Surrey Snow Removal Rules: Sidewalk Deadlines, Fines and Plowing in Surrey, Langley, Delta and White Rock

Each city south of the Fraser has its own snow rules. This guide covers Surrey first, then the Township of Langley, the City of Langley, Delta and White Rock. We checked every deadline, fine, bylaw and phone number on each city's website and bylaws on September 25, 2026.

Sidewalk snow rules at a glance

Surrey snow removal rules

Section 80 of Surrey's Highway and Traffic By-law No. 13007 requires owners or occupiers to remove all snow and ice from any sidewalk or walkway bordering their property by 10am on the day after the snowfall. It covers single family homes, duplexes, multi-family, commercial and industrial properties. Holidays are excepted.

The City's snow page lists fines of $55 per day for homes and $80 per day for businesses. The by-law's fine schedule reduces them to $40 and $55 if paid within 7 days. When someone reports an unshovelled sidewalk, the City issues a notice first. A fine follows only if there is no response within the set time.

Plowing priorities. Crews look after more than 4,200km of roads:

• Priority 1: arterial roads, major collector roads and steep roads.
• Priority 2: secondary roads in residential areas and access roads to long-term care facilities.
• Priority 3: all other roads, starting with more significant roads, hills and known problem spots.

From early November, crews pre-treat major arterial roads with salt brine before forecast snow or ice. The City's snow page has an address lookup that shows your road's priority, and a Snow Plow Tracker that turns on when plowing starts.

To report a problem: call 604-591-4152 for an icy or unplowed road, or 604-591-4370 for an unshovelled sidewalk. You can also report either one online. Give the exact location. The City also asks residents to clear snow around any fire hydrant in front of their home.

Township of Langley snow removal rules

Section 509 of Highway and Traffic Bylaw 2010 No. 4758 sets two deadlines. Homes in residential zones on designated pedestrian routes must clear the sidewalk within 24 hours of the first snow. Commercial, industrial and institutional properties must clear theirs by 10am. The Township says fines can reach $100 per day.

First priority routes are major collector and arterial roads, school zones, bus routes and hills. Second priority routes are industrial, commercial and residential through roads. Other residential roads come third and are only plowed once snow is deeper than 250mm (10 inches), and then with a single pass.

For snow and ice service requests, call 604-532-7300. Bylaw questions go to 604-532-7551 or bylaw@tol.ca. If there's a medical emergency on an unplowed street, call 911. The Township says emergency responders will let it know if the road needs clearing.

City of Langley snow removal rules

Section 8(4) of Bylaw No. 2871 requires owners or occupiers to clear snow and ice from bordering sidewalks within 24 hours after the snowfall ends, or before it gets deeper than 10cm. The City says this includes snow left by the plow. Snow or ice on a roof that could fall onto the road or sidewalk must be removed right away. If you ignore a notice, the City can clear the snow and charge you, and it can collect that cost the same way as property taxes.

The City's crews look after about 74km of road. Main routes come first, and residential streets are cleared once those are done. For questions, email engops@langleycity.ca or call City Hall at 604-514-2800.

Delta snow removal rules

Delta's snow page says commercial property and business owners are responsible for clearing sidewalks next to their property. It asks residential owners to help by clearing the sidewalks that border their homes. Roads are cleared in six priority levels. Emergency access roads, arterials and major transit routes come first, and level residential streets come last.

• Winter road conditions hotline: 604-952-3820
• Report a snow or ice concern: DeltaConnect app or 604-946-4141
• Engineering: 604-946-3260 (business hours); Delta Police: 604-946-4411 (after hours)

Snow Angels: Volunteers shovel walkways and sidewalks for Delta residents 65 and older who have physical limitations and no one nearby to help. People 70 and older get first priority. You have to apply every year. Call 604-952-3000 or visit a Delta recreation centre. To volunteer, call 604-946-3288.

White Rock snow removal rules

Section 39 of White Rock's Street and Traffic Bylaw No. 1529 requires every property owner to clear snow, ice and debris from the sidewalk bordering their property by 10am. The ticketing bylaw sets the fine at $60, or $35 if paid within 7 days. Crews clear major roads, emergency routes and bus routes first, then secondary residential through roads. Steep hills may be closed with barricades. Call 604-541-2181 or email operations@whiterockcity.ca.

Can I push driveway snow onto the road?

No. The Township of Langley (s. 506(4)) and City of Langley (s. 8(3)(d)) bylaws both ban dumping snow onto a sidewalk or road. The City of Langley says owners who keep doing it may be billed for the clean-up. Surrey, Delta and White Rock all ask you to shovel onto your lawn or yard. Plows push snow to the right edge of the road, so snow you throw on the street can end up back in your driveway.

Parking during snow

Surrey, both Langleys and Delta ask you to park off the street, on your own property if you can, so plows can get through. Surrey suggests neighbours all park on one side of the road. The City of Langley warns that vehicles that keep blocking plows may be towed at the owner's expense.

Garbage and recycling pickup in snow

All five cities warn that collection may be delayed when roads are unsafe. Clear snow off your carts and keep them off the road where plows work. For regular schedules, see our Surrey garbage, recycling and large item pickup guide.

• Township of Langley: set carts out by 7:30am on collection day, not the night before. Call Sierra Waste at 604-530-3939 for updates.
• City of Langley: missed zones are picked up after the next day's regular route, which can take several days.
• Delta: the contractor tries again later that day or the next day. If it still can't reach your carts, they're collected on your next regular day.

Free salt or sand, and ice melt tips

We found no free salt or sand program for residents on any of the five cities' snow pages. In a past winter notice, White Rock said it cannot give salt to the public because it needs its supply for main roads.

White Rock suggests spreading sand, rock salt or kitty litter on sidewalks and driveways for grip. The Township of Langley suggests keeping plenty of salt on hand for the sidewalk in front of your home.

What if someone slips on my sidewalk or driveway?

In BC, the Occupiers Liability Act says the person who occupies a property must take reasonable care to keep people on it reasonably safe. The Township of Langley says its snow bylaw "protects people, both physically and legally". Our guide to slip and fall liability for snow and ice in BC covers homeowners, landlords, tenants and stratas, and what to do after a fall.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official sources

• Winter Snow & Ice Control Operations — City of Surrey
• Highway and Traffic By-law No. 13007 (PDF) — City of Surrey
• City of Surrey gears up for colder, wetter winter — City of Surrey
• Snow and Ice — Township of Langley
• Sidewalk Snow Removal Reminder — Township of Langley
• Highway and Traffic Bylaw 2010 No. 4758 (PDF) — Township of Langley
• Winter Impacts on Curbside Collection — Township of Langley
• Snow & Ice Control — City of Langley
• Snow Removal Reminder — City of Langley
• Highway and Traffic Regulation Bylaw No. 2871 (PDF) — City of Langley
• Snow & Ice Preparedness — City of Delta
• Snow Angels — City of Delta
• Winter Snow & Ice Operations — City of White Rock
• Clearing Snow and Ice: City and Public Responsibilities — City of White Rock
• Street and Traffic Bylaw, 1999, No. 1529 (PDF) — City of White Rock
• Ticketing for Bylaw Offences Bylaw No. 1929 (PDF) — City of White Rock

General information only, not professional advice. Rules and prices change, so check the official sources above before you act. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.