Frequently Asked Questions
This page offers a collection of questions and answers you may have about our ice dam removal services. Feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions.
How long does ice dam removal take?
Do you use steam?
Are you insured & bonded?
Do you have a minimum charge?
Do you accept credit cards?
Do you give free estimates?
Can you remove ice dams from my roof while I’m on vacation?
Can you remove ice dams while my business is closed for the holidays?
How do I know if you service the type of roof I have?
What do I need to do before your crew comes over?
Can I just “wait it out” until the ice dams melt naturally around springtime?
Do those hockey-puck-shaped salt tablets really work?
What’s the best way to prevent ice dams?
Questions about our services
How long does ice dam removal take?
The average job takes 2-4 hours to complete but it is important to note that it is possible your job may take longer. Because there are so many variables to consider, it is nearly impossible to answer this question before seeing and actually trying to remove the ice dams.
However, we’re always trying to get a better idea of how long the average ice dam removal job takes. We actually get a bit scientific about it: At the end of every season we add up all the hours we spent removing ice dams, and then divide this number by the number of jobs we completed. Based on 16 years of data, we’ve found that the resulting number is 3—or 3 hours per job, on average. Hence our estimate of 2-4 hours for ice dam removal.
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We certainly do! We use only the highest-quality gas-powered steam-blasters to remove ice dams (we’ve found that electric steamers are underpowered and take too long to get the job done). Too many ice dam removal “professionals” don’t bother to invest in the best equipment—but we do, because our top priority is to avoid damaging your roof and home.
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Yes. We are fully insured and bonded through Auto Owners Insurance and Western Surety Company.
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Yes: we have a 2-hour minimum charge. We have to travel with a truck full of equipment, and of course it takes a bit of time to remove several tons of ice from a roof.
There are tons of little steps involved in even the smallest ice dam removal job.
We need to clear our machines of anti-freeze, access a water spigot, unload and set up ladders, route hoses to the location of the actual ice dam BEFORE we can even start melting ice. Working with water in the dead of winter is time-consuming, and Mother Nature fights us every step of the way.
Some companies claim to have no minimum charge, just to get their foot in the door—but once they’re on your roof, they’ll lollygag and take longer than is necessary to remove your ice dams, just to rack up more hours that they can bill you for.
We’re up-front and honest with you: ice dam removal never takes less than two hours, so we’re not going to try to convince you that we can do it in less time.
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Yes. In addition to accepting checks (obviously), we accept all major credit cards, as well as online forms of payment, like PayPal.
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Never. The reason is that it’s impossible to determine the size and extent of the ice dams until we actually see them—and in order to do that we need to remove all the snow that’s covering the ice dams.
If a company promises over the phone to remove the ice dams in a specific number of hours, one of several bad things will happen:
- They won’t remove the ice dams on-time, and will ask you to pay them even more if you want them to finish the job.
- They won’t melt the ice dams within their promised timeframe, and will leave you with a roof that’s only partly free of ice dams—and therefore at risk of caving in or leaking.
- They’ll hustle to complete the job by cutting corners—and will likely damage your shingles by using improper steaming technique, or they won’t remove the ice dams completely.
Rather than over-promise and under-deliver, we prefer to be honest and up-front with you by telling you—based on over 16 years of removing ice dams—that free estimates are misleading.
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Can you remove ice dams from my roof while I’m on vacation?
Yes we can, and we often do remove snow and/or ice dams from roofs while people are out of town or unavailable. We can do it for you, too.
However, we’d always prefer if you’re home, for a number of reasons:
1. It’s nice to have someone home to keep an eye on things. If the ice dams are causing leaking inside your home, melting them can occasionally make the leak worse before the leaking stops completely.
2. Good ice dam removal isn’t cheap. One reason is simply that a LOT of work goes into climbing up on the roof in the middle of winter to remove several tons of ice. We’d like you to see first-hand what’s involved, so that you know exactly what you’re paying for.
3. It makes billing a little easier for both of us: once we’ve made your home safe and ice-free, you can write a check on the spot, rather than have to dig out your credit card and read the number to use over the phone from your hammock in the Bahamas.
So, our first choice is that you’re home while we remove the ice dams, but if you simply can’t be, that works too.
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Can you remove ice dams while my business is closed for the holidays?
Yes. It’s a bit more difficult and time-consuming for us, and therefore costs a little more than otherwise. Please call us at 651-964-8557 to discuss your specific case.
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How do I know if you service the type of roof I have?
We’ve serviced just about every type of roof, and can service yours. In any case, we’ll ask you over the phone what kind of roof you have (unless you live in an igloo, we shouldn’t have any problems removing your ice dams).
What do I need to do before your crew comes over?
See this blog post.
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General questions about ice dams and ice dam removal
Can I just “wait it out” until the ice dams melt naturally around springtime?
Possibly. Sometimes you can wait it out and have the ice dams slowly but surely melt off of your roof and not into your home. But many times it just doesn’t work out that way, and you won’t necessarily know how much your roof can take. So the other possible outcome of waiting is that you wake up every morning (or in the middle of the night) to the feeling of water dripping onto your face from the ceiling before having to fork over for repairs.
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Is there any way I can remove the ice dams myself?
There is no safe way to remove the ice dams yourself. You risk killing yourself or damaging your roof.
There are various chemicals and products on the market – none of which we recommend. There are a handful of products that actually do what they promise…but they can ruin your grass in the summer, discolor your shingles and/or siding, and cause your gutters to rust, oxidize, or peel.
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Do those hockey-puck-shaped salt tablets really work?
No – but salt pucks are great if you want to create a bunch of perfectly round holes in your ice dams to keep your cans of beer cold!
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What’s the best way to prevent ice dams?
This page has more detail on the best ways to prevent ice dams (there are several).
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Still have a question – but couldn’t find the answer here? Contact us!