A ridge of ice sits along the eave above the gutter
For a clear next step close to home, that ridge is the dam itself, and meltwater is pooling behind it.
Source of the water
Nationwide
Our neighborhood response team addresses water entering beneath roof materials, then dries attic insulation, framing, walls, and ceilings affected by the leak.
Signs to look for
With local guidance, if you notice any of these problems, call us before water has more time to spread into nearby materials.
For a clear next step close to home, that ridge is the dam itself, and meltwater is pooling behind it.
For a clear next step close to home, icicles mean water is running down a warm roof and freezing at a cold edge.
As your nearby response team helps, ice dam water enters over the top plate and drops into the corner.
From your first call, the wall cavity carries the water down to the first thing that blocks it, which is a window head.
From your first call, the snow needs to melt before there is any water to leak.
For a clear next step close to home, heat escaping into the attic melts snow over the heated part of the house.
What happens
Our neighborhood response team adjusts the work to what got wet, how far the water traveled, and which materials can be saved.
As your nearby response team helps, wet ceiling boxes and can lights mean the circuit gets shut off from a dry location.
With local guidance, steam removal is the correct method, and we coordinate a crew that has the equipment.
As your nearby response team helps, a moisture meter runs the full length of every exterior wall in the affected room, not just the stained part.
As your nearby response team helps, baseboard or window casing comes off and small access holes let us read and dry inside the cavity.
For a clear next step close to home, compacted or soaked material at the perimeter comes out in place and gets replaced with a measured R value.
With local guidance, the house stays heated, the wet cavity gets contained, and air movers work into the openings with an Professional dehumidifier on the room.
Talk with a restoration specialist
Describe the source, the impacted rooms, and when you first noticed the damage.
What to expect
For a clear next step close to home, here is how we usually handle ice dam leak cleanup near the United States.
With local guidance, ice ridge, icicles, snow depth and which side of the house it is on.
Your callFrom your first call, take pictures of the eave from the ground while the ice is still there.
+5 minutesAs your nearby response team helps, sealed work area, drying equipment and the steam contact get lined up together.
+15 minutesAs your nearby response team helps, we record the dam, the icicles, the gutter condition and every interior stain with dates.
On arrivalAs your nearby response team helps, steam opens channels through the dam so water drains off the roof instead of backing up under the shingles.
First hours on siteFor a clear next step close to home, readings run the full exterior wall length, the ceiling perimeter and both sides of every window head.
First hours on siteFor a clear next step close to home, swollen window casing, failed board and soaked blown in insulation at the eave are removed and logged.
Day 1Understanding the cost
With local guidance, we explain the recommended work and price before you approve the job. With local guidance, these examples show what may change the estimate.
| Common situation | What the estimate may include | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Steam ice dam removal at the eave, by a specialty crew | From your first call, national estimate. | $400 to $1,500 |
| Interior cleanup after one ice dam leak, one room dried in place | As your nearby response team helps, national estimate for perimeter ceiling and wall drying with trim removal, no demolition. | $600 to $2,000 |
| Several eaves leaking, multiple rooms with removal and drying | For a clear next step close to home, national estimate including wet insulation removal, drywall sections and five to seven drying days. | $3,000 to $9,000 |
| Wet attic or perimeter insulation removal and disposal, per square foot | From your first call, national estimate for extraction, bagging and disposal of soaked material. | $1.00 to $2.50 |
| Perimeter drywall removal with cavity drying, per square foot | With local guidance, national estimate for removal, disposal and drying of the opened assembly. | $1.50 to $4.00 |
| Attic air sealing and insulation top up, by an insulation contractor | From your first call, national estimate for sealing attic bypasses and bringing depth back to code. From your first call, this is the fix, not the cleanup. | $1,200 to $4,000 |
| Heat cable installed at the eave and in the gutter, by a contractor | National estimate for a separate trade, not part of our cleanup local service plan. It manages symptoms on a problem eave and adds a power bill each winter. | $600 to $2,500 |
| After hours or overnight dispatch charge | With local guidance, national estimate for nights, weekends and holidays, billed once rather than per hour. | $100 to $400 nationally |
How many eaves are leaking
As your nearby response team helps, one dam over one room is a contained job.
How far the water ran along the wall
For a clear next step close to home, water spreads sideways on the top plate before it drops.
Whether the ice has to be removed first
With local guidance, steam removal is its own contractor visit and is usually billed hourly.
How much ceiling, wall and trim has to come out
With local guidance, board that can be dried in place costs a fraction of what removal and rebuild cost.
Insulation type and depth at the perimeter
From your first call, blown in material at the eave has to be extracted rather than lifted out.
Cold weather drying days
For a clear next step close to home, air movers run roughly $25 to $40 per unit per day and Professional dehumidifiers roughly $70 to $110 per unit per day.
Why timing matters
As your nearby response team helps, water can keep moving into nearby materials even when the surface looks dry.
For a clear next step close to home, one warm afternoon and one cold night is all it takes to make more ice.
For a clear next step close to home, shingles shed running water, they do not hold standing water.
From your first call, soaked material at the eave stops insulating, so more heat reaches the roof deck and more snow melts.
As your nearby response team helps, framing at 35 degrees releases moisture very slowly.
Helpful service information
From your first call, start with the short explanation. As your nearby response team helps, open a card if you want a little more detail.
As your nearby response team helps, heat leaking from the house warms the roof deck over the living space.
As your nearby response team helps, the physics here are simple and they explain everything about where the water shows up.
From your first call, ice dams form where heat loss is concentrated, so they come back in the same place until that path is closed.
For a clear next step close to home, recurrence is the part that matters for your money. From your first call, ice dams form where heat loss is concentrated, so they come back in the same place until that path is closed.
From your first call, it enters over the top plate at the outside wall, so the first wet materials are the ceiling perimeter and the top of the wall cavity.
From your first call, inside the building, ice dam water behaves unlike any other leak we handle. From your first call, it enters over the top plate at the outside wall, so the first wet materials are the ceiling perimeter and the top of the wall cavity.
Help near you
Choose your area below, or call (866) 292-0076 and describe what happened.
You may also need
Our neighborhood response team finds the affected area below a roof leak and dries ceilings, walls, insulation, flooring, and hidden cavities.
Get a Quote: (866) 292-0076Our neighborhood response team finds and dries moisture in attic insulation, framing, and ceilings after roof leaks, condensation, or plumbing failures.
Get a Quote: (866) 292-0076Our neighborhood response team locates the source, removes unsafe wet ceiling materials, and dries the cavity to prevent additional sagging and damage.
Get a Quote: (866) 292-0076Our neighborhood response team finds moisture inside walls and uses targeted drying or controlled removal to protect framing and nearby finishes.
Get a Quote: (866) 292-0076Our neighborhood response team removes saturated insulation that cannot dry safely, exposes the cavity for cleaning, and supports faster structural drying.
Get a Quote: (866) 292-0076Our neighborhood response team cleans up water from frozen and burst pipes, exposes hidden moisture, and dries affected walls, ceilings, and floors.
Get a Quote: (866) 292-0076Our neighborhood response team uses meters and thermal imaging to find hidden moisture, mark affected areas, and guide a focused drying plan.
Get a Quote: (866) 292-0076Our neighborhood response team removes water, damaged materials, and residue, then cleans and dries affected rooms so repair work can move forward.
Get a Quote: (866) 292-0076Common questions
From your first call, heat escaping into your attic melts snow on the upper roof. As your nearby response team helps, that water runs down and refreezes at the cold overhang, building a ridge of ice.
With local guidance, nationally, one room dried in place usually runs about $600 to $2,000. From your first call, several leaking eaves with removal typically run $3,000 to $9,000.
With local guidance, usually yes for the interior damage, because it is treated as sudden weather damage. For a clear next step close to home, many carriers also reimburse ice removal as mitigation.
For a clear next step close to home, no. From your first call, do not chip, hammer, chisel or pressure wash ice on a roof, and do not put a ladder against an icy building.
With local guidance, a roof rake used from the ground is reasonable for pulling snow off the lower roof.
For a clear next step close to home, low pressure steam is the correct method and it is what the specialty crews use.
For a clear next step close to home, the water enters over the top plate and drops into the wall cavity.
Talk with a restoration specialist
Describe the source, the impacted rooms, and when you first noticed the damage.
Areas we serve
Identify your state to reach neighborhood response local review, extraction, cleanup, and drying service in your area.
View the area on Google Maps