Ice dams form on the eaves 1 or edges of your home’s roof and are basically walls of ice that don’t allow snow to melt and run off. If left unaddressed, ice dams can wreak havoc and cause significant damage to your property.
Removing ice dams is a home maintenance task that should be done periodically, depending on the climate you live in. Homeowners pay anywhere from $400 to $2,000 for ice dam removal. For example, three hours of ice dam removal labor on a traditional two-story 1,500-square-foot home costs about $1,000.
Ice Dam Removal Costs | |
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National average cost | $1,000 |
Minimum cost | $400 |
Maximum cost | $2,000 |
It is important to remove ice dams promptly, before water seeps into your roof and causes possible damage to your home. Ice dams may cause roof leaks, which can foster the growth of mold and require subsequent repairs to the roof.
Furthermore, ice dams are dangerous for anyone walking near or under the roof as the ice chunks could potentially fall. Don’t forget that over time the ice can also damage and destroy gutter segments and downspouts. Removing them may become more dangerous if left unattended for too long, as dams may also create long, jagged icicles, which also present a risk. Depending on the type of home you live in, the weight of the ice may even put smaller dwellings, like mobile or manufactured homes, at risk of collapsing.
Talk to your contractor about the basic methods used to remove ice dams from your roof to find the best solution for your distinct home or building. Here are some of the most common:
Method | Characteristics | Cost |
---|---|---|
Salt, ice-melt, or pucks | Thawing ice to be removed in chunks and thrown from roof Used by contractors for smaller roofs or surfaces alongside other methods 1 pound of salt thaws approx. 36-square feet of surface space Can damage or stain roofing materials Takes approx 2 hours to apply, but can take hours to melt, depending on the weather conditions | $100/hour |
Roof melt tablets | Thaws ice in chunks Can be tossed up onto the roof without the need for a ladder Creates channels for water to drain through Can be a little slippery and hard to place in the right spot Only effective on small areas of ice | $100/hour |
Chipping | Chipping away at ice dam to detach from roof and remove in sheets Using hammers, mallets and chisels Could damage property Takes approx. 4 hours | $200/hour |
High pressure water | Using hot water or high pressure to melt the ice Can be messy Quite fast It takes approx. 2 hours depending on roof size | $200-$400/hour |
Steam | Using steam to cut ice dam into chunks for removal Fast method Less messy Takes approx. 2-4 hours | $400-$600/hour |
An ice dam can pose a serious threat to your roof and may cause damage that needs to be repaired. Ice dams often cause roof erosion and may damage gutters and downspouts too. Once the dam has been removed, these areas need to be fixed to prevent further issues from developing. The total cost of repairs depends on how much damage was done to the roof, ranging from $150 to $5,000. Small jobs like replacing a few shingles or repairing the gutter will not be too expensive, but in severe ice dam situations, you may need to spend thousands on roof replacement or water damage repairs.
Before removing ice dams, contractors will remove any snow that is on the roof or on the ice, itself. This is done with a long rake-type tool that is made for this task. Standing on the ground, the professional can pull the snow toward them onto the ground. This is a natural part of hiring a professional to remove an ice dam and typically included in the price of removing the dams. The best preparation that homeowners can do is to cover and remove any furnishings, belongings, or items from under the roof edge or around the perimeter of the workspace.
It generally takes between two and four hours to remove an ice dam for an average sized, two-story house. While it may take less than two hours, most contractors in this field charge for a minimum of two hours, regardless of the home’s size. Contractors who remove ice dams typically charge between $200 and $600 per hour.
If you live in a snowy and cold area, ice can build up in your gutters too, causing clogs and blockages. There are several different ways to remove this ice. A simple and manual method involves using a snow rake to clear away the ice, but this can be difficult and may damage the gutters in the process. You can also use hot water, a deicer, or other chemical products like tablets to melt away the ice. Often, when there is a large blockage, it is best to call in a professional. If you try to fix the problem by yourself, it is possible to do it cheaply at just $50 to $100, while a professional usually charges about $100 to $400 per hour.
Preventing ice dams is easier and cheaper than removing them; hire a pro to remove the snow for you periodically to prevent subsequent accumulation of ice. Insulation is also key–check out the insulation in your attic to ensure it is not causing ice dams. You don’t want your attic to be as warm as your home, as the heat will rise and warm the roof deck. Seal and insulate around your heating ducts. Use a fire-stop sealant around electrical cables and vent pipes to keep heat inside.
If you have a roof access hatch, have it capped-off. Roofing contractors can cap this for you and will charge $45-$75 per hour, plus materials. Ventilate the eaves and ridges of your home with small vents near the edge of the roof. When the roof deck becomes warm, water melts and ice dams form. Avoid venting your fans through the roof of your home. This will cause temperatures to fluctuate and ice to form. Most new construction comes with roof ridge vents 2, but you can have a ridge vent system installed in an older home; the average cost for a common, 50’-long ridge vent is $500 for labor and materials. Connect ducts on any kitchen, bathroom, and dryer vents to the roof or walls and not the soffit 3. If a soffit-and-ridge system is not viable, enhance ventilation with soffit or gable vents, or with conventional roof vents for exhaust. Installing a roof vent costs an average of $440.
Another option is to invest in sealed can lights 4 to help prevent ice dams on the roof. These lights can be installed underneath insulation and provide an air seal and a thermal layer that help to insulate the home. Expect to pay around $250 per sealed can light installed in your home’s insulation. It is a good idea to inspect your property for sources where heat may leak before winter weather sets in. Some other culprits that can contribute to ice formation are electrical outlets, your furnace, vents, door frames, windows, and any small cracks, gaps, or holes that you find. Fill these spaces and crevices with caulking 5, which costs around $5 per tube.
Keep your gutters clean to prevent the chance for ice to form in the first place. Make clearing and cleaning your gutters a seasonal task to help keep them working well and detouring water from your home and foundation. Hiring a roofing contractor to clean and clear your gutters will likely cost between $100 and $250.
It is always better to prevent a problem from occurring in the first place, rather than waiting until it happens and then fixing it. There are various ways to prevent ice dams from forming, ranging from simple and affordable snow rakes to specially heated cables that warm up the roof to prevent too much ice from forming, even in the frostiest conditions. Below are three great ice dam prevention products to choose from.
BEST VALUE: Grip Clip Heat Tape Pro
One of the best ways to prevent ice dams is to install a heated cable like this. Self-regulating and plug-in ready, this 37-foot cable works flawlessly on flat, metal, asphalt, and rubber roofs and offers some of the strongest heating performance around. It ships with a 5-year warranty and can easily melt ice and snow, preventing dams from building up in the first place.
ALSO CONSIDER: Ice Dam Prevention Viper Roof Roll
This is another terrific and affordable product to keep your roof and gutters free of ice dams. It is a roof roll that is placed on the roof 12-24 inches above the gutters or directly in the gutters. This non-corrosive and toxin-free product is environmentally friendly, safe on all surfaces, and made entirely in the USA.
ALSO CONSIDER: Garant GPRR24 Yukon 24-Inch Poly Blade Snow Roof Rake
If you want a simple and affordable DIY tool to prevent ice dams and keep your roof and gutters clear of debris, snow, and ice, a roof rake is a great product to buy. This is one of the finest roof rakes around, fitted with three sections of 5-foot-long ultra-light aluminum handles to reach the roof and a 24-inch blade for clearing away the snow and ice. It has a wide-angled head for easy removal and a polyethylene blade, which will not damage your roof.
A warm attic or inadequate ventilation can lead 5 to the formation of ice dams. An ice dam is a ridge or lip of ice that forms on the edge of your roof and which may prevent water from smoothly flowing away. When the water can’t flow through the gutters to the ground, it sets the scenario for water damage to occur, particularly on your roof, ceilings, walls, insulation, and other property inside your home.
When heat is lost from inside the home and the temperatures outside begin to dip, ice dams can begin to form. Add to this poor insulation, mild winter temperatures, and ventilation issues, and ice dams can pose a problem. Know that flat-pitched roofs are more susceptible and deep snow banks or piles can also cause ice to form, due to the inability of water to flow where it needs. It is far easier to periodically remove snow from your roof than to risk the formation of ice dams. Removing up to 12” of snow from a roof costs around $300.
Invest a little more with heated cables that will warm the roof’s surface to prevent ice dams before they form. These coils are not meant to replace adequate insulation, but they can help curb snow and ice accumulation on your roof in cold weather.
The materials for installation include the heating coils and a thermostat 6; self-regulating coils cost around $5 per foot. It is recommended that you install the coils in the spots most prone to ice dams, such as along the northern exposure of your roof. A thermostat will cost an additional $125-$200, and you should expect to pay roofers $45-$75 per hour for installation.
If you have a new roof installed, upgrade to an ice shield to curb the formation of ice dams. An ice or water shield is installed as an underlayment 7 to create a leak-free roof. Roofers typically charge $45-$75 per hour. Speak with your roofing professional for more information on this additional layer of protection, which costs around $600 to $1,000 to add.
Heated gutters ensure that water will flow freely through the troughs and downspouts all winter long. The gutters are lined with thermal heating elements that prevent blockages from ice and keep water moving. Heated gutters are expensive, often costing more than $2,000 to install.
It costs an average of $1,000 to remove an ice dam from a two-story, 1,500 square foot home. This includes labor costs of $200-$600 per hour.
Many standard homeowners’ insurance policies do cover ice dam damage, but most do not cover the preventative measure of having the dam removed prior to damage occurring. It is critical to remove ice dams as it may be considered negligence on the homeowner’s behalf if damage does occur, which may result in an insurance claim denial.
No, ice dams do not always cause damage. When the dam has formed, water can back-up and cause leaking through your roof to your attic and interior. If there is no precipitation or run-off the dam may do no damage at all.
The fastest and best long-term solution is to keep your attic cold and allow for ample ventilation, which helps prevent ice dams in the first place. If a dam has already formed, you may need to use hot water to quickly melt the accumulation of ice.
Firmly hitting the ice with a rubber mallet will help break up the ice chunks. Thaw the ice by pouring hot water into the trough and use a snow rake to remove snow from the gutter or eavestrough. Always double-check the downspout to ensure water can flow freely from the roof all the way to the ground.
Ice melt pucks can work in some situations, but there are problems when relying on them for thawing ice on a larger area or up high. For instance, the pucks are lightweight so they can easily be blow away. They melt ice, but only in a small perimeter around the actual puck. The pucks may also discolor shingles 8 or roofing, and if they reach the ground they can harm your landscaping as well as the environment.
You may use hot water to remove ice dams, but steam blasters are considered the more effective way to remove ice dams. Hot steam loosens large sheets and chunks, which can then be removed by a roofing professional, whereas water thaws a segment at a time.
Cost to remove ice dams varies greatly by region (and even by zip code). To get free estimates from local contractors, please indicate yours.