Des Moines gives owners and tenants a little longer than most suburbs: 48 hours after a snowfall ends. Parking rules change in stages as plows move from snow routes to residential streets, and some neighborhoods use odd/even parking.
What the City of Des Moines says about sidewalks
- Owners and tenants must clear snow and ice from abutting sidewalks within 48 hours after the snowfall ends.
- Penalty: $75 administrative penalty for a first offense, with larger penalties for repeat violations over three years.
- Report an uncleared walk to the Public Works 24-Hour Customer Service Center at (515) 283-4950 or online.
- If ice can't be removed, city code says to keep it sprinkled with sand or de-icer so it isn't dangerous.
- Snow from private property can't go onto streets, alleys or other public property.
- Low-income seniors and disabled residents who can't clear snow are encouraged to contact United Way 2-1-1 for help.
Street parking and plowing
- During snowfall: no parking on Snow Routes. About 3 hours after snowfall ends: no parking on residential streets while they're plowed.
- Odd/Even neighborhoods (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on designated days): park on the side with even house numbers on even dates, odd on odd dates.
- All Clear usually comes 24 to 48 hours after snowfall ends. Text SNOW or ODDSNOW for alerts, per the city's page.
Hiring help in Des Moines
If you hire a company, make sure the agreement covers the public sidewalk (and, on a corner lot, the side walk and curb ramps), says how soon they'll come after the snow stops, and matches the city's deadline above. Ask what de-icer they use: Iowa State University Extension says rock salt works best above 15°F and that salt buildup can injure turfgrass, trees and shrubs. Our guide to choosing a snow removal company has a full checklist.
Iowa has no state license for snow removal. For lawn treatments, anyone in the business of applying pesticides (including weed and insect control) to other people's property needs an IDALS commercial applicator license; each listing below shows what we could verify.
Snow removal and lawn care companies in Des Moines
815 Office Park Road, West Des Moines, IA 50266
- Sidewalk & driveway clearing
- Salting / de-icing
- Mowing
- Fertilizing
- Aeration
- Seeding / overseeding
- Spring & fall cleanup
- Homes
- Businesses
Locally owned lawn care and snow removal company; its site describes 24-hour winter service using snow blowers and shovels rather than plows, with salt and snow melt, plus mowing, aeration, overseeding and fertilization.
Service area (their words): Its site names Des Moines, Urbandale, West Des Moines, Johnston, Grimes, Clive, Waukee, Beaverdale and Windsor Heights, and has a separate Ankeny lawn care page.
Lawn chemicals: no matching IDALS license record found by name (checked 2026-10-22)
How we checked
IDALS pesticide company lookup (https://agriculture-iowa.my.salesforce-sites.com/lookup), 'Search By Company/License', searched by company name on 2026-10-22. Searched 'Central Iowa Lawn' and 'Central Iowa': no matching company record found.
Listing source: https://centraliowalawncare.com/, https://centraliowalawncare.com/services/snow-removal-des-moines, https://centraliowalawncare.com/locations/lawn-care-waukee-ia, https://centraliowalawncare.com/locations/lawn-care-west-des-moines-ia, https://centraliowalawncare.com/locations/lawn-care-urbandale-ia, https://centraliowalawncare.com/locations/lawn-care-ankeny-ia (checked 2026-10-22).
2132 Walnut Street, West Des Moines, IA 50265
- Sidewalk & driveway clearing
- Mowing
- Spring & fall cleanup
- Landscaping
- Homes
Locally owned yard care company offering mowing, edging, fall cleanup, general yard work and snow removal from driveways, sidewalks and entryways.
Service area (their words): Service area listed: Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Johnston, Clive, Waukee, Saylorville, Altoona, Norwalk, Grimes, Cumming, Pleasant Hill, Carlisle and Adel.
How we checked
No fertilizer, weed-control or other lawn-chemical service listed on the pages we checked, so no pesticide license status is shown. Snow removal is not part of Iowa's pesticide licensing.
Listing source: https://gqsmowandsnow.com/, https://gqsmowandsnow.com/service-area/west-des-moines/, https://gqsmowandsnow.com/service-area/urbandale-ia/ (checked 2026-10-22).
802 SE Creekview Drive, Ankeny, IA 50021
- Snow plowing
- Sidewalk & driveway clearing
- Salting / de-icing
- Mowing
- Fertilizing
- Weed control
- Aeration
- Seeding / overseeding
- Spring & fall cleanup
- Landscaping
- Grub / insect control
- Homes
- Businesses
Lawn, irrigation and landscaping company; its residential snow removal page covers driveways, sidewalks, steps and entry paths, plus salting, de-icing and brining, and it also offers commercial snow removal.
Service area (their words): Service areas listed: Ankeny, Des Moines, Urbandale, West Des Moines, Johnston, Waukee, Ames, Altoona, Clive, Grimes, Pleasant Hill, Bondurant, Polk City, Windsor Heights, Adel, Huxley, Saylorville and Elkhart.
Lawn chemicals: IDALS company license record found (09733-000, checked 2026-10-22)
How we checked
IDALS pesticide company lookup (https://agriculture-iowa.my.salesforce-sites.com/lookup), 'Search By Company/License', searched by company name on 2026-10-22. Searched 'Nolte': found active company license 09733-000, NOLTE AND SONS LAWN AND IRRIGATION, Ankeny, expiration 2026-12-31.
Listing source: https://nolteandsons.com/services/snow-removal/ (checked 2026-10-22).
5475 Northwest Beaver Drive, Johnston, IA 50131
- Sidewalk & driveway clearing
- Mowing
- Fertilizing
- Weed control
- Aeration
- Seeding / overseeding
- Spring & fall cleanup
- Landscaping
- Grub / insect control
- Homes
- Businesses
Lawn care, landscaping, pest control and snow removal company; its residential snow service covers sidewalks, garage doors, driveways and a path for pets.
Service area (their words): Service areas listed: Urbandale, West Des Moines, Waukee, Grimes, Ankeny, Des Moines, Clive, Norwalk, Windsor Heights, Johnston and Polk County.
Lawn chemicals: IDALS company license record found (06481-001, checked 2026-10-22)
How we checked
IDALS pesticide company lookup (https://agriculture-iowa.my.salesforce-sites.com/lookup), 'Search By Company/License', searched by company name on 2026-10-22. Searched 'Ultimate Lawn': found active company license 06481-001, ULTIMATE LAWN SERVICES LLC, Grimes (Polk County), expiration 2026-12-31. (The license record lists Grimes; the website lists a Johnston address.)
Listing source: https://www.ultimatelawnservices.com/residential-snow-removal/, https://www.ultimatelawnservices.com/waukee-ia/, https://www.ultimatelawnservices.com/ (checked 2026-10-22).
- Snow removal
- Mowing
- Aeration
- Seeding / overseeding
- Spring & fall cleanup
- Landscaping
- Homes
- Businesses
Lawn care and landscaping company offering weekly mowing, trimming, edging, seasonal cleanups, aeration, overseeding, gutter cleaning, holiday lighting and winter snow removal.
Service area (their words): Service areas listed: Clive, Des Moines, Grimes, Johnston, Urbandale, Waukee, West Des Moines and Windsor Heights.
How we checked
No fertilizer, weed-control or other lawn-chemical service listed on the pages we checked, so no pesticide license status is shown. Snow removal is not part of Iowa's pesticide licensing.
Listing source: https://www.vargaslawn.com/service-areas/urbandale-ia (checked 2026-10-22).
See all 90 listed companies by town →
Listings are informational, not endorsements or rankings, and no company paid to be listed. Details come from each company’s own website. For fertilizer or weed control, check the company’s Iowa pesticide license with IDALS. We don’t show a license status for snow removal. Companies can request a correction or removal.
Guides for Des Moines homeowners
- Hiring helpHow to Choose a Snow Removal Company in IowaPer-push vs. seasonal snow removal, what to get in writing, red flags from the Iowa Attorney General, and why snow removal needs no state license in Iowa.Read the guide →
- Lawn careHow to Protect Your Lawn From Salt Damage This WinterHow de-icing salt hurts Iowa lawns and shrubs, which ice melts do less damage, how much to use, and how to flush salt in spring, from ISU Extension.Read the guide →
- Snow removalSnow Removal in Des Moines: Sidewalk Rules, Plowing and Getting HelpDes Moines sidewalk snow rules from the city: the 48-hour deadline, penalties, parking during plowing, salt tips and local snow removal companies.Read the guide →
- Snow removalSnow Removal in Waukee: The 24-Hour Rule, Parking Ban and Local HelpWaukee's 24-hour sidewalk snow rule, the snow emergency parking ban, fines in city code, de-icing tips for new concrete, and local snow removal companies.Read the guide →
Nearby towns we cover
Sources
- Sidewalk Snow Removal - City of Des Moines (checked 2026-10-22)
- Snow Removal - City of Des Moines Public Works (checked 2026-10-22)
- Code of Ordinances, Ch. 102, Snow and Ice Removal - City of Des Moines via Municode (checked 2026-10-22)
- Using Deicing Salts in the Home Landscape - Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (checked 2026-10-22)
- Applicator Licensing and Certification - Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (checked 2026-10-22)
We link to the original sources so you can read them yourself. Product names are not endorsements.