoff does not burn roots downhill. Plowed snow is stacked uphill of planting beds where possible, edging plants absorb the salt spray, and we keep chloride off the terraced yards that step down the hillside toward the lake.

Planning Your Project

Planning here is about the slope: we decide which sloped drives get treated first, where snow can be stacked without sliding back onto pavement, and how to reach homes on narrow hillside lanes. Turnaround points, priority descents, and pre-treatment timing are set before winter so crews handle the grades efficiently the night ice is forecast.

Snow removal in Milton: common questions

How much does snow removal cost in Milton?

For homes, a single-car driveway with front walk and steps starts at $220 per visit. A two-car driveway starts at $330. Deicing starts at $100 per visit. Businesses and HOAs pay hourly rates, plus a $350 trip charge per dispatch for Milton, which is in travel zone C.

How much snow does Milton get in a season?

Milton averages 6.1 inches of snow in a season. About 1.9 days a year bring 1 inch or more. There are 28 freezing nights from October to April. The biggest storm since 2005 was Jan 15–20, 2012, with 12.7 inches in total.

Is a seasonal plan or per-visit service better in Milton?

Milton averages about 1.86 plow events a season, and our plans are priced from that history. Two-car plans start at $825 and single-car plans at $550, each for up to 4 visits. Extra visits cost half the per-visit price. Per-visit suits those who want to pay only when snow falls.

How do I get a snow removal quote in Milton?

Call Washington Snow Removal at 206-809-9669. Snow service runs 24/7, and we are licensed, bonded and insured. Tell us your property type and whether you need plowing, shoveling or deicing. Service starts at 1 inch of accumulation. We will give you pricing for your Milton address.

If your Milton hillside driveway turns treacherous in a cold snap, let’s put a traction-first snow and ice plan in place so the grade stays climbable all season.

206 809 9669