Loudoun County, VA Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)

Unlike Virginia urban localities (Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax City) that have strict sidewalk snow removal ordinances, Loudoun County has not adopted a county-wide snow clearing requirement for unincorporated areas. Most sidewalks in Loudoun suburban developments (Ashburn, Brambleton, Broadlands, Lansdowne) are maintained by HOAs per covenants rather than county ordinance. Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) clears most public roads; sidewalks along VDOT roads are not VDOT's responsibility. Incorporated towns: Leesburg Town Code §26-41 (Snow and Ice Removal) requires property owners and occupants to clear snow and ice from sidewalks adjacent to their property within 24 hours after the end of a snowfall; a minimum path width is required, and ice that cannot be removed must be treated with sand or de-icing agent. Violations: civil penalty $50 first offense, $100 subsequent. Purcellville, Middleburg, Hamilton, and Hillsboro have similar short-timeline ordinances in town code. HOA rules in Loudoun planned communities typically require clearing within 24-48 hours. Virginia state law (VA Code §15.2-908.1) authorizes localities to require snow removal; Loudoun has not exercised this authority countywide. Slip-and-fall liability under Virginia premises law still applies — property owners who know of hazardous ice and fail to address it face negligence exposure.