Quincy’s pay-by-inch strategy brings savings in snowy winter

Quincy is realizing larger-than-expected savings during this snowy winter as a result of a program, now in its second year, that pays two snow-removal contractors by the inch rather than by the hour.

In order to be competitive, snow-removal firms seeking a “by-the-inch” contract with the city typically base their bids on the expectation of several snowstorms totaling two to four inches each, said Chris Walker, policy director for Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch.

“They don’t gamble that there’s going to be a lot of these big storms,” Walker said. “Cost-wise, we benefit the more it snows.”

Because dealing with a large snowstorm is more labor-intensive, inch-for-inch, than an accumulation of two to four inches, the larger the snowfall, the more money the city saves.

The pay-by-the-inch model is in place in roughly half the city, according to Walker. In those neighborhoods, he said, removing 18 inches of snow costs the city just $5,000, far less than what Quincy would pay on a per-hour basis.

Even during the milder winter last year, with a smaller portion of the city covered by pay-by-the-inch contractors, Quincy reduced its snow-removal costs by 10 percent, Walker said.

Because the contractors must begin clearing snow once the Department of Public Works directs them to do so, there is no danger that a firm will wait until a major storm has ended before starting to remove snow, Walker said.