If you live in a region with frequent, heavy snowfall, regularly clearing snow off your roof is essential for maintaining your shingles, trusses, and gutters. Snow left on a roof for weeks will melt unevenly, causing water damage, ice dams, and sagging.
The best and safest way to clear snow is to get an extendable roof rake to drag the powder off your roof while keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground. There are many types of roof rake, though, and each has different features that might make it better for you.
To help you pick the best roof rake for your home, we found snow removal roof rakes with standout functions and accessibility features. Keep reading to find a reliable roof rake and learn how to use it.
The best snow roof rakes
Best of the best: Avalanche! SnowRake Deluxe 20
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We decided this roof rake from Avalanche! is the best because it’s got a great design at a reasonable price. It isn’t the cheapest roof rake on our list, but with a lightweight build, an extendable reach, and a wide blade, it gives you the most bang for your buck. The best part is that its wheeled blade makes it safe to use on a wide variety of roofing materials like shingles, tiles, metal panels, and even solar tiles.
As a bonus, the Avalanche! roof rake comes with a special wall-mount bracket for easy storage.
Best for tight budgets: GnL Recsports Aluminum Snow Rake
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This GnL Recsports roof rake is the most affordable option on our list, so it’s the best choice for anyone who wants to get an adequate snow and ice scraper without spending too much money. Despite its low cost, this roof rake has several deluxe features, like a wheeled blade and an adjustable length that can reach up to 20 feet.
Best for tall houses: SNOWPEELER Premium Snow Roof Rake
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All the other rakes on this list have a maximum reach of about 20 feet, but this heavy-duty option from SNOWPEELER can extend up to 30 feet, making it the best option for people with multi-story homes. That said, it’s the most expensive and heaviest option on our list.
It also features a unique pusher design with a snow slide. You use most roof rakes by positioning them behind snow on your roof and then dragging them downward, pulling snow to the ground. With this rake, though, you actually push the rake up through the snow, which then glides down the attached slide. Some users find this design preferable once they get used to it.
Best for easy handling: Snow Joe Poly Blade Telescoping Roof Rake
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If you want the most easy-to-use roof rake money can buy, look no further than this model from Snow Joe. It features a lightweight aluminum handle and weighs a meager 4.8 pounds, which is featherweight compared to the other rakes we’ve listed. It also has an angled head, allowing for easy positioning and maneuvering over a roof. Lastly, it features a telescoping design, making it easier to store than rakes, which use removable extension segments.
The only thing keeping this rake out of our top spot is that it doesn’t have wheels on its blade, so it’s a little more complicated to use safely on shingles and tiles.
Best for your roofing materials: Starrio Premium Roof Rake
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With a relatively low weight (8.13 pounds) and a wheeled blade, this roof rake from Starrio is an excellent option for dragging snow off fragile roofing materials without damaging them. This rake also has a large, spongy grip on its handle, so it’s easy to wield comfortably and accurately at its full extension of 20 feet.
Is a roof rake a good idea?
Yes, a roof rake is hands down the best way to clear snowpack off your roof, especially if you don’t want to invest in high-end roofing insulation.
Other snow removal methods—like climbing a ladder and scraping snow away with a standard snow shovel—just don’t work as well, and they can be much more dangerous. However, you absolutely shouldn’t just leave snow on your roof. Doing so can severely damage your roof’s shingles and structure and even void material warranties.
This makes purchasing (and regularly using) a roof rake your best option.
Snow rakes can also be used to pull down debris like fallen leaves and branches year-round. You can even use a roof rake to clean off your car, shed, or driveway. These varied applications make roof rakes all-season tools and great investments for all homeowners.
For more DIY roof maintenance tips, watch this video:
How to use your roofing rake
Step 1: Adjust the rake’s length
First, you should lengthen your rake by adding additional segments or telescoping the handle until it’s long enough to reach part-way up your roof from the ground. You’ll need to follow the instructions on your rake’s package to accomplish this.
Once your rake is long enough, you’re ready to head outside.
Step 2: Position yourself beneath your roof
With rake in hand, stand under the eave of your roof with some distance between you and where the snow will fall when you pull it down. This will prevent the snow you drag off your roof from falling on top of you, making the rest of the process cold and miserable.
Step 3: Carefully place the head of your rake on your roof
Once you’re in position, reach the head of your rake as far up your roof as possible and bring it down into the snow. You’ll want to do this carefully to prevent the rake’s blade from gouging into your shingles or cracking your roof’s tiles. Gingerly lower the blade down into the snowpack instead of slamming it down.
Step 4: Drag the rake down your roof
Once your rake is in position, slowly drag it back toward you. This will pull the snow off your roof and down to the ground, where you can shovel it. You don’t want to scrape your roofing materials, so try to keep the rake’s blade a little above the roof as you use it. This is easier if you get a rake with wheels or rollers.
Step 5: Repeat
Go around the entire perimeter of your roof and repeat steps 2–4 until the downward-sloping edges of your roof are clear of any heavily-packed snow. Luckily, you don’t need to remove all the snow off your roof completely; you just need to clear off the bottoms of your eaves. This will promote healthy runoff to your gutters as the rest of the snow melts.
When you should rake your roof
You should rake snow off your roof immediately after every big snowfall. Anytime you use a snow shovel or snow blower on your driveway, you should clear the snow off your roof.
Here’s a pro tip: remove the snow from your roof before shoveling your driveway, or you’ll have to clear your driveway more than once.
Raking your roof the right way!
Now that you know which rakes are best for your roof and how to use them, the next step is to order one before a winter storm rolls in. Otherwise, you won’t be prepared to deal with the snow in time. Alternatively, you can hire professionals to remove snow from your roof.
Joe is a home improvement expert and content specialist for Fixr.com. He’s been writing home services content for over eight years, leveraging his research and composition skills to produce consumer-minded articles that demystify everything from moving to remodeling. His work has been sourced by various news sources and business journals, including Nasdaq.com and USA Today. When he isn’t writing about home improvement or climate issues, Joe can be found in bookstores and record shops.